Jackson Jambalaya

Bravo, Annie!

Most 'reporters' assume they're writing the opinions of others when they're expressing only their own.

Everybody does not have the same warm-glowing-gluttony opinion of the holiday. Many hourly workers volunteer eagerly for those hours, especially those who count on tips. They skyrocket on this day. Many in the industrial sector volunteer during the week, yet most are closed on Thursday. Some get double or triple time pulling Thanksgiving duty and where unionized, bid for or get to work via tenure, if they want to.

Frankly I couldn't care less what Jill Conner Brown and Annie Oeth or KingFin do on Thanksgiving and am sure the feeling is mutual. Some have a deadline and simply havt GOT to crank out an article.

Me? I just enjoyed the big meal and am listening to the sound of hammers on roofs under construction out across the way. Somewhere, families are demanding to be in their new homes by Christmas.

I do now shop on Thanksgiving or on Black Friday and I have no intention of ever shopping on those days. If an employee wishes to work on Thanksgiving and the business is open then let them, but do not tell employees either work or be fired. Holiday working should be voluntary but I think stores like Walmart, Target, Macy's and all other retail stores open or opening later today are doing it for the almighty DOLLAR.

As someone (now retired) who has fought all the retail wars since 1969 I can tell you this is just a blip on the radar. I stated my retail career selling on the floor, to management, to senior management and on to consulting. This is nothing new!

We all thought the world had come to an end when stores in downtowns (south only) stopped closing on Wednesday after lunch.

Then came the open late on Friday night OMG. Which was quickly followed by late night weekdays. This with the passage of time and laws changed all across the South SUNDAY opening, yes surely God would strike us all dead.

So after holidays started to fall one after another. Then there were only 3 sacred day New Years, Christmas & Thanksgiving. Well guess what now they are gone.

Oh yes Annie they are not coming back. So its up to families to set up their traditions just like the stores. With the shorter time to make up sales this year they had no choice unless you wanted to see more people that work in these stores loose their jobs.

How about all those C-L employees that work on holidays, not as many as before but still. Write the publisher tell her how wrong it is to make them work just so the C-L can pay its bills and make payroll.

I have news for retailers: not only will I stay out of stores on Thanksgiving, but for years I've been staying out of stores between Thanksgiving and Dec. 26. That is entirely because don't want to hear the sleazy Christmas music they play.

Beautiful Christmas music (Choirs singing French or Polish Christmas Carols, maybe. Or Christmas works by Handel or Scarlatti. And there's always Tchaikovsky.) would be Beautiful. They'd put me in a good mood.

But what we DO hear is Tennessee Ernie Ford, Connie Frances, Leslie Gore, and even WORSE. Yeccccccch! I leave the store feeling all scummy, inside.

And if there's anything more whiny and trite than a 'Lite-Rock love song', it's a 'Christmas Lite-Rock love song'. I really don't want to hear some washed-up singer crooning, "Krumuh ain' Krumuh wid-out yo bawdeh, bebeh..."

And I really don't need to hear, year after year, Sting's special 'take' on Christmas.

As for people who shop on Thanksgiving: my assessment of them would be that they're kind of amoral, and seriously pitiful.

I think some of you forget the people that have no family or have families who do not get together for whatever reason. Having something to do on Thanksgiving besides sitting home alone watching movies just might be better for those, be it an opportunity for them to work or shop.

At least she got five comments over here. Zero on the CL website. ;-)

When you force Facebook only commenting you lose.

"Sleazy Christmas Music"? What a slut.

Personally, I believe Thanksgiving is important and significant.

Its a time to stop the whirlwind that we find ourselves in. Take time to be thankful for so many things. Realize how fortunate we are and give thanks.

It would be nice if stores would observe the opportunity to be quiet for one day to reflect on how fortunate we are, to give their employees a chance to do the same.

Many stores do this and I have a great deal of respect for them.

I've never been one of the shoppers who goes out on the Thanksgiving holiday like some folks do. whether the family is together and we are enjoying food and friendship or I'm at the house by myself and enjoying the peace and quiet, its an incredible gift to be able to stop the hectic world around us for a little time and simply be grateful.

"Personally" you think Thanksgiving is important. Operative word "Personally". So do I, but it's irrelevant what you and I think as applies to others in the universe. All don't. Many want to work, compete for the opportunity, love the tips or need the overtime.

What's the fuss about? Don't want to shop during the Thanksgiving week, well, don't...but if you do, well, do so! Why has this become such a hot-button topic? It's just a secular holiday anyway---so if employees want to rake in some extra wages, good for them, and if idiot consumers want to make a mad dash brandishing their credit cards, well, giddy-up and go. Who the F&%K cares what others do?

uh, Ophelia, you do realize WHO the pilgrims were thanking, don't you?

Hint: not a being generally considered "secular"

I saw tons of families out laughing, enjoying time together while shopping on Thursday. Many of the families were even wearing matching "black friday" shirts, etc...no different than the guys going hunting together. It was family fun for everyone I saw!