I'll be visiting with family over the Thanksgiving holiday, as I'm sure most of you will be doing with your family and friends. One tradition I am proud to say that my family has never participated in is the Friday after Thanksgiving shopping orgy known as "Black Friday." Still, I invite you to join me in observing the International Buy Nothing Day.That's right. Simply take a deep breath and refuse to be a part of this overindulgence. There are a lot of other activities you can do instead of shop (besides the obvious: why aren't you spending time with your loved ones on this rare day off?):
Some suggestions from the International Buy Nothing Day website:
Credit card cut up
Volunteers stand in a shopping mall with a pair of scissors and a sign offering a simple service: to put an end to extortionate interest rates and mounting debt with one considerate cut. Be careful though: in some first-world countries, carrying scissors in public can get you arrested as a "terrorist".
Whirl–mart
This activity has the advantage of being most likely to piss off security personnel. You and nine of your closest friends silently drive your shopping carts around in a long, inexplicable conga line without ever actually buying anything.
