commercial time

Ok. Last year at this time, I was such a scrooge that it lasted all through Chrsitmas and New Year's...Directly LINKED with all the crap that comes out for Christmas wayy before it's time. What IS it with the commercialism that starts the minute October starts for Christmas presents?? I hate hate hate that. And ANOTHER THING... What is up with the "make-parents-feel-guilty-for-not-getting-their-kid-everything-under-the-sun-most-expensive-present"...thing?! My neighbor just got her daughter an IPOD for her birthday. This brand new teen has an IPOD already?? Last year, she got a cell phone.. and she wasn't even a teen yet. A stereo for last christmas--and I'm not talking about a boom box.. we're talking TOP-of the line... S-T-E-R-E-O. And this mother's kids can act however they want. And do. There is NO SUCH THING anymore of being afraid that Santa won't bring presents. I remember a year when I really was worried. (I think I was like 8 or something) I worried that I'd been too ornery that year and that "Santa" had been watching and might be too disapointed to bring me anything really nice. Is there anything wrong with a child recognizing that his/her actions might not be what they should be--and may not be rewarded for good behavior? I hear a lot of modern-day-mom's say that the idea that Santa might not bring someone presents to a child is a form of Emotional Abuse. Huh? My own sister doesn't "do" santa--which is just fine... but her reasonings are all about how tramatized her children would be when they found out that the big ELF wasn't real. It makes no sense to me. People are so busy analyzing what their kids MIGHT feel, that they miss the silly fun that can be had at Christmas time. "Just let them be kids... and stop worrying so much" is my motto. Now. Getting back to the first part of my post--before I started rambling... Can't we just get through Thanksgiving before we have to see all that commercial crap!? (sorry mom, for saying 'crap' so much. *sigh*)