Overindulgence

On this Thanksgiving Eve, I'd like to talk to you about gluttony.

No, not the food coma kind so many will indulge themselves tomorrow (although that's pretty disgusting), but the shopping kind that comes immediately afterwards.

This year, it feels like those commercials trying to draw people into various "Black Friday" sales have been even more aggressive, no doubt because retailers are horrified about the prospects of their bottom line looking more holiday "red" than black.

But I would never be able to get myself out of bed at 2am to be at a 4am sale, in the hopes that I might be one of the lucky few able to purchase a $2000 television for just $500. And I would certainly never be able to take days off work (uh, losing income) to wait in line in low temperatures, rain, snow, etc... with others who are camping out in front of a Best Buy living off Starbucks and Quiznos for that same TV deal.

I know times are hard. Hell, I'm a freelancer and put myself through college- you don't need to explain to me the worry about where the next paycheck is coming from. But surely there have to be things in life that are more important than having a plasma screen television? Or getting the bets deal on the planet for the latest copy of Rockband?

Ah, America. I know I live here and all, but some things I just don't get. Good luck to them campers!