Leave it to the retailers to come up with a name for the day after the Thanksgiving Weekend and the first weekday after 'Black Friday'. Maybe I've been in the dark since Black Friday but this is the first time I've heard of 'Cyber Monday'. It sounds like something from T-Bone Walker to me: "Oh they call it cyber monday, but tuesdays just as bad. Lord and wednesday's worse and thursdays all so sad. The eagle flies on friday..." Was Cyber Monday started by a cyborg and wouldn't that be a great name for a radio newsman? This is Cy Borg with 20/20 news. At WNOR in Norfolk we had a newsman named Les Lehigh who pronounced his name as one word so everyone thought his name was 'LesleyHigh", but I digress...
Cyber Monday started two years ago and after watching Lesley Stahl's "60 Minutes" piece on rampant credit card theft at major retail stores last night, it sounds good to me. About 120 retailers, members of Shop.org, the trade group for online retailers, said they would offer discounts today. Shop.org said 32% of adults surveyed last week planned to shop online today, a percentage higher than last year's 27%. With rising gas prices and bad weather, at least today in New York, you can get a jump on the holiday season and discounts to boot without stepping outside. BDO Seidman analyst Doug Hart says Cyber Monday sales would account for about 12% of the expected $39 billion in online revenue this season. Add that figure to the roughly 15% of holiday retail sales occurring on Black Friday and that's a chunk of change...
"Saturday I go out to play, Sunday I go to church, gonna kneel down and pray. Lord have mercy on me. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy on me. Though I'm tryin' and tryin' to find my baby, won't someone please send her home to me". Take it home, T-Bone: http://youtube.com/watch?v=wemG2821l-o ...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1789] 1st Thanksgiving: A day of Thanksgiving is set aside by President George Washington to observe the adoption of the U.S. Constitution...
- 1825] Let the 1st frat party begin: The first college social fraternity, Kappa Alpha is formed at Union College in Schenectady (NY)...
- 1832] Hitching a ride: Public streetcar service begins in New York City...
- 1942] Of all the gin joints: "Casablanca" starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman opens at the Hollywood Theater in Manhattan. What can I say? Play it again, Sam: http://youtube.com/watch?v=F_bMFVDu9yo ...
- 1973] Dead air: Richard Nixon's secretary Rose Mary Woods tells a federal court that she'd accidentally caused part of the 18 1/2 minute gap in a key Watergate tape. Hey, these things happen...
- 1975] Double dip: Red Sox outfielder Fred Lynn not only wins the 'Rookie of the Year' award but he also wins the 'Most Valuable Player' award, a first in major league baseball history and no one has done it since...
- 1975] Guilty as charged: A federal grand jury in Sacramento (CA) finds Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, guilty of trying to assassinate President Gerald Ford...
- 1982] Wedding Bells: Miles Davis and Cecily Tyson tie the knot in a "love/hate" marriage that lasts until Davis dies...1993] James Carville and Mary Matalin walk down the aisle with Republicans seated on the right and Democrats on the left...
- 2000] It's over: Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris certifies George W. Bush the winner over Al Gore in the state's presidential balloting by 537 votes. Harris gets a wing named after her at the White House...
- 2006] "Happy Trails": Cleveland sportscaster Casey Coleman, 55, is the victim of pancreatic cancer. Casey was the son of longtime Red Sox announcer Ken Coleman...
Music Memories:
- 1967] Number One on this date: "Incense & Peppermints" - Strawberry Alarm Clock. Yeah baby: http://youtube.com/watch?v=CFF1uKlsEY0&feature=related ...1994] "I'll Make Love To You" - Boyz II Men, do it again: http://youtube.com/watch?v=PqU2WXKcUb0 ...
Commentary:
My thanks to Paul Power for finding a genealogy piece on the Wayland family that appeared on NECN over the weekend. Bill Wayland's brother Greg is a reporter on NECN and filed this report, tracing his family's history: http://www.boston.com/partners/worldnow/necn/landingpage.html?clipId=1460143&top . When you get to NECN Videos, do a search for wayland family...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Harry Carson (54), John McVie (62), Jean Terrell (63), Rich Little (69) seen here on a recent Letterman Show: http://youtube.com/watch?v=78sSn3E_Vvc , Tina Turner (69) and here's TT on "Divas Live 1999": http://youtube.com/watch?v=nq20b4eb6z0 ...
Timeline Countdown: 9 days until Hanukah, 26 days until winter, 29 days until Christmas, 35 days until New Year's Eve and 40 days until the Wild Card playoffs...
