Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Americans are bad at math. How bad? So bad they will spend a week camping out in front of their favorite stores in an effort to get first dibbs on their Black Friday deals.

ORLANDO, FL (Catholic Online) - Already tents are springing up in front of stores around the country as intrepid shoppers look to save hundreds on the latest electronics and gadgets for Christmas.

What makes this behavior quizzical is when one compares the savings discount with the time and energy spent on camping, the resultant savings can easily be washed away.

However, for some it has become a holiday tradition that they'd no sooner give up than pay full price.

Only in America do we spend a day telling everyone how thankful we are for all the things we have, then go out the next day to buy more things.

© 2012, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.