by Sandy Sand
Merchant greed may be out, consumer sanity and the real meaning of Christmas in.
For years I’ve been bitching about merchant greed, especially during the holidays.
It’s not that I want merchants to go bankrupt, it’s that I want to see some sanity restored to the holiday shopping season. They're going to have to learn to tighten their belts and get along with less, just as we have to.
Stores do not have to be opened 18 hours a day; they will sell the same amount of seasonal crap as they will by staying open only 10 hours a day.
My granny told me of the days when stores weren’t open on Sundays at all, as well as not being open on the Sunday before Christmas. It was a shopper’s joy when they remained open until 9 p.m. for the 10 days prior to Christmas.
Although not fun to work evening hours, it’s doable and still give employees time to be with their families and tuck the kiddies into bed.
It is outrageously ridiculous for stores to open at 4 a.m., 5 a.m., or even 6 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Who are the people who are the most employed in retail? Women, of course.
Women, the same people who worked a full day on Thanksgiving and Christmas; stood on their feet all day preparing, cooking, waiting on their couch potato, football-watching husbands, significant others and boyfriends and then cleaned up the mess.
They are the ones, who by and large have to get up at the ungodly hour of three, four or five to be at work at four, five or six in the morning.
Credit crunch
It was reported in last week’s papers that too many people have yet to pay off their credit card debt from last year’s holidays.
They really don’t need to increase that debt any more this year by being conned and guilt tripped into buying a bunch of crappy toys that will either be disintegrated or forgotten by New Year’s.
With all due disrespect to greedy retailers, who overwork and underpay their employees, it’s long past time to go back to the real meaning of Christmas for those who practice it religiously, and for those who participate at work, and get in on the act because “everybody else is,” and they’re forced to.
I don’t know about you, but when I worked, it was to support my family and pay for all the necessities. There was one extra dime to spend on gifts for anyone at work…most of whom were lucky if they got a friendly hello, because I wouldn’t have chosen 99 percent of them as friends.
If you’re honest, you might say the same thing. Co-workers are like family; they’re forced on us, we don’t choose them.
As adults, we’re making difficult choices. Some are choosing between food and medication, or between turning on the heat and rent, or a million other things.
If we can learn to economize, so can our children learn to be economic with their holiday desires. They are part of a family and they must learn to participate in family matters during good as well as bad times.
This Christmas/holiday season is going to bring along with it some big lessons in learning what the true meaning of Christmas is. Not a time of selfish longings, but a time of good spirit and goodwill and being thankful for what we have spiritually and materially and not wanting more of the material things.
Remember the Grinch? He could steal all the trapping of Christmas, but he couldn’t steal the spirit.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Actual Weather in Southern California on Bellwether Election Day
by Sandy Sand
What never happens is happening in Los Angeles and environs; it’s raining on election day in sunny Southern California. Never happens. But it is and it’s an historic weather event on this bellwether election day.
Rumors started by local morning KABC radio guy, Doug McIntyre, are flooding the internet that Karl Rove was seen flying over the area seeding clouds.
Why would Rove do such a thing? Because everyone knows how laid back we are out here, and rain just might discourage voters from trekking to the polls.
Last, last minute desperation on John McCain’s part.
The last minute desperate act of losing panic was a deluge of despicable McCain Rev. Wright commercials in the Los Angeles area. They had to be kidding with that.
Eleventh hour sleazy, slimeball campaign ads in California? What? They’ve got money to burn in a state that’s so cemented in support for Obama that it couldn’t be broken up with a jackhammer?
While Barack Obama is in Chicago to cast his vote, and more than a million people are expected to flock to the downtown area for post-election celebrating, Sarah Palin will be flying to Alaska to cast her vote, then take a quick turn-around flight to rejoin McCain for his minimally planned post-election whatever you want to call it.
Rumors are flying that between flights Palin will give birth to another baby to collect on that generous, socialistic, share the wealth $3K a year from the oil companies each Alaskan receives.
Just in. It's twins and she'll name them Attu and Barrow.
What never happens is happening in Los Angeles and environs; it’s raining on election day in sunny Southern California. Never happens. But it is and it’s an historic weather event on this bellwether election day.
Rumors started by local morning KABC radio guy, Doug McIntyre, are flooding the internet that Karl Rove was seen flying over the area seeding clouds.
Why would Rove do such a thing? Because everyone knows how laid back we are out here, and rain just might discourage voters from trekking to the polls.
Last, last minute desperation on John McCain’s part.
The last minute desperate act of losing panic was a deluge of despicable McCain Rev. Wright commercials in the Los Angeles area. They had to be kidding with that.
Eleventh hour sleazy, slimeball campaign ads in California? What? They’ve got money to burn in a state that’s so cemented in support for Obama that it couldn’t be broken up with a jackhammer?
While Barack Obama is in Chicago to cast his vote, and more than a million people are expected to flock to the downtown area for post-election celebrating, Sarah Palin will be flying to Alaska to cast her vote, then take a quick turn-around flight to rejoin McCain for his minimally planned post-election whatever you want to call it.
Rumors are flying that between flights Palin will give birth to another baby to collect on that generous, socialistic, share the wealth $3K a year from the oil companies each Alaskan receives.
Just in. It's twins and she'll name them Attu and Barrow.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Voter Apathy Equals Election Board Apathy, Long Lines
by Sandy Sand
Changes are needed in how we conduct all elections.
This headline in today’s Los Angeles Daily News, combined with pervasive voter apathy might reveal the answer [or part of the answer] to long lines at polling stations: Experts Concerned System May be Overwhelmed by Big Voter Turnout.
I’ve been stunned every time I see excruciatingly long lines at polling places across the country on television.
Stunned and pleased. Pleased, in the hope that Americans have finally woken out of their eight-year coma induced by hypnotic lies and scare tactics spun by BushCo, and they’re waiting in those devastatingly long line to vote Obama for Change; change from Republican domination.
I’m also stunned when I think about these long lines in relationship to not having early voting.
If a third or more of registered voters are voting early, what would the lines at the polls look like if there weren’t so many early voters?
It would be a colossal mess and utter chaos on election day, and in some places it’s pretty messy as it stands.
Is part of this the fault of election boards across the country who were too lazy and too apathetic to pay attention to the surge in voter registrations?
Let’s hope this puts an end to voter apathy and election board incompetence, and brings about some changes in how we hold elections…although I doubt it will.
Experts Concerned…: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_10876711
Changes are needed in how we conduct all elections.
This headline in today’s Los Angeles Daily News, combined with pervasive voter apathy might reveal the answer [or part of the answer] to long lines at polling stations: Experts Concerned System May be Overwhelmed by Big Voter Turnout.
I’ve been stunned every time I see excruciatingly long lines at polling places across the country on television.
Stunned and pleased. Pleased, in the hope that Americans have finally woken out of their eight-year coma induced by hypnotic lies and scare tactics spun by BushCo, and they’re waiting in those devastatingly long line to vote Obama for Change; change from Republican domination.
I’m also stunned when I think about these long lines in relationship to not having early voting.
If a third or more of registered voters are voting early, what would the lines at the polls look like if there weren’t so many early voters?
It would be a colossal mess and utter chaos on election day, and in some places it’s pretty messy as it stands.
Is part of this the fault of election boards across the country who were too lazy and too apathetic to pay attention to the surge in voter registrations?
Let’s hope this puts an end to voter apathy and election board incompetence, and brings about some changes in how we hold elections…although I doubt it will.
Experts Concerned…: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_10876711
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