Isn’t It A Little Early?

Since when does Christmas start this early? What the hell is going on? Why are there “Black Friday” sales now?

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I’m on the patio now after a night of TV.

Since when does Christmas start this early? What the hell is going on? Why are there “Black Friday” sales now?

Christmas music. Christmas trees. Snowflakes flying as Santa selects which Benzy he wants to speed around in. It’s not Thanksgiving yet!

QVC started so early I’m surprised they’re not already having “After Christmas” sales.

There’s a victim in all this. Thanksgiving has been offed to make room for expanded Christmas!

Someone get Bill O’Reilly. There’s a “War on Thanksgiving!”

On cable news snowy commercials separate snowy news reports.

It’s tough not to be smug about this. Winter was a huge decider for us in coming west. We daydreamed of laughing at winter.

National High and Low Temperature (for the contiguous United States)
NWS Weather Prediction Center, College Park, MD
Issued 7 pm EST Thursday, November 13, 2014

High Temperature for Thursday, November 13, 2014
(as received by 7 pm EST November 13)
85 at Hollywood, FL

Low Temperature for Thursday, November 13, 2014
(as received by 7 pm EST November 13)
-34 at Lucerne, WY

It’s cold and stormy through the Rockies and parts of the flatter Midwest. Winter’s grip is tightening. There’s at least another week of cold, maybe more, before a letup.

As I write this it’s 23 in Milwaukee where most of my family lives. The wind is West at 12 mph. The wind chill is 11!

SoCal TV news also led with weather this evening. Our threshold is decidedly lower. Some areas reported sprinkles! None are within fifty miles of me.

It’s a little cool on the patio. I’m going to go in.

6 thoughts on “Isn’t It A Little Early?”

  1. Great post Geoff! Ct is a lot milder now than last year at this time & my bones tell me this winter will be mild – orthopedically sayin’ – enjoy Jose Feliciano’s California Dreamin’ tune 24/7!!!

  2. I agree with your sentiments about the early onslaught of the Christmas season of commercialism. The beautiful Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center really doesn’t represent the season so much any more, but rather the annual vulgar, “in your face” commercialism that the holiday has devolved to. Thanksgiving, the beautiful holiday celebration of honoring the harvest and sharing, has been marginalized by the more powerful economic free enterprise engine fueled by corporate profits. We no sooner get over the bombast of the political season, when we are all then once again bombarded to the ubiquitous and incessant noise of the “holidays!”

    1. Neil S – I agree with your sentiments & believe our American culture has been under attack for a number of years and now in final stages of existence – since – we as a society has bled into charade of tinsel town scripts – causing learning probs for everyone.

  3. It was funny seeing Hollywood, Florida as the warm spot in the USA today – we have often headed to Hollywood and spend Christmas there at condo on Hollywood Beach near the Boardwalk. At first we thought the kids would not like it, but they love swimming on Christmas Day….and I have gotten used to sunny 78 F weather – lol.

    It does look like winter has come early – the cold seems to have parked over the Midwest/Mt West. I saw on CNN Denver had a HIGH the other day of 6 F! We did not do so bad in the CT/NYC/NJ area though – highs were in the 45 F range and we had no snow. Still, it’s getting cold, I keep checking the Florida forecast and

  4. It was funny seeing Hollywood, Florida as the warm spot in the USA today – we have often headed to Hollywood and spend Christmas there at condo on Hollywood Beach near the Boardwalk. At first we thought the kids would not like it, but they love swimming on Christmas Day….and I have gotten used to sunny 78 F weather – lol.

    It does look like winter has come early – the cold seems to have parked over the Midwest/Mt West. I saw on CNN Denver had a HIGH the other day of 6 F! We did not do so bad in the CT/NYC/NJ area though – highs were in the 45 F range and we had no snow. Still, it’s getting cold, I keep checking the Florida forecast

  5. I agree about Christmas ‘sales’ starting so early. WE seem to have lost all sense of seasons these days. The day after Christmas all the holiday stuff is shoved aside for massive Valentines Day displays, then on Feb 15th those are put aside for Easter. Back to School displays start not even a month after school ends, Halloween stuff has been seen going up in August. And Thanksgiving is almost a non-holiday these days. I hate it all. Holidays are NOT just a time to line the pockets of the CEOS and stockholders of Walmart and Target and every other retailer out there (I say CEOS and stockholders ’cause the extra money sure ain’t going to the employees!). Holidays are days set aside to recognize or celebrate something important. Religious or not. Yet popular culture would have us believe that it’s all about getting a new tablecloth or special sets of dishes or fancy clothes (or SHOES). We’re so consumed with consuming I wonder how long it will be before we consume eachother and in the end ourselves.

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