How many of you have noticed the new trend of marathon shopping hours these last few years for the holidays? I guess remaining open from 7AM or 8AM until 9PM or 10PM everyday of the week to lure consumers inside to haul away the necessary gifts for their families, friends, co-workers and bosses to open on Christmas day was not enough.  What was the Internet for again?

I'm sure there are many of you who love braving the cold night and morning hours to scour for that unbelievable buy to assuage all your guilt about never having much time for your special recipient. But, hanging on out in a parking lot, or leaning against the wall of some store front, in really cold weather with a bunch of other runny noses is not my idea of a good time. I read where Macy's in New York is going to  be open for around a hundred hours straight to accommodate all the late night revelers, homeless, insomniacs and other curious people who require a 3AM shopping fix this Christmas season. Mervyn's, J.C. Penney's and WalMart all have announced in various parts of the country marathon hours this last weekend before Christmas, and for several days after Christmas.

I wonder how the employees feel? Do you think they get big bonuses for showing up in the middle of the night to greet the inebriated  and addled?  How many executives and corporate buyers will be on hand at these locations  to answer all the questions regarding shortages of hot items  long sold out, or why so much unsaleable clutter litters the aisles that no one wants to take home on a dare? Will these high paying decision makers be there to answer why all the toys now contain more lead than the ammo a hunting enthusiast can fire in a lifetime? No.

My guess is that the employees are just told what their hours are going to be, with very few exceptions. Management will spout that this is really team building, and what fun it will be to totally mess your mind and body during one of the most stressful times of year. But employees know what happens when things start moving downhill at too fast a clip. These entrant level, mid level and senior level associates just take it as another perk to a depressing occupation and utter Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays or thanks to those who bothered to come by and spend a few dollars this weekend.

Here's a thought for all you retail geniuses out there: reduce your hours and make your stores cool places to come and visit. Quit trying to build the largest barn/warehouse with the least qualified and most underpaid occupying your establishments. Until then a pox on all your houses!

Do you know that the male American worker now averages over 49 hours a week  on the job?  And that the working  American woman averages 42 hours on the job every week?  Did you know that  the average number of vacation  days is now just nine days a year for  the American worker? At most places you don't even get one until you have put in a year on the job.  Do you realize we as Americans now work on average two weeks longer per year than our Japanese counter parts and two months longer than German workers do?

So instead of being marketed and conned into going out and spending all your cash and extending your wobbly credit for Christmas this year, Americans will wake up and ask, "If this is the land of family values, why don't I ever get the time to spend with my family?" "Why must I be on the line at 4AM for chump change and no health care this Christmas?"

All I want for Christmas is fair shake in the job world. Anyone interested in checking into reversing the current employment trends might want to investigate Will Durst on PBS.org.

Do you find it curious that the phrase States' Rights is even used today? A lot of Republican candidates like to use the term around the abortion issue. States Rights will resolve this problematic issue all these conservatives say. But states have no rights if the federal government decides they have no rights. California passed a law allowing medical marijuana to be grown and used. The Feds said no way. No way wins. California adopted a tough greenhouse gas emissions law and requested from the federal government a waiver to allow the law to take effect. The Feds said no way. If Roe versus Wade is overturned there will be no States' Rights allowing abortion.

States Rights is an oxymoron.

I read in today's paper  It's A Wonderful Life is on the air tonight. Christmas always brings out the black and white classics milked from the ghosts of the Silver Screen's past. Time to dust off Miracle on 34th Street, A Christmas Carol, Holiday Inn, Going My Way and The Bishop's Wife one more time for the curious or nostalgic.

Fifty years ago Stanley Kubrick went against the prevailing grain of the time and released Paths Of Glory in black and white, which starred Kirk Douglas. It remains a brilliant examination of  consequences, courage, duty, betrayal, motives and cowardice of war. If you're looking for some different black and white film fare this season this might be worth a look.

I'm reading the paper this morning and see the big headline on the Californian's front page, "Panel: FDA placing U.S. in danger." The FDA gets a lot of press these days over its inability to do much in the way of stemming the rising tide of goods hitting the shelves of American stores riddled with bacteria and toxins. The article is must reading, another pebble thrown at the mountain of ignorance that permeates the country these days.

I think about the movie I viewed this weekend, and wonder what movie that stars Greg Kinnear, Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette, Ashley Johnson, Kris Kristofferson, Wilmer Valerrama (the Fez), Catalina Sandino Moreno, Luis Guzman and includes a riveting cameo by Bruce Willis would not make it to Bakersfield for a showing on the big screen?

Fast Food Nation is the answer. The movie is the fictionalized account of the best selling non-fiction book by Eric Schlosser that came out in 2001, and might be one of the best looks at the corrupt and despicable business we are all swimming in these days. If you want a good look at what is going on in this country you owe yourself a screening of this film. I would suggest reading the book, but I don't want to get carried away and take up too much of your time.

You might need to do the Netflix or Blockbuster Internet rental thing because I doubt the local rental stores will have it in stock. Since the title is not Debbie Does the Fast Food Nation it won't be at the local video clearance store either. You can purchase the  DVD at Best Buy, Borders, FYE or B&N if you feel owning a copy is a good investment on your future health quotient.