Coot’s News Service for November 27, 2011 I was wrong!

 Posted by at 05:27  Headline News
Nov 272011
 
Really Really Big Man

Image via Wikipedia

Some news is important!

It takes a big man to admit he is wrong and all three of us Coots are not petite. So today I’m just going to say that last week, I was wrong. You can’t just ignore the news because once in a while there is a story that matters in your life and that you can do something about. And that is what the news stories for today reveal.

After last week’s snit, faithful readers might be wondering what to expect from the Coot’s News Service this week. I laid it on pretty thick and pretty much sawed through the tree limb I was perched on. I stopped sawing just in time. But still, after all that fuss about the irrelevance of news how can the Coot’s continue to provide this service.

Well the answer is another opportunity to clarify the benefits of cantankerosity. Being consistent is another of those traps of conventional thinking that mess people up. Cantankerosity is never having to be sorry about changing your mind. This needs expounding in a Coot’s lesson but for now take it on faith that it takes a big man to admit when he is wrong. And last week I was very wrong because every so often, there is news that matters and news that each person can do something about.

Black Friday 2011: Holiday shoppers hit stores, with a Thanksgiving head start

The news stories this week are about the evil cancer of Black Friday eating our national holiday- Thanksgiving. Apparently nothing is more sacred than saving a few bucks on that big screen TV, not even a family holiday dinner. And retailers will stop at nothing to take your money.

Shoppers in Sacramento, across U.S. turn back the clock in bargain hunt

So what can you do to quash this diabolical threat to family life in America? Stay home on Thanksgiving and plan your holiday to eliminate any need to shop. As Justin has pointed out, there are bargains available on line so you can satisfy the shopping urge and look for deals from your home between courses or at half-time. Maintain the sanctity of your holidays and allow retail employees to enjoy the holiday as well. The Coot’s recommend Amazon for convenience, great selection and fantastic deals and encourage readers to use our link which helps keep this blog going.

It’s all over for this year but early reports suggest that retailers were encouraged by the sales on Thanksgiving. Make a resolution to avoid retailers that were open on Thanksgiving and shop on-line instead.

And now that Thanksgiving is finally over, lets move on to the next holiday.

 

 



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Ralph

Ralph is the inspiration for Cantankerous Old Coots and is our Grand Duke of Cantankerousness

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What happened to Thanksgiving?

 Posted by at 05:54  rants
Nov 232011
 
Black Friday Freshworkshops

Image by adria.richards via Flickr

There is no question that our world and culture is degrading fast. The evidence is so overwhelming that there just isn’t any way to deny it. In fact it all

seems so intertwined and complex that it is even hard to find a loose thread to attack. But this week in the supermarket I realized something important- we have eliminated Thanksgiving.

 Does that mean the Football games are cancelled?

I don’t mean that it has been abolished or anything so blatant, what I noticed is that we have removed all the respect that we used to award our National Holiday.

My first clue was when the seasonal aisle at the supermarket was revised after Halloween. The candy and decorations were sold off at half price one day and the next day, the clerks were busy putting up the next holiday items. It was the first week in November and they were getting ready for Christmas. What happened to Thanksgiving- our national holiday? Last year I distinctly remember Thanksgiving decorations and gear. Not this year. Thanksgiving has stopped being a celebration of our country and become a convenient start of the Shopping Season, formerly known as Christmas.

No more last minute panic.

In the old days, you needed to get everything you needed for your Thanksgiving feast by Wednesday because it was almost a national rite for everyone to spend Thanksgiving overeating with friends and family. Smart people did it earlier because of the last minute shopping on Wednesday. But everybody knew to get it all done before Thanksgiving. On the big day itself, stores weren’t open because nobody needed to shop. They had an important holiday to celebrate.

 

These days the big event is not Thanksgiving. It is Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) with loads of shopping bargains. Instead of lying around digesting people were willing to get up early and stand in line to get special deals. What can I say? People are nuts.

But this year, Black Friday is not enough. Stores will start giving those special prices on Thanksgiving Day, opening in the evening or even all day. These days Thanksgiving, instead of being a day of national celebration marks the beginning of Shopping Season. All the major stores are open.

So much for our family’s celebration.

A consequence of this decision for our family and many others is that family members will be working all day on Thanksgiving. As a consequence, we will be celebrating our Thanksgiving on Tuesday. It is crazy. What we will do on Thursday we don’t know yet but it sure as heck won’t be shopping.

I’ve never understood the attraction of Black Friday but it always seemed a harmless way to use a day off and get your Christmas shopping done at the same time. But now, when the almighty dollar compels stores to start their selling on Thanksgiving, I draw the line. Something has gone terribly wrong with the country. We need to take time to celebrate our country with our families. It defeats the purpose of a holiday when it becomes a commercial event.

 So who’s to blame?

I don’t blame the retailers because their job is to make money and apparently there is more money to rake in by staying open. What I blame is the people who shop on Thanksgiving. Where are their priorities and why don’t they have a place to go and something more important to do than chasing bargains?

Place cards for Thanksgiving dinner 2008.

Image via Wikipedia

For me, I personally make a point of buying what I need before Thanksgiving. I don’t want to encourage any retailers or reward them for staying open or put any more families in our sorry state. But I’m clearly in the minority. Are any of you diehard Black Friday and now Thanksgiving Day shoppers willing

to share your thoughts? And for you old fashioned folk,has commercialization of Thanksgiving made your Holiday celebration more difficult? The Coots want to know.

Ralph

Ralph is the inspiration for Cantankerous Old Coots and is our Grand Duke of Cantankerousness

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Ask a Coot Saturday: Question 3

 Posted by at 10:50  Ask A Coot!, Plain 'ol Cantankerous
Dec 112010
 
IMG_1143
Image by PSPMeet via Flickr

Hello there!  I hope this week was full of both Joy and Cantankerousness.  Today we have another Question answered by the Coots.  If you have a question that you would like Bob, Ralph and myself to answer, send it to askacoot@cantankerousoldcoots.com and we will bring 3 different takes on Cantankerosity.

First, I have a small bone to pick with you all, the reading audience.  I have not received nearly the response that I had hoped when we started the Ask A Coot feature.  As a matter of fact, I have no, I repeat NO more questions waiting.  I will have to make some more up.  And again, I really freakin’ confused at why these pictures keep showing up when the text is analyzed.  If you have a suggestion, let me know.

Today’s Question is almost philosophical in scope.  It comes to us from our own Ralph.  He wrote: :  So tell me, since the President pardons the Thankgiving Turkey every year, what does the President eat for Thanksgiving?

A great question.  I think it is only fair to let him answer first.

Ralph:

This seems to be a closely guarded secret leaving this Coot to speculation and reason in search for an answer.  Clearly it would be hypocritical for the President to pardon Turkey 1 and then kill and eat Turkey 2.  The Presidential turkey surely follows the same convention as the Presidential  airplane. Whichever one he is on is Air Force 1.  Applying this logic, any turkey reaching the President’s table is automatically Turkey 1.  Therefore the President cannot be eating turkey without at the same time being a total hypocrite.  Totally unacceptable.

As to what the President does eat, the mind can certainly boggle over the possibilities:  a nice rib rost, maybe a goose or an exultation of roasted larks.  Eating meat at all after pardoning the star seems to this coot to be the beginning of a very slippery slope.  Imagine what PETA would say?

Surely they would demand the pardon of any beasts destined for the President’s Thanksgiving or multiply pardons in the case of larks.  Being surrounded with PR geniuses, I am sure that the President plays it very safe on Thanksgiving.  First, the menu is top secret to protect against any misinterpretation of his sensitivity but second my theory is that Thanksgiving at the White House means the very safe and delicious vegetarian delight – tofurkey.

Justin:

Personally I think that this year he ate crow.   In more ways than one.  But in reality, I think that the White House is only occupied by liars and hypocrites.  Over the years the job has evolved to require it.  I don’t think there is any room in Washington for people to be totally honest anymore.  Abraham Lincoln would be sad.  Thomas Jefferson would shrug his shoulders.  George Washington would probably try to philosophize about the problem.  And all of them would be eating a lovely Turkey Dinner.

There is quite a mentality of “Here is what I believe, this is policy” and “don’t look this way because “policy” doesn’t apply to me.” that happens at the same time in modern politics.  All I can see is a bunch of posturing for cameras and the press, hoping to put a positive spin on whatever crisis is facing the country at the moment.  Behind the cameras, things go on as normal.  Now I am not saying that the men we elect to be president are not good people to start with.  (hold your protests even Jimmy Carter was good when he was a baby)  Politics changes men into people who pander to popular opinion and lie and breed hypocrisy.

Pardoning a turkey is just a silly thing that provides a photo opportunity for the President.  The turkey used to go to Disneyland and live a life of luxury, in turkey terms that is.  The turkey federation has been bringing turkeys to the White House for years, Eisenhower and Johnson ate their birds.  It took Kennedy to let the bird live.  It’s all silly.  Eat the damn bird, that is what they are bred for.  Besides, have you ever actually looked at a turkey?  Ugly as sin walking around, a beautiful thing roasted golden brown with dressing and cranberries.

What should the President eat?  Eat the Turkey.  Maybe we should start a new tradition where the president chops off the turkey’s head right there on national TV and then proceeds to field dress and pluck it.  Of course we would have to start beheading PETA’s people and that would be fine with me.  I don’t know that most of the current presidential prospects could handle dispatching a turkey.  I’ll bet Eisenhower could have without blinking an eye.

Well Folks that is a lot of information, and we have yet to hear from Bob.  he will weigh in in the comments and probably blow us all away.

Thanks for reading, and remember, send in your questions no matter the absurdity of it!  We will answer and change your name for anonymity’s sake.  Submit questions to askacoot@cantankerousoldcoots.com

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Justin

Justin is the young Coot with a Cantankerous Soul who continues to be educated by older, more cootish Ralph and Bob. His Cantankerosity is his own.

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