What’s the Culture Behind Black Friday?

Posted on November 26, 2010 by admin


What’s the Culture Behind Black Friday?- The day-after-Thanksgiving event has been named Black Friday because it’s the day retailers historically began to go “in the back,” or make a profit, for the year. It is one of the year’s busiest shopping days, though the Saturday before Christmas often is busier, according to the retail federation.

The Christmas shopping season is of enormous importance to American retailers and, while most retailers intend to and actually do make profits during every quarter of the year. Black Friday is the most awaited day of many people in the US. It is a day where eager shoppers push their ways towards cut-rate electronics or “it” toys. However, we have heard of news about a few stampedes, fights and even deaths because of this Black Friday.

Some retailers are so dependent on the Christmas shopping season that the quarter including Christmas produces all the year’s profits and compensates for losses from the other quarters. Many people make their plans for Black Friday. Some of them would even make a list of the stores which they want to hit near their towns. They also made the list of toys and other wares they want and the special prices.

Even though holiday deals can be found on other days in stores and online, the shoppers on Black Friday still endure huge crowds at odd hours. Nicki Shoulders, 26, said: “It’s just the adrenaline and the rush and the excitement. And we want to make sure that we’re able to get what we want.”

Up to 138 million people plan to shop in U.S. stores on Black Friday and the weekend, according to a survey conducted for the National Retail Federation. The federation says it’s not clear what percentage of U.S. holiday shoppers visit stores on Black Friday, but shoppers reported spending about $41.2 billion over 2009′s Black Friday weekend. The federation forecasts that in-store retail sales for 2010′s entire months of November and December will be $447.1 billion.

The stores have begun marking down merchandise on that day in the 1950s and 1960s. Retailers started to have special sales at different times in the 1970s.

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Companies Stop Transporting 7 Caffeine-alcohol Drinks

Posted on November 26, 2010 by admin


Companies Stop Transporting 7 Caffeine-alcohol Drinks – Experts have said the caffeine in the beverages can mask the effects of alcohol, leaving drinkers unaware of how intoxicated they are.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that the manufacturers of seven caffeinated alcoholic beverages labeled a “public healt concern” have stopped producing or shipping the products.

The FDA has sent warning letters last week to four beverage makers saying the addition of caffeine to alcoholic beverages was not approved by the agency and it was an “unsafe food additive.”

FDA said discussions with the manufacturers resulted in these actions:

• Phusion Projects of Chicago, Illinois, has ceased producing caffeinated alcohol beverages, is no longer shipping such products and expects to have all of its caffeinated alcoholic beverages off retail store shelves by 13 December. Phusion is the maker of Four Loko.

• Charge Beverages Corp. of Portland, Oregon, ceased producing its caffeinated alcoholic beverages, Core High Gravity HG, Core High Gravity HG Orange, and Lemon Lime Core Spiked, in September and has not shipped any caffeinated alcoholic beverages since early November.

• New Century Brewing of Boston, Massachusetts, has ceased manufacturing its caffeinated alcoholic beverage, Moonshot.

• San Diego, California-based United Brands has ceased shipping its caffeinated alcoholic beverage Joose and expects to have its product off retail store shelves by December 13. United Brands also said that it no longer markets Max, another caffeinated alcoholic beverage listed in the warning letter.

The agency’s principal deputy commissioner Dr. Joshua Sharfstein said, last Wednesday, the warning letters followed a year-long review by the agency, FDA. It gave the companies 15 days to either reformulate their products or face possible seizure under federal law.

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A Nutritionist Lost 27 Pounds By Having Twinkie Diet

Posted on November 26, 2010 by admin


A Nutritionist Lost 27 Pounds By Having Twinkie Diet – In Just 10 weeks, Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University, ate one of the sugary cakelets every three hours, instead of meals. Haub munched on Doritos chips, sugary cereals and Oreos in order to add in his steady stream of Hostess and Little Debbie snacks.

On his “convenience store diet”, he shed 27 pounds in two months.
He believes that in weight loss, pure calorie counting is what matters most and not the nutritional value of food.

For a class project, the professor limited himself to less than 1,800 calories a day. A man of his pre-dieting size normally consumes about 2,600 calories every day. He followed a basic principle of weight loss wherein he consumed significantly fewer calories than he burned.

Previously, his body mass index went from 28.8 considered overweight, to 24.9, which is normal. Now he weighs 174 pounds. Furthermore, Haub’s “bad cholesterol” or LDL, dropped 20 percent and his “good cholesterol” or HDL, increased by 20 percent. He also reduced the level of triglycerides, which are from of fat, by 39 percent.

Two-thirds of his total intake came from junk food. He also took a multivitamin pill and drank protein shake daily. In addition, he ate vegetables, typically a can of green beans or three to four celery stalks.

According to Dawn Jackson Blatner, a dietitian based in Atlanta, Georgia, Haub’s success is probably a result of caloric reduction.

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Thanksgiving Quotes 2010 Wishes, Greetings, Inspirational Prayers and Sayings

Posted on November 26, 2010 by admin

Thanksgiving Quotes 2010 Greetings, Sayings, Funny Messages and Poems – The whole country is celebrating the Thanksgiving Day 2010 today and as the special holiday approaches, why not celebrate the special date thru butter turkey cooking? A lot of people now what to know the Butterball turkey hotline and cooking instruction. And at the same time, people now are in search of the best Thanksgiving Quotes and Sayings that they will use to greet their family, friends and loved ones thru text and ecard greetings.

According to many people, Thanksgiving inspirational quotes bring messages of gratitude and thanks for many things people have achieved in this life. These famous sayings are almost poetic as the people who are quoted often expressed in words what many people felt in their minds.

Now here are some best quotes that we have collected while searching at the internet.  Please read it because this quotes will serve as our inspirational guide in our daily lives and very timing in celebration of Thanksgiving Day 2009.

“I love Thanksgiving turkey. It’s the only time in Los Angeles that you see natural breasts.” -Arnold Schwarzenegger

“Remember God’s bounty in the year.  String the pearls of His favor.  Hide the dark parts, except so far as they are breaking out in light!  Give this one day to thanks, to joy, to gratitude!”   – Henry Ward Beecher

“The pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts… nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.” -H. W. Westermayer

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” – Albert Schweitzer

“So once in every year we throng
Upon a day apart,
To praise the Lord with feast and song
In thankfulness of heart.”
- Arthur Guiterman, The First Thanksgiving

“I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land.” –Jon Stewart

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare.  They are consumed in twelve minutes.  Half-times take twelve minutes.  This is not coincidence.”  – Erma Bombeck

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Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving: Stores Open on Thanksgiving Day 2010

Posted on November 26, 2010 by admin

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2010 Coverage and Route Details – Today, the Thanksgiving Day 2010 is celebrated in United States and the 2010 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City will start at exactly 9:00 am  ET on Thursday, November 25, 2010 and will bring almost 8,000 participants in the said parade.

Meanwhile, people now want to know also for those stores that are open during the Thanksgiving Day 2010. On this special day, expect that these giants stores like Walmart, Best Buy, Target, Macys, Kmart, Kohls, Sears and other will sure give their Thanksgiving Day Sales and Discounts to active shoppers out there.

At the same time, people are inquiring for some restaurants that are open during the Thanksgiving Day 2010. Furthermore, people are in search for this restaurant that will offer discounts on Thanksgiving Day foods and desserts of their choices. According to some reports, National retailers and restaurants have increasingly decided to remain open on Thanksgiving day, which is Nov. 25 this year.

Like for instances, J & R’s Steakhouse in Medford will be closed for family time. So will Cafe Gia, Golden Star Asian Fusion, Bianca Luna and La Margherita Pizza, all in Medford, all of which open again for their regular schedules on Fri., Nov. 26.

Meanwhile, the route of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2010 will start from 77th Street and Central Park West and the parade will head south to Columbus Circle and turn to Central Park South before making a turn right to march down 7th Avenue to 42nd Street.

Afterwards, the Macy s Thanksgiving Day Parade will then turn east toward 6th Avenue where it will march down the Avenue of the Americas. At 34th Street, the parade will make its final turn west marching in front of Macy’s Herald Square.

This is also a great time that all viewers across the country will be tuned in to watch the parade on television and most will have the smell of a roasting turkey and stuffing wafting through the house, rekindling childhood memories and inspiring new ones. You may also search online for a possible live broadcast in your local channel listings now.

The kids will surely love this Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade 2010 because of different characters who will feature in the said parade. Some of these famous characters will includes Kermit the Frog, Buzz Lightyear, Hello Kitty, Pillsbury Doughboy, Ronald McDonald, Horton, Pikachu, Sailor Mickey, Shrek, Smurf, Snoopy as the Flying Ace, Spiderman, SpongeBob SquarePants and a lot more.

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Butterball Turkey Hotline In Search Turkey Cooking Time Instructions

Posted on November 26, 2010 by admin

Butterball Turkey Hotline Already Open for Turkey Cooking Time Instructions – Since its Thanksgiving Day 2010, people now are so excited to cook for Butterball Turkey, thus the Butterball turkey hotline is already available for help with cooking instructions. The hotline is very useful for those who are in quest of making the best turkey for the annual ritual cooking dinner in celebration of the Thanksgiving Day 2010.

While thawing, keep the turkey in its original wrapper – on a tray if it’s in the fridge, to catch any juices that may leak. Allow approximately 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds in the refrigerator, and approximately 30 minutes per pound in cold water. Once thawed, your turkey can remain in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.

Some people start it this way and then flip it halfway through to brown the breast skin, but it’s sometimes awkward to flip a half-cooked turkey, as you can imagine. It seems fairly unanimous that a turkey should be roasted at 325 °F. And for your guidance in cooking of Butterball Trukey:

Turkey Roasting Chart (at 325 °F)

Unstuffed Turkey:
8 to 12 pounds – 2 3/4 to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds – 3 to 3 3/4 hours
14 to 18 pounds – 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds – 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours
20 to 24 pounds – 4 1/2 to 5 hours

Stuffed Turkey:
8 to 12 pounds – 3 to 3 1/2 hours
12 to 14 pounds – 3 1/2 to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds – 4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds – 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours
20 to 24 pounds – 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours

For stuffed turkeys – the stuffing should reach an internal temperature of 165 °F.

Posted in Food & Recipes, Lifestyle | Tagged | 2 Comments

Thanksgiving 2010 Quotes, Activities for Kids and Deep Frying a Turkey Steps

Posted on November 26, 2010 by admin

Thanksgiving Word Search: Thanksgiving Activities for Kids – The Thanksgiving Day 2010 is coming and this will also be the best time to celebrate this special holiday with kids. It’s the time to give thanks for all the important and meaningful things in our lives and that is the Thanksgiving Day 2010.

Apparently November 25, 2010 is the perfect day to teach your kids on the value of appreciating the great things in life. And a perfect activities to teach them how important is the Thanksgiving holiday games.

During Thanksgiving Day, the Butterball Turkey is very popular for native foods to eat in celebration of the said holiday special. And because of this, the Butterball Turkey Hotline become insearch by many people who are looking for instructions about deep frying a turkey and how to cook the butterball turkey.

During Thanksgiving Day, people also are in search of Thanksgiving Quotes, Sayings, SMS Greetings and Poems in which they can send to their friends, families and loved ones. There are a lot of Thanksgiving Quotes to search in the internet and please stay tune here as we will give you our many collections of Thanksgiving Day Quotes and sayings in just a few minutes from now.

And to give you some Thanksgiving Quotes and Sayings:

Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude.  ~E.P. Powell

Remember God’s bounty in the year.  String the pearls of His favor.  Hide the dark parts, except so far as they are breaking out in light!  Give this one day to thanks, to joy, to gratitude!  ~Henry Ward Beecher

Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare.  They are consumed in twelve minutes.  Half-times take twelve minutes.  This is not coincidence.  ~Erma Bombeck

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.  ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

This is also the best time to open and refer to your Thanksgiving Recipes and cook the best food to eat on Thanksgiving Day 2010 with your families. Enjoy the different recipes from Turkey to Chicken, to salad and sweet potatoes pie desserts.

One of the main activities that you can teach with your kids is the Thanksgiving Word Search. There are a  lot of ways on how to do this activity. It will depend on how you will interpret this game and teach to them the right way of this holiday word search.

And if you are looking for an example of Thanksgiving games, word searches, and worksheets for your kids. Here what we have collected for your guide in making such activities more fun and more exciting as you can:

1. Family Style lists 4 great Thanksgiving games for the whole family including a special Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade set of Uno.

2. Famecrawler lists some great Thanksgiving games and worksheets.

3. Thankful Fours will get your kids thinking about all that they are thankful for.

4. You can download Thanksgiving crossword puzzles and word searches here.

5. Find printable worksheets, coloring pages and a Turkey maze here.

And to give you some Thanksgiving Activities for Kids, here are 3 steps of what the kids can in celebration of the Thanksgiving Day 2010:

*Play books-on-tape or have someone read to them the story of Thanksgiving.

*Consider letting them be in charge of the decorations: at least the ones you do not care to much about. Plus, consider letting them draw the place cards and arrange some decorations on the table.

* Help them feel special by giving them a list of jobs.

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Stores Open on Thanksgiving: Is Walmart Open on Thanksgiving 2010?

Posted on November 25, 2010 by admin

Black Friday Deals and Ads for Walmart, Amazon and Best Buy Debut – This is really awesome! The giant stores like Walmart, Best Buy and Target started to give their full list of Best Black Friday 2010 deals. The Walmart Black Friday 2010 Ads and so as well with Best Buy, Amazon, Kohls, Macy’s, Sears, Apple and Target ads are undeniably contains the most wanted deals which will be open this Thanksgiving Day 2010.

And people now are getting crazy looking and searching for the latest and updated Black Friday 2010 Ads, Sales, Discounts and Offers. And yes indeed, we cannot deny the fact the shoppers and consumers are very exciting with this much anticipated event for this November.

Apparently, Walmart brings us the best and most worth-the-bucks deals this season. From the latest gadgets, HDTVs, Computers, Gaming Consoles, Home Furnitures, Home Appliances, and a bunch of new and awesome goodies.

With the latest feature in Walmart official website, it was truly amazing online specials are there for shoppers to choose from. Like for instance an Apple iPod touch 8GB Bundle just for $223.00, Kodal EasyShare 12MP Digital Camera Bundlejust for $69.

You can also find there a Kung Zhu Hamsters 3-Pack Value Bundle for only $20, Nintendo Wii Console with Wii Fit Plus and Balance Board for $249, and a Hamilton Beach 6-Quart Stay or Go Slow Cooker for $24 is also there.

All the biggest and best deals are found in Walmart stores on Black Friday 2010. Please stay tune here as soon as theWalmart published their online best deals and ads before the much awaited Black Friday 2010.

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Defense Minister Kim Tae-young Resigned After the Attack

Posted on November 25, 2010 by admin


Defense Minister Kim Tae-young Resigned After the Attack – South Korean Defense Minister Kim Tae-young resigned on Thursday, two days after North Korea shelling left four Koreans dead, two marines and two civilians, according to the South Korean presidency.

Kim was a former general. He came under heavy criticism after the March sinking of the South Korean vessel Cheonan and again after North Korea attacked the South’s Yeonpyeong Island on Tuesday.

Kim actually submitted his resignation May 1, after the Cheonan incident, but it was not accepted until Thursday because of the Cheonan aftermath and other military-related issues. According to a spokesman for the President Blue House, the president has just accepted the defense minister’s resignation.

North Korea has been blamed by South Korea and other nations for the Cheonan incident, in which 46 soldiers were killed. However, North Korea denied the allegations. In response, it has blamed South Korea nad the United States for the Yeonpyeong incident, in which two South Korean marines and two civilians were killed and 15 were injured.

Meanwhile, a new minister is expected to be appointed soon. South Korea also said on Thursday that it will strengthen and supplement its rules of engagement in the Yellow Sea, following the incident on Yeonpyeong Island. The Yeonpyeong attack was the first direct artillery assault on South Korea since the Korean War ended in 1953.

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John Travolta and Kelly Preston Named Newly Born Baby “Benjamin”

Posted on November 25, 2010 by admin


John Travolta and Kelly Preston Named Newly Born Baby “Benjamin” – On Tuesday, actress Kelly Preston gave birth to a baby boy at an undisclosed hospital in Florida. John Travolta and his wife named him Benjamin.

This is the couple’s third child after almost two years on from the death of their first son Jett. Benjamin weighed 8lb and 3oz.

Jett died in January 2009 from a seizure during a family holiday in the Bahamas. The teenager suffered from Kawasaki disease, a condition which causes inflammation of the blood vessels in young children.

The couple’s publicist said that the Travolta family was ecstatic and very happy about the newest member of the family. Samantha Mast, a spokeswoman, said that mother and baby are healthy and doing beautifully.

The couple maried in 1991 and have a 10-year-old daughter named Ella. Ella Bleu Travolta has also apperared on screen, playing Robin Williams’ daughter in her father’s 2009 film Old Dogs

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