Wii Console $169

Amazon just added the brand new RED Wii Hardware Limited Edition Bundle to the Video Game Deal of the Day page for $169.99. Actually, they have the Black and White models there as well, all discounted $30. These will go fast, so if you don't have a Wii (or need a new color or a second console), grab them quick.

Game Description
* Red Wii Console
* Red Wii Remote Plus & Red Nunchuk
* New Super Mario Bros. Video Game
* Wii Sports Video Game

Today's Two Buck Music

Amazon is continuing their Black Friday Week in the MP3 store, with five new $1.99 titles today.

Power To The People - The Hits [+Digital Booklet] by John Lennon, features all new remastering, as do eleven other albums and collections on this Gimme Some Truth page (which commemorates John Lennon's 70th birthday; can you believe it?).

Here are the other four albums in today's Black Friday Week sale:

Kaleidoscope Heart [+Digital Booklet], by Sara Bareilles
The Suburbs, by Arcade Fire
Hurley, by Weezer
Sir Lucious Left Foot...The Son Of Chico Dusty [Explicit], by Big Boi

$89 Kindle K2 - How to Get in Line

The Black Friday Deals Week page with the offer for the $89 Kindle is now up and the lightning deal on these will go live at noon EST (9AM PST). If you click on the link, then in the category box, use the selection list to choose Kindle Store (leave Show All at Available, then you should see the same picture that I've snipped above, but with a live countdown timer to when the deal starts. If you want one of these, be sure to have that on screen and counting down, then click just as soon as it switches from the countdown timer to a live Add to Cart button. The page will then check with Amazon to see if you were fast enough, then add it to your cart and start a 15 minute timer -- if you don't complete checkout in that 15 minutes, you lose the order.

The deal is on the 2nd Generation Kindles, which have been selling at $189 (and still are, it appears, from the Amazon page, although I don't think it sells very many of them). There are a few features (wifi, essentially) missing compared to the latest generation, but unlimited 3G and $50 less should more than make up the difference). I do not know if those outside the US can purchase these units (international sales often require a different part number/SKU), at least not for direct shipment outside the states, but suspect this deal is limited to US buyers. Also, you can't load up on these -- lightning deals are limited to one per account (although if your household has multiple acccounts, you could buy one each, of course, then register them all to one account to share books).

Today's Two Buck Music

Amazon is continuing their Black Friday Week in the MP3 store, with five new $1.99 titles today. I've also uncovered the "secret" calendar of CD Music Deals Calendar at Amazon this week. Right now, for example, they have Celtic Thunder Christmas and Noel, by Josh Groban, on sale for $5.99 each (but only on the lightning deals or calendar page, not on the main product page for the CD's).

Soldier of Love [+digital booklet] by Sade is the most intriguing of the mix. Her newest release, this one came out in February and with approximately ten years between albums, this will most likely be it, for her fans, for a while.

Here are the other four albums in today's Black Friday Week sale:

Ocean Eyes, by Owl City
Interpol, by Interpol
Volume Two, by She & Him
Rokstarr, by Taio Cruz

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, hope you are having a good holiday. Once again, I'm including a few poems for the season today.

The Thanksgivings
by Harriet Maxwell Converse
Translated from a traditional Iroquois prayer

We who are here present thank the Great Spirit that we are here
          to praise Him.
We thank Him that He has created men and women, and ordered
          that these beings shall always be living to multiply the earth.
We thank Him for making the earth and giving these beings its products
          to live on.
We thank Him for the water that comes out of the earth and runs
          for our lands.
We thank Him for all the animals on the earth.
We thank Him for certain timbers that grow and have fluids coming
          from them for us all.
We thank Him for the branches of the trees that grow shadows
          for our shelter.
We thank Him for the beings that come from the west, the thunder
          and lightning that water the earth.
We thank Him for the light which we call our oldest brother, the sun
          that works for our good.
We thank Him for all the fruits that grow on the trees and vines.
We thank Him for his goodness in making the forests, and thank
          all its trees.
We thank Him for the darkness that gives us rest, and for the kind Being
          of the darkness that gives us light, the moon.
We thank Him for the bright spots in the skies that give us signs,
          the stars.
We give Him thanks for our supporters, who had charge of our harvests.
We give thanks that the voice of the Great Spirit can still be heard
          through the words of Ga-ne-o-di-o.
We thank the Great Spirit that we have the privilege of this pleasant
          occasion.
We give thanks for the persons who can sing the Great Spirit's music,
          and hope they will be privileged to continue in his faith.
We thank the Great Spirit for all the persons who perform the ceremonies
          on this occasion.

The Pumpkin
by John Greenleaf Whittier

Oh, greenly and fair in the lands of the sun,
The vines of the gourd and the rich melon run,
And the rock and the tree and the cottage enfold,
With broad leaves all greenness and blossoms all gold,
Like that which o'er Nineveh's prophet once grew,
While he waited to know that his warning was true,
And longed for the storm-cloud, and listened in vain
For the rush of the whirlwind and red fire-rain.

On the banks of the Xenil the dark Spanish maiden
Comes up with the fruit of the tangled vine laden;
And the Creole of Cuba laughs out to behold
Through orange-leaves shining the broad spheres of gold;
Yet with dearer delight from his home in the North,
On the fields of his harvest the Yankee looks forth,
Where crook-necks are coiling and yellow fruit shines,
And the sun of September melts down on his vines.

Ah! on Thanksgiving day, when from East and from West,
From North and from South comes the pilgrim and guest;
When the gray-haired New Englander sees round his board
The old broken links of affection restored,
When the care-wearied man seeks his mother once more,
And the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before,
What moistens the lip and what brightens the eye?
What calls back the past, like the rich Pumpkin pie?

Oh, fruit loved of boyhood! the old days recalling,
When wood-grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling!
When wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin,
Glaring out through the dark with a candle within!
When we laughed round the corn-heap, with hearts all in tune,
Our chair a broad pumpkin,—our lantern the moon,
Telling tales of the fairy who travelled like steam
In a pumpkin-shell coach, with two rats for her team!

Then thanks for thy present! none sweeter or better
E'er smoked from an oven or circled a platter!
Fairer hands never wrought at a pastry more fine,
Brighter eyes never watched o'er its baking, than thine!
And the prayer, which my mouth is too full to express,
Swells my heart that thy shadow may never be less,
That the days of thy lot may be lengthened below,
And the fame of thy worth like a pumpkin-vine grow,
And thy life be as sweet, and its last sunset sky
Golden-tinted and fair as thy own Pumpkin pie!


For more, see last year's post or check out Poets.Org.