Buy American! A New Tradition

Thanksgiving and the controversy surrounding premature Christmas music and Black Friday taken to the extreme is now behind us.  Lately, it seems there’s been an onslaught against Thanksgiving.  One day meant to be spent with family and friends has become little more than looking ahead to a late night/early morning/next day venture to the malls and big box stores.  All to take advantage of so-called door-buster deals, among the maddening crowds and frenzied shoppers.  Thanksgiving should come first!  More about this… next year.

I received an email a few weeks ago.  You know the kind that are sent en masse to all our contacts.  The same I’m guilty of sending occasionally myself.  It was a message I thought worth sharing which I did among those on my personal email list and now with you.  It turns out its been widely distributed, not only in email, but among newspapers, blogs and other web sites, even on Facebook.  You could definitely say, Its gone viral!

If its message doesn’t make sense during these tough financial times for American families and business — especially during the holiday season — then I don’t know what does.  If we were to start this tradition it would make a huge difference making this year one of the most memorable Christmases ever.  I have no idea who originally wrote this… but I’ve edited and added to it to fit my own style.  My apologies to readers living outside our borders.  This is all about America.

Dashing Through the Dough or Rethinking Christmas

It was two weeks ago today, the morning of November 3rd.  Walking through a Walmart and what did I hear?  The all-too familiar strains of …

Just hear those sleigh bells jingling,

Ring ting tingling too

Come on, it’s lovely weather

For a sleigh ride together with you

That’s right… sing along with me!  It was the song  Sleigh Ride.  Christmas music a full 52 days before the blessed day.  And it’s been running non-stop ever since at the world’s largest retailer!  People tell me they heard it in other stores the same week as well.  Here at my local Starbucks — as I write this — you’ll hear an occasional Christmas song, that’s all.  Much better than wall-to-wall Walmart.

Now we’ll be hearing two months of Christmas music.  Last year I noted it was still playing in stores well beyond January 1st.  And what for?

To celebrate the birth of Christ?  I don’t think so….  Obviously it’s for the proverbial almighty dollar.  The only ring ting tingling dancin’ in the retailer’s heads is the ka-ching of their cash registers.  While a tingling feeling fondles the back of their neck with the thought of big profits and hopes for a banner shopping season!  Retailers, wanting to spread the good cheer, dear reader want you — Walmart shoppers et al — to begin thinking of the holidays and start the spending early.  As if we need reminded of any of it.