]]>I am attracted to the moment when consciousness ceases: the moments of survival, of animal intensity, of violence, when there is no multiplicity, no potential for different levels of thought: there is only one—the present in its absoluteness.
Violence is one of the most intensely lived experiences and, for those capable of giving themselves over to it, is one of the most intense pleasures. There on the streets of Fulham, I felt, as the group passed over its metaphorical cliff, that I had literally become weightless. I had abandoned gravity, was greater than it. I felt myself to be hovering above myself, capable of perceiving everything in slow motion and overwhelming detail. I realized later that I was on a druggy high, in a state of adrenaline euphoria. And for the first time I am able to understand the words they use to describe it. That crowd violence was their drug.
So a group of 50 individuals, each having an average IQ of 100, would put the Group IQ at 2. At which point, there is no reasoning with that mob.
]]>The worst is the mall during back to school shopping, your kid doesn't need their entire fall and winter wardobe in one trip. I see parents walking with bags and bags of overpriced clothes, coats and everything when its still 80-90 degrees out. Clothing prices are at their highest during this time too, and since you have at least 2 months to go till that winter coat is used what if your kid outgrows it in that time, then you are screwed and have to go out and get another one.
Another time I see this is with air conditioners in the summer, you could charge 1k for one and people would still buy it on the first 90 degree day of the year and you wouldn't be able to keep it in stock. Now I live in an area where the heat tends to come on fast so yes its understandable if you have a broken air conditioner and need to replace it, but there is such a thing as watching the forecast and going out a few days before the heatwave to get your air conditioner. Also what did all these people do with their air conditioners from last year, mine is over 15 years old and its still going, in my area we only use it for a couple months then it gets put away so there is no need to buy an air conditioner every season.
]]>@ELC: I meant "organizations like PETA"
]]>And this always give credence to people like PETA who think humans are no better than animals. Very sad commentary on someone who will give themselves over to violence just for the rush of it. :(
]]>@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->: That is my favorite line from that movie.
]]>No wonder the media and politicians refer to us as The Consumer. We're not Citizens. We're not Human Beings. Not People. Nope. We are Consumers. Apparently, all we are good for is consuming.
Let's all band together and stop shopping. Don't be made to feel like it's a bad thing that we are going to have low-key holidays this year. It's a good thing.
]]>@FoneMonkeh: Same reaction, but I couldn't put it down.
]]>@TonyTriple: Or people with low incomes trying to get presents for their kids at a discount.
Because someone's in line at a sale doesn't make them a bad parent.
I hate when stores do these kinds of sales. They share in the responsibility of creating the hype that drives people to behave poorly.
]]>@squatchie44: Or a stupid person rushing to judge others.
]]>Errm that's not true, the police are not exactly helpless and as any 'football' goer will tell you they have done an awful lot to stamp out hooliganism in the UK, pretty much to the point where it doesn't exist around stadia anymore.
]]>This BF I don't think there's anything I want, unless there are special deals on kitchen supplies.
]]>Good luck.
]]>It isn't just "Black Friday" that brings out these idiots. I worked in a gas station in the late 70s during the so called "energy crisis." The way these morons scratched and fought for a gallon of gas at .68 a gallon was a hoot. You can only get as much as your car's tank will hold. What are you gonna do, hoard it?
Ever go to Lowe's or Home Depot or WalMart, or even the grocery store when they're predicting bad weather? You could up the price of snow shovels to $100 and still not keep them in the store.
That's the thing I always wondered; all these people who run on the stores at the first snow and buy up the snow shovels, then next year it's the same thing. What do they do with the snow shovel they bought last year? Throw it out?
When I was a kid, my mother was big on "sales" - back to school, blue-light specials, you name it. Those mobs of people used to scare the crap out of me. I thank God for online shopping. I do 99% of my xmas shopping online (come to think of it, I do most of my regular shopping online, pay most of my bills that way too), and do my grocery shopping during off hours. Crowds of frantic, mindless people scare the crap out of me.
]]>Two Leeds United fans were KILLED by Galatasaray supporters. [news.bbc.co.uk] There's a lot more citations than that but that was the first that came to mind. My grandmother was a lifelong Leeds supporter and never got into any trouble (Although I think that had more to do with the fact anyone even trying to start something around her got the Granny Weatherwax treatment than anything else).
]]>@OhYeahAlright: No. The fear of being the one unlucky bastard the bullets strike if a crowd goes nuts keeps most people from participating in/near unruly crowds. Rubber bullets just make hooligans wear thicker jackets and laugh at police. I, for one, don't want castrated police here in America (may be fine in France).
]]>Under United States federal law, a RIOT is defined as A public disturbance involving (1) an act or acts of violence by one or more persons part of an assemblage of three or more persons, which act or acts shall constitute a clear and present danger of, or shall result in, damage or injury to the property of any other person or to the person of any other individual or (2) a threat or threats of the commission of an act or acts of violence by one or more persons part of an assemblage of three or more persons having, individually or collectively, the ability of immediate execution of such threat or threats, where the performance of the threatened act or acts of violence would constitute a clear and present danger of, or would result in, damage or injury to the property of any other person or to the person of any other individual. 18 U.S.C. ยง2102.
Yeap sounds like a RIOT to me.
]]>I would post links, but... just Google "IKEA" and "crush" or "riot" or somesuch, and you should get the picture.
]]>Last year for Black Friday I wanted a few things, the sales on many websites actually started on Thanksgiving day so while I was waiting for the turkey to cook I bought my items online and had them on their way to me and no getting up the next day and fighting the crowds!
]]>@ Git Em SteveDave loves this guy--> : ...or, Never underestimate the stupidity of people in large groups.
]]>I've been a BF veteran for years, and each year it gets easier.
]]>Soccer hooligans should not exist.
But the UK does pretty much nothing to stop them.
I take solace in the fact that, here in the US, the type of scum who is capable of that would have been shot dead by the police long before he had the opportunity.
]]>I think anyone that gathers outside in the cold for long hours to save a tad of money is just plain nuts. It never goes well and the parents that fight over the toys are the biggest asshats of them all. There is not a toy out there that my daughter must have come christmas morning.
Yes you can get great deals and save a lot of money but dealing with the asshats that show up to these types of events are just not worth a couple hundred dollars in savings.
]]>@Burgandy: I think that is a great idea. Clinton and Congress would need to be the first entrants as they are the idiots that caused this.
]]>@m4ximusprim3: Don't give them ideas please. Unless the participants are the dumbasses that came up with sub-prime lending. Then it is fine with me.
]]>Saw 2 guys beat the crap outof each other at Walmart on Black Friday, good fight! Neither of them got the TV they wanted but they did get some nice new pictures courtesy of the local PD!
]]>Seeing you kid's face light up after getting that thing they wanted = erasure for 1 year's worth of neglect + broken promises.
]]>I'd bet real money that woman who lost her weave sued walmart.
]]>Among The Thugs is a wonderfully disturbing book. Enjoy.
]]>@axiomatic: Yep. At least the government doesn't sponsor it as a public distraction a la rome.
yet.
]]>I am extremely afraid of this as I am going to the Running of the Brides at Filene's Basement on Friday. I want to be there for the doors to open but I don't want myself or anyone in my group to get their head ripped off over a wedding dress. If they'll do this to save $200 on a computer imagine what they'll do to save thousands on a wedding dress!
]]>Yeah, forgot to say that the excerpt gave me the willies. That's sick.
]]>I'd rather miss the deal and pay a few more dollars than to get knocked the eff out. :)
]]>Sadly, we live in a world overcome by greed. People behaving like pigs is nothing new, and shouldn't surprise anyone.
]]>Maybe they are just fat people running towards donuts, sales are there too sure, but really its the donuts on sale that is the ultimate.
]]>