Moral: You can't take on Disney, Chase, and WalMart without paying a price

Six years ago this week, Cinema 21 hosted an appearance by performance artist and activist Bill Talen – aka the Reverend Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping – in connection with his documentary What Would Jesus Buy?

Six years later, here's where we are: Black Friday has been extended back into Thanksgiving Day, WalMart workers are taking food donations for their fellow employees,workers are expected to work on Thanksgiving day and their managers are being fired if they don't compel them to do so, Disney controls Times Square, Chase is paying a $13 billion fine for its part in blowing up the world economy, a business expense for which it had already budgeted $25 billion anyway and which it claims should be a tax deduction, Screening Liberally is defunct, the Loaded Orygun blog is no more – and the Reverend Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping is awaiting trial.

On September 16, BuzzFlash at Truthout posted a commentary on how Rev. Billy Talen -- street theater minister for the anti-consumer movement -- and his choir leader were arrested for leading a performance art protest at a Chase bank branch in Manhattan. The target of the theatrical presentation was how JP Morgan Chase is one of the key banks financing industries that are tumbling earth toward a climate implosion. On December 9th, Talen and his choir master will appear in a NYC court and face the prosecution's charges that could result in up to a year in jail.

Seriously folks. Buy locally. Don't run up consumer debt. Ignore the commercials. Don't stand in line for Thanksgiving sales or Black Friday sales, and don't tie up the internet on Cyber Monday sales. If you have loose change burning a hole in your pocket, send it to Portland's Radio Cab Foundation Turkey Project.