Thanksgiving Is Terrible

I remember as a child finding out I would have four days off in a row. It was because of Thanksgiving. This sounded good. Then I learned I would have to waste one of those days eating a bad meal and being around people I wanted nothing to do with, 

There were two options. There was the Grandmother that overcooked everything, and the other Grandmother that under-cooked everything. So you had a bone dry turkey, with stuffing that resembled toothpaste. Or you could get very sick for the rest of the long weekend. 

Regardless of which Grandmother I was forced to be at I was surrounded  relatives that wanted nothing to do with me. I had, and still have, no interest in sports. None of the cousins were in my age range either. So I tried to find isolation and light to play Game Boy. Which would lead to my father yelling about how I should try harder, and me pointing out that I did and there were no takers.

"Black Friday" was not a thing my family took part in when I was a child. Didn't know what it was until I my first job working as holiday help at Target. I enjoy some sales now, still hate the meal. 

Can We All Calm Down?

For the second time in recent memory I have an encounter with a hostile person while shopping. The details don't matter, I did my best not to escalate the situation. Having this happen again leads me to think that we all just need to calm down. 

The world is a very stressful place right now. The situation doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon. So can we all just step back? Can we all just take a moment to think before flying off the handle?

The stress part is only going to get worse. We are heading into the holidays, and that is bad time for everyone I have ever meet. We got to avoid the plague, while trying to shop in large crowds, to buy things for people we mostly can't stand.

So before anyone chooses to engage, can we all just take a moment to ask if our issue really matters that much? 

The Market Value of a Soul

 What is the value of a soul? Is it effected by population? Is there soul inflation? What has a soul? Do the souls of different creatures have different values? Are they traded like commodity, or are they more like fine art, or something real estate?

Religions can vary a bit on what a soul is, and what might have one. Assuming humanity as a whole has souls, did any of our extinct relatives? Neanderthals could and did breed with humans, and had fertile offspring. So, I guess they had souls too. This leads me to ask, where the cut off for souls? What about homo erectus? Or homo hablis? Or any of the Australopithecus? The great apes? Gibbons? And are they worth the same as a modern human's? No way to know.

Does the value of the average soul go down over time? Population goes up overtime, so therefore the rarity of souls goes down. Does the rarity effect the value? When the world population was only a few hundred-thousand was a souls worth more than now when the population is over seven billion? Does that mean that over time the selling of souls has become a buyer's market?

Bad Times Shopping at Target

 So Sunday I am at Target. I was there because it was the start of a "buy two get one free"sale on video games, and I love both deals and video games. However things didn't go well. Not because of Target. 

I went to the Brea Target, as it is the closest to me that has a large electronics department.  It was earlier than I would usually be out, somewhere between 9 and 9:30 am. I look at the available games, and am ready to buy. However, there are no employs to be found. I wait a few minutes, still no one. So I go to the nearest price scanner, which is in the toy department, and press the button on it to summon an employ. It tells me to wait by the scanner. 

After a minute, a young man walks up, and before I can state my business, another costumer starts yelling that "that dude is creepy, you need to get him out of this store, I don't think my kids are safe", referring to me. I have had no interaction this person up to this point, and I do mean ever . I try to explain that I just need someone to open the game case, and he keeps screaming to the point security comes. 

The security guard come and listens and just laughs at the guy. Tells him he needs to go about his business, and uses his walkie talkie to try and get someone with a key for me. I wait buy the register in electronics. Meanwhile the screaming man keeps pacing back and forth staring at me. When someone with a key finally shows up, it is time for round two. He starts yelling again, "You need to understand you are creepy, and I am trying to protect me kids". I don't engage. I talk to the employ with the key and say "I don't know what this guy's deal is, I just want to get and pay for some games". He starts again, " Your creepy dude, you need to get out of here". Walking to the games "I don't know what his insecurity is, but can we hurry this up?". 

While getting my games, we now had to listen about to more. "I got no insecurities bro. Look at my wife. How fucking dare you". He finally left as we went back to the register. 

This was shockingly rude behavior from a man old enough to have grey hair, and two children with him. And honestly, that is the worst part, he did this in front of his kids. They have learn a lesson about how to treat people. One that will cause endless problems for so many people they will encounter. I don't know what about me set the man off.