Christmas Lamentations Part 2

Some might think I'm practicing "bah humbug" behavior....honestly, I don't mean it that way. I'm just disheartened by the mushrooming commercializing of Christmas, extreme marketing tactics, and mass glitzing behaviors.

Yes...I'm still on the "boycott Christmas advertising schemes" meant to grab your money fast..fast..fast. My son wrote a ditty on his blog (see Try's blog) about the Black Friday scheme by Best Buy, selling 20 super computers for $150 each for the super early morning shopper. Hundreds of folks showed up at the Minneapolis store on Black Friday, and my son kicked himself for being gullible to the advertising, and going there at 4 a.m. only to find 100's of folks camped out in their cars in the parking lot. He saw other 100's of brave souls standing in line to get in the door. He drove on by and went home to bed.

I'm still trying to avoid getting sucked in to the on-going marketing frenzy, although a stop at Big Lots the other day did tempt me. I contained myself, however, and stuck to purchasing less the $20 in items...some of which were little gifts for our work secret Santa exchange.

Tonight's rant, however, is on the GLITZ. I am going to have to take a picture and post it in the next few days to get across my point.

What is the deal with people who are decorating every inch of their house and lawn with dorky Christmas decorations? Do they think its Beautiful? It's starting to remind me of Chevy Chase's Christmas Story....I have a neighbor who has one of those insane...or is it inane displays. The blow-up decorations seem to be breeding, every day there are more. The wire lighted deer figures are becoming glowing herds in slow motion. The halograph lighted shapes (stars, Santas, angels, snowmen, etc) are like neon beacons. The lighted candycane edgings of sidewalks, driveways, decks, etc.....are fencing the neighborhood.

I think that the power companies across the USA must throw money to the Christmas decoration producing companies, challenging them to create as many varied and unusual lighted holiday decor items as possible so that they can make money too. I suspect that the energy consumed in the USA for lighted lawn decorations at Christmastime is adding to global warming. Wouldn't you love to know the price of all that light? Let alone the light pollution?

I'm really tempted to put a single strand of lights up in some obscure fashion in my front yard with a sign that says "Less is More" or maybe "Less Glitz and more Peace on Earth", or how about "Stop Global Warming, turn off your Extreme Christmas Lights".

Does anyone reading this remember a couple years ago when the power companies suggested that Christmas Lighting could strain the power grid in times of bitter cold? I am wondering if my neighbor has forgotten the increase in energy costs this year?

I think I'll save my money that could be spent on holiday lights for something more important....like my winter heat bill. I know, that's pretty mundane. Okay, okay....there's a better time for it to be spent....that's in the spring when I put up my little green house. I wonder if my green house would look festive with Christmas Lights in March?

S~