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| Occupy Best Buy, front |
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| Occupy Best Buy, side |
With the tents, it reminded me of the campouts I see in news coverage of Occupy Wall Street (OWS). I thought.... yeah, it's "Occupy Best Buy", Not for the 99%, but for the $99 doorbuster. I see I wasn't the only one to make this comparison: click here [http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20111124/NEWS01/311240006/Occupy-Best-Buy-No-just-line-TVs?odyssey=nav|head]
I did end up going out last night, but was home within 40 minutes. I wanted to go to a Target, but its line was halfway around the mall. Toys R US had Pinkertons carefully controlling entry. I figured that what I wanted would be gone 50 people into the 500 person long Target line, and I was able to get into Toys R Us to find out that what I wanted was long gone.
Some want to protest Black Friday with a "Buy Nothing Day". It's supposedly anti-corporate, but I think such efforts end up hitting Main Street the most, and if it were successful, there'd be untold countless casualties of retail jobs, many of which the workers need desparately. So I'd rather try to undo the efforts of those who want to kick the economy in the throat and damage the retail sector by treating it as "Buy More Day". Thing is, I've bought nothing yet so far today.
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| Downtown is quiet |
The photo to the right shows sleepy Black Friday morning downtown. Michael Moore's State Theatre is on the right. There's some construction going on, and only a few places are open..
16 comments:
Good morning, dmarks. It's a sunny morning here in Northport, with no crazy crowds. I could have opened my bookstore here at midnight, I suppose, or at 6 a.m., but the lines would still be in Traverse City in front of the Big Boxes. Anyway, by the way, I completely agree with you on the "Buy Nothing" idea hurting Main Street. Funny how it's hard for people to think beyond hog-wild, on one hand, and NOTHING, on the other. How about calm and sensible, restrained and thoughtful? If that's what anyone's in the mood for, I suggest taking a sunny drive up to Northport today. You can have a pleasant, leisurely shopping experience, and no one will blast you with pepper spray.
Thanks for the comment.
Did something happen recently with pepper spray? I first thought of Phoenix Jones, but perhaps there's some Black Friday assault I've not heard of.
And don't forget to check back tomorrow for the Sunday 'stak.
I heard the story this morning in the bank: some woman blasted the person ahead of her in line with pepper spray. The tellers at the bank thought it had happened in Traverse City, but it wasn't even in Michigan. I guess. Whatever! As I say, not how we do things in Northport.
Will there be a special Sleestak on Sunday? Given the South Dakota ideas we exchanged recently, you're making me a little nervous, but I'll be sure to check in and see what you've come up with this week.
I really need to have something telling what a Sleestak is.
Yesterday we had to have our Thanksgiving diner at 12:30 PM in order to include a family member in our celebration who works at WalMart. She ran home had enough time to eat, then go to bed so that she could report back to work at 11:00 PM to work until 7:00 AM. She gets no extra holiday pay because the two days her hours were in were her normal work days and no over time because the hours were split.
I did sign a petition against being open on Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales saying that I will not shop on that day. For me its not about retail greed. Its about the treatment of the employees, disrespect for holidays and the traditional family.
It used to be that WalMart had a sign on it's store claiming that it was a "family" oriented business that would not be open on holidays so that their employees could be home with family. I guess that isn't important to them anymore.
Did you take your pepper spray with you?
I do not understand this shopping hysteria.
Such an interesting post. I wonder how things will have changed if we were to come back to this post in 10-15 years.....
My eyes instantly were attracted to the theater and I was going to comment that the only theater in my little town, been here for ages, will be closing for awhile to make the grand switch to digital. Something will be lost when it happens. If they remove the big drapes that open and close in between ads, previews, and the main attraction I will be devastated! .....And then to read that the State belongs to Michael Moore; that is fascinating!
Lydia: The State Theatre is very digital... and they also have sumptuous velvet red curtains. And a ceiling filled with stars and constellations, and other details like that.
I think, but am not sure, that the State Theatre is technically owned by the "Traverse City Film Festival", which is made up of a large number of volunteers. However, the 800 lbs gorilla among them is Michael Moore, who has the resources and clout and pull to really make it work. I'm not sure on the exact ownership though.
the State Theatre web site
Technically, it is way ahead of the other theatres (the commercial ones) around.
I used to do most of my Christmas shopping on Black Friday. But no more! I can't stand the mobs of people.
Some of the good sale stuff was still available at 8:00 a.m. but not the doorbusters. I think lining up at some of these stores for the big ticket item sales is risking your life anymore, and nothing is worth getting a deal for that!
I don't go out shopping on Black Friday, ever. But that is mostly because I don't like shopping, not because I'm making a statement. I try to shop when I am going to have to deal with the smallest crowds :)
I prefer to do my shopping online, no crowds, no hassles and definitely no one shoving me aside.
Black Friday shoppers are scary.
Does the hard-left EVER look beyond the immediacy of their "policies"?...Seriously, though, a "buy nothing day", huh?
I try to avoid the mall on Black Friday, at least early in the day - way too much madness for my sensibilities.
Thanks for these photos. I love looking at scenes of American life and more.
Did you eventually visit that independent bookstore?
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