quamp Posted March 28, 2007 Report Posted March 28, 2007 O.k., I was in the grocery store today when a commerical came over the store's radio. It said we should plan now for Christmas. We're still a good two plus weeks away from Easter, and they're already bombarding us with Christmas ads. Maybe it's just me, but I like to take my holidays in the month that they actually occur. Are times really so bad that retailers have to start the Christmas hype now? If this trend continues, they'll be hyping Christmas 2009 by the time Christmas 2007 rolls around. Even worse, when I asked the clerk if things were that bad for the store, this was her response: I have given you correct change, sir. When I informed her that I was not talking about the change she gave me, she stated that if I persisted upon accusing her of short-changing me, she would call security. I left that place shaking my head. Quote
Iggy_lovechild Posted March 30, 2007 Report Posted March 30, 2007 I'm more disturbed by the conversation you had with the clerk! That sounded mighty freaky. It's like you you weren't even speaking on the same plane of existence.... Quote
Leonhart29 Posted March 30, 2007 Report Posted March 30, 2007 I think that's why I don't celebrate Christmas... to quote Charlie Brown - it's too commercial. I have yet to walk into a store and seen a "Merry Yule" dispaly... unless it's the local stone and herb store. In my mind it's Yule not Christmas, Oster not Easter... plus a lot more. But Halloween - it's still about the same just under a different name. And I think the clerk was more interested in quitting time than listening to what you had to say - either that or her register was bugged and was under orders from her manager to act like an idiot if someone brought it up. Quote
Guest Alien Pirate Pixagi Posted March 30, 2007 Report Posted March 30, 2007 ...... That cashier was some type of drone, flee whilst you still have the chance... That is hella freaky... Quote
Guest Yhitzak Posted March 30, 2007 Report Posted March 30, 2007 Even though something inside me wants to be optimistic, I think that times really *are* this bad. Commercialism is about the only thing keeping America and Americans from going off the deep end. The more we worry about our purchases, the less time and energy we have to worry about our families, friends, and the world around us. I gotta laugh at the clerk, though. Come to Colorado, sometime. You'll find that *every* clerk here is like that. It's like they sense that you might have a soul or like you might want to make a remark that isn't immediately and directly related to the exchange of money and they shut down into auto-clerk mode. Imagine the robotic voice, "Thank you. Have a nice day." Somewhere in this world is a warehouse full of blank people that will someday become clerks. I watch too much Futurama... Quote
Leonhart29 Posted March 30, 2007 Report Posted March 30, 2007 Sometimes I wish the clerks in West Texas were like that. Here we get a lot of "and just what are you planning on doing with that extra virgin olive oil huh?" while they're wagging their eyebrows at you suggestively. I swear most of them can take frozen corn dogs and turn it into a sex toy. I wouldn't mind a bit of the robotic "Thank you and have a nice day." Now I just get constant comments on everything that passes over the scanner. Quote
AmyMcClair Posted March 30, 2007 Report Posted March 30, 2007 I have had everything from the mechanical "have a nice day," to "so is it someone's birthday?" when buying a cake that says happy birthday. The ones I love the most are the ones that cannot count your change back to you. If they punch in 20.00 and then you give them a penny, they look at you like you have three heads. It is especially fun when there is a power outage/the registers don't work, because then the managers have to come to the front of the store with a calculator to figure out what change you should get. Quote
quamp Posted March 31, 2007 Author Report Posted March 31, 2007 Well, I forgot to mention that there was nobody behind me, nor were there anyone in a line in the store. Being 3 o'clock, there wasn't a rush going on, and there wouldn't be one for another hour or so... Needless to say, I'm not going there anymore. Yhitzak - there are a lot of clerks around here like that as well. I'm beginning to think that maybe someone is intentionally preventing Americans from thinking on their own, and somehow I've escaped this evil influence. I would explain how George W. Bush got reelected... Quote
foeofthelance Posted April 2, 2007 Report Posted April 2, 2007 Hey I'm a republican! I can do math quite fine thank you. After all, 2+2 still is equal to 5 right? <Ducks for cover behind the nearest convenient mountain.> Sadly my boss I and I were having the same conversation earlier today. He was curious about why the people we knew couldn't do the same basic math we do in our heads. I pointed out that it was because schools weren't teaching Math any more, they were teach Calculators instead. Fortunately, there are still some people running around out there who can do math. Though if you think the penny thing is bad, imagine the looks I get when I tell them how much I owe, including discounts and tax, before the computer does... Quote
Guest Big Samurai Posted April 2, 2007 Report Posted April 2, 2007 I turn Christmas into Loot Day and celebrate it that way. As far as I'm concerned, it's the universe's way of thanking me for surviving another year. Now, I work in retail, unfortunately for me, so I'm all too familiar with Christmas being ubiquitous, but ... I work at a book store. We don't get that busy compared to a lot of places, barring the Harry Potter rush. (Urgh, I'm glad I don't have to be there for that.) As for clerks, hey, they're getting minimum wage, so I'm just thankful that they're able to form sentences and not leap over the counter to try and kick my ass or something. I don't ask for much, and, usually, I don't get much, either. That's fine with me. Times are tough; I won't be a dick if I don't have to be. The 'not able to do math' thing, that bothers me. It was drilled into my head while I was in school, and that really wasn't that long ago, so it boggles me that folks can't do the basics. (Yeah, I use a calculator, but it's mostly for double-checking financial stuff; that's important.) Quote
AmyMcClair Posted April 2, 2007 Report Posted April 2, 2007 I used to work in retail when I was still in highschool, and those who worked with me couldn't count their toes. It was quite disturbing. I saw things like a manager giving someone 3 dimes and 5 pennies instead of a quarter and a nickle because the math was apparently easier that way. Most of the fun I had working there was had during the last 20 minutes that the store was open, when I would make comments like, "the voice in the sky should tell everyone to get their stuff to the registers and get out." I was not made for retail or customer service of any kind. Oh well! Quote
quamp Posted April 2, 2007 Author Report Posted April 2, 2007 I work at a book store. We don't get that busy compared to a lot of places, barring the Harry Potter rush. (Urgh, I'm glad I don't have to be there for that.)The 'not able to do math' thing, that bothers me. It was drilled into my head while I was in school, and that really wasn't that long ago, so it boggles me that folks can't do the basics. (Yeah, I use a calculator, but it's mostly for double-checking financial stuff; that's important.) Well, thankfully, this next HP book is supposed to be the last... Yea, I got drilled in the 12 x 12 table in grade school in ye ancient times (the 1970's.) I remember seeing an Andy Rooney rant about that a few years ago. I really think everyone should be able to multiply small numbers in their heads. However, that's another rant all together... Still there should be a limit on how much someone can shamelessly exploit a hoilday. Is this really how Jesus would want us to celebrate his birthday? (even though it may not have actually occured on Dec. 25th.) Quote
Leonhart29 Posted April 3, 2007 Report Posted April 3, 2007 I hate to say this, but no December 25th IS NOT Jesus' birthday (and the church(s) have admitted as much)... it was a day picked because it coincided with so many other religion's winter holy days and allowed the concurring religion to integrate them somewhat less violently into the fold. I could go into all of them, but that would open the door to one of my favorite topics... and I don't want to open that can of worms. Suffice it to say that it is the day many people celebrate as holy, but it seems to me that most if not all of them have lost the basic idea of why they give gifts, get together with family, and generally have a wonderful time. Now a days it's all about how much can I spend and will little Suzie like my gift better than his? Pretty sad - Quote
AmyMcClair Posted April 4, 2007 Report Posted April 4, 2007 Actually, December 25th is the birthday of the ancient Roman God Mithra, which isn't surprising because the Catholic church also appropriated many of his rituals and the clothing as well. In fact the Miter is named after him. He was a god of warriors. Yeah, the Christmas holiday rips off a lot of other religions. As for exploiting the holiday too much, a friend of mine was accused of stalking Santa Claus and Rudolph with her unhealthy obsessions with that particular holiday. I don't know, I am more of a Holloween person. Quote
quamp Posted April 5, 2007 Author Report Posted April 5, 2007 I hate to say this, but no December 25th IS NOT Jesus' birthday (and the church(s) have admitted as much)... it was a day picked because it coincided with so many other religion's winter holy days and allowed the concurring religion to integrate them somewhat less violently into the fold. Yea. I read somewhere that a guy put all the information in the bible about Jesus' birth into a computer and asked it to logically predict the most likely day when Jesus was born. It said the most logical time range was August 7-10, 9 b.c. Quote
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