We have lost our minds.I shouldn't say "we." I don't participate in this idiocy, and I doubt you do either. Yet I hear that the future of the world depends upon idiots like this gorging on imported crap from China. I am sick of it. So I won't go along with this nonsense any more. Next year, a few small presents for the kids. Their big presents can wait until their birthdays.
I bought my son a BB gun, by the way. I think this will be a far more interesting gift than any video game. In fact, I know this. If there is one thing boys like more than anything else, it is destroying things. Blowing up toy cars with firecrackers, shooting up cans with BB guns, these types of activities are far more engaging than Mario Brothers. And there's not a chance in hell that I'll let him use the BB gun without me being right next to him.
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For the record, let me state that I do not encourage my son to be destructive. I am just stating facts. Boys like to break things. Unlike many parents, I will be there when he breaks things. It will be a controlled breakage with safety checks.
I read through a few pages of comments at the NYP, and many seem to believe that Walmart shouldn't be blamed for the Black Friday death and injuries -- that it's solely the fault of the brazen crowd. But I watched other BF WM stampedes at YouTube, and they've happened quite a few times in the past.
I agree with blaming the people in the crowd, but surely Walmart needs to start carrying some blame, since it's happening year after year.
Watch uploaded movies real close, about 45-50 seconds in, on the right side a woman fell, and a large, obese man is shoving people that tripped over her. I'm guessing he's "protecting" her.
Watch again to see what's taking her so long to get up, despite having a very large man to assist her.
She had to put her wig back on before she'll get up. Meanwhile, others are tripping over her.
I wonder if the investigators will pick that up?
The premise of the article, "Docs: Fear and greed may fuel retail stampedes" in newsday is that fear along with the greed became the underlying motivation for the crowd.
"A fear of being unable to afford gifts - given today's economic woes - may drive many consumers to shop competitively for bargains at dawn, say local psychologists and sociologists.
Many people abandon their normal behavior when caught up in the urge to snag discounted plasma HDTVs like those on sale Friday at Wal-Mart in Valley Stream.
And individual judgment can melt away as people react to being jostled in a crowd, which in turn can shatter individual notions of personal space."
Google the article, "Docs: Fear and greed may fuel retail stampedes" in
newsday.com
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BB gun, excellent! I remember mine and the complete lack of supervision that came along with it. Fortunately I was somewhat responsible and didn't destroy anything that I wasn't supposed to.
Lou, my folks started the tradition of going somewhere for Christmas as the gift(s), good years we went skiing or to the beach in Mexico, tight years we went camping on the Texas gulf. I have continued the tradition with my family. We just bought a new house (next week) so this year no trip but I will not buy a bunch of gifts. We make an adventure out of the new house.
Happy Holidays!
My dad allowed my brothers and I to be destructive (in select ways) because he thought it was good for our inquisitive young minds. 2 out of 3 became engineers so maybe he was onto something.
Along with the DEstructive, how about a little CONstructive, in the form of target shooting. You never know, you might have a future Olympian there.
Agreed Lou. Young boys do like to be as destructive as they are interested in sounds your body makes.Though the destructiveness does dovetail into constructiveness. Think about how much joy they'd get out of biulding a fort and then destroying it in combat against whatever imagined alien/commie/terrorist forces that might be attacking. People tend to focus on the destructive side of kids. They are just as constructive.
I double what Sodbuster said. Teach them good gun handling practices NOW and it will pay many dividends in the future. I started with a Daisy BB gun and worked up to a Izmash Biathalon.
I recall shooting up aluminum cans to have been great. The torn up look afterward was cool. I also used to shoot milk cartons filled with water just to watch them "bleed". But then, as my wife tells me, I'm a warped and very demented individual.
I also used to shoot milk cartons filled with water just to watch them "bleed".
That's good. Hadn't thought of that. My plan is a plain large cardboard box and I'll tape some target blanks on it for him. Soda cans are even better with bb guns because they are easily holed.
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