Cyber Monday? C'mon Man!

I was recently watching TV when I heard something about this "Cyber Monday" phenomenon going on, and I was confused. I then was informed by my mom that it was an online sale day, the Monday following Thanksgiving and the infamous "Black Friday". Now, my family and I agree that the whole marketing ploy is just ridiculous (in our opinion). I realize that it can help stimulate the economy, but after this weekend is over, then what? You are left with smaller margins for retailers and costumers anxious for more great deals like they just encountered: "heavy discounting may pressure retailers' profit margins, online and offline." (To see the full story, click here. Now, I think that "pressure" is the last thing we want our retailers to be going through. With all the 'hoopla' about a fiscal cliff we are approaching and the president and Congress struggling to get along, I think this dinky little annual sales days are ridiculous and unnecessary (for further coverage and opinion on the fiscal cliff, see my last blog post).

When I first found out about Black Friday, I thought it was a joke how much coverage it got. While watching football on Thanksgiving this year, I painfully had to sit through commercial after commercial telling you to come in early to get the best deal. Also, I think it is even coming to a retailer "late", because I started seeing ads that told the viewer sale prices started as early as TEN AT NIGHT! So it really isn't Black Friday, it is Thanksgiving Thursday, Sales Saturday, Save Cash Sunday, and now also Cyber Monday?!? I think my opinion is loud and clear, but what do you think of the sales weekend in late November that is now becoming an annual occurence? Over the top or not?

You stay classy, San Diego.

Can we work together?

President Barack Obama was reelected yesterday night, November 6, 2012, in a convincing fashion. As Americans, we have to think: what does this mean for me and my country? Well, there were other key elections also going on which will keep things in Washington complicated. As the Christian Science monitor tells me, partisans in Washington will likely hold their ground. Jake Sherman and Manu Raju of Politico.com put it in the wee hours after Tuesday night’s election results were known, “Obama’s convincing reelection, the Republicans’ sustained majority in the House, and Democrats’ hold on the Senate only further complicate the prospects of cutting any kind of deal on expiring income tax rates, massive pending cuts to Pentagon spending, and entitlement reform.”

Many are seeing the democratic incumbent's reelection coupled with a conservative majority in the house and a liberal majority in the Senate as "only further complicating the prospects of cutting any kind of deal on expiring income tax rates, massive pending cuts to Pentagon spending, and entitlement reform". I think Washington needs to become bipartisan, because doing something is usually better than nothing. We need to work together as a country and figure out the best ways to tackle our biggest problems and issues.

With a "fiscal cliff" looming for our country, having a Congress and President at a stalemate is not acceptable at this time. Our national debt and wishes for the people and jobs of this country need to be top priority, and this requires cohesion from top to bottom. However, this idea is not obtainable, but understanding a common goal is necessary. If we do not work together, things will not get better. Plain and simple.