The day after Thanksgiving is considered to be the first shopping day of Christmas. Stores have sales that begin at bizarre, inhuman times like 5 AM and everything's crowded beyond comprehension. Why people let themselves be manipulated into taking part in this orchestrated, almost ritualistic, lunacy escapes me. The day after Thanksgiving I make it a rule to never even leave the house if I don't have to. I went to the mailbox this morning, but that's it.