GOTTA RUN . . . , PART II
Gimme a "C." Gimme an "L." Gimme an "E." What's that spell? Scam!
Yup, that's right. Another CLE session (that's "Continuing Legal Education" for you non-shyesters out there). A short five days after spending an entire day listening to lawyers drone and prattle about legal arcanalia, I'm back today for round two (and, in fact, round three is on the slate two weeks from now, though that's only a half day). And, as you've probably figured out by now, I did let this shit slide for 23 months of the 24 month cycle I'm given to earn the damn credits. That's how it goes.
Anyway, a couple brief thoughts on something unrelated to the law:
Anyone else notice that Thanksgiving, and the food surrounding it, is entering quasi-news story range this year? It seems that since early November, I'm not only inundated with cooking shows about turkey, cranberry sauce, etc., but also "news stories" about these products. Today's feature story on Yahoo! is about the health benefits of cranberry sauce and other harvest festival treats. Just further down in the headlines is a piece about Butterball turkeys, and their position as icons after the company's sale. There's also an attached video explaining why turkey is "traditional."
I know this shit has always gone on before, but it was usually relegated to newspaper "features" stories, the Wednesday before the holiday. Anyone else noticing this? Disagreeing? Thinking I'm nuts?
And you know what, I was in a supermarket with Mrs. Mike this weekend, and what was playing on the sound system? On November 19? Christmas songs. That's right, Christmas songs before Thanksgiving! That's just wrong. We haven't earned those songs yet. It's not dark enough, not cold enough. That fruit -- so sweet, so pleasant, so eagerly awaited all year -- is not yet ripe.
What's next? A quarterback going to Disneyworld before the superbowl? Vote recounts before Election Day? Drug & alcohol troubles for a lead singer before the first number one record?
I think we're being bamboozled, folks. The selling season, a horror show of manipulation and marketing savvy, seems to be coming juuuuuuust a bit earlier this year. Also, keep your eyes open for the pre-Thankgiving Christmas lights on store and some homes. Not allowed, but there nonetheless.
Yup, that's right. Another CLE session (that's "Continuing Legal Education" for you non-shyesters out there). A short five days after spending an entire day listening to lawyers drone and prattle about legal arcanalia, I'm back today for round two (and, in fact, round three is on the slate two weeks from now, though that's only a half day). And, as you've probably figured out by now, I did let this shit slide for 23 months of the 24 month cycle I'm given to earn the damn credits. That's how it goes.
Anyway, a couple brief thoughts on something unrelated to the law:
Anyone else notice that Thanksgiving, and the food surrounding it, is entering quasi-news story range this year? It seems that since early November, I'm not only inundated with cooking shows about turkey, cranberry sauce, etc., but also "news stories" about these products. Today's feature story on Yahoo! is about the health benefits of cranberry sauce and other harvest festival treats. Just further down in the headlines is a piece about Butterball turkeys, and their position as icons after the company's sale. There's also an attached video explaining why turkey is "traditional."
I know this shit has always gone on before, but it was usually relegated to newspaper "features" stories, the Wednesday before the holiday. Anyone else noticing this? Disagreeing? Thinking I'm nuts?
And you know what, I was in a supermarket with Mrs. Mike this weekend, and what was playing on the sound system? On November 19? Christmas songs. That's right, Christmas songs before Thanksgiving! That's just wrong. We haven't earned those songs yet. It's not dark enough, not cold enough. That fruit -- so sweet, so pleasant, so eagerly awaited all year -- is not yet ripe.
What's next? A quarterback going to Disneyworld before the superbowl? Vote recounts before Election Day? Drug & alcohol troubles for a lead singer before the first number one record?
I think we're being bamboozled, folks. The selling season, a horror show of manipulation and marketing savvy, seems to be coming juuuuuuust a bit earlier this year. Also, keep your eyes open for the pre-Thankgiving Christmas lights on store and some homes. Not allowed, but there nonetheless.
posted by Mike at 7:56 AM
12 Comments:
Mike, it seems earlier every year, and it's a shame. I was in the Michigan-based version of a big box store, Meijer, and it might as well have been December 23.
I hope my beer-and-food article on my blog is not adding to your Thanksgiving angst...
I could've sworn the Christmas stuff was in a couple stores pre-Halloween.
Dude, Sam's Wholesale had Christmas stuff out on the shelves back before Halloween.
Its wrong. Wrong wrong wrong.
The thing about the food, it seems as if the cooking shows are really hot right now and I think they're playing off that. Everybody is trying to find a new out let for that disposable income and $25 per liter olive oil is a great way to dispose of money.
I have to confess the wife and I watch them a lot and I actually try some of the recipes from time to time. Heck I even brine my turkey nowadays, been doing it a few years. Makes a big difference.
I haven't noticed any Thanksgiving hype, really. Well, except for the NFL repeatedly informing me that they're playing THREE GAMES(!) this year.
even the radio stations are already playing christmas music. I woke up to "have a holly jolly christmas" this morning. soon I will be driven insane.
Did you ever see the Charlie Brown Easter Special where they go to the store for Easter stuff and all of the X-Mas Sales have started? Man, and that was about 40-years ago.
I hope my beer-and-food article on my blog is not adding to your Thanksgiving angst...
Beer & food cannot, by definition, add to angst, Thanksgiving or otherwise.
I could've sworn the Christmas stuff was in a couple stores pre-Halloween.
Nah. That was just standard stuff in costume.
(My god, that's bad).
* * * By the way, my wife's channel surfing and I hear Emeril talking about . . . Thanksgiving. * * *
Its wrong. Wrong wrong wrong.
And ya know what else it is? Wrong.
By the way, Dwilkers, what does brining ther turkey do? Seal in the mosture when you roast it? Add flavor?
NFL repeatedly informing me that they're playing THREE GAMES(!) this year.
Three??? Detroit, Dallas, and who else? Is this a new tradition?
Man, now they're even fucking with the football.
I woke up to "have a holly jolly christmas" this morning. soon I will be driven insane.
This is what I'm talking about! Not enough to nail you at the supermarket. They have to come into your home! Emeril! Berle Ives!
Charlie Brown Easter Special where they go to the store for Easter stuff and all of the X-Mas Sales have started? Man, and that was about 40-years ago.
Hey, what can I tell you? Charles Schultz. I guess I'm in good company.
It's a new tradition. Dallas v. Tampa. Detroit v. Miami. Denver v. KC. And most of the country won't be able to see Denver v. KC because that game is on the NFL Network and most of the country does not have the NFL Network. The NFL thought that by putting regular season games on the NFL Network that the cable companies would cave and place the network on the cable systems. The NFL was wrong.
So Denver joins Dallas & Detroit as permament Thanksgiving host?
Is it a "D" thing? If the Decateur Staleys were still around, they'd get a game?
Do you recall a number of years ago the Crazy Eddie ads for their "Christmas in July" sales?
I'm thinking that retail wants to get as much a head start on Christmas sales as possible, since it's very likely that with each passing year more people will go the online/mail order route for their items. That's bad news for stores that used to be able to bank on certain projections for 4th quarter.
P.S. Thanks for stopping by.
I've tried to forget Crazy Eddie since it went bankrupt 16 or so years ago.
Now, I'll have to start over from scratch, like Donkey Kong.. Thanks.
Seriously, though, places like Crazy Eddie or Nobody Beats The Wiz got me much of my stereo equipment back in the day. I couldn't afford premium price places like Harvey. CE's commercials sucked, but the store wasa godsend.
I don't know if Denver is a permanent edition. In fact, I think the game is in KC, which would argue against Denver being the permanent edition, though, I'm betting someone with the NFL hit upon the "D" thing along time ago.
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