Samsung 52 ” LCD HDTV big Seller this Year at Amazon
Well, it seems again that online will have beaten the offline retailers.
While retail was/still is giving it away at drastic discounts. Online etailers like Amazon are getting high fives.
Amazon.com Inc. said Friday that the 2008 holiday season was the online retailer’s “best ever,” with more than 6.3 million items ordered and 5.6 million units shipped during its peak day on Dec. 15.
SpendingPulse PART Of MasterCard Advisors tracks total sales paid for by credit card, checks and cash has said its preliminary data indicates that retail sales dropped between 5.5 percent and 8 percent this holiday season compared with last year.
However Barclays Capital analyst Douglas Anmuth said Amazon’s competitive position has actually strengthened during the downturn, as some brick-and-mortar retailers were forced to close stores and had difficulty obtaining inventory.
Based on the number of items ordered, Amazon said its holiday bestsellers included the Nintendo Wii, Samsung’s 52-inch LCD HDTV, the Apple iPod touch and the Blokus board game.
The 4 Hour Work Week Fact / Fiction?
Have you read the 4 hour work week? Its one hell of a challenge and somewhat of an indictment on conventional thinking. It makes you ask “are you working to live or living to work?”
A very interesting writer at Wired, Chris Hardwic recently delved into the Tim Ferriss philosophy and two other time management books. He came up long enough for air to pen this interesting take on strategies and tactics to give more life to our work and er…life.
Male Coded Christmas Shopping
December 21, 2008 by timokeefe
Filed under Uncategorized
There seem such a disconnect between the news and at least what I have experienced in my dips into world of malls and shopping of late.
The last few years I have shopped online not so much because of my support of all that is digital, but perhaps an innate male fear of the giant parking lot, the long walk and giant store(s). Each one an event filled with obstacles called people. And each of these people no doubt have been strategically placed to be in MY way.
As part of the male species I think of gift shopping as the target and the people as obstacles. Every male has been hard wired to treat each of these gifts as their personal mission. So each car and each person who steps into my path triggers old football urges to stay low, drive my feet and get to the quarterback. In this case that skateboard sitting on the furthest section of the store.
On this particular Christmas & during this particular economy, in California where I was told by the sexy voice on the radio that we have the second highest unemployment in the Country at 8.2%. I wonder if these obstacles, I mean people have chosen to play by the sexy voice’s rules. Because, the freakin’ places are packed every single day and night since I started paying attention on black Friday.
On God & Bigger Things
December 20, 2008 by timokeefe
Filed under Off Beat Opinion
Because of the age we live, or perhaps from ease of mass information it seems the atheists have found their voice. Guys like Richard Dawkins (author of God Delusion) are finding it easier to make their case in such a graceless age. So both believers and atheist argue over belief that there is, or there isn’t God.
I have always found this a ludicrous argument since debating something totally unprovable seems an exercise in futility. Typically the line of logic is based on instruments of (repeat after me) F-A-I-T-H. That are supported by other instruments of…you got it faith. Ad infinitum.
The “Unbelievers” argue by essentially debating against what to them must seem like hot air. While the believers use their bible and other instruments of faith as proof, the unbelievers like Dawkins use science. And of course science is nothing but an explanation or model of reality, until some other better model comes along. So atheists like Dawkins walk in their own form of religion.
It seems incredibly egotistical for either side to enter debate instead of doing something about it. What is to be gained by debating something you cannot truly win? Is the faith of either that thin?
While the many talk, the few do. I guess that is to be human. Faith does seem to be most transparent in it’s demonstration. And in that transparency the efficacy and/or holes in either argument’s methodology are revealed.
I cannot hear a word you are saying because who you are speaks so loudly.
Certainly I am dropping into muddy waters and have no intention of trying to answer century old debates or issues. However, in a world so seemingly lacking of real principle or leadership, I feel the urge to put my two cents forward.
Yoda from the movie Star Wars believed in his god called the FORCE told Luke Skywalker “don’t try, DO!”. Put a more crass way in the business world we hear, “bullshit talks, money walks!” While people like those in the video below argue over whether God exists, there are others who prove it and are doing something about the current state of affairs. If they are not proving God exists then they certainly are proving love exists. Call HIM what you wish.
We all have talents. I feel it our mandate to use those talents to make this place better. Politics sadly does little to achieve this and often obfuscates important issues into power plays. Not all of us are Bono or Angelina Jolie. But we all have talents that in the most least of ways can bring each other up.
Insanity Defined
Have you heard the great line that the”definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting it to change?”
Most of us will be doing, thinking and feeling more or less the same things this time next year as we are now. If you don’t want that sameness, grab yourself by the collar and yank yourself off of that comfortable, well-worn path and onto the one less traveled by you. Let go of your past and grab onto your future. Because while you’re waiting for that grand insight to point you in the right direction, the beauty of life is flying right on by.
“Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.” Frank Herbert From 9 Predictions for 2009
Snow in Malibu & Vegas!
December 18, 2008 by timokeefe
Filed under Cool Stuff
Vegas Snow
Malibu Snow
This was shot going down Stunt Road toward Calabasas from Saddle Peak Road and Schueren Road.
Snow falls in Malibu, California on Wednesday, December 17 2008. You can see the Malibu country club, down in the canyon in the distance.
Coach
Football to me has always been more than X’s and O’s. It is somewhat metaphorical to life. Some of the greatest Coaches have been been great leaders and somewhat philosophical wizards. Anyone sport enthusiast cannot help but think of the Wizard of Westwood, John Wooden and his treasure trove of quips. Rockne, Paterno. These men were/are examples of exemplary living.
Another successful Coach and philosopher himself is Pete Carroll of USC. If you appreciate football at all I urge you to visit a USC practice. The energy is unlike anything you have ever seen before. I have told friends that he seems like he is skating across the field.
I tend to think winning football is more a result of a sound philosophy than X’s and O’s (although his staff is more than capable obviously). His philosophy of always competing as illustrated in this 60 Minutes documentary is so simple, yet infectious into all areas of life.
In the clip he talks about the concept of Winning Forever. I remember an interview where he said that he measured his success by not one year or one national championship. But by measuring how many he has over say a 10 year span. That’s raising the bar eh? Again, in the above clip he says why not have the best practices ever practiced? Raising the standard.
And that is how the clip ends. His Better LA Program getting credit for less gang related deaths in the City of L.A. That’s really raising the bar. That’s taking the philosophy all the way.
Google Earth Catches the Craziest Stuff
December 17, 2008 by timokeefe
Filed under Cool Stuff
Check out the crazy stuff that G Earth has caught on camera.
Cyber Monday: Christmas Grinch Slayer?
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Comscore reports Cyber Monday saw $846 million in online spending, a 15 percent increase over the November loss of 2%.
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51 percent of consumers indicated that the level of promotions and discounts is higher this year than last year
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12 percent said that there appeared to be fewer, suggesting that retailers are having to be more aggressive in discounting to spur consumer spending.
What Recession? Net Sales Up
A Shop.org survey says that 84.6 million consumers plan to shop online from home or at work today. This is up from 72 million in ‘07 and 60.7 million in ‘06. The survey found that 37.2 percent of adults will shop online today, up over 16 percent over last year.
83.7 percent of retailers will have a special promotion for Cyber Monday, up from 72.2 percent last year.
So one has to wonder is the net not hit by the recession that we have supposedly been in for one year? However, Black Friday did find a slight year over year increase as did overall Thanksgiving sales.
