Shameless Shilling

I've got two problems right now -- well, I'm sure I've got more than two problems, but these are the two I want to talk about -- that I've got too many e-mails cluttering up my in-box and that I feel guilty for not posting much here lately.

I can fix both of those problems in a half-assed way, though, and I'm about to do it. You see, a lot of those e-mails are wheedling notes from Amazon, which really wants me to help them sell more stuff. And this very blog is a place I could use to try to get people to spend money!

Of course, my timing -- deep into the evening on the day before Thanksgiving -- isn't as good as it could be, but isn't Black Friday coming up? Aren't we all supposed to spend massive amounts and save the economy? I think so! And so here are some things you might want to spend those massive amounts of money on:

Plug the First: Amazon has a store for Black Friday Week -- and blame them for turning a day into a week, not me -- which will have offers and deals and other ways to separate you from your cash through the 26th.

Have a banner for that as well -- which I expect most of you will have already ad-blocked:


Plug Numer-o Secundo: Amazon also owns a site called MyHabit -- I know, I'd never heard of it, either -- which it describes as a "private sale site offering up to 60% off hand-picked selections from fashion designer and boutique brands". It seems to require a sign-up, but that's free, and uses your Amazon ID. (So, if anyone tries to sell this as "exclusive," feel free to laugh in their faces.) But, if you like to wear nice stuff (or give it as gifts), it's definitely something to check out.

Plugus Tertius: There's also a certain new reading device out -- it's been kept pretty hush-hush, so you might not have heard of it -- called the Kindle Fire. You probably know by now if you want one, but, just in case, hit that link or the below banner to check it out, and continue to foster the mono-culturization of the American literary marketplace.



And that's it, actually; I had many Amazon e-mails, but they were all reminders to try to sell those three things (and related stuff; the holiday marketing engine is clearly working its way up, and will be in full force within a week).

So all that's left is for me to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving -- belated if you're in Canada, and somewhat besides the point if you live the rest of the world, but heartfelt nevertheless, since my favorite holiday is the one where you get a four-day weekend just for showing up and eating a big meal -- and that you do only as much shopping as you want to in the days afterwards, finding things you wanted and things you didn't expect at excellent prices and with the minimum of fuss.