Maybe we aren't actually on the brink of an economic collapse.

Sarah Palin's Conscience: In other news, people are willing to spend more money during festive times to break away from the depression and monotony of real life.

and more so when the real world is suckier.

My rider was $30 at Walgreens. I have to tie his gown down at the back because he doesn't have an ass.

Denial is a biatch.

From what I gather, seems one of the reason we're "on the brink of an economic collapse" is because there's a good possibility that people won't spend a lot of money during the holidays, which will hurt retail which will hurt production/marketing/manufacturing and so on and so on. So I don't follow subby's ideas on decrying people for daring to spend time and money on funny/happy holiday traditions as people have done for centuries.

I don't do Halloween. Don't do parties. I used to have literally 100 kids stop here in the early/mid 90s. That's a lot of farking candy and a lot of opening the front door letting cold air blow in. When the crazy ex g/f moved out in '97 I said FTS and Mrs. Buck is on the same page. No decorations, no outside lights on, shades drawn, we get left the fark alone.

Yeah, I'm that guy.

wyltoknow: From what I gather, seems one of the reason we're "on the brink of an economic collapse" is because there's a good possibility that people won't spend a lot of money during the holidays, which will hurt retail which will hurt production/marketing/manufacturing and so on and so on. So I don't follow subby's ideas on decrying people for daring to spend time and money on funny/happy holiday traditions as people have done for centuries.

We have much bigger problems that people not spending money during the holidays. I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but next halloween will be homemade decorations.

Sarah Palin's Conscience: In other news, people are willing to spend more money during festive times to break away from the depression and monotony of real life.

FloydA: Maybe we aren't actually on the brink of an economic collapse.

Maybe both are true.

Rindred: Soon, the ghoulish figures in the yards will be the actual guillotined corpses of stock speculators and hedge fund managers.

/please?

Ew, no, the flies and buzzards on Nov. 1 would be awful.

cryinoutloud: ...

I will then. How did things get to the point where we allow huge corporations to trash the environment, take all our jobs overseas, gladly give them every spare dime we have and beg for the privilege, and then for a last insult we just sit and take it when we're told that we need to go shopping more, because WE're supposed to be the ones that keep our economy afloat? So we go shopping.

Never have so many sheep gone so willingly to slaughter.

/Guess how much I support fake holidays?

... look, even as jaded, cynical, misanthropic, and in general, just an asshole as I am, a person who puts less value on human life than that of a dog and often mumbles about how awesome it would be if everyone just dug themselves a grave and then farked themselves to death in it, c'mon bro, it's the farkin' holidays.

Seriously.

NO CANDY HERE

Gwyrddu: FloydA: Maybe we aren't actually on the brink of an economic collapse.

I suppose if Europe manages to solve its economic crisis and China's bubble doesn't burst and the US actually starts funding the infrastructure needed to grow American jobs, we might be on our way to some prosperous times...

eh, who am I kidding? We're screwed.

If China's bubble bursts and Greece drags the Euro into the toilet, we're screwed?

Hmmm... could be.

I'm just thinking that maybe, in a situation like that, a nation that had a huge reserve of natural resources, a relatively small population (relative to its land area) and a lot of under-employed potential laborers might be able to make that situation work for them.

I wonder if there is any historical precedent for a time when Europe and Asia were kind of in the dumps, economically, as though they had just lost something, and the US found a way to turn that situation to their economic advantage.

It's possible, I suppose.

If only a similar situation had happened in the past that we could use as a guide for what works and what doesn't.

I love Halloween. I make up for it by not giving a shiat about any other holiday.

BHShaman: People have just decided that it is the Gov's job to pay for their essentials, while they spend their earned money on disposables.

Yes. That is what they have decided.