Happy Fourteenth of July, our country’s newest holiday.  It must be.  There are sales going on and everybody knows the way Americans mark holidays is through sales and clearances. 

Last Thursday the advertising supplements of almost every store that advertised in the supplement touted their “Last Weekend of Our Fourth of July Sale!”  It was so big that the Sunday advertising supplement had a bunch of ads from that same bunch of retailers that all screamed “Last Week of Our Fourth of July Sale!”  Car dealerships are quite adept at celebrating any one holiday for an entire month. They are now in the middle of their Independence Day Specials that “end August 2.” 

It shouldn’t surprise us that stores are taking 14 days to hold a Fourth of July Sale.  Macy’s regularly has a One Day Sale with special savings on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  The real question here is are there really enough clueless people for a major retailer to have a 3 day One Day Sale and not think twice about it.  Or are we all so desensitized to advertisements that they can call an August Clearance the After Christmas Sale and argue quite convincingly that August is after Christmas.

It’s even gotten the amateur advertisers following suit.  The local volunteer fire company is holding its annual carnival this month and sent out flyers to every household in the township.  Stop by the Carnival the flyer reads.  It goes on to say that festivities start Friday at 7pm, “and beginning earlier.”

It’s a good thing that the Carnival will begin even earlier.  That way people can be there for the opening ceremonies and still have time to hop over to Macy’s for the Friday night kick-off to this Saturday’s One Day Sale. 

Hmm, we’re wondering… if the boss gives you one day to complete a project, can you take 3, 14, or 30 days to work on it?    

Now that’s what we think. Really. How ‘bout you.