Black Friday

Going shopping today? Traditionally one of the biggest shopping days of the year, the day after Thanksgiving is now called "Black Friday." Why? Because it's the day when many businesses are certain they will be in the black for the calendar year. That's right, your dollars could push a company into profit today.

With the Internet, retail pricing is a whole new game. Of course the stores want to offer competitive prices-- not $5 more than the guys down the street. But how can they know what their competitors will offer on a day when pricing is pretty much a free-for-all? There are now websites devoted to announcing Black Friday pricing ahead of time, although some businesses might put up fake prices in order to fool the competition, then actually go a bit lower. Ah, the tangled web we weave.

If you find this sort of thing amusing or intriguing (or if you're playing the role of consumer and want to find the best deal), check these sites out-- for instance, http://www.bfads.net/.