Give Thanks

So, I'm seeing a lot of conversations around Walmart being open on Thanksgiving. There's only one motivation driving this decision: to drive revenue. But before folks completely condemn the decision, first consider the fact that in some small towns where Walmart has set up shop and killed off small business and downtowns that the Big Box of Greed is the only choice in town for any kind of retail, including grocery stores. What are residents of those communities supposed to do for a gallon of milk--go without?

I also notice that when I was working in TV news, that I worked plenty of Thanksgivings and was paid a salary not too far off from the poverty line. My Thanksgiving dinners were sometimes at the same food shelters where I was shooting a story--the organizers would load me up with a plate as thanks for drawing attention to their charities--and as I looked around there were a lot of other non-millionaires working on Thanksgiving; police officers, firemen, clergy, etc.

All I'm saying is that if you don't like Walmart, don't shop there. But they have every right to operate their business the way they see fit.

And instead of condemning a business for a business decision, why not focus on giving thanks for what you have? Isn't that the whole purpose for the holiday?

Disney's Latest Triumph

The $4-billion purchase of Lucasfilm is being greeted with some trepidation by hard-core Star Wars fans, with the major question being: What will the Mouse do to the beloved Star Wars franchise?

My prediction: nothing worse than what George Lucas has done over the past few years. In fact, Disney is one of the very few companies out there today I would trust with the Lucasfilm assets. Disney has a rich history of entertainment and customer experience successes. You never hear a lot of stories from unhappy visitors to Disney parks. Can George Lucas say the same thing about Episodes I, II, and II?

I applaud the acquisition and wish Disney all the best of success!