Empty sack for Santa?

"When retailers expect that Americans will be crowding into their stores, their orders pile into the nation’s ports in August and September for delivery to stores by late October. But logistics companies say that is not happening this year.

'We’re concerned, because usually at this time, you see this peak,' said Richard D. Steinke, the executive director of the Port of Long Beach in California. 'We haven’t seen it.'

In fact, the five busiest container ports in the United States said that imports in August 2011 were lower than or even with 2010 volumes."

Full NYT story

Interesting this year.

being hiring fewer seasonal workers, so I believe that this will be a slow Christmas season.

Normally by mid-September, the garden center is stuffed with artificial trees, inflatable snowmen, cheap plastic ornaments, cinnamon-scented pinecones, ad nauseum. Not this year. A few decked-out trees have appeared, but they've been by their lonely selves for weeks.

At some point, everyone has enough xmas stuff. At some point, people just can't spend more money on decor or basically useless "gift" items. For myself, I don't even put anything up in the house because my cats will annihilate it in 5 minutes. I buy gifts now for 4 people. I send 7 cards. I have scaled back because of funds, damage to the environment, and the realization that we all have way more stuff than we could ever need. Yes, our economy is built on non-stop consumer spending, which is why our economy's collapsing now. I have no answers, but I refuse to continue feeding this beast.

Neighborhood gifts are baked goods.
Have not had a tree for decades, since the kids were grown and gone, partly because of cats and dogs in the house I don't trust not to eat the damn thing.
Deciding to drop out of the gift giving game was a good move for us. Takes a lot of pressure off, does a good deed to which ever group we donate to.
Cards I still send, tho not many.

if this is a good org.??

Kiva looks interesting> maybe use them this year.

I think my other brother and his wife are totally annoyed by this as they have always been useless stuff consumers anyway and continue with the consumer gifts. Just something they cant let go of.

They just look at the donations card in their name and seem annoyed.

What they do not realize is that we usually return or donate their child gifts to a charity as they are not of interest or personal -just random gifts they feel the need to buy and give out and then are not played with or read.

I know it is done with Christmas spirit but totally a waste IMO.

I let my other brother tell them we were moving to charity donations a few years ago after we talked over our dislike of where it was going between the 2 of us.
Bigger and bigger every year to what end?

Hoping the donations thing catches on, if giving is a must to celebrate/enjoy Christmas, or the whole buying frenzy @ this time of year cools down totally and not just because of the economy but consciousness.

I am not the Grinch -just way too much useless crap some feel the need to buy in some whipped up Christmas blurr and then a lot owe the credit card when it is all over.

None of my friends exchange gifts and only 5 out of towners get cards but we all celebrate and actually enjoy Christmas with out the commercial trappings although I bet some could just not see it.

Oh and we dont feel the need to over eat either.......

I belonged to and worked at several liberal churches and they have the children in the church do fundraising projects for Heifer. I think they also went to their farm to see what its all about and help out.

Maybe?

but I just don't feel like it. All they have to offer is junk.

get new underware, and that is really all we want. I give money to my 21 yo and to my niece. We give generously to local groups, gift needy people, and our church and the school I work in.

cough coughBoehnercough cough