Ok, I admit that I know not of what the above quote is from (I've only seen Alan Alda's Hawkeye Pierce quote it 594 times im M*A*S*H) but at this point in time I feel it's appropriate. Fir those of you who don't know today is the 21th (as it is now after midnight) day of the unofficial 'holiday' season-the Official start being Black friday, the day after thanksgiving. While we ar not blasting the 'gimme' music that has become assiciated with a day whose only attachment to getting presents is an apparently successful gimmic to make Christianity popular with pagans. Yes, you heard me, gift-giving is pagan. I don't mind this (nor honestly would I mind a Christmas without gifts-and yes I can be quoted as saying this) What does bother me is the dramatic extent of the commercialism-at this point it doesn't border on sacrilidge, I've already seen 14 products that vary between just how sacrilegious they are but are none the less wrong... While annoying this doesn't entirely bother me, but the whole mentality can be summed up in one sour song-It's Christmas and I want everything-I just can't wait... And I site last year's 'death by stampeede' from which a Wal-Mart magager died opening the store for the black friday rush as a perfect example. Let's show some real holiday spirit this year and show some understanding and kindness to those who run the stores you decimate in you're rush for the items you seek for yourselves and others (and yes I know all to well the demand for the 'erfect present' to give is little more than another attempt to buy someone's love/respect, you can't fool me, I know you're just looking out for yourselves) I know this reads as an ill-concieved gripey speech and that's correct-it is just that, but the point I want to get across is this. We are all human, and we are all trying our best. I understand you want to amaze others with your thoughtfulness, or to sate them on their desires, but do so calmly, and if what you want is sold out, please do not rip the fire extenguisher off the wall and beat the managememnt into bleeding masses of concussions, rather take this in stride and ask if you can have a raincheck and/or a substution, ask if the item can be ordered, etc... Yeah you can't keep kids quiet with an IOU, but pop in a rental video or game and distract them until the real thing comes... (sometimes you can even rent the same title as their gift so when it is available they don't have to start from scratch... unless it's a DS type cartridge game where you might need help porting saves...) While this is a hetic season, please keep the spirit up and not start firing on the highway for the midnight sales, or take on a Butch Cassady resemblance as you loot the stores for prizes killing all you're competetors on the race to the check out...