Scrooge had it right

As most of you probably know (or have guessed), I hate this time of year. I'm quite vocal about my distaste for the holidays, and have never apologized for it.

Now for the meat of this post.

If you're wondering why I'm such a wet blanket on the holiday season, you need look no further than the following news article (taken from Reuters):

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A man working for Wal-Mart was killed on
Friday when a throng of shoppers surged into a Long Island, New York, store and
physically broke down the doors, a police spokesman said.

The
34-year-old man was at the entrance of the Valley Stream Walmart store just
after it opened at 5 a.m. local time and was knocked to the ground, the police
report said.

The exact cause of death was still to be determined by a
medical examiner.

Four shoppers, including a 28-year-old pregnant woman,
were also taken to local hospitals for injuries sustained in the incident,
police said.

Wal-Mart said it was saddened by the death of the man, who
was working for a temporary employment agency serving the discount retailer, and
by the injuries suffered by shoppers.

"The safety and security of our
customers and associates is our top priority," the world's largest retailer said
in a statement. It said the incident was still under investigation and referred
any other inquiries to local police.

The Friday after America's
Thanksgiving holiday is known a Black Friday and marks what is traditionally the
busiest retail day of the year, kicking off the Christmas shopping season.

U.S. stores across the country opened in the early hours of Friday to
offer discounts to consumers hit by a contracting economy. Hundreds of shoppers
waited on line before dawn at some locations to secure deals on holiday gifts.

(Reporting by Michele Gershberg; Editing by Daniel Trotta and Sandra
Maler)