Just another link in the chain, it is Christmas.
Retailers, share holders, talk in terms how well the economy is by how much is spent.
Cars are about to find them selves stuck in stalled traffic as they head north to get away from what they are bringing with them.
Those cars are full of presents and gifts.
Many bought on credit, credit that will harm till paid for.
Its Christmas after all, we tell each other, or Fathers day, Mums once a year day, Easter.
We even talk ,with pride, of retail therapy!
And if we do not buy ugly plastic toys that will fall apart all too soon?
We will all be ruined we are told , by those who put up fuel and rental prices just to further impose on those trapped in the traffic.
Just maybe we are hooked, on a dream that we can make our life better by buying what some times the receiver does not want and the giver can not afford.

Dear Belly,

I've just returned home having attended a lovely
pre - Christmas party in a retirement community
in which my mother lives. We had a delicious buffet
dinner, fantastic desserts, sang Christmas Carols -
it was fun and thoroughly enjoyable.

If someone asks me what makes me happiest, it's
never anything I can quantify - like a possession
(house, car). It's the spirit within people that can
fill me with more joy than anything in the world.

I've looked around this evening at all those wonderful,
strong, faces - each with their own stories and talking
to them, spending time with them - I am always uplifted
by these encounters.

As for Christmas presents - I don't go overboard.
I'm very selective in what I buy - I try to aim for the
"wow" factor, in each case. I do a lot of investigating
before-hand as to what they would like to get - and if
its within my budget, I aim to please. This year - I've bought
the grandchildren gifts, theatre tickets for my husband and
myself, and I'll probably end up giving cash to my sons.
(That's what they asked for). As for my two mothers -
I've bought some clothes that I know they've admired.
Chistmas Eve - is the usual sea-food with the entire
family at our home - which I prepare, as is
Christmas-lunch - the usual fare - for the entire family,
again at our home which I cook.

That's about it.

GDay Belly

Is consumerism an illness?

No but overconsumerism is.

And increasing population growth so that we can increase markets so that we can increase consumption so that we can increase profits for big businesses is most definitely an illness.

This addiction to never-ending expansionism and hence ever-increasing consumption is an enormous illness.

Thanks Lexi and Ludwig good sound responses.
First my Christmas, some may have noted my references to my health this past year.
Got the good news it is not at this stage cancer.
Have contacted mozzie born, excuse the spelling Barma Forest Virus, in the purple blotches and Chronic Fatigue stage, so, I am ok.
Little things are the best things, sitting on my veranda watching a full moon rise over the hill costs nothing.
Consumerism is no problem for some.
But for others it very much is.
We all know of some one always in trouble because of shopping.
How much of that we spend our cash on is from our country, other than importers and retailers who benefits.
Food providers and holiday accommodation providers maybe?
Consuming is a basic need of our system.
But being debt free, able to buy the things you need not think you want is wise.
I want, and will ensure always, my disposable income is disposed with care, thought, understanding.

: Is Consumerism An Illness?......absolutely NOT. Its called the sheep-people syndrome or brain-washing via T.V adds and so on.

Well....it gets me every year:)...So stop worrying about Population and go out and spend like crazy, and buy someone something decent for the people you love or care about, and Next year we all sort out the credit cards:)

Well, the US and all of Europa seem to think its all good and well:)however....Australia does not have this problem, does it?

Anyway, the point is, don't spend too much, or you will have nothing left for the new year 2012:)

So....come on Australia! and buy Australian goods and serves.

This country throws more money away every-day, and lets face it! Australians play pokies, the horses, cars, junk-food, the dogs, and many other ways can cant put here since its not fitting...Kingscross for just a hint:) smokes, beer, seafood, BBQ of all types, marriage, casinos, but not any decent gifts?....why?

(and the cheap over-sea's, rubbish' leave it alone....remember..what you pay for, is what you get)

So come Australia, support your hard working people., remember! Small business needs YOU.....yes that right, you:

Anyone would think this was not the way to fix the economy.

Oh dear:)

Buy Australian, the message its that hard.



CACTUS

Belly, this is a slightly different way of addressing your topic…

It's only two minutes, but I think you'll find Mike Tompkins' "The Chrismas Rush" at YouTube as amazing as all his other songs – totally a Capella!

I've transcribed the lyrics, so you can sing (or beatbox) along with it… my present to you.

(even with slow connection speeds just let it download before playing)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiJThIUTvEw

The Christmas Rush

I hit the mall spending dollars to show people what they mean to me
Got trampled trying to find an Elmo -
The pepper spray, guess that was free
They've got to know the gifts mean love
Got my mum MJ's glove
And as for Bob, a crystal birdhouse
Doesn't really even matter what Christmas is about, baby

I bought the fam lots of crap for Christmas
Forgot who I bought it for, yeah
It won't be Christmas without presents
Spending till my card gets sore, yeah
And who knew
That this holiday could make me so poor, yeah
And who knew
That I'd almost break my pelvis in a revolving door, yeah

I bought my bro some Nsync earmuffs
The thought of Brittany trying to steal from me...
My sister's getting a brand-new loofah
The jokes on her 'cause it was free
This time of year the stores get nuts
Who knew the mink mitts could cost so much?
I think the mall cop's grabbed my butt
I'm getting kind of sick of this Christmas rush, baby

I bought the fam lots of crap for Christmas
Forgot who I bought it for, yeah
It won't be Christmas without presents
Spending till my card gets sore, yeah
And who knew
That this holiday could make me so poor, yeah
And who knew
That I'd knock a granny over face-first on the floor, yeah

Feeling sweaty, feeling nervous
Shopping's not supposed to make you bleed
I've got a feeling there's more to Christmas
Than buying stuff that no one needs
Look around, you will find somebody who matters more than you can believe
This is love, so spread it around you
Love's a gift all oughta receive, yeah

I don't need all this crap for Christmas, don't matter who I buy it for, yeah
It's still a Christmas without presents
To me it means so much more, yeah
And (woo ooo)
You can't buy love from any store, yeah
And (woo ooo)
With peace and love you'll never be poor, yeah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiJThIUTvEw

Dear Belly,

Hope you get better soon. Nothing's worse when
you health suffers. So you take it easy -
and take care of yourself. This place wouldn't be the
same without you. Have a great Christmas - and a
New Year filled with plenty of reasons to smile.

Dear WmTrevor,

Thanks for the song - great stuff!

Belly in answer to your question, I am sometimes called upon to help people who cannot control their spending urges. They're often in the manic phase of bipolar disorder and diagnostically mentally ill, but people who have been brain-washed into believing they have to spend, spend, spend at Christmas (or at Easter and on birthday presents) are not ill. They've simply been taken in by high pressure company advertising, perfected in board rooms over many decades to become something akin to a form of social cancer.

About three years ago, I tried to get my youngest son (then around 30 years of age and married with two children) to substantially cut back on presents. I tried to educate him about big corporate advertising etc, but he wasn't wearing it. He got quite angry and attacked me for trying to ruin Christmas for him and his family. My attempts to bring Christmas back to the more traditional position ended up with the two of us nearly going our separate ways and eventually I gave in. It was either bow to commercial pressure or loose my son. It still upsets me to think about it three or so years down the track.

Christmas is supposed to be a celebration of a birthday. Christ's birthday! Unfortunately, Christmas has lost much of it's meaning and today we find the 25th of December more about propping up the commercial bottom line with horrible and cheaply made plastic rubbish and gorging ourselves sick on food and grog.

Dear Aime,

Driving past a building in my area I read the sign:

"Christmas - Celebrate the Reason
Not the Season!"

Enjoyed every post, Lexi, Friend, every single person I know, so far who comes here this year has no interest in the reason for the season.
Aime I by nature help when I can, look for the chance to, and yes buy Christmas presents, more than I get.
By my demand, as eldest it was natural to see to the young first.
But I will not over spend or consume what I do not need.
I have the ability then to replace PC or what ever.
It hurts, to see those addicts.
The ones who just can not stay out of debt.
40 years ago, I was ripped off, In a bank, three fortnightly payments each $600
$1.800, never got it back, unknown to me a bank Teller was stealing from older folks accounts, she watched me throw my copy, bankcard in the swipe days, in the banks bin.
I thank her.
Cut every card up promised me, I would pay cash or not buy it.
Hard few months catching up.
But Christmas over spending is every day for too many.

I have never had a credit card, & never will. I do have a debit card to use when buying things. Like Belly, I only buy what I can pay for from cash. I don't borrow money, except for a couple of bridging loans, when selling up somewhere & buying elsewhere.

We use the secret Santa system. Each person draws one of the family to provide the present for, & one only. Thus each one gets one present, usually a worthwhile one, & no one has to buy, or receive heaps of junk.

I'm sure we spend more than necessary on food & goodies, but hell, it's only once a year, & fruit mince pies are nice.

While I agree with every word Hasbeen, I have to blame myself.
I diverted my own thread.
It had for along time, been my intention to start such a thread.
About spending unwisely.
But also about the prompts to consume at such times.
I celebrate what was a Pagan festival, just for the joy of it.
But media is reporting ,right now, Christmas shopping is slow.
About a week in to the new year we will be told it has been quite good.
Local and City papers, are running story's, saying how good the fishing is.
Locals know the fish co op is the most likely place to get them.
By not falling for the mutton dressed as Lamb, you can put enough away to buy what you want/truly need.

dont worry about the fatique ol mate
we all got that...and the purple bloches
bruises i would have thought to be a sign of lucimia

but at least you know
so dont sweat on it

dont get into comfort eating
many comfort shop

we dont like the consuming
we like the shop

[in hell..
there is many shops]

its rather funny to know that these shoppkeepers..keep selling the same stuff...

[i would quote it]..
but will summerise it

the shop keepers say
as soon as i sell it
it goes away

then they forget it
and it comes back

look in your cuboards
full of stuff ya never eat

i just used up the last of my coffee hoard
some of it 5 years out of date

i saw i wanted i bought it
then simply forgot it

and bought it again
and again and a gain

then forget get sad
and buy it again

but look where that leads
read the titles at least!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/19/us-income-inequality-ancient-rome-levels_n_1158926.html
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/goldman-takes-client-abuse-next-level-closes-and-reopens-copper-and-zinc-recommendations-massiv

http://original.antiwar.com/vlahos/2011/12/19/lets-do-1989-all-over-again/
http://gizmodo.com/5867984/future-riot-shields-will-suffocate-protestors-with-low-frequency-speakers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ACVaitPEzg
http://www.bobtuskin.com/2011/12/20/money-power-world-rule/
http://www.bobtuskin.com/2011/12/20/growing-hunger-and-homelessness-in-america/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si8maUWB2ys
http://www.mybudget360.com/ultimate-money-magician-federal-reserve-art-of-shadow-bailouts-commercial-real-estate-loans-cre-market/

so forget ya sick
dont comfort eat
never comfort shop

unless it feels good...lol
http://www.angelfire.com/darkside/sjhscult/notes/unit1/fall_rome.htm

you comfort eat..from
mate/main stream media/newspapers
try eating truth
http://whatreallyhappened.com/

dont just blindly follow the feel good data
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/11/05/ncdc-data-shows-that-the-contiguous-usa-has-not-warmed-in-the-past-decade-summers-are-cooler-winters-are-getting-colder/
http://christopherfountain.wordpress.com/2010/12/29/al-gore-snow-is-a-thing-of-the-past/
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/12/19/Central-Asian-glaciers-resist-warming/UPI-20681324339923/

confirm it
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/8965155/Cold-Australian-summer-sees-swimwear-profits-plummet.html

how seaty are you this summer
3 days..?..lol..[its half over]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVTXbARGXso

correction

think mate

cor it aint half hot

how sweaty are you
this summer
3 days..?

..lol..
[its half over]

isnt it about time
the consumption of lies ends

you buy their papers
http://www.activistpost.com/2011/12/oblivious-because-of-mainstream-media.html
[cause..it feeeds you
makes you feel rightious...feel good]

comfort eating
confort reading
comfort consuming

same things
you pay for the news papers comfort consuming

yet ignore and refuse to even consider...
my free info
lol

why?
cause it hurts?
http://12160.info/profiles/blogs/president-obama-just-stated-that-he-can-have-any-american-citizen?xg_source=shorten_twitter

cause you might feel un comfortable
consuming is comfort eating

same same

so is built in obsolesance
http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/rick-newman/2011/12/17/11-companies-on-the-edge-in-2012?s_cid=related-links:TOP

the link i was looking for
when i found all them other links

yet cant find now
its at that what really happend link
you would look at..if you really cared..to give comfort

not just buy into it
con-summer isms

your as healthy as you let yourself feel

this was funny
http://gizmodo.com/5869321/dear-recording-industry-pay-9-million-for-pirating-tv-shows-or-shut-up?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews

so is this
http://poorrichards-blog.blogspot.com/2011/12/return-of-debtors-prisons-thousands-of.html

[im still looking for that other darn link]
http://www.infowars.com/branstads-act-of-sabotage-an-outrageous-attempt-to-tamper-with-election-process/
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/12/20/small-plane-crashes-on-new-jersey-highway/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fus+%28Internal+-+US+Latest+-+Text%29

found it
http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/rick-newman/2011/12/17/11-companies-on-the-edge-in-2012?s_cid=related-links:TOP

GOOD! Since Mssrs. Hewlett and Packard left, HP has been the leader in planned obsolescence, with some of those Hungarian-manufactured CD-ROM drives we started our animation shop with back in the 1990s failing in as little as two weeks.

HP's printers are notorious for the built-in self-destruct noted in the documentary "The Lightbulb Conspiracy"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1xt4nEvipg

The Pavilion I had kept locking up due to faulty chip designs. I will never ever again buy an HP product and I will gladly dance on their grave when they collapse.

Thanks OUG I am ok mate.
Had Q Fever and it shook me for years,but rode it out.
Type 2 Sugar, brings, at my age, blood pressure and heart concerns.
Three weeks ago, after 3 off trying to get a result on what was wrong would not have bet I would be here today.
I have felt like a bag of bones every one on fire,tough old rooster but it hurt.
Every day I get better, some days am real good.
Took two days to mow lawn.
The blotches are a symptom.
I will be around for a while mate next two elections maybe.
Operation to have a look at the other thing March.
Seen the papers/TV media telling us to be aware of online shopping?
theft not arriving or not on time.
Some times think we are too trusting.
Along with telling holiday makers the fish are about knowing they are not.
We now see subliminal adds, such as those story's, telling us to get out and buy imported goods from our shops not same but cheaper on line!

belly quote/..""I will be around for a while mate
next two elections maybe.""

initially i thought great another 7 years with a good mate

but then i ran the numbers
next year election one
and the re-election by double disolution at least before next xmass

so tops of 2012
yeah same for me
[lol i should live that long]

but mate *we tried
and posted..only things we really believe
not only what adgenda..some paid to post

""Seen the papers/TV media
telling us to be aware of online shopping?
theft...not arriving..or not on time.
Some times think we are too trusting.""

mate too much trusting
or suss on everything[we cant have it both ways

your faith/trusting
thats no problem..its why we love you

""telling holiday makers the fish are..knowing they are not.""

mate some times things change
yesterday was great...[lol]..a fisherman told me so..lol

""We now see subliminal adds,""'

no mate the clever 'b'...follow us online
feed us adds according to what we visit..search for

like i googled up red heads
now every add..has red haired people in it

sublime indeed..""such as those story's,
telling us to get out and buy imported goods"""

but mate if i dont got a harley
my peerrs wont think im cool

""cheaper on line!""
yeah i bought a toner cartRAGE..online
for one quarter the retail cost..[ok it only lasted half as long
so i bought 4 more....they lasted 500 copies..and 800...the third killed my copier]

but mate they came on time
and was what i wanted

[and truth is i will do it again]
except if ya note from previous links i put up
paypal...is withholding full payment..for 3 months

things are going pear shaped
and paypal...wants to know its FOR if only 3 months..at least protected...[holds more than it owes]...just like most of us oldies

we were luckey in the good cuntry
thus owe and pay back...give something back
even if its only regarded...as ol mens opinioons

but life
im over fighting to hangon to it..

OUG have a great one, but I intend to make those 7 years.
by then a return to Labor by a landslide.
Wait for headlines saying Christmas spending exceeded expectations.
After we have been driven out to spend spend spend.

by then a return to Labor by a landslide.
Belly,
Only the demise of the ALP will make that possible.

Good one Indy up to or is it down to? your usual standards.
This much you should understand.
I know of Labors failures, fewer but more pointed than NEGATIVE MANS.
I too know of its over all finer team, less Gillard, than the one NEGATIVE MAN LEADS
Too of the NEGATIVE BLOKES paper Tigers.
A team focused not on policy, nore country, but on Republican style wrecking.
A Liberal Government, unless lead by other than Rabbit, will be one term.
Have a great Christmas new year.
And enjoy your one line insult type posts.
I take no offense understand it is the best you can produce
my regards.

Belly,
as I have said many times before the ALP is not the Labor Party. You call my posts insults. I like to think of them as stirring to make people think deeper & further ahead.
Anyhow, all the very for the festive season also.