Now that we have given thanks on Thanksgiving for the stuff we already have…
…and spent the next day getting more stuff at Black Friday sales…
…remember that you can’t take it with you.
If you were one of the shoppers here in Minnesota who braved the weather and the crowds…
…here are some tips for Cyber Monday shopping on the internet:
Your best bet is to use Amazon.
Jeff Bezos just donated $100,000,000.00 to charity. Prime members pay $99.00 annually and get free shipping. I saved over $400.00 in shipping costs last year (Amazon keeps track and tells you). How he manages to send a ten dollar item to me with next day free shipping is a marketing conundrum. I’ve also noticed that Amazon has employed their own shipping fleet with trucks all over the area (we have a Prime shipping center nearby).
If the free shipping was not enough incentive, he adds Prime TV for free streaming of movies you never heard of and TV programs that are actually very good.
But back to the Cyber Monday tips.
I do admit he has allowed some fairly shady deals on the Amazon website. Here’s an example of a marketing genius at work:
Now add this famous logo…
…and you have some idea of how gullible the public can be when shopping.
In related news, a Nigerian prince’s body has been discovered in a Des Moines motel room along with several million dollars in various denominations.
…I should have answered one of his numerous emails.
Here’s the best tip of all for Cyber Monday:
Turn off your computer and visit your local library.
In just one week I found the following:
This is a debut novel (I collect them). I have about a dozen authors I follow and am delighted when I find another to add to the list. This one makes a Grisham novel seem dull. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find Ron’s blog (https://ronaldsbarak.com/blog) and a copy of the proposed 28th amendment. You’ll be shouting “hell yes!” just as I did. Even better news, Ron has a prequel to his debut novel (yeah…confusing but you’ll figure it out) called The Puppet Master…every bit as good so his first was not an outlier.
In that same week at the library I found:
If you’re a fan of Michael Crichton and The Andromeda Strain…this is the sequel by an author who worked with Crichton’s widow and had access to his Andromeda notes. If you are not familiar with Michael Crichton, blame Hollywierd for not giving him full credit for Jurassic Park, Congo, Westworld…and many more that earned him an Oscar, an Emmy, a Peabody, and an Edgar…all in the same year.
So on Cyber Monday…forget the Cyber, even for your eBook reader. Visit your local library and enjoy the works of thousands of talented people who have filled the place with absolutely the greatest contribution Ben Franklin has made to our country…not to mention the Post Office, but that’s another blog subject we’ll get to later.
Frank Siegler
December 1, 2019