Amazon Wishes You Would Spend Money

...as would all of us whose lives depend on selling things. (On the other hand, spending too much money is what got us all into the problem in the first place. It is a conundrum.)

But I have some pretty-pretty Amazon banners and links to take your minds off the financial turmoil, and maybe -- just maybe -- even to entice you to buy something.

First, there's a Sony Hi-Def Store, with Blu-Ray discs, PlayStation 3 systems and games, and related stuff -- at prices which might be somewhat discounted. (Amazon promises "incredible values," which is a bit nonspecific.)

Amazon also has 500 separate "stores" for various TV shows. There's a page of TV DVD deals that will be active through 11/28, and the horribly named The TV Holi-Daily Deal page, which will have different deals each day from 12/4 to 12/16. Then there's another page with DVDs of ABC TV shows for at least 42% off, and that one will be up from 12/2 to 12/15. Amazon sent me about ten more links to specific DVD/TV-ish deals in the same e-mail, but I'm tried of writing about them, and you're tired of reading. Suffice it to say that they'll have a bunch of DVD special offers over the next six weeks, so keep an eye out for ones on things you want for yourselves or for gift-giving. (Or for playing skeet with, or for baiting alligators -- neither Amazon nor I really cares what you do with the stuff once you buy it.)

How about a nice DVD banner to sum up the entire category?


Amazon also wanted me to know that they have a new, more powerful Deals Widget. (And you know I love widgets.)

Here's one for Books and one for "Gold Box" deals on all sorts of things, in three categories (mouse over the blue bars to expand each of the three categories, assuming you care):


(Both of those should change at least daily -- possibly even as you watch them!)

Amazon also has a Holiday Toy List, with video demonstrations of lots of goodies:


Something I'm not sarcastic about, for once: Amazon is leading the fight against those horrible hermetically sealed "clamshell" packages, for which they should definitely be commended. And, of course, they have a banner for that, too:


Like every other retailer, Amazon will have Black Friday deals. And, also like every other retailer, they won't tell us what those deals are ahead of time.

If you'll be cooking for your solstice holiday, you may need the Kitchen & Home Gift Guide. If you let other people's musical tastes dictate what you listen to -- list most of the radio-listening population of America -- you may enjoy Gift Ideas for Music Lovers. And if you need Christmas Holiday (goodness knows, we must be inclusive when we're talking about wreaths and ornaments and small decorative lights, since they all figure in the solstice celebrations of so many cultures) decorations, then hie thee to the Gift Ideas for Music Lovers.

I think that's more than enough shilling for one day. It's probably enough shilling for the rest of the month. Now I need to post something less nakedly commercial...