11/29 It's Cyber Monday- Go Buy More Stuff!
Pungenday, The Aftermath 41, 3187 YOLD
And let us not forget 13.0.9.1.5 mlc (the Mayan Long Count)
*****
~~ Sale
Back in the Fifties, The Eisenhower Administration intentionally set the US on a course to be a consumer society based on the ever increasing consumption of goods and services by its citizens consumers. This was a conscious decision based on the idea that such an economy was the only way we could sustain and maintain the production, productivity and employment levels that resulted from WWII. They were aided and abetted by Edward Bernays and his students, imitators and followers.
The primary holiday for which the citizenry bought goods was Xmas, on December 25, and after a while advertisements, displays, advance sales, early bird specials and lay away plans were saturating everybody's daily lives well before Thanksgiving. This didn't sit well with those who saw Thanksgiving as a special holiday in its own right and really didn't generate the sales volume it should have. Luckily, a solution was found- Black Friday. This wasn't mere early Xmas shopping, but a holiday in its own right, a festival of purchasing and consumption second to none, and a wondereful holiday it was. Shoppers went into a frenzy and merchandise flew off of the shelves without diminishing or tarnishing Thanksgiving, because it was the day after.
As good as that might be, it still had its limits, even when "extended" via early-bird specials or by including Saturday and Sunday. Yet, the totally irrational goal of it all was Growth in Spending ever more and more goods sold. If only there were a quick and easy solution to the fact that Balck Friday was but one day, and, of course, there was. Enter Cyber Monday a special additional Shopping Holiday, special because of the tech focus, like all the hotels and wineries offering me Cyber Monday specials.
Soon, of course, we will need another. I propose December 1, Richard Pryor's birthday, becausse I suspect that he could have given this lunacy the kind of treatment it deserves.
~~ Maximum Consumption
On this day in history:
1612 – The Battle of Swally pitted the English against the Portuguese over India
1729 – Natchez Indians killed 138 French colonists at Fort Rosalie
1777 – San Jose, California, the first civilian settlement, or pueblo, in Alta California was founded by José Joaquín Moraga.
1781 – The crew of the slave ship Zong murdered 133 Africans for the insurance.
1807 – John VI of Portugal fled Lisbon, transferring the Portuguese court to Brazil.
1830 – An armed rebellion against Russia's rule in Poland began
1847 – The Sonderbund was defeated by the joint forces of other Swiss cantons
1847 – Cayuse and Umatilla Indians killed Marcus Whitman, his wife and 15 others are killed, because they thought he was poisoning them.
1864 – Colorado volunteers under John Chivington massacred at least 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho noncombatants at Sand Creek
1872 – The Modoc War begins with the Battle of Lost River.
1877 – Thomas Edison demonstrated his phonograph for the first time.
1890 – The Meiji Constitution went into effect in Japan
1929 – U.S. Admiral Richard E. Byrd led the first expedition to fly over the South Pole.
1944 – Albania was liberated by the Partisans.
1945 – The Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia was declared.
1947 – Partition Plan: The UN General Assembly approved a plan for the partition of Palestine.
1947 – French forces carried out a massacre at M? Tr?ch, Vietnam.
1961 – Enos, a chimpanzee, was launched into space.
1963 – LBJ established the Warren Commission
1963 – the Beatles released "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in the UK
1972 – Atari released Pong, the first commercially successful video game.
Born this day in:
“Civilization degrades the many to exalt the few.”
~~ Amos Bronson Alcott
1781 – Andrés Bello, poet and philosopher
1797 – Gaetano Donizetti, composer
1798 – Alexander Brullov, painter and architect, designed the Pulkovo Observatory
1799 – Amos Bronson Alcott, philosopher and academic
1803 – Christian Doppler, mathematician and physicist
1803 – Gottfried Semper, architect and academic, designed the Semper Opera House
1817 – William Ellery Channing, poet and author
1825 – Jean-Martin Charcot, neurologist and psychologist
1832 – Louisa May Alcott, novelist and poet
1843 – Gertrude Jekyll, horticulturist and writer
1873 – Suzan Rose Benedict, mathematician and academic
1874 – Egas Moniz, physician and neurologist
1879 – Jacob Gade, one hit wonder; Jalousie
1895 – Busby Berkeley, director and choreographer
1898 – C. S. Lewis, novelist, poet, and critic
1904 – Margaret Barr, choreographer and teacher of dance-drama
1906 – Barbara C. Freeman, writer and poet
1915 – Billy Strayhorn, pianist and composer
1917 – Merle Travis, singer, songwriter, and guitarist
1918 – Madeleine L'Engle, author and poet
1932 – Ed Bickert, jazz guitarist
1932 – John Gary, singer and television host
1933 – John Mayall, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1933 – James Rosenquist, painter and illustrator
1940 – Chuck Mangione, horn player and composer
1943 – Bobbi Martin, singer, songwriter, and guitarist
1943 – Sue Miller, novelist and short story writer
1944 – Felix Cavaliere, singer, songwriter, pianist, and producer
1946 – Silvio Rodríguez, singer, songwriter and guitarist
1947 – Petra Kelly, activist and politician
1947 – Ronnie Montrose, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1951 – Carl Finch, polka musician, songwriter, and record producer
1951 – Barry Goudreau, guitarist and songwriter
1951 – Roger Troutman, singer, songwriter, and producer
1951 – Don Walker, singer, songwriter, and pianist
1957 – Jennifer Batten, guitarist, songwriter, and producer
1959 – Richard Borcherds, mathematician and academic
1962 – Ronny Jordan, singer, songwriter, and guitarist
1963 – Will Downing, singer, songwriter, and producer
Died this day in:
“Avant Garde is French for bullshit.”
~~ George Harrison
524 – Ahkal Mo' Naab' I, ruler of Palenque
1759 – Nicolaus I Bernoulli, mathematician and theorist
1872 – Mary Somerville, astronomer, mathematician, and author
1924 – Giacomo Puccini, composer and educator
1954 – Dink Johnson, pianist, clarinet player, and drummer
1980 – Dorothy Day, journalist and activist
1984 – Nora Thompson Dean, educator and author
1992 – Jean Dieudonné, mathematician and academic
1996 – Dan Flavin, sculptor and illustrator
2001 – George Harrison, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and music producer
2008 – Jørn Utzon, architect, designed the Sydney Opera House (
2009 – Robert Holdstock, author
2009 – Zuhair Al-Karmi, author, scientific programs presenter on TV
2010 – Bella Akhmadulina, poet and author
2010 – Maurice Wilkes, physicist and computer scientist
2013 – Oliver Cheatham, singer, songwriter,
Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days, Days of Recognition, and such:
International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (United Nations)
Start of Hanukkah
National Chocolates Day
National Lemon Cream Pie Day
Cyber Monday
Music goes here, iirc, well, With apologies 
Jacob Gade
Billy Strayhorn
Merle Travis
Ed Bickert
John Mayall
Chuck Mangione
Felix Cavaliere
Silvio Rodríguez
Don Walker
Jennifer Batten
Dink Johnson
George Harrison, aka Nelson Wilbury
Oliver Cheatham
Please Note: Please do not post any Covid-19 related commentary in the comments. Thank you. There is a separate OT, aka The Dose, where all such material is welcome. Thanks again.
Ok, it's an open thread, so it's up to you folks now. So what's on your mind?
Comments
Amazon’s Black Friday sales buggered by climate activists
and strikes in UK, France, Italy,
Germany and many other countries.
No mass shootings were reported in the US.
https://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/2021/11/26/amazons-black-friday-greeted/
Consumerism is losing it's luster
But the retailers won't stop pushing.
Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday ..
what's next?
https://www.becomingminimalist.com/less-consumerism/
Why Over-Consumption Is Making Us Unhappy
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/buddhist-economics/201803/why-ov...
The social life of mass and excess consumption
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/23251042.2020.1755001?__cf_c...
Thanks for the OT!
good morning QMS, good to see that the
shopping holidays are losing ground. Thanks for the links.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
More stuff for me!
More for the landfills, less for the poor, consumerism run amok.
We've been programed to want more. Sad.
Thanks for the OT.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Good morning LO. Nice artwork there, very
telling and informative, thanks.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Black Friday
For Black Friday this year I went to the local thrift store. There I bought 7 items, 6 were name brand including a new pair of Nike shoes. 5 looked like they were never worn at all. I'm not impressed with the name brands. I just find that they last longer. And the money goes to feed the homeless.
Good morning Enchantress. Sounds like the
ideal way to celebrate that holiday.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Good morning, enhydra lutris
Good Friday spending decreased by almost 29% this year as compared to 2019. That's a Big number and it's what the gov't is reporting.
If past is prologue, then the actual drop in retail sales revenue is propbably quite a bit larger.
Also, as reported previously, General Election voting in NYC this year was reported at "about 20%" according to The City. However, in my local district, the actual number of registered voters who showed up was 16.9%---and my district is in the top 6 voting percentage districts in NYC year after year. My guess is that Citywide, the voting numbers may have been closer to 15% than 20%. Or less.
NYC is not "Back." 50,000 fewer kids are in its public school system this year than there were before the virus. Midtown office buildings are almost empty. Even the iconic buildings---Empire State, for example. Empty, and most of the ground floor retail across the city is empty, as well.
USA is not "Back." As we all can see.
Nevertheless, try to have a happy day and get done what matters to you.
NYCVG
Good morning NYCVG. Glad to see the
sales numbers tanking. Either we will outgrow this childishness or die.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
"You will own nothing and be happy"
or is it "Rules for thee but not for me"?
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD-ioJM8v64]
Good morning CB, thanks for that video.
be well and have a good one.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
I actually wait
on these sales to buy things I need. My cell phone is on life support. Today is the day I get a new one. With 20% off the price I can also buy ear buds so the cows don't have to listen to my pod cast list while being milked.
Good morning ps. That is really the way
that everybody should approach and use these dales. We've done that for years, including babying gadgets through the late summer to make sure that they make it to Black Friday.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
It was reported a few days ago
that teens think that Black Friday is racist. IOW, they have no idea what the term means.
We're living in the uncontrolled and uncontrollable post WWII ideas that were easy to implement but do no make for a healthy environment, economy, or populace. Permanent war footing, suburbs, national highway system, and Christmas are at the top of my list. Long forgotten or overlooked was the government propaganda campaign to get women to give up their jobs in favor of men and make the home and babies their calling.
This might be iffy, per The Daily Mail, the Chicago
Tribune ran an article asking if/whether it should be renamed
with no byline or author's name. Looks like provacateurism.
A group took a survey at U of Fl Gainesville and some students favored changing it until they found out how it got the name then they decided to stick with it.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10240509/Florida-students-chang...
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Why did they think the name
should be changed? Difficult to postulate anything other than a racial component to their objection to the name. An objection they dropped once they were informed of the meaning.
Yes, but the idea was planted by some useless
pos at the Chicago Trib, or that's what I take away from the Daily Mail Article.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Once upon a time I read a
Once upon a time I read a book about the mind set of staying out of debt. I was taken with their idea of calculating how many hours I had to work to buy something then asking myself if it was worth that many hours of my life. I stopped buying a lot of stuff and became a serious cheapskate at the same time. I value time over money.
Ok, I caught a sale on beer on Friday.
I was traveling Cyber Monday.
I was not an obedient consumer. I am busy with work tomorrow. Will be a failed consumer then.
I never bought a gift because of a calendar day. I buy what I want/need when the want/need happens.
Our Christmas holiday has become really nutty.
Oh, well, hope everyone is ok in their respective hideaways.
Christmas shall pass, with sales occurring New Year's.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Sounds like our system. My wife's Kindle is dying,
she will have a new and improved one for X-mas. It is already in the house. She knows this from all the questions I asked and measurements and such I took when she started complaining about it.
Generally, we are more likely to get ourselves, or each other, new cookware or maybe finally break down and replace the string trimmer.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --