I’ve been consciously trying to keep a weekly writing schedule, which means, in this case, sending an email on the busiest email day of the year. Sorry for that, and hope this isn’t the proverbial straw for your inbox camel.

Black Friday has somehow gone from dubious discounts on present-worthy clutter to a full floodgate of spam. Today I’ve received special, time-sensitive offers for electricity providers, laundry services, and (ironically) email. I don’t know about your family, but these aren’...