Black Friday on The Huffington Post

Sears Black Friday 2009 Targets Shoppers With October Kick Off

2009-10-29T11:47:45Z

With the recession still on many people's minds, department store Sears has decided to offer Black Friday 2009 deals super early.

Typically the day after Thanksgiving -- Nov. 27 this year -- Sears is having a kickoff event for the shopping holiday on Friday, Oct. 30.

According to the Associated Press:

The department store says it will offer what it calls "Black Friday doorbuster" deals beginning this Friday, nearly a month before the traditional day-after-Thanksgiving sales.
Sears says the offers will rotate each week and be available 7 a.m.- noon each Saturday. However, it's kicking off the effort with a special markdown this Friday.

Sears isn't the only one slashing prices, says the Washington Post:

Retailers have been champing at the bit to go after Christmas sales this year. Price warfare has already erupted for sales of books and toys. Wal-Mart began slashing prices on holiday staples and gifts last week, discounting a popular skateboard-cum-snowboard called the RipStick by 27 percent, to $49. Toys R Us unveiled its plan to open 80 temporary stores across the country back in September

Al Norman: Wal-Mart Fined Only $7,000 For Negligence in Black Friday Trampling Death

2009-05-26T22:28:49Z

Worker's Death Draws $7,000 Fine

In a remarkable role reversal, Wal-Mart has managed to walk all over two agencies that were supposed to sanction the giant retailer for the tragic trampling death of one of its employees on Black Friday last November.

Six months after the death of a temporary worker at a Wal-Mart in Valley Stream, Long Island, the giant retailer has bought its way out of criminal prosecution. On November 28, 2008, 34 year old Jdimytai Damour of Queens, who was called "a seasonal worker" by Newsday, was asphyxiated by a throng of out of control Wal-Mart shoppers.

The Nassau county police were the first to lay blame on Wal-Mart for being ill-prepared to handle a large crowd. In a report released in January, 2009, the police concluded that "the responsibility for the security and control of these sales events rests with the store. Store administrators should never market a sales event without having a plan, and the proper resources to manage it."

The second pubic office to weigh in on this case was the Nassau County District Attorney, Kathleen Rice. In early May, 2009, Wal-Mart agreed to improve safety at its New York state stores as part of a deal with the District Attorney to drop her criminal investigation. D.A. Rice said that if she had brought criminal charges against the retailer in the worker's death, the company would have been subject to only a $10,000 fine if convicted. Instead, the D.A.'s office worked out a deal in which Wal-Mart agreed to improve crowd-management plans for post-Thanksgiving Day sales, and to create a $400,000 victims' compensation and remuneration fund. As another face-saving payoff, Wal-Mart gave $1.5 million to Nassau County social services programs and nonprofit groups. D.A. Rice called this money-for-absolution agreement "historic."

The D.A. deal allowing Wal-Mart to buy itself out of criminal prosecution did not sit well with the victim's family. "It's like if they were driving a car and they hit someone, killed him and then just walked away," said Ogera Charles, the father of Jdimytai Damour. The father of the victim noted that the deal left him in the dark as to what the investigation of the incident actually found. "It is the epitome of corporate arrogance that Wal-Mart can reach an agreement without admitting their responsibility, and walk away," Attorney Andrew Libo, who is representing the family, told Newsday.

After the mild rebuke from the Nassau County D.A., the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced this week that it,too, was citing Wal-Mart for inadequate crowd management. "Effective planning and crowd management could have prevented this incident and its grave consequences," said the regional administrator for OSHA. Wal-Mart is facing a mere $7,000 fine from OSHA---even less than the $10,000 fine the D.A. could have sought. The fine is the maximum allowed, OSHA said. The agency's citation is issued in cases where "death or serious physical harm is likely to result from hazards about which the employer knew or should have known." A Wal-Mart spokesman told the AP the company "never had a tragedy like this occur in our stores and we never want it to happen again."

Newsday suggested in an editorial dated May 7th that the D.A.'s office had "cut a deal" with Wal-Mart, allowing the corporation to avoid criminal charges. "But the unusual deal raises an uncomfortable question: Was Wal-Mart allowed to buy its way out of criminal responsibility?" the newspaper asked.

Since the Black Friday incident, Wal-Mart has been buried beneath national criticism for its lack of a viable security plan. The company is still facing a lawsuit from several plaintiffs who were injured in connection with the stampede. Five days after the incident in Valley Stream, the family of Jdimytai Damour filed a wrongful death lawsuit naming Wal-Mart, mall owner Vornado Realty Trust, and Securitas Security Services USA as defendants in its Bronx Court filing. The lawsuit charges that the defendants "created an atmosphere of competition and anxiety amongst the crowd that caused the crowd to surge and enter into a crowd craze" and "engaged in specific marketing and advertising techniques to specifically attract a large crowd and create an environment of frenzy and mayhem." The lawsuit also says that Wal-Mart and the other defendants failed to provide adequate security and properly train or supervise existing security personnel, and used ineffective crowd control.

It's unfortunate that OSHA's sanction against Wal-Mart resulting from the Valley Stream trampling death amounted to only $7,000. This is akin to giving Rob Walton a jaywalking ticket. Between the Nassau County D.A.'s deal, and now OSHA's citation, it appears that Jdimytai Damour's life was not financially worth very much in the eyes of county and federal officials. It will now fall on his family to seek justice and compensation for his death through the courts, since OSHA's 'penalty' is so inconsequential.

The Nassau County police found that Wal-Mart did not have the proper resources in place to prevent this kind of deadly incident. But it's hard to decide which is more tragic: Wal-Mart's negligence, or the government's negligence in creating no effective deterrent against similar incidents in the future. Damour's family must be wondering if Wal-Mart can buy justice like any other commodity on the retailer's shelf. The company's Black Friday promotion ended up promoting mayhem and frenzy instead. Wal-Mart exposed its employees and customers to dangerous store conditions, and a tragedy resulted.

But now the D.A. and OSHA look powerless to do anything of consequence against the mighty Wal-Mart corporation, which will escape criminal prosecution. Six months after Damour's death, the corporate trampling is still going on. This time it's the family and friends of Jdimytai Damour who are being stepped on in the rush to get this case out of the national headlines.

Al Norman is the founder of Sprawl-Busters, and author of the book "The Case Against Wal-Mart. His website is http://www.sprawl-busters.com.

Al Norman: Cops Blame Wal-Mart For Trampling Death

2009-01-03T09:51:11Z

The police in Nassau County, New York released a report this week that clearly lays the blame for a Black Friday trampling death on Wal-Mart.

The worker's death on November 28th took place at a Valley Stream, Long Island Wal-Mart store. According to Newsday, which says the plan was released December 31st, the police report suggests that Wal-Mart needs to be much better prepared than it was when bargain hunters took the life of a temp worker at the retailer's store.

Nassau County Police want Wal-Mart to plan thoroughly, arrange for efficient crowd control and engage in clear communication, to prevent another tragedy. Wal-Mart would not comment on the plan, but told Newsday, "We look forward to continuing to work with law enforcement to make our safety measures even stronger in the future."

The latest report is the result of private discussions that took place in mid December at Nassau police headquarters, attended by 75 representatives from area department stores and malls. The retailers and the police were under pressure to demonstrate that some reforms would be made in the wake of the death of Jdimytai Damour of Queens, New York, who was called "a seasonal worker" by Newsday. Wal-Mart officials were at the closed-door meeting at the Nassau police station.

In their report, Nassau police said they will respond and assist when needed, "but the responsibility for the security and control of these sales events rests with the store. Store administrators should never market a sales event without having a plan, and the proper resources to manage it." The police also note, "history has shown that large-scale events can turn from an orderly gathering to chaos as the doors open. Ultimately the goal is to provide a safe and comfortable shopping experience for patrons." This requires "cooperation from the business owners, mall security, contract security employees and law enforcement. These special sales pose unique challenges to the business owner, mall owner and those who are charged with providing security for the event."

The Nassau County police recommend that retailers should: 1) begin planning months before the sales event 2) make sure enough trained employees are present 3) request an "intensive patrol" from the local police, and alert officers of large or unruly crowds 4) communicate with waiting customers with signs and announcements 5) set up barricades or rope lines that reduce the risk of a crowd surge or stampede 6) hand out wristbands or numbered tickets as customers arrive 7) allow customers to enter in small groups 8) have automated external defibrillators, and trained staff, on hand.

Just before Christmas, there was a rally held in front of the Valley Stream Wal-Mart. A group called the Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, told the media: "This wasn't the crowd's fault. Wal-Mart should have had a plan in place to deal with this difficult situation." The demonstrators held candles and signs, and wore pins with Damour's face that read "Black Friday kills." A spokesman for the group The Workplace Project, said Wal-Mart's Black Friday failings were just part of a larger issue with its workforce. "I hope that [shoppers] don't go into Wal-Mart," a spokesman told Newsday. "If they do go into Wal-Mart, they should think about how they're walking where someone's blood was spilled."

Wal-Mart has been trampled with national criticism for its lack of a Black Friday security plan. The company is also facing a lawsuit in connection with the stampede. Nassau County prosecutors have been reviewing employee records and surveillance film of the store. No charges have been filed yet. Wal-Mart's director of corporate affairs for the Northeast, issued a statement similar to the one that emanated from Bentonville, Arkansas: "We are looking forward to working with local law enforcement officials, as well as lawmakers and other retailers to implement even stronger safety measures for Black Friday going forward."

Five days after the incident in Valley Stream, the family of Jdimytai Damour filed a wrongful death lawsuit naming Wal-Mart, mall owner Vornado Realty Trust, and Securitas Security Services USA as defendants in its Bronx Supreme Court filing. The Secuity company named was reportedly providing security and patrol services at the Valley Stream store. The lawsuit charges that the defendants "created an atmosphere of competition and anxiety amongst the crowd that caused the crowd to surge and enter into a crowd craze" and "engaged in specific marketing and advertising techniques to specifically attract a large crowd and create an environment of frenzy and mayhem." The lawsuit also says that Wal-Mart and the other defendants failed to provide adequate security and properly train or supervise existing security personnel, and used ineffective crowd control. The mall's owner, Vornado Realty Trust, issue a statement to the media which said, "We are saddened by the tragic occurrence, but we do not comment on pending or threatened litigation."

It would be refreshing if Wal-Mart just acknowledges its culpability in this case, and offers to settle the wrongful death lawsuit filed against it immediately. The company was not prepared to handle the consequences of its Black Friday promotions, and ended up promoting mayhem and frenzy instead. In the process, Wal-Mart exposed its employees to dangerous working conditions, and a tragedy resulted. Wal-Mart should admit it, offer generous restitution to the family, and beef up its store security at all locations to protect both its workers and the shopping public.

The Nassau County police report points the finger of blame directly at Wal-Mart---but their recommendations will mean nothing unless they are implemented as soon as possible by Wal-Mart management. Otherwise, Black Friday will remain just another Black Eye for Wal-Mart."

Al Norman's website is http://www.sprawl-busters.com. He is the founder of Sprawl-Busters, and the author of "Slam-Dunking Wal-Mart." He has been helping communities fight superstore sprawl since 1993.

Lisa Wade: JCPenney Describes Sale as "Doorbuster!"

2008-12-27T23:56:06Z

On November 28th a Walmart employee was killed when a crowd of Black Friday shoppers first busted through the doors and then trampled him. In light of this, I offer you the picture below. I took it at the JCPenney in Glendale, CA, last Wednesday:

There is something truly amazing here about how quickly we (collectively) forget, how callous we can be, the level of incompetence at JCPenney, or the plain ol' thoughtlessness that pervades contemporary American culture.

Crossposted at Sociological Images.

Patrick Takahashi: Black Friday

2008-12-27T23:46:29Z

I was just about to post the following when a lightning storm caused a Honolulu blackout, which lasted all of 20 hours for me. Friday must have also been black in terms of shopping, as I could not find parking space at the Ala Moana Shopping Center. Thankfully the stock market did not suffer a Black Friday, but actually went up, which, I guess, can be considered to be a profitable or black day.

On another black matter, Michael Casey provided a relatively upbeat summary, if that's possible, of the 2004 Indonesian tsunami, which killed 230,000 four years ago, triggered by the second largest earthquake ever measured. This was by far the most deadly catastrophe of its type (death from seismic waves) in all of human history. Apparently, both nature and society are recovering well so soon, considering the enormity of the tragedy.

The #1 earthquake of all time occurred in 1960 off Chile, with a moment magnitude of M 9.5. The above Indonesian monster was between M 9.1 and M 9.3. At one time, the Richter scale was used, and provides lower numbers than the now more popular moment magnitude. A magnitude of 9.0 is ten times more powerful than an 8.0. If these earthquakes occur in the ocean, then tsunamis can result. However, the Chilean version "only" killed less than 2,000, including 61 in Hawaii, where the wave crested at 10.7 meters (35 feet).

Can there be anything worse from the sea? Yes, for in 1970, half a million perished from a cyclone (same as hurricane or typhoon) devastating East Pakistan. This cataclysm was at least partially responsible for this region seceding from the country and becoming Bangladesh in January of 1972.

Can there be anything even worse from the ocean? Again, yes, but not in a way you might expect. Should there be a mega-earthquake (say anything larger than M9.0) in the bottom of the sea, a near shore wave can be as high as 100 meters, but only about a max of 10 meters in the far field (a thousand or more miles away). However, if there is a mega landslide of sufficient size and velocity falling into a deep ocean, the tsunami can be as high as 1000 meters, depending on who you ask.

Lituya Bay in Alaska 50 years ago experienced a 524 meter (1720 feet) wave, when Howard Ulrich and his son on board the Edrie were carried into the woods and survived. It was reported, though, that the wave was less than 75 feet when it struck the boat.

The most hyped possible event is the La Palma Mega Tidal Wave, featured as a potential reality by BBC News and regularly shown on the Discovery Channel. The result of Cumbre Vieja Volcano collapsing into the sea could produce a 900 meter (2950 feet) colossus, striking Florida, New York and Boston with 50 meter (164 feet) waves. Eminent scientists disagree on this projection.

Islands are most prone to this event because many form at the bottom of a deep ocean from volcanoes, which can naturally be eroded by water action. The island on which I live, Oahu in Hawaii, has supposedly suffered from more major landslides than anywhere else. The Nuuanu Landslide has been mentioned as one possibly having caused a mega tsunami a million or so years ago. For those who have been here, driving to the other side of the mountain chain from Waikiki, you will gawk up at the Koolaus, which represent the inside of a major crater. The rest of the volcano can be found in the ocean behind you. What is particularly disarming for me is that I live on Nuuanu Avenue.

As I was one of the geothermal reservoir engineers for the Hawaii Geothermal Project a third of a century ago, I had students build a model of the Big Island to determine how these steamy pockets form. Well, it then occurred to me that if certain rifts happen to join, say, triggered by a major earthquake, a good portion of that island could theoretically fall into the ocean, perhaps causing a mega tsunami. I picked a period four years from now, August 2012, for this doomsday event in Chapter 6 of Simple Solutions for Planet Earth (see box on the right), and entitled it, "Six Hours to Seattle." I don't want to give away the ending, but I can reassure you not to lose any sleep, especially if you live in Hilo.

Chapter 5 of the same book, incidentally, selected August 12, 2012, which happens to be another Black Friday, as a different type of doom, the mere end of civilization through the Venus Syndrome. If we survive that day, then the 13-baktun cycle of the Maya reaches the termination point on December 21, 2012, which, then, would be a particularly Black Friday if the prophesy actually happens.

Well, four years from now is about as far away as that devastating Indonesian event in 2004, so we are talking real time. Of course, religion aside, how can any reasonably sensible person believe in these undocumented myths and scares?

Bruce E. Levine: "Fundamentalist Consumerism" Kills Us Quickly and Slowly

2008-12-23T04:33:12Z

While fundamentalist Jews, Christians, and Moslems are singularly attached to their literal interpretations of particular texts, fundamentalist consumerists are singularly attached to cheap stuff. All fundamentalists decry, deny, or ignore the multiple dimensions of life that fall outside their particular theologies and ideologies. Fundamentalist consumerists could not care less about workers' rights, human-scale business, environmental sanity, and -- as the surviving friends and family of Wal-Mart temporary maintenance worker Jdimytai Damour will attest -- human life.

The unofficial American holiday that celebrates the pursuit of cheap stuff falls on the day after Thanksgiving and is called Black Friday, so named because retailers hope that a horde of consumers will turn their red ink into black ink. This year on Black Friday, approximately 2,000 shoppers impatiently waited in the predawn darkness outside of a Long Island, New York Wal-Mart, chanting, "Push the doors in." According to Jdimytai Damour's fellow Wal-Mart worker Jimmy Overby, "He was bum-rushed by 200 people. They took the doors off the hinges. He was trampled and killed in front of me." Witnesses reported that Damour, 34-years-old, had gasped for air as shoppers continued to surge over him, and when police instructed shoppers to leave the store after Damour's death, many refused, some yelling back, "I've been on line since yesterday morning!"

So who or what is to blame for Damour's death?

(a) Fundamentalist consumers singularly attached to their goal of purchasing a 50-inch Plasma HDTV for $798 and other sale items that Wal-Mart was selling on a limited basis.

(b) Irresponsible, uncaring, and sadistic Wal-Mart executives who knew full well what kind of frenzy their sale -- with limited availability of items -- would create but chose to risk a stampede and law suits rather than cough up the few bucks necessary to ensure safety.

(c) A fundamentalist-consumerist culture.

(d) All of the above.

The safe answer is "d" but "c" is also acceptable because without a fundamentalist-consumer culture, Wal-Mart cathedrals and Wal-Mart worshippers would be ostracized out of existence.

The Black Friday death of Jdimytai Damour is a glaringly painful aspect of fundamentalist consumerism. However, people -- at least those with any remnant of a soul -- are, everyday and in numerous ways, pained by a culture of fundamentalist consumerism. And this pain fuels depression, substance abuse, and other self-destructive and harmful behaviors.

A fundamentalist consumer culture:

1. Creates increasing material expectations. These expectations often go unmet -- creating pain which fuels emotional difficulties and destructive behaviors. In a classic study examining changes in the mental health of Mexican immigrants who came to the United States, public policy researcher William Vega found that assimilation to U.S. society meant three times the rate of depressive episodes for these immigrants. Vega also found major increases in substance abuse and other harmful behaviors. Many of these immigrants found themselves with the pain of increased expectations that went dissatisfied, and they also reported the pain of diminished social support.

2. Devalues human connectedness. There is a disincentive in fundamentalist consumer cultures to nurture supportive families and friendships. Fundamentalist consumer economies thrive on increasing numbers of "buying units." Anything that helps strengthen families and communities is a threat to a fundamentalist consumer economy, because fewer lonely people means selling less plasma televisions, DVDs, and cable television. More subtly, if you care about human relationships more than money and material goods, you become less predictable and controllable -- and create havoc for the industrialized order, which needs predictability and control.

3. Socializes people to be self-absorbed and selfish. Self-absorption is one of many reasons for skyrocketing rates of depression in the United States, as human beings are often depressed to the extent that they are exclusively preoccupied with their own needs. The Buddha, 2500 years ago, recognized the relationship between selfish craving and emotional difficulties, and many other wise observers of human beings, from Spinoza to Erich Fromm, have come to similar conclusions.

4. Obliterates self-reliance. This creates painful anxiety, which fuels depression and other problematic behaviors. In modern society, an increasing number of people -- women as well as men -- cannot cook a simple meal. They will never know the anti-anxiety effects of being secure in their ability to prepare their own food, grow their own vegetables, hunt, fish, or gather food necessary for survival. In a consumer culture, such self-reliance makes no sense. However, at some level, people know that should they lose their incomes or should the dollar become worthless -- not impossibilities these days -- they have no ability to eat and survive.

5. Alienates people from normal human emotional reactions. The priests of consumer culture -- advertisers and marketers -- know that fundamentalist consumers will consume more if they are especially pained by normal reactions such as boredom, frustration, sadness, and anxiety. If these priests can convince us that a given emotional state is shameful or evidence of a disease, then we will be more likely to buy not only psychiatric drugs but also luxury cars and all kinds of products to make ourselves feel better. However, when we become frightened and alienated from a natural human reaction, this "pain over pain" creates more fuel for self-destructive behaviors and other harmful actions.

6. Sells false hope that creates more pain. The faith of fundamentalist consumerism is that we will one day discover a product that can predictably manipulate moods without any downsides. Modern psychiatry is a full member of consumer culture; its "Holy Grail" is a search for that antidepressant which can take away the pain of despair but does not destroy life. In the late nineteenth century, Sigmund Freud thought he had found it with cocaine. In the middle of the twentieth century, psychiatrists thought they had found it with amphetamines, and later they thought they had found it with tricyclic antidepressants like Tofranil and Elavil. At the end of the twentieth century, there were the SSRIs such as Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft which were ultimately found to create dependency and painful withdrawal and to be no more effective than placebos. Whatever the antidepressant drug, it is introduced as a fulfillment of the dream of the Holy Grail: taking away depression without destroying life. Time after time, it is then discovered that when one tinkers with neurotransmitters, there is--as there is with electroshock and psychosurgery--damage to life.

The essence of fundamentalism is a rejection of both reason and experience. Fundamentalists are attached to dogma, and if their dogma fails, fundamentalists don't give it up but instead resolve to deepen their faith and double down on their dogma. It is easy to recognize the destructiveness caused by another's fundamentalism but difficult to acknowledge the damage caused by one's own fundamentalism.

Bruce E. Levine is a clinical psychologist and author of Surviving America's Depression Epidemic: How to Find Morale, Energy, and Community in a World Gone Crazy (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2007).

Jason Mannino: 3 Ways to Get Self-Centered For The Holidays

2008-12-19T12:53:18Z

When we think "self-centered," unpleasant images often come to mind; but it becomes important in the context of self-actualization to distinguish SELF centered from EGO centered. During the holidays these can include stress over making sure we look good by buying and receiving the greatest possible gifts. You may find yourself obsessing over ensuring your special someone gets a gift that beats the one their ex gave them last year--even though you may be experiencing the pangs of the current economy. You may have friends and relatives running ragged amidst the chaos of the season, spending money they don't have to make sure that their holiday feasts, trees, decorations, accessories and gift giving tops everyone else's. This obsession is ego-centric, not SELF centered. It is ego-centric to allow oneself to be defined by the food we serve and the gifts we give; which can make the holidays very unpleasant.

I remember many Christmas eves when I witnessed my aunt slaving away in the kitchen. When it was time, we would finally ravage a stellar Italian midnight feast while she watched exhausted and barely able to eat. I know that this is an expression of her love for us, but I have never asked my aunt if she knows how much we love her and that we know she loves us, regardless of what she cooks.

There have also been many times that I could not buy everything I wanted for my loved ones. However, at a relatively early age I had the awareness that allowed me to move into my personal center and find true meaning in the holidays. The holidays, for me, are always about experiencing joy, love and abundance internally and sharing them with my loved ones.

How do you distinguish SELF centered from EGO centric? For a moment, listen to the thoughts constantly playing in your head. They may be the ones stressing you out about whether you can afford to buy that very important person in your life the new Macbook they want so badly. The part of you having the thoughts is your EGO. The part of you that can hear them is the true essence of who you are, which lives beyond your mind and body. It is your-SELF.

Your Self is constant and always present. When you are centered in your SELF you are directly connected to source. Your source is the essence of what you are made of. It is universal consciousness, divine intelligence, spirit, God, love, authenticity and whatever that is for you. When you become truly "SELF-centered," you allow yourself to be led by your true, loving essence. You also become aware of all humans emanating from this source. It is in your center where you can resolve self-judgment, which elicits a greater experience of peace, love for self and others, harmony, true generosity, and joy; which are all qualities of the holiday season.

We see in our culture how making ego-centric rather than SELF-centered choices are paramount through an obsessive desire for material acquisition. Even as the economy dwindles and people lose their jobs we are inundated with messages about the importance of consumptions. This is painfully illustrated by the death of a Wal Mart worker by a mob of shoppers on Black Friday. The horror of this tragedy makes it even more crucial that each of us move into our personal center and allow the qualities that reside there to come forth this holiday season. It is a grave disservice to each other when we allow our egos to define us by our possessions and the gifts we give rather than our true, loving essence.

The alternative I offer to you this holiday season is to center yourself in your SELF, which will allow you to fully embody the presence of internal peace and love throughout the holidays.

Some ways you can begin to become SELF-centered:

1) Mindfulness
Bring your awareness fully to where you are and what you are doing at any given moment. First, bring your awareness to your breath. Literally say to yourself, "breathe in, breathe out" as you inhale and exhale. You will start to feel centered, peaceful and relaxed. Bring your awareness to smells, colors, feelings, and sensuality (the water on your hands while washing dishes). This is an excellent way to support yourself in navigating the sometimes stressful holiday gatherings we feel obligated to attend.

2) Manage Negative Self Talk
Manage negative self-talk by intercepting negative judgments. Start talking to yourself like you are your best friend. For example, at some point during the holidays you may have the thought, "Wow, that gift he got is so much better than the one I gave him." If you are aware of having the thought, acknowledge it, and change it. Changing it might sound like, "My loving essence defines me," (not my gift giving).

3) Compassion
Practice compassion in stressful situations where you might hastily judge another. For instance, it might be challenging as a gay man or lesbian to be having dinner with a family member you know voted for Proposition 8. Bring your awareness to your breath, notice your judgments, and although it may be challenging, allow yourself to consider that that person's life is as important to them as yours is to you. Also, remind yourself that love is the essence of who we are as human beings, regardless of what we perceive as hurtful actions. This moves you into your center and the recognition that we all emanate from the same source. There may be a challenge to deal with. However, you can maintain the love and harmony of the holiday when you move beyond your ego, and into compassion.

SELF-centeredness as opposed to egocentric moves you into connection with your true essence and the loving essence of the holidays. It shifts you to being fully present in each moment where you dwell in love, peace, and harmony. When you are SELF-centered the greatest gift you can give to others and yourself becomes accessible. It is the gift of your true presence, which is the gift of love.

***
Schedule your free coaching consultation with Jason at info@jmannino.com or go to www.jmannino.com to learn more.

Dr. Susan Corso: Changing the Present

2008-12-09T09:40:01Z

Is anyone else having trouble shopping for the holidays this year? I sure am. I'm finding that I cannot buy things. I'm definitely in the spirit of the season, but things just aren't cutting it. For one, I have too many things myself. For two, I suspect that most everyone I know is in the same boat.

The story of the mad shoppers and the death of the Wal-mart employee stopped me in my shopping tracks. No thing, no matter what it is, is worth a living being. So what's a girl to do?

Enter Changing the Present -- the thought that counts.

I know. It's what my mother always said when some inappropriate gift would arrive from a well-meaning but misguided relative. Except, I know more these days, and it really is the thought that counts. Another way to say this is: thoughts really do count. A lot.

Thought, in the ideology of metaphysics, precedes manifestation. A whole lot of people thought about Barack Obama as president of the United States, and so he is now manifest as President-Elect Obama. Charles Fillmore, one of the co-founders of Unity, was known to say, "Thoughts are things."

And so they are. And Changing the Present is a spin on gift-giving that puts our thoughts for goodness, kindness, warmth, light and caring -- all holiday staples -- to good use. Consider first that a visitor to the site in invited to Choose a Cause. Then look at this remarkable list!

Basic Needs
• Disaster Relief
• Education
• Housing
• Human Rights
• Hunger
• Millennium Goals
• Water
Community
• Aging
• Arts & Culture
• Children & Youth
• Civil Society
• Peace
• Public Broadcast
• Refugees
• Veterans
• Women
Environment
• Agriculture
• Animal Welfare
• Environment
• Global Warming
Health and Safety
• Blindness & Vision
• Cancer
• Disabilities
• Global Health
• HIV/AIDS
• Landmines
• Medical Research
• Mental Health
• Population
Opportunity
• Microcredit
• Poverty Alleviation
• Social Entrepreneurs
• Technology

Do you think about the perils of poverty? Choose Poverty Alleviation.
Do you think about animals? Choose Animal Welfare.
Do you think about HIV/AIDS? Choose that.
Do you think about climate change? Choose Global Warming.
Do you think about water shortages? Choose Water.
Do you think about children's needs? Choose Children.

And my favorite: do you think about peace? Choose Peace.

Another way to dance through this changing of the need and use for presents at holiday time is: what do the people on your list think about? Choose the issues that mean something to them.

Fillmore is right, dear one. Thoughts truly are things, more valuable things than most things in themselves.

To change our future, we have to change the present.

Here's one way to give new meaning to the holy-days, and remember Art Buchwald while you're at it:

The best things in life aren't things.

David Nassar: Wal-Mart's Failure to Protect Its Workers: An Unfortunate Symbol

2008-12-03T12:15:02Z

Sometimes symbols appear unexpectedly. Jdimytai Damour, a temporary Wal-Mart worker, became a symbol to millions of low-wage workers last Friday when he died a needless death because Wal-Mart failed to take the necessary precautions to protect him. He became a symbol of those workers quietly yielding to unsafe working conditions because they have no voice. Americans need Congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act next year so that deaths like Mr. Damour's, and so many other deaths and injuries to low-wage workers on the job can be avoided in the future.

In 2007 a respected human rights watchdog group, Human Rights Watch, released a report critical of Wal-Mart's union-busting policies and practices in the United States. According to the report, "while many American companies use weak U.S. laws to stop workers from organizing, the retail giant stands out for the sheer magnitude and aggressiveness of its anti-union apparatus." Wal-Mart's opposition to its workers exercising their legal right to organize has even extended to terminating entire departments and closing entire stores.

For example, in February 2000, ten employees of the Wal-Mart meat department in a Jacksonville, Texas, store elected United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) as their union. Wal-Mart immediately scrapped their entire network of in-store butcher departments nationwide. And in Jonquière, Quebec, after the birth of a certified UFCW Local at a Wal-Mart store and a decision by the Minister of Labor for Quebec to grant the union's request for contract arbitration, Wal-Mart announced that it would close the Jonquière store.

The result of this behavior is that workers are denied a seat at the table to contribute to setting standards that protect them on the job. In the absence of such contributions, management is free to set whatever standards it deems appropriate and workers are obligated to go along if they wish to keep their jobs. To make matters worse, Wal-Mart store management's compensation is based on bonus systems that encourage cutting labor costs, resulting in more temporary workers. Temporary workers like Damour are particularly vulnerable in that environment because they have neither the context nor the influence to express reservations when asked to perform certain duties.

Without a union it is entirely up to Wal-Mart's management to determine whether or not they took legitimate precautions to prevent this incident. In the absence of union representation, let me suggest if it is not already obvious from the events that unfolded, that Wal-Mart failed on at least a few levels to protect its employees and its customers.

First, it appears there was a shortage of adequate security at the doors. Wal-Mart has still not released how many guards were present at the time to control the rushing crowd of 2000 people. Second, the company used at least some temporary workers including Mr. Damour who were not familiar with what to expect on Black Friday. Third, as some news reports have pointed out, unlike other retailers Wal-Mart did not provide tickets for store entry or offer rain-checks for any items that were sold out. All of these choices contributed to the tragic events of that day and the workers who were on the line that morning had no say in making any of them.

More low-wage workers need a voice in their workplace. The current system of certifying a union has failed because employers have found ways to thwart the process, and the federal government has failed to prevent that interference or to protect workers right to organize in any meaningful way. It is time for a change.

Next year, by passing the Employee Free Choice Act, Congress can provide that change. No one will force workers to organize a union, but they will be freer to do so if they choose. I believe that many of them will seek a union for all the reasons that people have wanted unions in the past including workplace safety. Sadly and unexpectedly, Jdimytai Damour will be a symbol for that fight and a powerful reminder of how workers are taken advantage of every day.

Reverend Billy: Wal-Mart On Black Friday: Who Done It?

2008-12-02T17:44:48Z

Jdimytai Damour's death in Valley Stream, Long Island did not come from Wal-Mart, or from Black Friday -- it was not just negligence. It was murder.

Our Stop Shopping Gospel Choir has gone with me to the giant doors of Macy's at the crack of Buy Nothing Day for several years now -- pushing back at the steroidal horde, spinning in it, laughing with it, trading elbow jabs and apologies, and ultimately we shot through the doors, carried backwards, trying to keep our balance as we keep shouting "Stop Shopping!" We learned of Jdimytai's fate after we had been escorted back out to 34th Street by stern Macy's managers.

Two days later, that Sunday night -- we went to the Valley Stream Wal-Mart to hold a candle-light vigil and sing a bit. We pinned pictures of Jdimytai to our robes. It was windy and rainy, the litter blowing across the pavement -- we all felt dazed by the very ordinary looking electronic doors with the abandoned shopping carts. Teenagers huddled under umbrellas. Some families emerging from their cars clapping to the refrains of "What Would Jesus Buy?" People joined our prayer. Then we talked to witnesses and co-workers...

The promise we made that night was "Jdimytai, we see you standing there inside the doors, and we will stop pressing the glass, we will slow down." This promise says that we have all created consumerism, the system. We will work to create local, more compassionate economies. Local-lujah! The loading of the gun with 2,000 bodies and firing it at the flimsy doors with the minimum wage folks inside was set-up by everybody being broke, the lottery-like now-you-see-it-now-you-don't of the best deals, all the pre-dawn hype... all this comes from a system that grows itself with our open participation...

This has been our refrain in this week's press appearances at CNN, CBS, Fox and Democracy Now. Most of our hosts, however, sought to organize the facts into "stories," rather than "systems." To them -- a system can't be an actor in the drama. A system is not newsy -- there isn't enough oomph in such general concepts. Not enough scandalous glory or guilt. We need actors! -- fueled by desire, a crisis, a hero and a villain...

And so, the "savage" shoppers, the holiday temp workers, the elderly greeters leading the prayer service, Jdimytai's relatives from exotic Haiti, and "evil" Wal-Mart executives, when they take their roles, don't represent larger forces -- that are only cast as themselves. They are distraught and passionate. They are psychological. They cannot refer to any cause. There can be no politics. Yet consumerism is the force that left Wal-Mart and Home Depot (two big box supporters of Bush) to anchor this mall called Green Acres: to pave 15 acres, to load in sweatshop goods from trucks, with packaging and advertising drowning out the surrounding community so that Valley Stream's neighborhood stores went dark years ago.

The mall's "system" is hundreds of individuals and millions of dollars disappearing into a camouflage that we have got to see through. It is not an economy that works, that causes real prosperity. It is, in fact, violent. It was violent before Jdimytai's passing. We need to teach each other to cast it as a character in the drama of this past Black Friday. We might learn to call a system "savage" and then be able to do something about it. The murderer might not escape so easily.

Stephen Funk: Veterans Bring The Truth Home

2008-12-02T16:15:54Z

As hundreds of consumers crowded downtown San Francisco this Black Friday, local veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan interrupted shopping as usual with a reminder that men and women in uniform are still stationed overseas in harm's way this holiday season.

I was one of several members of Iraq Veterans Against the War who occupied the shopping district on the busiest day of the year with Operation First Casualty; guerrilla street theater whose name refers to the first casualty of war -- the truth. With the assistance of over 100 volunteers playing Iraqi civilians, IVAW reenacted scenes that are played out on a daily basis in Iraq to give onlookers a clearer perspective of what an occupation looks and feels like.

Volunteers were rounded up, detained, interrogated, and mock-water boarded. Our squad patrolled through busy streets and malls leaving tourists shocked and confused. At one point in the demonstration, a member of our squad was "shot" in the leg during a checkpoint and we returned fire on the crowd, creating a massive die-in and effectively blocking a busy intersection. Parents were forced to explain to crying children that it was theater and not actually happening. However, a supporter reminded the crowd that "These are not actors, they are veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. What you are seeing here today is not theater in the nations we occupy."

We held our finale at UN Plaza with the "Iraqi civilians" driving occupying forces away and reclaiming sovereignty. After our press conference we fed our volunteers and the many homeless people that spend their days in the area. We sought to highlight the work that our military could be doing in the absence of war, and the homeless epidemic that disproportionately affects veterans (only 1% of the general population are veterans, while we are about 25% of the homeless).

Even considering the ever-growing list of mistakes perpetuated by the Bush Administration on the American people and the mess they left of our economy, the war and occupation of Iraq is by far the costliest and most urgent problem president-elect Obama must address. Our criminally overstretched troops are being deployed for the 3rd, 4th, and even 5th time this holiday season. Those who return come home to inadequate health care and mental health support. Veterans choose to end their lives at a rate double that of civilians and if Vietnam War parallels persist, far more Iraq War veterans will die from their own hands than by those of enemy combatants.

So with all the distractions that accompany the end of the year, do not forget the sacrifices and hardships that are being endured by our troops and their families. And come January 20th, when we will have our first real chance for changing course in Iraq, we must not hesitate to make immediate withdrawal a top priority.

WALMART STAMPEDE: WORKER DIES

2008-12-02T11:37:46Z

A Wal-Mart worker died early Friday after an "out-of-control" mob of frenzied shoppers smashed through the Long Island store's front doors and trampled him, police said.
The Black Friday stampede plunged the Valley Stream outlet into chaos, knocking several employees to the ground and sending others scurrying atop vending machines to avoid the horde.
When the madness ended, 34-year-old Jdimytai Damour was dead and four shoppers, including a woman eight months pregnant, were injured.

CAUGHT ON CAMERA: WAL-MART CROWD MOMENTS BEFORE DEADLY STAMPEDE

"He was bum-rushed by 200 people," said Wal-Mart worker Jimmy Overby, 43.

Dr. Judith Rich: Black Friday At Wal-Mart: The Cost Of Crazed Consumerism

2008-12-02T08:33:36Z

An employee was trampled to death by over-zealous shoppers who literally broke down the doors at a Long Island Wal-Mart on "Black Friday," while four other shoppers were injured during the stampede and taken to the hospital.

According to news reports, shoppers screamed, shoved and jockeyed for position while waiting for the doors to open. As the part-time stock clerk approached the doors at 5 AM, the force of the crowd physically broke through the doors and mowed down the unfortunate man. Ignoring employee pleas to clear out and exit the store, shoppers rushed about, grabbing the most sought after items on their lists. Visibly upset employees described the scene as "chaotic" and shoppers as "savages".

I found myself very disturbed by this news report. Some questions immediately come to mind. I wonder, on Christmas morning, will the recipient of those highly sought, hard fought after Black Friday purchased Wal-Mart gifts, have a clue about their true cost? Will the giver of those gifts really feel good about giving them? And, what is 70% off a person's life worth?

Was this event just a fluke, an isolated incidence of unprepared employees and over-enthusiastic shoppers? Is Wal-Mart to blame for not having proper security measures in place? Or is this just the tip of the iceberg, suggesting something has gone seriously askew in our value system?

Competition is so endemic to our culture, consumption has become a competitive sport. We've become "guerilla" consumers, stalking our "prey," engaging in strange rituals that commence in the wee hours of the morning on the day after Thanksgiving. Some especially dedicated consumers actually cut short the time they spent with their families on Thanksgiving so they could be first in line when the doors opened at 5 AM.

Am I the only one who thinks something is out of whack here? Does anybody else feel seriously manipulated by the whole holiday shopping craziness? Remember the mortgage mess we're in? Remember how we all fell for the notion that real estate prices could only go up, so we'd better get in while we could no matter whether we could afford it or not? We could always refinance later. Look how that turned out.

I have a feeling those precious 50 inch flat-screen TV's will still be around next week or even after the holidays and probably at even more reduced prices. The Chinese are busy turning those puppies out as fast as we can consume them. I don't think we need to worry about a shortage of supply. But I do think this is an opportunity to reflect on the mindset that produced the kind of tragedy that happened last week.

What happened on Black Friday is a teachable moment for all of us. While those particular shoppers represent a tiny percent of consumers, let's imagine for a moment, they reflect some aspect of us all. Even if you observed Buy Nothing Day (see video below), even if you cannot identify with the crowd mentality on display, use this moment as an opportunity to examine the value system and consciousness you're bringing to your life and how you might use this experience to re-align yourself with the true spirit of the season.

Even before the episode at Wal-Mart, I'd already decided that this year my choice is to consume less, but give more. This holiday season, my emphasis will be on giving the gift of presence instead of gifting presents. The gifts I plan to give this year cannot be packaged and wrapped, they can only be experienced. Experiential gifts are absolutely the best in my book.

For starters, here are some experiential gifts you might consider giving this holiday:

1) Give an authentic acknowledgment to the people you love.
2) Look them in the eyes and tell them who they are for you.
3) Open up communication with someone with whom you've had a misunderstanding.
4) Apologize to someone you've unfairly judged.
5) Extend kindness to a stranger or offer support to someone and expect
nothing in return.

This, I believe is the true spirit of not only this time, but of these times. As never before, we are called to reconnect with what matters. Let this holiday season be a beckoning for you to summon up the "greater angels of your nature," to come forward with the gift of your authentic presence and offer yourself as the priceless gift you are. Presence is a "being" thing. No credit cards or cash required.

Lastly, there was another event that took place on Black Friday. It's called Buy Nothing Day. In case you weren't aware or missed it, here's a short video promo and a good reminder about what matters:

Consider how you might plan to Recognize, Rethink, Revolutionize and Restore the True Spirit of the Season to your observance of the holidays this year and be sure to let us in on your ideas.

Black Friday Sales Up, But Not A Good Barometer

2008-12-01T16:30:10Z

Happy Cyber Monday! If the crowds on Black Friday were any indication, it looks like consumers will be busy surfing the Web for deep discounts as well.

Sales over the Thanksgiving long weekend were surprisingly strong. The National Retail Federation estimated that consumers spent $372.57 on average, an increase from 7.2% from a year ago.

But the NRF is predicting just a 2.2% increase in holiday shopping sales this year, which would be the smallest increase since 2002. Even that forecast is considered too rosy by many other industry experts.

Reverend Billy: Jdimytai Damour, We Will Slow Down

2008-12-01T14:57:47Z

Union Square Starbucks on Buy Nothing Day

Three New York headlines the day after Black Friday read, "Hell-Mart," "Frenzy," and "Death by Shopping." The temp worker Jdimytai Damour's face is smiling in a little oval frame in the corner. Then in the articles there are quotes from scholars and experts who make what has happened something we can understand, normal, not to be avoided.

We promise you, Jdimytai, that the professors of Consumerism won't normalize the terror of your last moments. This is the frenzied blur of greed that we all carry inside and wonder about. It's the Consumerism tumor -- in us but incubating at an unforeseen rate. And things happen that make us money, that we buy, that we helplessly watch rise from our buying -- like the Iraqi War, like the warming ocean. We Consumed it, we know we did. The purchases are so greased now, the plastic slides so easily -- how do we pull out of the blur?

I read that there was a Magnavox flat-screen DVD player on sale at the Wal-Mart in Valley Stream, Long Island yesterday, available on Black Friday only, for $147. That is the deal that waits behind Jdimytai Damour. There he stands at the electronic doors, looking out at us. We stand in the darkness, pushing out with our elbows, spying the shiny packages up the aisles. We are a distorted America standing in the pre-dawn darkness. We have turned our Pursuit of Happiness into this desperate feeling. Jdimytai watches us. We push on the glass.

Jdimytai Damour, we will slow down! We will stop shopping!

Added note: Last night, Sunday the 30th, the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir embarked in two vans and a pace car with a lawyer -- journeying from mid-town Manhattan to the Wal-Mart at Valley Stream, Long Island -- for a vigil and songfest. We brought pictures of Jdimytai and candles. We arrived to find a ordinary and tawdry Wal-Mart, stuck in the dark corner of a vast mall named Green Acres. Everyone there, including the security officials (at least at first) appreciated our observance. There were no flowers, caution tape, or any evidence of the now-famous Shopocalypse. We gathered some passersby and a few locals who had been there on Friday morning and talked energeticly with our video team (interviews will posted soon at Revbilly.com).

We felt honored to be there to openly thank Jdimytai, offer his family a gesture of condolence, and contact in song and prayer a group of somewhat dazed, but also angry -- and mostly young -- consumers who were searching for something to hold onto.

Fortune 's Stanley Bing: What Recession?

2008-12-01T13:19:59Z

Look, I don't want to be a pill and rain on the whole gloom thing we're all experiencing. There's no doubt it's real. I look at the numbers the same as you do. Revenue is down. Unemployment is up. We're circling the drain, definitely, I'm not arguing with anybody about that. It's the worst black hole since all those black and white pictures were taking during the depths of the century just past.

But it's got to be one of the weirdest recession/depressions on record. I just spent the same weekend you did. Turkey. Ham. Leftovers. And, of course, shopping. So I'm wondering if you saw the same thing I did. As in: Crowds. Lines. People clawing at stuff on racks as if their lives depended on it. Hoards of greedy Americans shoving lunchtime carbs into their faces so they wouldn't have to break stride in mid-spend.

So I have to ask: What's up?

Started Friday, after a Thanksgiving filled with good cheer, grog and incessant radio and television spots screaming about unprecedented buying opportunities. I asked myself: Who are these numbskulls who get up at dawn to purchase a flat screen TV? Who would stand online at 3 a.m. to get a ticket so they can come back later and get a Wii for a couple bucks off?

The new day dawned early. "Let's go to Best Buy," said my son over breakfast. "Really?" I said.

We were there by 10. As we rolled into the parking lot, I said to him, "You know, this recession is hitting everybody right now. Even me." Perhaps he was wearing those tiny earphones I got him for his birthday, because he didn't answer. The lot was full. Like, totally. I had to park in the overflow area.

In the store, the scene was nuts. Huge crowds around the gaming systems, the HDTVs, the computers, the DVDs. Lines at the register. We went over to the area in which we had an interest: car audio. He has a new/old clunker whose main deficiency, it seems, is in the quality of its sound system.

There was a massive megadeal posted on the wall. A fabulous complete set-up for just $600. The car itself is worth about that, maybe a buck or two less. "Do you have any super-mega-awesome-once-in-a-lifetime Black Friday deals?" I asked the clerk, who was younger than the car in question. He looked at the deal posted on the wall and ripped it down. "That deal ended a couple of weeks ago," he said. "But we can work something out." He did some figures on the back of an envelope. "We can do a mid-range system for... $875, plus tax. That includes installation."

I noted that the price seemed to be a simple total of the hardware necessary, plus about $300 for installation. "What happened to the meta-mooga-humongous deals for Black Friday?" I asked. "They're not store-wide," he said. We left, fighting our way through the mob of frenzied consumers toward fresh air and light.

So obviously, there was no panic about the recession at Best Buy. True, there were absolutely NO people in their installation area, so maybe they'll be sorry later they didn't moderate their prices a bit on the car stereo question. Maybe they're getting the overflow from other places that have gone under. But who are all these people forking over piles of green? Aren't they aware that the economy is in the sump?

Throughout the weekend, the same story proliferated. Target was full. At Costco, you couldn't get a seat at the hot dog stand. I had to knock over an old lady to get to a 50-pound bag of frozen shrimp.

So I'm open to suggestion. What do YOU think is going on here?

Jeannie Ralston: Wal-Mart Stampede: And So This is Christmas

2008-12-01T11:58:20Z

When I told my husband about the worker trampled by frenzied Wal-Mart shoppers on Friday morning, he thought it was a joke. "That sounds like some parody," he said. "What station were you watching? Comedy Central?"

I insisted it was real. Googling the incident, I showed him that even the New York Times was reporting it.

"Man, that's a tough way to go," he said, shaking his head. "What's wrong with people?"

I've been thinking the same thing for the past two days. What is wrong with people that they would become so hysterical over plastic toys or digital cameras or whatever Asian import that was on sale at daybreak Friday?

The irony is thick enough to make my head clang. People were so intent on buying things to express their love and caring for others that they couldn't care who they flattened in the process. Black Friday, indeed.

Yes, people are hurting financially, which makes a good deal extra desirable this year. But if you're that pinched, why not resuscitate a more personal and less costly kind of gift giving: bake cookies for friends; for a spouse, wrap up a coupon for a dinner out or a breakfast in bed.

I can't help but feel the incident is somehow a metaphor for what our society has become. Stuff trumps everything, it seems. Stuff trumps family. Instead of having relaxing morning with family the day after Thanksgiving, these people were out at 5 a.m. in the pursuit of more things. Stuff trumps good sense. People were at that Wal-Mart with children, according to reports. Is this what we want kids to learn about Christmas? That it's all about the score. Oh yeah, I forgot, that's already happened.

Stuff trumps a sense of humanity. Of course not everyone in that crowd was worked up into a slobber for a sale. Perhaps only a few were -- and they pushed everyone else along. But there had to be a number of people with so little disregard for life that they would literally step on others to get what they want.

"I don't understand how that kind of thing can happen," a Mexican friend said yesterday when we were talking about the stampede. "Why does everyone have to shop at the same time? Why do they want to get up so early?"

I tried to explain that the day after Thanksgiving has become an unofficial holiday in the States -- so blatantly commercial that no one even pretends it's about anything else but spending time with your local cash registers, making them sing.

I've spent three Christmases living in Mexico and am amazed at how non-commercial the holiday has remained here. There are no Santa Clauses, few Christmas trees, even fewer "Sale" signs in store windows. It's true that some big chain stores have opened up on the outskirts of my hometown of San Miguel de Allende; in fact, a Wal-Mart-owned discount store debuted just two weeks ago. You can find some fake Christmas trees for sale there and carols play over the loudspeaker -- often in English, which is such a jolt to hear.

But the real commercial heart of the holiday in Mexico appears to be the makeshift Christmas markets that set up in nearly every town of any size. In these markets, merchants sell Noche Buena (poinsettias), evergreen branches for garlands and Nativity figurines of varying sizes. Whole stalls are devoted to miniature mangers or to elaborate clothing for the Baby Jesus dolls that will complete the crèche after Christmas Eve.

Christmas is still a religious holiday in Mexico, but I realize that could very well change. I'm certainly not saying that Mexico has everything figured out, but I do know that during the past three Christmases I've enjoyed the peace, reverence and joy of the Christmas market. There, I see people strolling around -- calmly, happily -- looking for items that will make their home feel more like the first Christmas. For me, the market has been a perfect antidote to the commercial craziness that spins to the north of us this time of year. I'm sure that will be even more true this Christmas.

Kerry Trueman: Shopacoplypse Now

2008-12-01T11:38:39Z

image: Breeding Zombie Consumers by Sam Sebren

I've tried to put myself in the shoes of the Long Island lemmings who stomped the life out of Jdimytai "Jimbo" Damour in their rampage to ring up a bargain, but I just can't seem to fit into their frenzied footwear. Black Friday -- this travesty of a tradition of dashing out the door to score a discounted TV or DVD player before you've even begun to digest your Thanksgiving dinner -- is a sign of how badly we need to heed the Reverend Billy and seek salvation at the Church of Stop Shopping.

Damour's death was shocking but not surprising. Isn't the whole point of this retail ritual to feed a shopping stampede? Hopped-up Black Friday buy-bunnies pawed their way through the madding crowd at big box brouhahas all over the country this year; the fatal mall mauling on Long Island was just a new nadir for our nation.

Make no mistake -- this was not a tragic accident. According to Newsday, the police were dispatched to the Valley Stream Wal-Mart at 3:10 A.M. -- about two hours before Damour was trampled to death -- to investigate a disturbance. They spent half an hour admonishing the unruly crowd of 500 or so shoppers "to be orderly," and then they left.

By 5 A.M. the crowd had swelled to 2,000 people pushing against the soon-to-open doors with such force that the glass shattered and the doors came off their hinges. "A metal portion of the door frame crumpled like an accordion," Newsday noted, adding that:

Other workers were knocked to the ground as they tried to rescue Damour, and customers simply stepped over him and kept shopping even as the store announced it was closing because of the death, police and witnesses said.

"It was crazy," a worker who witnessed the stampede told the New York Times. "The deals weren't even that good."

Police trying to clear the crime scene were stymied by shoppers who refused to stop shopping even as Damour lay dying, because they'd waited so long for the chance to profit from those special "5-A.M.-to-11-A.M.-only" prices.

So who's to blame for this barbaric episode? It seems pretty clear that both the police and Wal-Mart failed to provide sufficient crowd control, but New York Times media reporter David Carr fingers another faction: the "newspaper writers and television anchors who are now wearily shaking their heads at the collective bankruptcy of our mass consumer culture" -- you know, the ones who cheered it all on as the countdown to Black Friday began.

But what about the frenzied folks who left their sweatshop sneaker track marks on Damour's back? Who created these monsters, these real-life incarnations of George Romero's Dawn of the Dead zombie shoppers? As Wal-Mart warrior Al Norman observed on HuffPo:

The 2,000 or so Wal-Mart shoppers at the Valley Stream store were merely lab rats responding to a stimulus. When the door opened, they went after the cheese.

Reverend Billy mourned Damour the morning after, imagining the horrific last moments of this young man's life before the glass gave way:

I read that there was a Magnavox flat-screen DVD player on sale at the Wal-Mart in Valley Stream, Long Island yesterday, available on Black Friday only, for $147. That is the deal that waits behind Jdimytai Damour. There he stands at the electronic doors, looking out at us. We stand in the darkness, pushing out with our elbows, spying the shiny packages up the aisles. We are a distorted America standing in the pre-dawn darkness. We have turned our Pursuit of Happiness into this desperate feeling. Jdimytai watches us. We push on the glass.

Jdimytai Damour we will slow down! We will stop shopping!

On Sunday's Face The Nation, Bob Schieffer was appalled and baffled by the deadly stampede:

It made me wonder: What were they shopping for? Christmas gifts? They didn't show much Christmas spirit.

When store officials ordered the mob out of the store because someone had died, many called it unfair, because they said they had been waiting hours to shop.

The terrorist attack in India will cause us to redouble our anti-terrorist efforts, and economic recovery plans are already in the works.

But shouldn't the death of that poor sales clerk give us some pause as well?

If we have become a people so self-centered that we are willing to step over a lifeless body to get a bargain, we have problems that go beyond terrorists, a credit crunch and bad mortgages.

Surely we can do better than that.

Yes, we can. But will we? There are 24 days left till Christmas. It's not too late to stop shopping.

Police Seek Wal-Mart Shoppers Who Killed NY Worker

2008-12-01T09:35:12Z

MINEOLA, N.Y. — A worker trampled to death when customers stormed a Wal-Mart for bargains on the day after Thanksgiving had no experience in crowd control and was placed at the entrance because of his hulking frame, police and a lawyer said Monday.

The details about the deadly stampede came out as police pored over video surveillance provided by the store while considering possible criminal charges. Lawyers were also preparing to sue over the episode.

August J. Pollak: Cyber Monday

2008-12-01T08:19:40Z

Respecting a holiday with ancient traditions dating as far back as 2005.

To see more of August J. Pollak's cartoon "Some Guy With a Website," check out the archive.

Holiday Sales View Still Weak After Weekend Rush

2008-11-30T23:21:03Z

Consumers made repeat trips to stores and spent more on bargains this holiday weekend, but the early rush is unlikely to save retailers from a bleak sales season, analysts said on Sunday.

Early results from the Black Friday weekend that kicks off U.S. holiday shopping showed that sales grew both in stores and online, fueled by repeat trips, heavier online sales and deep discounts from retailers across the price spectrum.

Al Norman: Wal-Mart Shoppers Are Trained To Be "Savages"

2008-11-30T14:02:08Z

By Al Norman

"Outta My Way, I'm shopping at Wal-Mart."

That actual bumper-sticker sums up the attitude of the only thing worse than Wal-Mart in our culture: Wal-Mart shoppers.

The killing of a Wal-Mart worker this week during an early morning crush of customers at the retailer's Valley Stream, Long Island store has given the company a Black Eye from Black Friday.

Law enforcement officials are reviewing the video tape of the incident for possible criminal charges, but Wal-Mart corporate attorneys are no doubt looking at the video to determine the extent of the company's legal liability in the case. The retailer may be more preoccupied with how to prevent a multi-million lawsuit from the family of the dead worker, than how to prevent another Black Friday death.

The 2,000 or so Wal-Mart shoppers at the Valley Stream store were merely lab rats responding to a stimulus. When the door opened, they went after the cheese. In the past, it has been fellow shoppers who have been killed in the "savage" rush, as one onlooker at the Valley Stream store described the incident. Our culture of mass consumption has bred these "supershoppers," who will show up for every clearance, every special, with one goal in mind: to be at the cash register first.

Wal-Mart and the Nassau County Police now have to decide if they will press criminal charges against these supershoppers. There were at least four other people who were injured in the Long Island incident---one of several that took place across the country. A similar incident took place in Secaucus, New Jersey--but the woman injured in the 'shop 'til you drop' crowd was not killed. In Rapid City, Michigan, a teenage girl at Wal-Mart holding an Xbox 360 video game was "struck in the throat by a male shopper who was yelling and pushing his way through a line of shoppers."

Where better to carry out these random acts of violence than at a huge Wal-Mart, where price takes precedence over people? We can behave like 'savages' at Wal-Mart, because we are part of a large, anonymous throng. Wal-Mart spent $2 billion in 2008 on media advertising to encourage us to behave like out of control consumers. The crowd at Valley Stream was just following the program.

Wal-Mart has never been very good at protecting its workers or customers from crime at its stores--whether inside the store, or in the No-Man's-Land known as the parking lot. The latest Black Friday death is no exception. The poor temporary worker who happened to be given the job of unlocking the door, Jdimytai Damour, gave up his life so that some shopper could get a Playstation 3 Entertainment Bundle. Wal-Mart knew--or should have known---that shoppers on steroids are a dangerous breed. "We expected a large crowd this morning," Wal-Mart admitted in a press release, "and added additional internal security, additional third party security, additional store associates and we worked closely with the Nassau County Police. We also erected barricades. Despite all of our precautions, this unfortunate event occurred."

So far, all Wal-Mart has provided for the family of their dead worker is its "thoughts and prayers." But Damour's family is going to need a lot more than prayers to pay for the loss of earnings this young family has suffered." Instead of watching video reruns of the incident, or spending its corporate resources trying to track down the "savage" shoppers who crushed Damour, Wal-Mart should announce that it will use some of its vast wealth to provide the Damour family with a generous financial settlement. This is the moment for company Chairman Rob Walton to come to the aid of this family out of his own $23 billion fortune. The family should not be forced to file a lawsuit to receive justice from this company. Wal-Mart should have its compensation offer ready for sign-off within the week.

At Wal-Mart, they know the price of everything, but the value of nothing. It was the manager at the Rapid City, Michigan Wal-Mart store who said what the company's top brass in Bentonville could not say. "There's nothing in my store that's worth people's safety or lives."

Al Norman is the founder of http://www.sprawl-busters.com. His first book was "Slam Dunking Wal-Mart."

Steve Parker: Los Angeles Auto Show - It's a wrap!

2008-11-30T01:23:31Z

How anxious are the Detroit Three carmakers to make sales?

My wife and I were at the Los Angeles Auto Show last night, "Black Friday," at the Los Angeles Convention Center. At the hustling and bustling Ford display, several Ford employees approached us with an almost unheard-of offer: If we agreed to test drive - just test drive - a new Ford Fusion, Ford would give us $50.

That's desperation.

Even more frightening, it also means I might finally look respectable enough to appear a model, trustworthy citizen. The kind of guy you'd like to test-drive one of your cars. Ah, where did I go wrong?
(Ford's alll-new gas/electric hybrid Fusion, twin car to the Mercury Milan, had trouble outdoing the excitement of the 2010 Mustang at the LA Auto Show, but Ford staffers told me they were getting a lot of interest - very welcome interest - in Ford's second-generation hybrids).

In Ford's large exhibit area, replete with spinning DJs (or is it "DJs spinning?"), video crews, Las Vegas-style electronic billboards and even a magician performing close-up tricks to entertain kids while mom and dad car-shop, my wife filled-out a form to enter some sort of contest. The next day - today - she got a call from one of our local Ford dealers (and we live 100 miles from downtown Los Angeles), asking her if she would come to their dealership and test-drive one or a few new cars.

With our emphasis on green and/or significant cars and trucks, let's make our final visit to this year's Los Angeles Auto Show.

(Intimate was handing-out info on their EV, a glorified golf cart with few amenities, the kind of EV which makes many people edgy about the whole green concept. To the right is the handiwork of a company called Smart Madness ... Adding horizontal doors to the Smart. Legendary King of the Kustomizers, Hollywood's George Barris, showed a similar car at the recent SEMA Show in Las Vegas, but, naturally, Barris' was a Batman tribute car; Barris built the real Batmobile, too).

We'd visited the GM and Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep exhibits earlier in the week (see the posting before this for that story), and found them nearly barren of show-goers as well as concept cars or trucks not seen before at the LA or other auto shows.

Among the Detroit Three, Ford - by far - had the most exciting display, judging by the crowds of all ages in their large, bright and frankly aggressive exhibit area. People were having a good time, and good times sell cars.

With 2010 V6 and V8 versions of their iconic Mustang, made necessary because of an all-new 2010 Camaro, Mustang's traditional competitor, and all-new gas/electric hybrid versions of the Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan, Ford seemed connected to the present and the future.
(With Chevrolet's announcement some four years ago that an all-new Camaro would hit showrooms in 2009 as a 2010 model, Ford had to freshen their iconic Mustang; some of the Ford's sheetmetal and lights have been tweaked, performance has also been enhanced, but it's not an "all-new" car - Still, Mustang's first champion, Lee Iacocca, would be proud - somewhat).

Dearborn's car-maker also showed a concept car, Verve, an all-new version of the company's Fiesta, an exceedingly popular car built and sold throughout Europe, and which goes on-sale next year in the US.

(This "concept car" in the Ford exhibit called Verve is really a lightly-disguised US-market version of the company's popular Euro-market Fiesta sedan. It's slated for US sales in 2011; clean diesel models are a distinct possibility, and Fiesta already uses most of the tricks in the book to produce high mileage and low emissions).

Honda's exhibit showcased their nearly-available gas/electric hybrid Insight (same name as Honda's first gas/electric hybrid sold in the US) and a concept car we'd seen at the Tokyo Motor Show, the CR-Z, which will eventually go on-sale in the US as the latest version of the performance-oriented Civic Si, this time with a hybrid engine.

(Honda's two concepts used an old Honda name and a used concept car. The Insight, left, will be available next year as a gas/electric hybrid; Insight was the name of the first hybrid Honda sold in the US, and this Insight is much larger than the original. We first saw the CR-Z concept, right, at the last Tokyo Motor Show, and it is close-in-styling to the next-generation Civic Si.

Mercedes-Benz proudly displayed and talked-up their impressive BluTEC clean diesel system, available on the company's 2009 GL320, R320 and ML320 models (in our earlier LA Auto Show post, we showed you the Volkswagen and Audi clean diesels, which use the same basic system as the Mercedes).

And along with several custom takes on current Mercedes models aimed at import tuner/custom aftermarket-types, the GLK-based Urban Whip was, if not the silliest-looking car at the show, certainly in the running for that important honor. Urban Whip doesn't have a roof, but sports a 5,700-watt stereo system which ensures that our friends in Australia can also enjoy whatever sounds Whip's operator prefers.
(What's a car show without one really ugly car? This aftermarket-tweaked Mercedes-Benz GLK was at Los Angeles and also at the recent SEMA Show in Las Vegas; don't blame us, we just report the news).

The new Lexus IS convertible and newly-freshened RX450h gas/electric hybrid-powered crossover were featured in that company's exhibit. We'd seen the concept for the RX at the Tokyo Motor Show, too. Now, in seeing the production model, we think the RX has, in something of a rarity in the car business, actually turned-out better-looking in its final, saleable form. For many reasons, often production cars bear little relationship to the styling of their original concept version.

(The Lexus RX450h is a high-powered version of the existing RX400h gas/electric hybrid. A cutaway view of the RX's drivetrain is below, and who doesn't love big-time automotive cutaways? You know what those things cost ...?).

Toyota had their familiar-by-now line of gas/electric hybrids displayed, as well as something old made new again: a Camry powered by compressed natural gas, CNG, burning in tandem with gasoline, the clean-burning CNG making this car a hybrid, of sorts.

(Toyota tried selling a CNG/hybrid Camry about a decade ago but got few takers. They're hoping the public appreciation for all things hybrid and better availability of CNG will help jump-start sales this time out).

What's old about it? Toyota had tried the same trick over a decade ago, but CNG availability was so low - and gasoline so cheap - in the US that buyers ignored the car. Toyota is hoping that with the expanded and still-growing availability of CNG and a general acceptance and trust of hybrid technologies, buyers might now give the car a second look.
(This hybrid Camry has highly-pressurized tanks of CNG in its trunk; at first glance, I thought Toyota was bringing racing back to the streets, that the tanks held nitrous oxide, a painkilling, jovial-making drug used by dentists, well, used by dentists on their patients, as well as a serious chemical which adds an instant 100-horsepower-or-so when fed into engines for a few seconds. Don't worry, though, the nitrous used in cars has a horrible odor and taste added to discourage human use. But some people never learn ...).

Toyota's new Venza, a sort-of baby Highlander crossover, being built in Georgetown, Kentucky, comes with Toyota's 3.5 liter V6 producing 268 horsepower, and in early 2009, what Toyota calls a "super efficient 2.7 liter Inline-4 cylinder" making 182 horsepower becomes available.
(This Toyota Venza is topped-off with some custom bits and pieces, and the US-built car is aimed at a younger audience than typical Highlander buyers; a V6 engine is available now, but in January, a thrifty Inline-4 can be ordered. Starting price is under $25K).

But that smaller engine bought for better mileage might not be strong enough to push this near two-ton front-wheel drive car up steep hills or make passing trucks on the interstates a pleasure rather than a fright. Interested parties should do a road test with each car, the V6 and the I4, and get the one which best fits their driving style and needs.

Two of the four Venza models (which can seat five adults) can be ordered with all-wheel drive, and Toyota has wisely decided to sell all four Venzas with a minimum of option packages, holding down its production cost and dealership price and making the buying experience shorter and simpler.

Toyota shares my "best display" honors along with Ford at the 2008 LA Auto Show.

There's an old auto industry adage, "product is king," and high-quality cars and trucks are any company's price of admission to the US auto market in good times ... and bad.

By the way - We always enjoy the hip auto show displays from Scion (above), but where is the gas/electric hybrid or EV car from Toyota's "youth culture" product line?

All photos (c) by www.SteveParker.com

Early data shows strong Black Friday shopping

2008-11-29T15:41:17Z

CHICAGO — The holiday shopping season got off to a surprisingly solid start, according to data released Saturday by a research firm. But the sales boost during the post-Thanksgiving shopathon came at the expense of profits as the nation's retailers had to slash prices to attract the crowds in a season that is expected to be the weakest in decades.

Sales during the day after Thanksgiving rose 3 percent to $10.6 billion, according to preliminary figures released Saturday by ShopperTrak RCT Corp., a Chicago-based research firm that tracks sales at more than 50,000 retail outlets. Last year, shoppers spent about $10.3 billion on the day after Thanksgiving, dubbed Black Friday because it was historically the sales-packed day when retailers would become profitable for the year.