THE DAY AFTER-------

[rooter]

------! Go on up and read the subject title again and fill in the blank for what ever you wish to talk about.. There's THE DAY AFTER on many subjects about a wider range of stories than one can relate to--the DAY AFTER pill, the car accident, the big ball game, the President's surprise visit to the troops, Thanksgiving. Yesterday morning, the ARIZONA REPUBLIC newspaper that landed on my driveway about 5:30, sounded like a bale of hay being tossed off a truck---not quite as cumbersome as a hay bale but almost as heavy--I almost suffered a hernia toting it into the house---took me three hours just to peruse the sales---everything from 70 percent off sales on watches and fine jewelry to free fertilizer if you just come to the car dealership to haul it off!! How can even be believable, I mean these Day After Thanksgiving sales? I believe it is a bunch of 'puffery' where it has been done for so long, by so many, it has just become the accepted norm. Dang, they can't give the store away and many of the merchants seem inclined to do exactly that---the ROBINSONS-MAY department store insert was at least 10 pages--most were colored pages and very attractive--most likely, very expensive. Should we believe all that we see printed? I think the old French phrase, 'caveat emptor', LET THE BUYER BEWARE may be more than appropriate. When I retired from the navy in 1971, I went to work for Sears Roebuck over in California---I went thru the department managers training program and I know for a fact things aren't always what they seem in the retail industry. Later on in the same decade, Sears would answer to many criminal charges on how they treated their customers, particularly those have auto work done. I tell you what Li'l Missie and Kind Sir, I'd rather get run over with a Mack Truck than go out into the frenzied shopping crowd today--I may miss a few legitimate bargains but I don't feel like being laid up in the local hospital in traction---the hernia from the heavy newspaper is quite enough to contend with!!! And one other thing on closing---I have been keeping pretty close account of the mail in rebate program---anytime a store offers a mail in rebate (electronics especially), have the clerk ring up a duplicate sales check for you---I have three mail in rebate receipts here on my desk right now, all from Home Depot, one offering $10.00 off on a leaf blower/vacuum--that one is almost 2 months old---perhaps these mail in rebates need to be looked at---kapeish?

"BLACK FRIDAY"