The Seesaw

November 29, 2010

And the annual seesaw begins: On Saturday the Statesman reported that “Black Friday traffic and sales indications appeared to be topping expectations…One analyst said that the increase could translate to a 4 percent or 5 percent holiday-spending jump this year from a year ago.”

On Sunday the Statesman reported that sales had edged up only slightly—retail spending rose only .3 percent, according to data released by a research firm.
Now we’ll get thrice-weekly updates about how seasonal sales are up—no, down—no, up…

Call me in January with the final total, and save all the newsprint in the meantime.



November 23, 2018

On November 22, 2018 the paper ran a column by Barry Ritholtz, a Bloomberg Opinion columnist, who explains why the predictions go up and down.

He says it’s because the numbers are based on surveys, not data; and people don’t really remember how much they spent last year and won’t predict well how much they’ll spend this year, so it’s really all guesswork.

It’s nice to have that mystery solved.

My Black Friday Experience

November 26, 2010

Since the only item advertised for Black Friday that caught my attention was a non-stick turkey roaster (mine was still soaking Friday morning), I didn’t feel any need to stand in line or rush out early to get it. When I did wander into the store, it was still there. Guess turkey roasters aren’t high on anyone else’s priority list.

I did get a great deal on all three seasons of “The Big Bang Theory”, though. Made my day.

Kid Stuff

November 23, 2010

Just got in from a walk with the little boy next door. He told me he’d written to Santa, but that he hadn’t heard back yet. I asked what he told Santa, and he said that he told Santa he’d like to visit the North Pole. We talked about what it was probably like—snow as deep as 10 inches, says the boy, with lots of Christmas trees around, all decorated.

Then we looked at ice patterns on the streets and sidewalks and found some icicles to take home and put in our freezers. I hope I always live near little kids who will help me enjoy the fun things in life.

A Mere Bagatelle

November 29, 2010

From the “You’d Think They were Joking, but They’re Not” Department:

South Korea assures the Olympic Selection Committee that North Korea’s recent bombardments shouldn’t make the committee eliminate S. Korea as a possible Olympic site for next time.

Maybe not, but if I were an athlete I would probably prefer that S. Korea sit this one out.

Voting

November 2, 2010

If you've ever stood in line overnight to get concert tickets, or a Wii, or the Black Friday sales...

Please don't let a little bad weather keep you from voting.