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  BREAKING: Arrest made in Archer homicide

  A Terre Haute man has been arrested and charged with felony murder and altering the scene of a death in the homicide of his wife, Kayla Herchelroath Archer.

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  GUEST COLUMN: One Million Bones exhibit meant to raise awareness, inspire action to end genocide

  The National Mall: A grassy corridor in Washington, D.C., lined with America’s greatest museums and monuments.

  Ending at the U.S. Capitol building, it is a symbol of our belief in the power and greatness of America. Last weekend, we turned it into a mass grave.

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November 27, 2012

LIZ CIANCONE: The bottom line is what drives ‘Black Friday’ sales

Liz Ciancone Special to the Tribune-Star The Tribune Star Tue Nov 27, 2012, 06:44 AM EST

TERRE HAUTE — Why is it called "Black Friday"?

Traditionally, black is the color of mourning and if the day after Thanksgiving served the purpose the merchants intend there should be dancing in the streets.

Considering the sums of money this “official” start of the holiday shopping season was expected to generate, a more appropriate name might be “Green Friday.”

For that matter, either “Silver Friday” or “Gold Friday” could also be fitting. “Black Friday” may apply only to those disappointed shoppers who either didn’t get up early enough or who found the bargains all gone by the time they got to the front of the line. Or maybe it would fit shoppers who got a black eye or other bruises when a fist-fight broke out over the final few of the bargains. Black might also be a bargain purchase for the next of kin of those who actually got trampled to death in the mad rush.

Certainly “Blue Friday” wouldn’t work. What with the dancing in the streets by those who actually did score a bargain, and by the merchants who sold them, the thought that either of these triumphant parties would be sad and blue doesn’t work. They may be exhausted, but they are not depressed.

I did give a brief thought to “Yellow Friday.” This time of year we could all use a little sunshine which might also apply to the smiles on the faces of the merchants. If the latter are too exhausted to party, may I suggest relaxing at home with a glass of wine and a quiet dinner?

If we must go with color, I toyed with the idea of “Red Friday” but decided that red, as in red ink, is exactly what the merchants are trying to avoid by advertising all those alluring bargains and encouraging the “shop-’til-you-drop” approach to Christmas. Even if the bargains are something we neither need nor want, the lure of a bargain is sometimes too tempting to resist.

After thinking it over, maybe “Black Friday” is the way to go. Since the purpose of this day of all days is to get to the stores and finding a super bargain to the benefit of the bottom line, we should just acknowledge that we are hoping to find a bargain, yes, but also to end the year in the black and not in the red. We want the black ink at the end of the bottom line. We want celebration. Too bad if some of it might end in mourning.

I don’t know. I’m just asking. Is that why we call it what we do?



Liz Ciancone is a retired Tribune-Star reporter. Send e-mail to opinion@tribstar.com.

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Copyright 2013 News From Terre Haute, Indiana. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Liz Ciancone

• LIZ CIANCONE: Withdrawn society not very social any more

  My Best Friend and I went out for lunch the other day. It was a sit-down place with our own “server” (in my day I was called “a waitress”) and everything offering personal attention. The manager even came over to ask if everything was all right.

  June 11, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Technology, new fabrics made ironing much easier

  As surely as Tuesday follows Monday on the calendar, ironing day followed wash day on Mom’s housekeeping chart.

  June 4, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Looking back at memories of ‘history’

  I was reading a whodunit the other day. The protagonist was trying to solve the mystery of what had happened to a local citizen soldier who had disappeared during the war.

  May 28, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Smell of fresh air gave way to dryers

  Remember when clean clothes smelled like fresh air and sunshine rather than fabric softener and dryer sheets?

  May 20, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Courts see a different appearance than cops

  Have you ever noticed the transformation between the arrest of an accused lawbreaker and the first appearance in court?

  May 14, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: We always want more than we need

  Washington seems more preoccupied with the unemployment rate than they are about the constant stalemate. Still with thousands out of work and the unemployment rate hovering somewhere between 7 percent and 9 percent, it does deserve more than a passing nod.

  May 7, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Old age is in email of the beholder

  My Best Friend isn’t much for writing letters, so email has opened a new world for him. He can dash off a few words to a high school friend or his college roommate — now living in Florida and Washington State,

  April 30, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: A memory test from the oldtime radio days

  For some reason, I seem to be the go-to source for all sorts of obscure information out at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center.

  April 23, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Friskey no doubt was in favor of gun control

  I once owned a gun. Actually, it was Dad’s gun and I was allowed to use it. He bought an air gun which shot BB’s to protect our home — in a way.

  April 16, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: A robin stops to welcome the spring

  I saw a robin the other morning. It was not the first robin of spring, of course. A few of the more daring robins had opted to spend the winter and, although they looked pretty sorry about it on a few occasions, it was a fairly mild winter.

  April 9, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: The mystery of the small animal mascot

  I hope you won’t think I’m picking on small animals, but I’ve been thinking about Easter and the Easter bunny.

  April 2, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Rising up to defend the poor groundhog

  I read in the newspaper the other morning that Punxsatawney Phil is being hauled into court and charged with falsely predicting an early spring. I am volunteering my services as counsel for the defense.

  March 26, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Keeping eye out for signs of spring

  The problem with expecting a groundhog to predict the arrival of spring is that there are groundhogs scattered all over the country. The Pennsylvania groundhog may not see the same kind of weather as the groundhog out here in Dobbs Park. In this way, false hopes are roused and the groundhog loses credibility as a meteorologist.

  March 19, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Not every other name smells sweet as a rose

  It was either Romeo or Juliet who said, “What’s in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

  March 12, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Innocence appreciated when you’re growing up

  I grew up rather stupid. I didn’t realize it at the time. Neither did my teachers who seemed to think I had “promise.”

  March 5, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Years along rivers make them feel like home

  I’ve been following plans for celebrating “The Year of the River” with interest. Rivers have played such a role in my life that I’ve celebrated a good many rivers. The Wabash River is merely the most recent example.

  February 19, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: There are always cat stories to be told

  I was asked the other day why I write about dogs I have known, but never about cats. “What’s the matter?” they asked, “Don’t you like cats?”

  February 12, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Sharing the family history

  My Grandmother lived with us. Ed and I were eager audiences for her family stories about the Cooks. Mom also shared her memories of growing up with three brothers.

  February 5, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Do we want our privacy or not?

  We Americans are a strange bunch. We insist upon our right to privacy, yet we neglect few opportunities to parade our personal business in public.

  January 29, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: The low humor of Mickey Mantis

  I’m told that a pun is the lowest form of humor. I guess that typecasts me! I love them, but then, I like any type of word play.

  January 22, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: For now, justice is served in Bball Hall

  News this past week brought justice of a sort. The folks who decide these things have declined to pick anyone to be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame this year.

  January 15, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Well, what would you do with only 1 sock?

  Let me ask you something.

  January 8, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Movie memories don’t include many of the lengthy variety

  There has been lots of reporting lately about how long movies are becoming.

  January 1, 2013  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Resist that big ‘let down’ on the day after Christmas

  Today is the big day. That makes tomorrow a sort of let down — rather like “What have you done for me lately?”

  December 25, 2012  

• LIZ CIANCONE: No thanks to getting mags delivered via the Internet

  I am a creature of habit. I like to know what I’m doing and I need to know how to do it. That’s why I am annoyed when corporate America seems determined to drag me, kicking and screaming into the age of Internet.

  December 18, 2012  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Everyone has a favorite holiday

  I suppose everyone has a favorite holiday. My guess is that, for most of us, that holiday is Christmas. It's a holiday with a miracle no matter how old we get.

  December 15, 2012  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Christmas season puts time back into focus

  It’s a funny thing about time. It can speed along so that you cannot believe that your kids can possibly be old enough to have good sense, or it can drag its heels while you wait for that first grandchild or while you are saving up for something really special.

  December 4, 2012  

• LIZ CIANCONE: The bottom line is what drives ‘Black Friday’ sales

  Why is it called "Black Friday"?

  November 27, 2012  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Have we lost the meaning of holiday?

  I’ve been considering a lost-and-found ad to see if anyone knows what’s happened to Thanksgiving.

  November 20, 2012  

• LIZ CIANCONE: Magic is always there with live theater

  I’m a pushover for live theater. But movies? Not so much. For me it’s like the difference between canned peas and those picked fresh from the garden. Movies even COME in cans.

  November 13, 2012  

• More Liz Ciancone Headlines

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