Retailers from sea to shining sea are shamelessly employing both a strategic and calculated approach to entice holiday shoppers this season as the madhouse known as Black Friday will shortly be upon us. Indeed, news of the tantalizing bargains has been leaked to the press not just hours, but days in advance -- and colonists, itchy for deals following a disappointing fall harvest -- have been seen saddling their horses and topping off their flasks in preparation for the journey.

Alas, this savvy reporter who, for better and for worse, would be remiss should she fail to identify herself as a member of the press, contends that even so, she is privy to information that will indeed allow her to stand out from the bargain-hunting mob. This reporter contends that holiday shoppers are looking in entirely the wrong places and reading entirely the wrong sections of the newspaper. Rather than the glossy sale ads, wise investors must set their fears aside and turn to the stock pages, as investment guru Warren Buffett continues to shout from the mountaintops to all who will take heed and listen. "Fears regarding the long-term prosperity of the nation's many sound companies make no sense. These businesses will indeed suffer earnings hiccups, as they always have. But most major companies will be setting new profit records 5, 10 and 20 years from now," he says. "What is likely... is that the market will move higher, perhaps substantially so, well before either sentiment or the economy turns up. So if you wait for the robins, spring will be over."