Lovelyish

That’s a little crazy to be there a week early.. I can understand one day, maybe two, but a week? No way.

I feel conflicted about this. On the one hand, it’s materialistic and a bit ridiculous. On the other, who the eff can afford these things at full prices? At least she won’t be stampeding anyone.

I went to black friday once and never again! you can get similar deals on regular weekend sales if they pay attention. some retailers mark up prices, then discount them, so the sucker consumer thinks they are getting a “deal”

I’m sorry, if you’re “pinching pennies”, why are you buying plasma TVs and laptops, plural? My idea of “pinching pennies” is MAKING Christmas gifts for my loved ones or buying them things they actually NEED.

Black Friday is a powerful example of what’s wrong with capitalism. We’re all convinced that if we just get that new gadget, that new toy, the next great technology, that we will be better off, happier, more successful, more powerful…whatever. It promotes selfishness and greed. 
Not to suggest all facets of capitalism are negative, or that any other system is perfect. After reading the chapter on Marxist literary criticism for one of my classes, I’ve come to view socioeconomic systems in a more critical light, and find myself rather disillusioned with the “American dream” and the way our economy functions as a whole.

A week is so redic. at the most i’d say 3 days, if people start camping out there. But if there’s no one there until 3 days before, why bother? You’re not gonna try to beat a leaf to the opening.

People are freaking stupid.
That’s pretty much all there is to it.
(And what the hell? Don’t they have jobs?!)

Anyway, I know my ass is going to be WORKING on Black Friday– so obviously I may be a little biased, because anyone who works in retail hates this dreaded day! Hahaha!

My craziest Black Friday experience you ask??  Typically, I don’t go out to shop on Black Friday until 10 A.M. as I am not lured by promises that seem too good to be true.  I can’t stand waiting in line for hours like a freak just to have to run into a store like a freak and frantically nudge people out of the way just to get a cheaper TV.  But, I had a girlfriend who was such a freak.  One Black Friday, she insisted that we go out at 5 A.M. to shop.  After being bribed with a promise to stop at Starbucks for a Caramel Machiatto, I accepted.

We never got to Starbucks or to any store that morning.  She was driving down the road while making a phone call as she just ALWAYS had to be talking to someone.  (Either that or she had to often be listening to people talking on NPR.  I never felt so right about dumping a girlfriend in all my life.)  

I was still not awake enough to be talking and when I got in the passenger side seat, I closed my eyes.  So, while she was blah, blah, blahing on the phone, she failed to notice that her speed was way higher than the posted speed limit as we started going down this hill.  She hit some black ice and my eyes opened just in time to see the car rotate sideways and hit a telephone pole on the rear passenger side.  We weren’t hurt and neither was the pole.  The car was not totalled but was completely undriveable.

If we had waited until about 10 A.M. to shop like normal people, the black ice probably would have melted or enough other people would have had accidents to the point that we would have seen cops and ambulances and slowed way down.

The moral to this story??  Check the weather conditions in the winter before driving anywhere.

It would be Tampa…of course.

Cyber Monday is where it’s at ! in the comfort of my own home

Even a few days before Black Friday is crazy! I already hate waiting for like 2-3 hours.

insane. I won’t be participating in black friday this year. I might check out the madness at Wal-Mart, but I won’t be spending more than $20.

@x__RainOnHerParade@xanga - Capitalism has nothing to do with getting more more more or the best thing. It’s called being an organism. Every organism on earth has a goal of obtaining the maximum reinforcement for the minimum work output. In this case, this girl puts out little effort/energy by hanging out for a few days, and reinforcement is offered at a lowered work requirement.
Capitalism is an economic system. “Greed” is a psychological construct. Neither of them have much to do with the actual behaviors performed by organisms, although economic systems do set boundaries on the ability to perform some behaviors to access reinforcement. 

@hopethatitglows@xanga - That’s what I’m saying.

If you need to be in line for a week just so you can afford a tv or a laptop, then you shoulnt be buying them. Use your money in food or clothes or something you really need :S
These is going to be my first black friday experience and im not buying anything. Im going with a friend who is coming from mexico and she needs some things for her business.
Actually now that I think about it, maybe I should stop by Ikea to buy a few chairs for the new business im opening in january and I really need to hold every penny im investing. 

she needs to stay her ass at home and relax . as a student you don’t need to be buying all of that shit anyway, regardless of it’s a deal or not .

I would totally go shopping this year but i have a horse show at 9 am & i’ll be up early braiding & warming up. But last year I went with my friend & we got some awesome deals!

i can’t stand black friday shopping ><

@Cosmar@xanga - Ahh I wish you luck working on Black Friday! I worked Black Friday at Target one year, in the toys department, and it was THE WORST!

@BinarySearch@xanga - Omg what an awful experience!

@turnyalightsdownlow@xanga - Agreed!

I have never shopped on Black Friday, but I already despise it. I work at a very popular, high end department store & we open at 12 AM so my shift is 11:30 PM to 9:30 AM when i told them ahead of time that I couldn’t. And I will NOT tolerate any rude behavior from any customers.

i’m not even going shopping on Black Friday. No Time.

pinching pennies buying laptops and plasma tvs?? LOL yeah okkkkaaaaay

@starcrossedloversdivine@xanga - Actually, it does. Since capitalism drives trade & industry through private owners, it is in the private owners best interests to convince consumers that they need to buy their product. How do they do this? By appealing to the consumer, convincing them that they need to buy their product. But how do you convince someone to buy your product? By showing them how much happier they’ll be; by making them insecure and showing how your product will make them more secure and socially acceptable; and etc. 

That is exactly why people go bananas on Black Friday. They are convinced that they ‘need’ certain products and are driven by advertisements and the supposedly “great deals” that the companies are offering to do stupid shit like camp out at a store for a week.
“Capitalism runs on the notion that people must spend money in order to achieve sustainability”. I read that quote somewhere and I fully agree with it. Black Friday perpetuates this.

I would pay full price for an item if it meant not having to camp out in front of a store for a week.

I would also pay money if it meant not having to sacrifice Thanksgiving with my family just so I can sleep in preparation to work 23 hours on Black Friday, selling stupid shit to inconvenienced fucktards. Chances are I’m just going to be lying there, trying and failing to convince my body that it’s tired. You know what would really help me fall asleep? Turkey.

Fuck Black Friday.

I won’t camp but I will partake

I’m more angry about the earlier hours of Black Friday and how my bf has to work Thanksgiving night at 12 am. He’s not even going to get sleep and he has to work nearly all day, not to mention it cuts into spending time with family, mine and his. One fellow employee of his quit because of this. It is ridiculous. 

I don’t care about Black Friday at all. I got my shopping mostly done before it so I wouldn’t even bother with it. 

@x__RainOnHerParade@xanga - I believe that thought and behavior are two separate entities. Your entire explanation relies on internal causation of behavior, and I just simply cannot accept that as an origin for external action.

Only time I ever did Black Friday is when I needed a new TV for my bedroom (okay, I didn’t NEED need it, but mine broke a month beforehand). Found my baby 13-inch while at Wal-mart. I recall it being a good price.

That shit is crazy… but she makes sense.

So She’ taking a week off, which means if she works on the side, She’s not earning anything that week, yet is planning to spend  $400+, assuming she’s buying all three deals mentioned, Is it really still a good deal? Unless it’s a paid week off I guess.. ?

I would never shop on Black Friday. It’s not enjoyable for me. I’d rather pay full price and enjoy my shopping experience. I don’t have a problem with the people who do it though.

@x__RainOnHerParade@xanga - Yes, it is cheaper to make gifts than buy them. However, a computer is a necessity for many school programs. I am currently a grad student at USF, and you are required to have a laptop. So, it is possible people are buying these things for themselves.