From the Houston Chronicle.

BLACK FRIDAY 2008

Houston shoppers fast out of the gate

By DAVID KAPLAN Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Nov. 28, 2008, 10:48PM

For 10-year-old Caleigh Hill, Black Friday was a rite of passage.

This year, for the first time, she joined her mother, grandmother and two aunts for their annual day-after-Thanksgiving shopping outing.

“We’re breaking her in,” her mom, Leigh Hill, said inside J.C. Penney at Meyerland Plaza. “She’s a shopper. She has to be. We’re a family of shoppers.”

On Thursday, they sifted through ads to plan their strategy. And they made Caleigh abide by the “code of silence” not to tell anyone what they were getting them for Christmas.

Like thousands of Houstonians, Caleigh and crew got up in the middle of the night to hit stores offering big sales on Black Friday, so named because the shopping frenzy usually puts stores’ ledgers in the black.

Big discounts were plentiful. Many retailers feel they have no choice but to offer them, as consumers feel squeezed by the worsening economy.

A Consumer Reports poll showed that about 26 percent of all consumers planned to shop Friday. That forecast is 5 percent higher than last year’s number. The bad news is that more than three-fourths of consumers polled plan to spend less this holiday season.

 

Earrings for Granny

Many major chains opened at 5 a.m. with doorbuster specials, while some retailers, including J.C. Penney and Kohl’s, opened an hour earlier.

 

A shortage of sleep didn’t slow Leigh Hill or her kin. They were upbeat, shopping the discounts of 50 percent or more.

“I’m still looking for clip-on earrings for Granny,” said Hill, an operations manager at a medical facility. Her grandmother, Mae Bell, lost her Galveston home and possessions in Hurricane Ike.

Everyone in the family brigade had Bell in mind, with the goal of replenishing her wardrobe.

“This has been a very difficult year for those of us affected by the storm,” said Hill’s mother, Galveston resident Elyshia Roth. “We’re grateful to be with family.”

After spending the day at Penney’s, Target, Circuit City, Old Navy, Wal-Mart and Bath & Body Works, Hill declared it a “very productive day,” both for shopping and bonding.

Everywhere they went they were “very aware of the sales,” she said. “Not that we’re ever extravagant, but we’re very careful of how much we’re spending this year.”

She isn’t alone.

About 57 percent of Texas shoppers plan to spend less this year, according to Deloitte’s annual holiday survey.

For the nation, the International Council of Shopping Centers is forecasting a meager 1 percent holiday spending increase compared to last. The National Retail Federation’s forecast is only slightly better: a 2.2 percent increase compared to last holiday season. The Federation’s 10-year-average for the season is an increase of 4.4 percent.

“I know many stores were very careful with their inventories and have slimmed them down to be more cautious,” said Shirley Ezell, associate professor of human development and consumer science at the University of Houston’s College of Technology.

On Black Friday, at least, many big-box retailers moved lots of inventory.

“We probably had over a thousand people waiting to get in at 4 a.m.,” said J.C. Penney Meyerland store manager Nelson Whittington.

 

‘It’s just too cheap’

Across the Houston area, shoppers were drawn to the doorbusters.

 

Mary Ann Maxwell, from the Sealy area, said she pointed her Mustang east around 2 a.m. only to arrive at the Memorial City Sears well before the 5 a.m. opening time. She stayed focused on the half-price front-loading washer and dryer set waiting for her inside.

“It’s just too cheap,” said Maxwell, looking forward to the deal.

With flat-screen TVs among the hottest holiday items, Sara Garson and Carlos Garza wandered through Best Buy near the Galleria with two on their cart, even though they would buy only one.

After two hours of debating, they hadn’t decided which to buy and didn’t want someone to grab the last of either before making up their minds. Garson, buying the set for her home, was trying to decide between one model with better resolution and another with a more stylish design.

“She cares more about how it looks with the furniture,” Garza said.

Additional reporting by Chronicle staffers Mark Babineck, Brad Hem, Bill Hensel Jr. and Purva Patel.

My horoscope for today….I like it

November 29, 2008 Easy Going Leo Daily Horoscope The past is coming back, not to haunt you — but to thrill you! Whether it’s an old flame coming back into town to see what you’re up to, an old photo you find that stirs up some hilarious memories, or even just a song on the oldies station that reminds you of summer camp, your past is suddenly very present. This is a wonderful day to travel down memory lane and let yourself remember the person you used to be — and of course, marvel at the person you have become. You may be in an easygoing, agreeable mood today as you go with the flow of whatever is presented. This can help you get through the day free from stress, and you may even notice you’ve accomplished more than you normally would have. It can be challenging to balance all that we want to do with being relaxed and easygoing. It requires us to remember that we are not in full control, but have to work with the universe to create our lives. We want to set goals and work toward them, but at the same time not be overly attached to the outcome. Today, this may come naturally and effortlessly, making for pleasant experiences.  Being flexible and relaxed is something we can practice at any time. A simple deep breath can bring us back to center, allowing us to start again. We can look out of a window or go outside to get in touch with the rhythm of nature. Our own inner rhythm can then slow to match the swaying of the trees, the cadence of bird songs, or the falling of leaves or snow. When an opportunity comes for unplanned fun, we can consider our current state of balance, and accept it as we would accept a gift. By paying attention to the positive feelings that come from being amenable and easygoing, we can learn to create them in times of stress. But today, they are ours to enjoy.

 

You can get your’s at www.dailyom.com – no charge.

Thanksgiving

Tomorrow we celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States.  For most Americans, the holiday means driving or flying hundreds if not thousands of miles to be with family, sharing a feastive meal with people we may only see once a year, and watching hours of football (at least for us men) on TV. 

Thanksgiving has come to mean a great many things to me over the years, but more than anything it has given me an opportunity to reflect on the wonderful things in my life.   That is not something that comes naturally to me.  But today, I am a very grateful man.

I’ve lost many things in my life, well to be honest, I have given most of them away.  I sometimes tend to reflect on those things a bit too much.  I’ve lost at love, at business, and some other life altering events.  But, I still have the love of my children, perfect health, a beautiful home, and a great job.   So tomorrow, I will try not to reflect at all on what I want, and be thankful for what I have.

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Mike

Why Canada Loves Nancy Pelosi – from the Wall St Journal

• REVIEW & OUTLOOK
• NOVEMBER 25, 2008

Her protectionist stance has helped open markets – for others.

• In a grim world economy, the news that Canada and Colombia signed a free trade agreement at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Lima last week is something to celebrate. Unless you are an American farmer or manufacturer.

AP

The Canada-Colombia FTA will expand bilateral trade by lowering tariffs on a wide variety of products. Some Canadian agricultural products — including wheat, barley and lentils — and many manufactured goods will enter Colombia tariff-free immediately. Running in the reverse direction, Colombian producers will find a more open Canadian market and Canada’s consumers will have more choice at better prices. The agreement will also give new legal protections to investment and improved market access in services.

It’s what you call a win-win. But not for American exporters who compete with Canadians in Colombia. Because Speaker Nancy Pelosi has blocked a vote in Congress on the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, American goods will automatically be more expensive than those from Canada by the amount of the existing tariff. If the United Auto Workers thought their Caterpillar exports were losing global ground before, wait until they compete on this not-so-level playing field.

In agreeing to the deal, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper also showed geopolitical leadership: “By expanding our trading relationship with Colombia, we are not only opening up new opportunities for Canadian businesses in a foreign market, we are also helping one of South America’s most historic democracies improve the human rights and security situation in their country.”

Mr. Harper doesn’t owe his recent election to Big Labor

The Sadest Casualties of All

By Mike Edwards

I think the worst part of this current financial crisis is the impact on people who have recently retired, or were within striking distance of retiring.   The financial losses incurred by these people will never be recovered.  Losing the value of their 401k or of their homes, has forced many to delay their retirements, or forget about it completely.

I work with one of these people.  He is 67 years old and worked his whole life.  At first the financial crisis looked like a short term market correction, until Wall St, banks, and the housing market dropped 50% or more.  Before this mess, he announced he would retire at year’s end.  Recently, he told he can’t.  And at 67, he will never have the money to stop working.

People need to blame someone for this mess.  It is human nature to do so.  But with an economy as large as ours, there is no one single person to blame.  The blame goes to a series of CEO’s, companies, and politicians who put their own greed before the country.  And, we all just stood by and watched.  We too have some responsibility for our spending habits, saving habits, and for re-electing the same greedy thieves in Washington.

 

Raising Expectations

There is a phrase that goes “Under promise.  Over deliver.”  It means, that you should work to manage someone’s expectations by delivering on your promises.  I use this phrase all the time.

I have begun to notice an opposite trend with Obama-nation.  The new talking heads that are about to take positions of authority are doing little to manage expectations.  No, they are chomping at the bit to take power and have been hitting the talk show circuit blaming the “eight years of this administration” for everything!  As you have read here before, I do not hold Mr. Bush blameless, but he cannot be used as the Obama whipping boy forever.

Whatever is wrong with the U.S. goes back many, many years.  The fix for it may take many more as well.  But, the Obama’s are in for a rude awakening if they think they can blame Bush for everything forever.  They will take power and have to do something, which in my experience with the government, will do more harm than good.

You Have to Love Yourself Before Others Can Love You

How to Love Yourself

by prettybyrd

How to Love Yourself

Introduction

I don’t feel people understand the importance of loving who they are. It is a mental issue and so we take it lightly; but how you think secretly creates your life, a lot of the things that we do and say are only the manifestations of what we think. Had you thought differently you would have acted differently and in this case the choice to love or not love yourself could give or take from who you are, when you love yourself your free. my article will teach the basics of how to love yourself and i pray someone will have there eyes opened and realize how great a person they are and begin to reach for higher goals in life and be the best them they can be.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need

Steps

1

Step One

You need to have alone time, although easier said than done for some but it’s important. Time where you can think in peace, just spend time with yourself. Think about the past and think about the future,do you really know what you want and don’t want from a spouse from you children from your parents from your job from yourself. Let your mind wonder and explore your thoughts, get to know you and be able to entertain yourself. if ever a time when there was no one around, read and then when your done just sit back and think on your feelings of what you’ve just read. Be okay with it just being you.

2

Step Two

you must know that you are a beautiful person, to you there maybe tons of people that look better than you maybe so, but so what your beautiful that all that you should dwell on. Beauty comes in many ways not only in face and body structure. In my opinion beauty is a sweet spirit that follows those who believe in their beauty. When you feel beautiful people around you can sense that and they don’t judge you they just see who you are.Just love you and that means your body too, take care of the body you love, eat right, excercise, and groom yourself regularly and know that who god made you is perfect and meditate on that.

3

Step Three

Seek out all of your character flaws ( things you do spontaneously that you regret later) and confess them to a spouse,bestfriend,on paper or just to yourself. Get it out in the open never run from who you are because you will always be you, you can’t change that. Recognise the good and the bad in you some things you wont think of right away, they will contiually surface, trust me: And that’s okay because when you love yourself you can boldly admit them and the things you want to change you will work on them, because where there is love there is time, patience, and effort. Accept yourself for who you are flaws and all. At this point no one can hurt your feelings when it comes to you because you know you and you love you.

4

Step Four

Change the way you think about yourself this is the most important step in the process. Negative thoughts can not live in your mind, they come and we cant always help that, but its up to you whether they move in or you put them out. One way to get rid of those that are already living there at this point is to meditate on the opposite of that bad thought about yourself ONLY THINK POSITIVE! tell your self, i am a beautiful person, a good person, i can and will do all that i wish to do and for the Christine minds meditate on everything God made was good, no weapon formed against me shall prosper, with god on my side i will prosper. you have to do this daily until it is embedded in your mind and it begins to grow and become a natural part of you. when negative thoughts come, quickly change what you are thinking about.

5

Step Five

Don’t worry about what people think of you, when you love yourself you make better choices. No matter what you do someone wont like something you do. you cannot please the world so work on making your self happy not in a selfish way because reaching out to others is always number one. you just have to know that no one can or should love you more than you, and so don’t let you be forgotten, work on making you happy and that alone will bring joy to those around you, those that truly love you.

6

Step Six

Want the best for yourself. Don’t settle and don’t give up. You should feel that you deserve big things and be willing to do what it takes to get them whether it be more job training, college, working towards a promotion, getting a better car. Be all that you can be what ever that may mean to you, know that you can do it and you should do it. Always say I WILL FINISH all the way to the end. If something doesn’t work out, it’s okay maybe that wasn’t for you just never give up keep working towards a better you a better friend a better parent a better child a better employee. Just want more you deserve it.

Tips & Warnings

• this doesn’t happen over night and you have to be patient with your self and continue to reach for the goal of loving you all of you.

Good-Bye Mr.President

My pat answer for everything

I’m thinkin’ it would take a lot of liquor!