season of goodwill

[realthog]

The BBC reports what has to be one of the most repulsive stories around at the moment. Here's the start of it:

US stores lure hard-up shoppers

US stores have opened early and offered steep discounts to encourage consumers to part with their cash as the Christmas shopping season kicks off.

Crowds of shoppers turned up at dawn to snare the best deals.

A worker died and at least three people were injured after being trampled by a crowd of shoppers at a Wal-Mart in the New York suburbs.

Season of greed, more like -- pure, unadulterated, and now murderous. And people ask me why I loathe Christmas so much . . .

Comments

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

It's programmed insanity. Not the only example of it either: http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS112587+13-Mar-2008+PRN20080313

I used to live round the corner from that annual event, typically described on Atlanta tv stations in ways that suggested it was cute.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

But have the brides trampled anyone to death?

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

Not yet, but the person who opens the door has to get out of the way smartish. I find it a pretty disgusting custom, or, as my younger son might say, disturbing.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

"I find it a pretty disgusting custom, or, as my younger son might say, disturbing."

My, but the young folk do euphemize, don't they, whereas we'd have been so much blunter in our youthful day. "Disturbing"? I think "pukeworthy", more like. And that's the mildest term that comes to mind.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

That seems about right.