Black & Blue Friday '05

[Shockeye]

Shoppers Storm Stores; Officers Stop Fights

POSTED: 6:42 am EST November 25, 2005
UPDATED: 7:41 am EST November 25, 2005



ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orlando police officers were called to break up some fights between shoppers early Friday as Central Floridians flocked to stores for one of the busiest shopping days of the year, according to Local 6 News.

Line jumpers at a Best Buy at the Fashion Square Mall apparently started a fight at around 11:30 p.m. Officers responded and there were no arrests.

However, one person may be arrested for starting a fight at a Wal-Mart in east Orange County early Friday.

Some shoppers waited for as long as seven hours to be the first in the doors for bargains.

The day after Thanksgiving is known as "Black Friday" because traditionally it's seen as the day most retailers go into the "black" and start earning a profit for the year.

"I am looking for a plasma TV," Central Florida shopper Laura Campbell said. "I can get it for $287 instead of $700."

Local 6 News showed video of store shelves already empty.

According to a national survey, 64 percent of people polled said they plan to shop Friday.

The economy in Florida is the healthiest in the nation," said Rick McAllister, president of the Florida Retail Federation, which said Wednesday that retailers expect sales this holiday season to increase by more than 6 percent over last Christmas.

"Unemployment rates are the lowest that we've seen in three decades and job growth is double in Florida what it is across the nation," McAllister said.

The situation is good all around.

The National Retail Federation recently increased its projections for sales growth over last year's Christmas to 6 percent, after having earlier forecast a 5 percent rise.

Recent reductions in energy prices that may lead to more job growth may boost sales, economists say.

In Florida, the typical adult plans to spend about $775 on holiday gifts, food and decorations, according to a Retail Federation survey -- about five percent more than people in comparable national surveys.

Florida's unemployment rate fell to 3.4 percent in October -- its strongest showing in nearly three decades -- and 253,000 new jobs were added over the year.

The Retail Federation survey also found that the gift people most want this year is a gift card or gift certificate -- the first time that's ever been the leading wish-list item.

CNN has video of the beatdown.

[Ironwood]

Yup, Over Here the pre-Christmas shopping madness is already in full swing.  Expect news shortly on an Irate Guy clearing Queues with an axe.

Please to be visiting me in prison.

[Signe]

If I feel inclined, sometimes I order some stuff for Righ online.  He sends his family books from Amazon.  Sometimes we ignore Christmas all together.  The last two or three years we've spent it at home, alone... just the two of us.  It's lovely that way.  That's my plan for this year, too.

[voodoolily]

I made my gifts this year, so I am celebrating Annual Buy Nothing Day by whoring the board. I will soon drink more coffee and play some MEtroid Prime 2, and then have some leftover green bean casserole for lunch. Mmmmmmm.....casserole.

[stray]

How does Florida constantly recover from getting smacked by hurricanes every year? Or does that boost their economy?

[Merusk]

Sure as hell boots the building economy.  Florida was one of the top performing divisions from my former company the last 3 years.  It's so lucrative that even with the forecast 'bubble burst' in the construction industry there's still people looking to expand into Florida. 

Shits for anything that needs stability, but natural (and manmade) disasters are goldmines for my field.  Well that and people who refuse to understand WHY the seminole Indians were migratory.

[HaemishM]

I stayed the fuck home on Black Friday. No amount of sweetheart deals could get me to brave the seething masses of fuckhead that is Black Friday.

[Nebu]

Internet shopping ftw.

The more of this crap I read about, the more I enjoy my ivory tower.

[Signe]

I wonder if schild is okay.  I worry for his sanity.

[WayAbvPar]

I spent the day playing BF2 and online poker. With the luck I had, shopping would have been cheaper. And about as frustrating.

[Sky]

I saw the stampede footage on Stewart last night. My eye was instantly drawn to the woman who refused to get up before she had put her wig back on. I lolled when Stewart replayed the footage on an outro to commercial and highlighted her doing so ;)

[kaid]

HA I went to the freaking mall of america on black friday how is that for batshit insane.


kaid

[Shockeye]

HA I went to the freaking mall of america on black friday how is that for batshit insane.

Mall of America is kicking out the best food place up there, the place that served cheese curds.

[Yegolev]

Being mostly unretarded, I realized years ago that I could buy gifts on other days.  I had to endure a bit of it, though, going to Sam's Club for a box of diapers on Friday.  At least Sam's Club isn't accessible to everybody.  My friend who is a deputy was going to have to pull eighteen hours at the local Wal*Mart that day in order to keep the thousands of trailerdwellers in my county from killing each other trying to put the cheapest skateboard they could find on layaway.

The funny part is that Target was pretty empty last night.  I guess people need to rest after jamming their heads up their asses.

[voodoolily]

Mall of America is kicking out the best food place up there, the place that served cheese curds.

A&W has 'em. Do they have those in AZ?

[WayAbvPar]

AZ doesn't need them. They have In N Out, the bastards.

[Shockeye]

Mall of America is kicking out the best food place up there, the place that served cheese curds.

A&W has 'em. Do they have those in AZ?

The crap A&W sells is not a true cheese curd.

[Paelos]

Mall of America is kicking out the best food place up there, the place that served cheese curds.

A&W has 'em. Do they have those in AZ?

The crap A&W sells is not a true cheese curd.

I had cheese curds once when my Wisconsin-born professor brought them for the class.

It's nothing to go nuts over.

[Shockeye]

Mall of America is kicking out the best food place up there, the place that served cheese curds.

A&W has 'em. Do they have those in AZ?

The crap A&W sells is not a true cheese curd.

I had cheese curds once when my Wisconsin-born professor brought them for the class.

It's nothing to go nuts over.

You take that back. You take that back right now.

[Paelos]

Mall of America is kicking out the best food place up there, the place that served cheese curds.

A&W has 'em. Do they have those in AZ?

The crap A&W sells is not a true cheese curd.

I had cheese curds once when my Wisconsin-born professor brought them for the class.

It's nothing to go nuts over.

You take that back. You take that back right now.

Sorry man, if I'm going to go nuts over food, it better damn well be awesome. Curds just didn't do it.

[schild]

Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet
Eating her curds and whey.
Along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her
And said, "Hey, what's in the bowl, bitch?"

[Furiously]

My favorite music discovery was that EMF sampled Andrew Dice Clay for the song Unbelievable.  It makes it more enjoyable.

[kaid]

Dude I live in green bay if I want cheese curds I can get them hehe. Hell pretty much every bar around here offers them as well as most restaraunts.

kaid

[Murgos]

Dude I live in green bay if I want cheese curds I can get them hehe. Hell pretty much every bar around here offers them as well as most restaraunts.

kaid

Did you just giggle over cheese curds?

[Raging Turtle]

Dude I live in green bay if I want cheese curds I can get them hehe. Hell pretty much every bar around here offers them as well as most restaraunts.

kaid

Did you just giggle over cheese curds?

As a non-wisconsin native living in Wisconsin, I can say thats pretty standard.  Cheese makes these people happy on a level most of us can't understand

[Shockeye]

Dude I live in green bay if I want cheese curds I can get them hehe. Hell pretty much every bar around here offers them as well as most restaraunts.

kaid

Did you just giggle over cheese curds?

As a non-wisconsin native living in Wisconsin, I can say thats pretty standard.  Cheese makes these people happy on a level most of us can't understand

I long for real wisconsin cheese curds.

[Strazos]

I've somehow managed to get "out" of Christmas this year. In exchange for not getting anything that i don't need from anyone, I don't have to get anyone anything.

I'm quite proud of myself.

[HaemishM]

Humbugger.

[WayAbvPar]

Humbugger.

I think that is called a half and half....that will cost ya extra.

[Strazos]

Is it cheaper than a Portuguese Breakfast?

[HaemishM]

I think it's comparable to a Donkey Punch. But not the f13 special limited edition Donkey Punch.