Black Friday?

[For Us All]

We've had Halloween to contend with and now we seem to have inherited 'Black Friday' from the Americans.Apparently,it starts at midnight tonight and involves a free for all at most large retail stores.

 

Views and opinions please.

[Yukon]

Pre- Christmas bargains? I'll take that!

 

They can keep Proms, Halloween and gun laws though!!!

[For Us All]

Pre- Christmas bargains? I'll take that!

 

They can keep Proms, Halloween and gun laws though!!!

 

Today is Thanksgiving Day,we'll probably be having that next year.

[Bea Smith]

Today is Thanksgiving Day,we'll probably be having that next year.

 

Oh no we won't. Black Friday (or is it renamed white Friday by Ferguson police and their KKK mates?) is not being recognised by the vast majority or normal, sensible people who don't want to be part of the most sickening country on earth.

 

Why do we also get United Sewers news programmes onlate at night telling us the weather in Ohio and the petrol prices in Seattle ? Just vile.

[Santa]

How does it work then? Who in their right mind would mark down decent stock in the run up to Christmas?

 

Is it because November is a slow month and they're trying to boost sales figures?

[Yukon]

Oh no we won't. Black Friday (or is it renamed white Friday by Ferguson police and their KKK mates?) is not being recognised by the vast majority or normal, sensible people who don't want to be part of the most sickening country on earth.

 

Why do we also get United Sewers news programmes onlate at night telling us the weather in Ohio and the petrol prices in Seattle ? Just vile.

 

In no way being argumentative, why?

 

"The most sickening country on earth" is a very strong statement, I'm interested as to how you formed that opinion

[Yukon]

How does it work then? Who in their right mind would mark down decent stock in the run up to Christmas?

 

Is it because November is a slow month and they're trying to boost sales figures?

 

If you mark down certain items to a give away price it draws people in, they're in your shop or on your website & chances are they'll buy more or at least come back again. They wouldn't do it if it didn't pay off in the long run

[Santa]

"The most sickening country on earth" is a very strong statement, I'm interested as to how you formed that opinion

I remember one of my old teachers summed it up when he said

 

"The USA is a country that has the very best of everything, and the very worst of everything"

[For Us All]

How does it work then? Who in their right mind would mark down decent stock in the run up to Christmas?

 

Is it because November is a slow month and they're trying to boost sales figures?

 

Boxing Day sales come early?

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30180887

[Bea Smith]

In no way being argumentative, why?

 

"The most sickening country on earth" is a very strong statement, I'm interested as to how you formed that opinion

 

I suppose you would argue that countries like North Korea should have that title, certainly a number of the middle east places like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the others where just a few rich families misrule also have strong claims. These countries are small however, and generally have little influence or effect on the daily lives of citizens of other countries, unless they are told to by the US, as is the case with Saudi Arabia.

 

Athough Wikipedia can be wrong on detail, the following is hardly in dispute;

 

https://wikispooks.com/wiki/US_Bombing_campaigns_since_1945

 

"The US is said to have carried out 32 distinct and separate bombing campaigns on 24 different countries between 1945 and 1999"

 

That's right, only to 1999 - so by the time you add in a couple of Iraq wars, Libya, Serbia, and all sorts of other misadventures you can see that the US thrives on warfare. The military-industrial complex cannot continue to make profits without wars, and there is strong argument that the US killed its own presidents and potential presidents because they might stop Vietnam.

 

Do you want pages more stuff - its there for you. Go back to the murders of Patrice Lumumba in the 60s, democratically elected Salvadore Allende in 1973 in Chile and a dozen others. Thankfully they failed with Castro.

 

The point being, that the US sees itself as the worlds policeman, but it is a corrupt one. One that has neither legal or moral authority and continually makes things worse.

 

There would be no ISIS without the US causing the situation because ISIS is a development of the Taliban. The Taliban only exists because the US misjudged the bigger threat and armed the Afghan rebels against their regime installed by the Soviets - if it had left well alone, a low-level insurgency would have continued but no Taliban. Just look at the mess they have left in Libya, let alone Iraq. Britain and other countries are also to blame here.

Inside the country all you see is a rightward shift - nothing changed with a black president, as shown in Ferguson this week.

 

The only real hope is that they destroy themselves next with things like fracking and GM foods, as their climate worsens and their religious nutjobs like that Westboro Baptist church who blame their own gay people and actually believe it is 'God's work' and not climate change.

 

That might give you a flavour - no doubt the 2 or 3 resident OVF bickerers who love to argue will come firing back, but please have the decency to answer the scenario in total and not just quote tiny selected passages as I haven't got all night to re-read and edit this.

[Bea Smith]

I remember one of my old teachers summed it up when he said

 

"The USA is a country that has the very best of everything, and the very worst of everything"

 

I would agree with that musically, as some of the very best music from the early rock n roll days of Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Elvis, the great Blues artists and soul/disco stars and extreme legends like Lou Reed/Velvets, Iggy Pop, then Michael Jackson, and many others - I don't like them all by any means, but they did spark most of the best music (Paul McCartney admits to being totally influenced by Little Richard, the Stones by the great Blues artists, Bowie by Lou Reed/Iggy etc. - yes, we have to thank the US for this.

 

At the same time, they have also produced some of the most appalling music ever, we all have different tastes so I wont name any, but when its bad its REALLY bad. They also completely failed to understand punk/new wave UK music, or any 80s good synth acts except perhaps Depeche Mode and very few European acts have been successful there.

[Paul6754]

How does it work then? Who in their right mind would mark down decent stock in the run up to Christmas?

 

Is it because November is a slow month and they're trying to boost sales figures?

 

Common theme over here that goods are marked down before Christmas or holidays, it appears to be reduce the prices when people want to buy and generate profit from volume. Appears fairer than the UK way which appears to be rip off the customer at every opportunity.

 

Many people in the USA have the Friday after Thanksgiving off from work as a holiday hence the retailers tempt them to come and shop both in store and online.

[Aussie Rules]

If you mark down certain items to a give away price it draws people in, they're in your shop or on your website & chances are they'll buy more or at least come back again. They wouldn't do it if it didn't pay off in the long run

 

Walk-in shopping has taken a battering from on-line trading, so much so all the big retailers in this neck of the woods now provide on-line services.

 

Years ago shopping centres would be very busy from now until Christmas. They're quieter now consequence of folk doing their walking with their fingers and keyboards (or iPads).

[Yukon]

Walk-in shopping has taken a battering from on-line trading, so much so all the big retailers in this neck of the woods now provide on-line services.

 

Years ago shopping centres would be very busy from now until Christmas. They're quieter now consequence of folk doing their walking with their fingers and keyboards (or iPads).

 

The Trafford Centre (although hardly in your neck of the woods!) is absolute carnage on weekends from early November. I think it's still successful because of the variety, leisure facilities and restaurant options- it's not just a shopping venue

[Tone]

For my family, Thanksgiving Day is just about coming to a close.

 

As we approach midnight, I am thankful for the freedom that we all enjoy, all the technological advances that we have seen over the last decades and the ability to express our opinions without oppression.

 

I think both the United States and the United Kingdom can take some credit for the part that both countries have played in achieving that situation and I am thankful for all those who have laid their lives on the line and many who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

 

Goodnight and sleep peacefully and safely.

 

(And no, I won't be shopping tomorrow.)

 

:D