'Small Business Saturday' promotes mom, pop shops

'Small Business Saturday' promotes mom, pop shops

- view video -
'Small Business Saturday' promotes mom, pop shops
Updated on: 2010-11-26 00:04:18

Story posted 2010.11.25 at 09:04 PM PST

Friday is "Black Friday," but new this year is "Small Business Saturday." The idea is to stimulate the economy by promoting the kind of mom and pop stores that keep local communities alive.

Two days before Black Friday, people were camping out in front of the Best Buy store in Colma. Are they savvy consumers or just crazy? But, small businesses in places like Walnut Creek are saying you do not have to expose yourself to the elements to get a serious bargain on Saturday.

"That's usually our busiest day. People are just relaxing that day with visitors coming in for the holiday," says owner Anne Morgan, owner of Cafe Leonidas.

"Shop Local Saturday" is a new marketing campaign to lure customers into the mom and pop stores. The past two years have been challenging for most of them.

"The number one issue is the economy, especially. People can't afford to buy anything," says Evelyn de la Fuente at Silver Moon Jewelers.

At Liliana Castellanos in Walnut Creek, things have started to pick up.

"It's much better than last year. We increased sales by 60 percent from last year, so that is very good for us," says owner Irene Needoba.

Still, most small retailers are hoping for more gains. Morgan knows what it means to support local businesses.

"If you pick, the consumer pick, three independently-owned businesses that they would purchase $50 a month from, then they would keep us in business," she says.

Many customers say smaller stores deliver a better shopping experience.

"I think smaller businesses understand their customers more and that way they can give better customer service. They understand their customer and they aren't just another number to them," says shopper Matana Leplay.

People like Morgan hope "Small Business Saturday" will catch on.
Story posted 2010.11.25 at 09:04 PM PST

---

All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

.

Víctor Lei

Avoiding shipping fees when shopping online

Avoiding shipping fees when shopping online

- view video -
Avoiding shipping fees when shopping online
Updated on: 2010-11-26 20:33:15

Story posted 2010.11.26 at 05:32 PM PST

If you are shopping online for holiday gifts you are certainly not alone.

Americans spent more than $27 billion online last holiday season. It is convenient, but there are drawbacks including those hefty shipping charges that can really inflate your bill.

When Marion Coughlin went online to send her grandson a $45 gift, the cost to send it came as a shock.

"The shipping cost was almost $16 plus five-something for tax, and I was astounded!" she says.

Consumer Reports money adviser Mandy Walker says there are a number of ways to avoid monstrous shipping fees.

"There are sites that offer free or low-cost shipping, so check for those before you start shopping. Some, like Zappos.com , offer free shipping both ways, even if you decide to return an item," she says.

Another site that is worth trying is FreeShipping.org . You type in the name of a store, then you can see whether there are coupon codes you can use at the store's website to save on shipping. And, some websites will ship for free, but not to your house.

Walmart.com lets you shop at its site, then offers free shipping to a Walmart store where you can pick up your purchase. Borders and Best Buy do it too. And, if there is a must-have infomercial product on your list, beware of the shipping costs.

For instance, one infomercial says, "And now, the Awesome Auger is yours for only $19.99 plus shipping and processing."

Those shipping fees listed as "Separate P & H" are tacked on to each item in this offer including a "bonus" drill. In the end, they boosted the bill to more than $56. That is more than double the cost of the original $19.99 product.

Another lesson to be learned from Coughlin: Shop early to avoid sending last-minute gifts to family and friends when shipping costs are at their highest.

The Direct Marketing Association says excessive shipping charges are the main reason shoppers do not finish checking out online. If you think you've been charged shipping fees that are too high or misleading, let 7 On Your Side know.

Consumer Reports is published by Consumers Union. Both Consumer Reports and Consumers Union are not-for-profit organizations that accept no advertising. Neither has any commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor on this site.

(All Consumer Reports Material Copyright 2010. Consumers Union of U.S. Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)
Story posted 2010.11.26 at 05:32 PM PST

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All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

.

Víctor Lei

Thanksgiving cold breaks records across Bay Area

Thanksgiving cold breaks records across Bay Area

Story posted 2010.11.26 at 03:25 PM PST

Californians are hoping for a warmer weekend after a Thanksgiving cold snap broke or tied cold-temperature records -- some more than a century old -- up and down the state.

The National Weather Service reports that San Francisco's low of 42 degrees on Thursday tied a record set back in 1892. Across the bay in Oakland, 36-degree daytime temperatures shattered the old record of 42.

The mercury in Los Angeles dropped to 42, tying a 1946 record.

Stockton saw a record low temperature of 27 degrees Thursday morning, while Sacramento tied a record low of 30.

Subfreezing temperatures in California's Central Valley citrus growing region threatened to damage the billion-dollar crop. But growers working through the night used warm water and wind machines to keep the cold at bay.
Story posted 2010.11.26 at 03:25 PM PST

---

All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

.

Víctor Lei

All-night shop-a-thon: Black Friday draws crowds

All-night shop-a-thon: Black Friday draws crowds

Page 1 of 2

- view video -
All-night shop-a-thon: Black Friday draws crowds
Updated on: 2010-11-26 12:43:14

- view video -
Black Friday draws shoppers to SF
Updated on: 2010-11-27 02:57:25

Story posted 2010.11.26 at 11:55 PM PST

Bargain shoppers, braving rain or frigid weather, crowded the nation's stores in the wee hours of the night to get their hands on deals from TVs to toys on Black Friday.

Early signs pointed to bigger crowds at many stores including Best Buy, Sears, and Toys R Us for the traditional start to the holiday shopping season.

In an encouraging sign for retailers and for the economy, more shoppers appeared to be buying for themselves than last year, when such indulgences were limited. Lengthened hours that pushed some store openings into Thanksgiving also appeared to pay off.

Toys R Us, which drew in shoppers with 50 percent discounts on such toys as Buzz Lightyear and Barbies, was counting on getting an extra boost by opening 24 hours straight, starting at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

Brian Dunn, CEO of Best Buy Co., which started its holiday TV ads 11 days earlier this year than last year, reported customer counts were showing high single-digit percentage increase Friday morning compared last year. He said shoppers were throwing in items like Blu-ray players to go with early morning bargains that started at 5 a.m.

"Traffic was fast and furious. . We started earlier and we have more TVs. I think both of these things helped," Dunn said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I do think there will be more self-gifting this year."

Still, analysts monitoring stores said many people were paying with cash and were focused, doing plenty of research before venturing out.

"Where there are bargains, there are people looking to gobble them up," said Marshal Cohen, chief analyst for market research firm NPD. "The consumer is still very calculated."

The earlier hours were an enticement to shoppers like Jessica Marshburn, who was armed with a Rockstar energy drink and an advertising insert from a newspaper.

"It's easier this year. I just stayed up," said Marshburn, who was at Washington Square mall in Tigard, Ore., for its midnight opening. Her game plan? Kohl's, Target, and Best Buy, as they opened. She and her friend Cristy Doering were shopping for themselves while keeping their eyes open for deals that might make good gifts.

At the Walmart store in Columbia, Md., customers came in waves, with a big rush at midnight when toys and clothing went on sale and then another surge just before cut-rate electronics were hauled out at 5 a.m. Parking spots were in short supply and shopping carts were even more scarce, as people stalked the exits waiting for discarded ones.

The chain averted the dangers of years past by keeping its doors open all night to head off potential stampedes. Shoppers instead lined up for tickets entitling them to heavily discounted TVs and computers and then camped out in cordoned-off aisles.

While the system kept things orderly, some shoppers didn't appreciate it.

Kelly Miller was looking to do some marathon gift shopping, but ended up buying just a few toys, including a $4 Candyland game.

"I might have picked up more," she said, "if I could have found what I wanted without stepping on people lying on the floor. I got fed up."

Retail analyst Cohen, who had a team of consultants monitoring 11 regions, estimated that 15 percent of purchases so far on Friday were items for the shoppers themselves, up from about 9 percent last year on the same day. On Black Friday 2008, he estimated it dropped to about 5 percent. In good economic times, such purchases run about 26 percent, Cohen said.

Kevin Jones, a Black Friday first-timer, was at Walmart in Columbia, Md., to buy a 42-inch Emerson LCD television for $398 for his new apartment.

"This year, I'm taking care of me first. I deserve a little gift," he said.

The fierce battle for shoppers' wallets promises savings for those willing and able to buy amid an economy that's still worrying many.

The strong Black Friday builds on retailers' momentum after a solid start to November. Shoppers who can afford it are buying more nonessentials, like jewelry and luxury goods.
Next >>

---

All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

.

Víctor Lei

Union Square Hosts Christmas Tree Lighting - Entertainment News Story - KTVU San Francisco

Union Square Hosts Christmas Tree Lighting - Entertainment News Story - KTVU San Francisco

I wish to go but so many people there...

All-night shop-a-thon: Black Friday draws crowds

Walgreens

All-night shop-a-thon: Black Friday draws crowds

Page 1 of 2

- view video -
All-night shop-a-thon: Black Friday draws crowds
Updated on: 2010-11-26 12:43:14

Story posted 2010.11.26 at 09:38 AM PST

Bargain shoppers, braving rain or frigid weather, crowded the nation's stores in the wee hours of the night to get their hands on deals from TVs to toys on Black Friday.

Early signs pointed to bigger crowds at many stores including Best Buy, Sears, and Toys R Us for the traditional start to the holiday shopping season.

In an encouraging sign for retailers and for the economy, more shoppers appeared to be buying for themselves than last year, when such indulgences were limited. Lengthened hours that pushed some store openings into Thanksgiving also appeared to pay off.

Toys R Us, which drew in shoppers with 50 percent discounts on such toys as Buzz Lightyear and Barbies, was counting on getting an extra boost by opening 24 hours straight, starting at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

Brian Dunn, CEO of Best Buy Co., which started its holiday TV ads 11 days earlier this year than last year, reported customer counts were showing high single-digit percentage increase Friday morning compared last year. He said shoppers were throwing in items like Blu-ray players to go with early morning bargains that started at 5 a.m.

"Traffic was fast and furious. . We started earlier and we have more TVs. I think both of these things helped," Dunn said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I do think there will be more self-gifting this year."

Still, analysts monitoring stores said many people were paying with cash and were focused, doing plenty of research before venturing out.

"Where there are bargains, there are people looking to gobble them up," said Marshal Cohen, chief analyst for market research firm NPD. "The consumer is still very calculated."

The earlier hours were an enticement to shoppers like Jessica Marshburn, who was armed with a Rockstar energy drink and an advertising insert from a newspaper.

"It's easier this year. I just stayed up," said Marshburn, who was at Washington Square mall in Tigard, Ore., for its midnight opening. Her game plan? Kohl's, Target, and Best Buy, as they opened. She and her friend Cristy Doering were shopping for themselves while keeping their eyes open for deals that might make good gifts.

At the Walmart store in Columbia, Md., customers came in waves, with a big rush at midnight when toys and clothing went on sale and then another surge just before cut-rate electronics were hauled out at 5 a.m. Parking spots were in short supply and shopping carts were even more scarce, as people stalked the exits waiting for discarded ones.

The chain averted the dangers of years past by keeping its doors open all night to head off potential stampedes. Shoppers instead lined up for tickets entitling them to heavily discounted TVs and computers and then camped out in cordoned-off aisles.

While the system kept things orderly, some shoppers didn't appreciate it.

Kelly Miller was looking to do some marathon gift shopping, but ended up buying just a few toys, including a $4 Candyland game.

"I might have picked up more," she said, "if I could have found what I wanted without stepping on people lying on the floor. I got fed up."

Retail analyst Cohen, who had a team of consultants monitoring 11 regions, estimated that 15 percent of purchases so far on Friday were items for the shoppers themselves, up from about 9 percent last year on the same day. On Black Friday 2008, he estimated it dropped to about 5 percent. In good economic times, such purchases run about 26 percent, Cohen said.

Kevin Jones, a Black Friday first-timer, was at Walmart in Columbia, Md., to buy a 42-inch Emerson LCD television for $398 for his new apartment.

"This year, I'm taking care of me first. I deserve a little gift," he said.

The fierce battle for shoppers' wallets promises savings for those willing and able to buy amid an economy that's still worrying many.

The strong Black Friday builds on retailers' momentum after a solid start to November. Shoppers who can afford it are buying more nonessentials, like jewelry and luxury goods.
Next >>

---

All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

..

Víctor Lei

'Small Business Saturday' promotes mom, pop shops

Pepsi

'Small Business Saturday' promotes mom, pop shops

- view video -
'Small Business Saturday' promotes mom, pop shops
Updated on: 2010-11-26 00:04:18

Story posted 2010.11.25 at 09:04 PM PST

Friday is "Black Friday," but new this year is "Small Business Saturday." The idea is to stimulate the economy by promoting the kind of mom and pop stores that keep local communities alive.

Two days before Black Friday, people were camping out in front of the Best Buy store in Colma. Are they savvy consumers or just crazy? But, small businesses in places like Walnut Creek are saying you do not have to expose yourself to the elements to get a serious bargain on Saturday.

"That's usually our busiest day. People are just relaxing that day with visitors coming in for the holiday," says owner Anne Morgan, owner of Cafe Leonidas.

"Shop Local Saturday" is a new marketing campaign to lure customers into the mom and pop stores. The past two years have been challenging for most of them.

"The number one issue is the economy, especially. People can't afford to buy anything," says Evelyn de la Fuente at Silver Moon Jewelers.

At Liliana Castellanos in Walnut Creek, things have started to pick up.

"It's much better than last year. We increased sales by 60 percent from last year, so that is very good for us," says owner Irene Needoba.

Still, most small retailers are hoping for more gains. Morgan knows what it means to support local businesses.

"If you pick, the consumer pick, three independently-owned businesses that they would purchase $50 a month from, then they would keep us in business," she says.

Many customers say smaller stores deliver a better shopping experience.

"I think smaller businesses understand their customers more and that way they can give better customer service. They understand their customer and they aren't just another number to them," says shopper Matana Leplay.

People like Morgan hope "Small Business Saturday" will catch on.
Story posted 2010.11.25 at 09:04 PM PST

---

All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

..

Víctor Lei

Seagate® 1TB Expansion™ External Hard Drive | Staples®

Seagate® 1TB Expansion™ External Hard Drive | Staples®

It was $89.99, almost half the price!

Omnitech Noise Cancelling Headphones | Staples®

Omnitech Noise Cancelling Headphones | Staples®

$20 for a noise cancelling headphone is such a great deal!

(BN) Stocks Slide as Dollar Gains on Korea, Debt Concerns; Futures, Metals Drop

Bloomberg News, sent from my iPod touch.

Stocks, Futures Fall on Korea, Europe Debt Woes; Dollar Gains

Nov. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Stocks and U.S. index futures dropped as tensions in Korea mounted and concern deepened over Europe's debt woes. The cost of insuring against defaults by Portugal, Spain and Ireland rose to records and the dollar strengthened.

The MSCI World Index of stocks slipped 0.9 percent at 6:46 a.m. in New York, while futures on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index lost 1 percent. South Korea's Kospi Index fell 1.3 percent and Hungary's BUX Index slid 3.7 percent. The extra yield investors demand to hold Spanish 10-year bonds over benchmark German bunds climbed to 264 basis points, a euro-era record. The dollar appreciated 1.1 percent to $1.3227 per euro, a two-month high. The S&P GSCI index of 24 commodities declined 0.8 percent.

More than $1.8 trillion has been wiped off the value of global equities in the past three weeks as traders speculated Ireland's debt crisis will spread to other European Union countries, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. European Central Bank council member Erkki Liikanen said in a speech published today that policy makers may keep support measures in place for longer "if required." South Korea said the North may have conducted artillery drills, after its neighbor warned of retaliation to any encroachment of its sovereignty.

"Global markets continue to trade nervously and without clear conviction as the EU sovereign and Korean crisis fears remained front-page news," Kit Juckes, head of foreign-exchange research at Societe Generale AG in London, wrote in a report. Korea keeps "the risk-aversion train rolling along."

Santander, Bank of Ireland

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index slumped 1.2 percent as more than five companies fell for every one that gained. Spanish banks led the decline, sending the IBEX 35 index down 2.6 percent. Banco Santander SA, Spain's biggest lender, dropped 4.5 percent, while Bankinter SA sank 4.1 percent. Bank of Ireland Plc slid for a fifth day, losing 3.5 percent. BNP Paribas SA, France's largest lender, slipped 4.5 percent. Rio Tinto Group lost 3.5 percent.

Hungarian stocks sank for a second day, with the benchmark BUX Index posting the steepest drop worldwide, after the government said citizens must move their privately managed pension assets to the state or lose 70 percent of their pension claim. Economy Minister Gyorgy Matolcsy announced the policy on Nov. 24 as the most indebted eastern member of the EU steps up efforts to reduce the budget deficit.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 1.2 percent to its lowest level in a month. Hana Financial Group Inc., South Korea's fourth-largest financial company, slumped 4.1 percent. China's Shanghai Composite Index dropped 0.9 percent after Shanghai Securities News reported the government may cut its target for new lending next year. Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd. lost 1.6 percent.

Black Friday

The decline in U.S. futures indicated the S&P 500 may pare some of its 1.5 percent rally on Nov. 24. U.S. markets were closed yesterday for the Thanksgiving holiday. Retailers and shoppers are preparing for Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year and a bellwether for the holiday season. Analysts' estimates for holiday sales vary from little changed to increases of as much as 4.5 percent.

The yield on the Spanish 10-year bond jumped five basis points to 5.26 percent, bringing its increase since Nov. 16 to 72 basis points. Credit-default swaps on Spain climbed 21 basis points to 320.5, while contracts on Portugal soared 31.5 basis points to 507.5 and those on Ireland increased 19 basis points to 599.5.

Dollar Gain

The yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note dropped five basis points to 2.87 percent. The Dollar Index, which tracks the currency against those of six trading partners, jumped 0.8 percent to 80.327, set for its third consecutive weekly gain, the longest sequence of gains since May 14. The euro depreciated 0.6 percent to 111 yen, and fell 0.1 percent in a basket of 10 currencies, according to Bloomberg Correlation-Weighted Currency Indexes.

Copper for delivery in three months dropped 1.6 percent to $8,210 a metric ton on the London Metal Exchange, declining for the first time in three days. Aluminum, nickel and zinc also retreated. Gold fell 1 percent to $1,361.70 an ounce and silver slid 3.2 percent to $26.68 an ounce. Brent crude for January settlement fell 1.1 percent to $85.16 a barrel on the London- based ICE Futures Europe exchange.

To contact the reporter on this story: Justin Carrigan in London at jcarrigan@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Stuart Wallace at swallace6@bloomberg.net

Find out more about Bloomberg for iPhone: http://m.bloomberg.com/iphone/

Víctor Lei

(BN) Asia Stocks, Won Fall as North Korea Warns of War; Euro Drops on Debt Risk

Bloomberg News, sent from my iPod touch.

Asian Stocks, Won Fall for 3rd Week on Korea Risk; Metals Drop

Nov. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks and the won fell for a third week and commodities dropped after North Korea threatened war and as investors speculated that China will tighten monetary policy. The euro fell on concern Europe's debt crisis may deepen.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index slid 1.2 percent to 129.07 as of 4 p.m. in Tokyo, taking its weekly decline to 1.9 percent. The won sank 1.9 percent while the euro traded near a two-month low against the dollar. Zinc slumped as much as 4.4 percent in London. Futures on the Euro Stoxx 50 index slumped 0.8 percent while those of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index slipped 0.6 percent as U.S. markets reopen after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Explosive shots were heard today from a South Korean island that was shelled this week by North Korea, which warned of retaliation to any encroachment of its sovereignty. Chinese banks declined after the Shanghai Securities News said the government may cut the target for new lending in 2011. Yields on Portuguese, Spanish and Italian bonds jumped yesterday even as European Central Bank council member Axel Weber said governments can increase the size of the region's bailout fund if necessary.

"We have both economic and geopolitical events that have taken a toll on investor appetite for risk," said Wan Murezani Mohamad, an analyst at Malaysian Rating Corp. in Kuala Lumpur. "The market tends to turn to safe-haven assets."

About two stocks fell for each that gained on the MSCI Asia Pacific. The gauge's three-week slump, its longest stretch of declines since the period ended Feb. 5, has wiped out its gains this month. South Korea's Kospi index fell 1.3 percent, led by declines of at least 2.3 percent in Kia Motors Corp. and LG Display Co.

China's Banks

China's Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.8 percent, adding to its third straight weekly retreat. Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd. lost 1.6 percent after the Shanghai Securities News reported that new loans in the nation next year will likely be close to 7 trillion yuan ($1.1 trillion), less than this year's target of 7.5 trillion yuan.

Zinc for three-month delivery fell to as low as $2,098 a metric ton on the London Metal Exchange before trading at $2,106.50. The contract for copper retreated as much as 2.2 percent to $8,161 a ton. Futures also slumped in China after the Shanghai Futures Exchange said yesterday it will raise margins and daily price limits to curb speculation and cool inflation.

Crude oil for January delivery traded at $83.68 a barrel in New York, after settling at $83.86 on Nov. 24. Floor trading was closed yesterday for Thanksgiving in the U.S. and electronic trades will be booked with today's for settlement purposes.

Korean Shelling

The won, which slid to a two-month low of 1,172.50 per dollar a day after this week's attack by North Korea, traded at 1,159.63 per dollar, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

North Korea said today that it is "greatly enraged at the provocation" from the South and warned that any "escalated confrontation" will lead to war, according to state news agency KCNA. It fired artillery shells on South Korea's Yeonpyeong island on Nov. 23, killing four and wounding 20. South Korea is preparing for joint military exercises with the U.S.

"This is really a big risk for the whole region, leading to a massive sell-off of the won," said Minoru Shioiri, chief manager of currency trading in Tokyo at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co. "People don't want to hold the won and other regional currencies over the weekend when we don't know what would happen."

Dollar, Euro

The dollar rose versus 14 of its 16 major counterparts as speculation of an escalation in the Korean conflict boosted demand for the safety of the greenback. The currency traded at 83.87 yen from 83.60 yen in New York yesterday, after earlier touching 83.89 yen, the strongest since Oct. 5.

The euro fell to $1.3305 in Tokyo from $1.3360 in New York yesterday and traded at 111.58 yen from 111.69 yen. The 16- nation currency has declined this week against 15 of its 16 major peers.

Bonds of the euro region's most-indebted nations fell yesterday after LCH Clearnet Ltd. increased its margin requirements, or cost of trading, in Irish government securities for the third time this month. The yield on Ireland's 10-year debt climbed 18 basis points to 9.04 percent, while the Spanish 10-year yield rose 11 basis points to 5.18 percent yesterday.

Portugal faces a final vote in parliament today on its 2011 spending plan, which includes measures to pare the deficit. The government said in September that it would cut wages, freeze hiring and raise value-added taxes.

Spending, Rates

Elsewhere in the region, a report today may show French consumer spending declined 0.5 percent in October from the previous month when it increased 1.5 percent, according the median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg. From a year earlier, spending increased 0.4 percent last month, the survey showed.

Australia's dollar dropped versus 15 of its 16 major peers as central bank governor Glenn Stevens said the nation's interest-rate setting is appropriate for the "period ahead," damping speculation of further rate increases. The so-called Aussie appreciated 1.2 percent to 96.94 U.S. cents.

Stevens' statement suggests the Reserve Bank of Australia "is pretty comfortable with the current level of policy and will hardly change it," said Greg Gibbs, a currency strategist at Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc in Sydney. "The market hasn't got another hike fully priced in until July next year."

Japan's 10-year government bonds fell for a second day, pushing yields up by 2.5 basis points to 1.18 percent, an 11- week high. Consumer prices excluding fresh food fell 0.6 percent in October from a year earlier after dropping 1.1 percent in September, the statistics bureau said today in Tokyo, matching the median forecast of 28 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. Overall consumer prices rose 0.2 percent from a year ago, the first increase since December 2008.

To contact the reporters on this story: Shiyin Chen in Singapore at schen37@bloomberg.net David Yong in Singapore at dyong@bloomberg.net .

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nicolas Johnson at nicojohnson@bloomberg.net .

Find out more about Bloomberg for iPhone: http://m.bloomberg.com/iphone/

Víctor Lei

It Would Happen Once Again In Best Buy Store Tomorrow...

NO BEST BUY DOORBUSTER DEALS!!! NO MORE TICKETS!!! FUCK YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Something I Planned To Buy On This Black Friday

It's almost there! The Black Friday is coming back! I think I should have no excuse for not buying something I want on this special day. It has been my part of traditions to celebrate the holiday season each year, so I should go out and grab some great deals tomorrow. No, I won't be the doorbuster and I won't camp outside to buy those cheap laptops or TVs, (it's just too crazy!!) but I'll grab some other deals that would be available until tomorrow afternoon. The place that I would grab the deals is once again Best Buy. Yes, it has been my fifth year to buy something in their store on Black Friday. Why I choose to shop Best Buy on every Black Friday? Because I feel the atmosphere of the holiday shopping right there, a very strong atmosphere.

Did I say last night that I had no idea on what to buy on this Black Friday right? Now I have two deals to grab in Best Buy tomorrow. One is the Pinnacle Studio Ultimate video editing software, which I have looked for it for a long time, another is 1TB external portable hard drive. I think I should invest on a bigger hard drive as I'm now frequently working on those audio and video projects, furthermore, I need a big enough hard drive to store my media files and projects. Those two things are really essential to me, I'll go buy them tomorrow.

No matter how much money I would spend, that is an annual tradition, and it's okay to spend for something good! Happy shopping folks!

The Simpsons Movie Trailer

You may have or may have not seen this trailer, but the reason I put it right here is that the trailer is really cool. Why? Because all its original music, voiceovers, dialogs and sound effects have been replaced with different music and sound effects, with my own voice as well as my friend's. Check this out. Man! I practiced reading the voiceovers for "hundred and hundred times",when that project got done, I almost lost my voice!

Stores Lure In Shoppers With Thanksgiving Sales

Xfinity

Stores Lure In Shoppers With Thanksgiving Sales

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Page 1 of 2

- view video -
CONCORD: Sears Among A Handful Of Stores Now Open On Thanksgiving Day
Updated on: 2010-11-25 11:50:14

Story posted 2010.11.25 at 12:55 PM PST

Not all Americans tucked into turkey with their families on Thanksgiving. Some were out shopping, hitting sales ahead of the crowds expected Friday.

After a year of cautious spending and worry over an uncertain economy and high unemployment, more stores this year extended hours into Thanksgiving Day, a day when stores are traditionally closed.

Many grumble about the relentless march of commercialism creeping into the holiday. But at least some shoppers took the bait.

While crowds appeared relatively light compared with the weekend ahead, the extended hours drew in overseas visitors, those who have to work Friday and some who couldn't resist a good deal.

Sears, Kmart and some Sports Authority, Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic stores were among those open Thursday.

At an Old Navy in Lutherville, Md., Brenda Tarver, 65, a retired postal employee from Baltimore, was dragged out of the house by her daughters, but was finding good deals on clothing.

"They've got good prices and a variety of items. A lot of things are 50 percent off," she said.

Willy Gerelbest, 45, a counselor from Brooklyn, was shopping at Kmart in New York for sneakers on sale for $9.99.

"I saw the advertising and just wanted to check it out," he said. "Tomorrow I have to work."

David Friedman, president of marketing for Sears Holdings Corp. said the decision to open 7 a.m.-noon on Thanksgiving Day stemmed from positive response to a similar "early Black Friday" sale in November, as well as success with Kmart, which Sears also owns and has been open on Thanksgiving for 19 years.

Workers will earn holiday pay and still be home in time for a Thanksgiving meal, Friedman said.

At the Sears store at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., the largest U.S. shopping and entertainment complex, sales were fueled by a charity walk at the mall.

The walk -- and a good sale -- drew Helen Schultz, of White Bear Lake, Minn. She bought a 19-inch RCA LCD HDTV for $129.99, saving $70. But she said wouldn't have bought it Thursday if she hadn't been there for the charity walk.

"I don't think shopping should be done on Thanksgiving," Schultz said. "But they need to make money."

Toys R Us CEO Jerry Storch said the company decided to open at 10 p.m. Thanksgiving Day because reaction was so positive to the stores' midnight opening last year. Before that, stores opened at 5 a.m. on Friday. He expects brisk sales of hot toys like Santa-ma-jig, a green and red singing doll.

"Customers lined up at 8 p.m. on last year. They wanted us to open earlier," he said.

A similar promotional blitz greeted online shoppers Thursday, though the holiday isn't a bonanza there, either.

Last year, consumers spent about $300 million online on Thanksgiving, compared with $887 million on Cyber Monday, according to comScore.

According to Akamai Technologies, which tracks traffic to 270 retail sites, traffic peaked at 11 a.m. and was up about 14 percent from Wednesday.

John Thompson, senior vice president and general manager of Best Buy Inc.'s website, said this year the company reached out to its frequent online shoppers and gave them early access to deals.

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State Citrus Crop Weathers Record Cold Wave

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State Citrus Crop Weathers Record Cold Wave

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Story posted 2010.11.25 at 01:00 PM PST

California's citrus crop escaped serious damage early Thursday as the state faced an onslaught of cold weather over Thanksgiving that may have contributed to the death of a toddler.

Subfreezing temperatures failed to fall far enough to damage crops worth billions of dollars in the state's Central Valley citrus belt, California Citrus Mutual president Joel Nielsen said.

Clouds that rolled in after midnight raised temperatures 2 to 3 degrees, warding off a potentially devastating frost, he said.

Citrus damage can occur when temperatures fall to 28 degrees for four hours or longer. Some areas saw 27-degree temperatures Wednesday night but for no longer than an hour, Nielsen said.

A freeze warning remained in effect through Friday morning. The National Weather Service predicted temperatures could fall as low as 25 degrees in rural areas.

The cold weather stretched to inland Southern California, where temperatures were predicted to fall below freezing Thursday night.

In Placer County, officials told KCRA that toddler Zachary Mather and his stepmother were walking Wednesday along a canal in Colfax when the woman slipped on a patch of ice and the two fell into the water.

The stepmother got out of the Bear River canal and yelled for help. Rescue crews found the toddler downstream but could not revive him.

Story posted 2010.11.25 at 01:00 PM PST

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(BN) Yuan Forecasts at Triple Forward Rates Luring Western Asset: China Credit

Bloomberg News, sent from my iPod touch.

Yuan Forecasts at Triple Forward Rates Draw Funds: China Credit

Nov. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Pioneer Investment Management Ltd. and Western Asset Management Co. are increasing bets on the yuan appreciating as analysts forecast the currency will gain at triple the rate reflected in prices of forwards contracts.

Twelve-month non-deliverable forwards weakened 0.3 percent to 6.5275 per dollar yesterday in Hong Kong, implying the yuan will strengthen 1.9 percent from the Shanghai spot rate of 6.6508, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That's the smallest advance indicated since September. The currency will appreciate 6.2 percent to 6.2600 by the end of 2011, according to the median estimate of 17 economists surveyed by Bloomberg.

The central bank will allow a 7 percent annual pace of yuan appreciation through June and raise interest rates four times as it tackles the fastest inflation in two years, Standard Chartered Plc forecast this week. China's central bank has allowed the yuan to climb 2.6 percent since a dollar peg ended in June, raised borrowing costs in October for the first time since 2007 and last week increased banks' reserve-ratio requirements for the fifth time this year.

"China would like to calm upward pressure on inflation, reduce excess liquidity and capital inflows, so we can expect more to come on the reserve-ratio side, on the rate side and on the currency side," said Andreas Koenig, a senior currency fund manager in Dublin at Pioneer, which manages 185 billion euros ($246 billion). "Demand for yuan will remain and probably even intensify."

Hu's Visit

Pioneer and Western Asset, which together oversee $715 billion, say they have added to their holdings of non- deliverable forwards this month. Robert Minikin, a senior foreign-exchange strategist at Standard Chartered in Hong Kong, on Nov. 24 recommended investors buy three-month contracts, noting China may let yuan gains accelerate before President Hu Jintao visits Washington in January.

Hu's visit "will be an important time to look at exactly what the quantum of progress has been" on China's currency reforms, U.S. National Security Adviser Thomas Donilon said Nov. 14. President Barack Obama said the previous day that the yuan was "undervalued," speaking after Group of 20 nations' talks in Seoul.

The yuan has strengthened 25 percent versus the dollar in the past decade, outpacing gains of 13 percent for the Brazilian real and 2.9 percent for India's rupee, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Russia's ruble weakened 11 percent in that time.

'Undervalued' Forwards

The yuan accounted for 11.6 percent of the currency exposure of Western Asset's $480 million Asian Opportunities Fund at the end of October, according to a statement issued by the firm on Nov. 23. That's up from 7.5 percent on July 31.

"Yuan non-deliverable forwards are currently undervalued," said Rajeev de Mello, head of Asian investment in Singapore at Western Asset Management Co., which oversaw $469 billion at the end of September. "The Chinese currency could appreciate 3.5 to 4 percent at an annualized rate; based on this, the contracts look cheap."

Twelve-month yuan forwards indicated 5.1 percent yuan appreciation on average between April 2006 and December 2007, the last cycle of interest-rate increases in China. The benchmark one-year lending and deposit rates were raised 1.89 percentage points to 7.47 percent and 4.14 percent, respectively, in that time. Last month's quarter of a percentage point increase lifted the rates to 5.56 percent and 2.5 percent.

Lending Curbs

China's 12-month interest-rate swap, the fixed cost needed to receive the floating seven-day repurchase rate, yesterday jumped 20 basis points, or 0.2 percentage point, to a two-year high of 3.21 percent after the People's Bank of China said it will "normalize" monetary conditions.

The yield on the 3.28 percent government bond due in August 2020 slipped one basis point to 3.98 percent, according to the National Interbank Funding Center. It's climbed 28 basis points this month and reached 4 percent in the last two weeks, the highest level for a benchmark 10-year note since September 2008.

The central bank will control the pace of bank lending for the rest of the year as it will be difficult to stay within the government's 7.5 trillion yuan ($1.1 trillion) target for new loans, Deputy Governor Hu Xiaolian said in a Nov. 24 statement. New lending totaled 6.88 trillion yuan in the last 10 months, official figures show.

Consumer prices increased 4.4 percent from a year earlier in October, exceeding the official 3 percent target for 2010. Inflation may reach 5 percent by mid-2011, prompting the central bank to "accelerate monetary tightening," said Dariusz Kowalczyk, senior economist at Credit Agricole CIB in Hong Kong. The rate will average 5.5 percent next year, Standard Chartered forecast this week.

'Bullish' on Yuan

"China's monetary policy has a lot more focus on inflation," said Ryosuke Kawahata, a Tokyo-based fund manager at Mizuho Asset Management Co., which oversees the equivalent of $41 billion. "They have been allowing appreciation at quite a fast pace this year and that hasn't caused much damage to the economy, which is strong and solid enough to withstand the adjustment. We are bullish on China's currency."

Kawahata helps manage Mizuho's Growing Asia Fund, which splits its assets evenly between China, India and Southeast Asia. China's economy grew 9.6 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, following a 10.3 percent expansion in the previous three months.

The annual cost of insuring China's foreign-currency debt for five years using credit-default swaps rose four basis points to 64 in the three days ended Nov. 24, according to CMA prices. The contracts pay the buyer face value in exchange for the underlying securities or the cash equivalent should the government fail to adhere to its debt agreements.

To contact the reporters on this story: David Yong in Singapore at dyong@bloomberg.net Yumi Teso in Bangkok at yteso1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Sandy Hendry at shendry@bloomberg.net .

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(BN) RBA's Stevens Says Australian Inflation is Unlikely to Slow Much Further

Bloomberg News, sent from my iPod touch.

RBA Says Currency Containing Prices, Rate Appropriate

Nov. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Australian central bank Governor Glenn Stevens said a stronger local dollar is helping contain inflation pressures and signaled the benchmark interest rate is at an appropriate level for the near term.

"Over the coming year, we think that inflation will be pretty close to where it is now, consistent with the target," Stevens told the House of Representatives Committee on Economics in Canberra today. "Growth in labor costs, however, is no longer declining but rising."

The Australian dollar fell after his comments bolstered investors' expectations that the Reserve Bank of Australia will continue monitoring figures on prices before raising interest rates again. Stevens indicated that with unemployment hovering around 5 percent in recent months the pace of wage growth wasn't "alarming" and that figures this month on those costs weren't "view-changing."

"This is consistent with the idea that there will be no near-term move and they will reassess in February and March next year," said Adam Carr, a senior economist at ICAP Australia Ltd. in Sydney. "That said, the fact that RBA is talking more about medium term upside risks to inflation should leave us in no doubt where rates are going."

Rate Outlook

Carr said he is predicting two 25-basis-point increases in the RBA's overnight cash rate target in the first half of 2011.

The RBA on Nov. 2 ended a five-month pause in raising interest rates as it seeks to contain an expected gain in consumer prices. Wages rose last quarter by the most in almost two years as growth of salaries in private industry outpaced government pay gains for the first time since the height of the global financial crisis.

"Stevens' comments highlight that the risk remains on the side of higher rather than lower inflation," said Stephen Roberts, a senior economist at Nomura Australia Ltd. in Sydney. "The hike, plus the additional moves by the banks and the stronger Australian dollar, mean that the policy setting is about right for the period ahead."

Tighter Policy

Stevens boosted borrowing costs this month by a quarter percentage point to 4.75 percent as mining investment, job growth and overseas demand propel the economy. He has increased the benchmark lending rate seven times since October 2009.

That contrasts with the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy of a benchmark rate near zero since December 2008. The divergence has made the local dollar the second-best performer among 16 major currencies this year, with a 9.2 percent gain against the U.S. dollar.

Australia's currency traded at 97.72 U.S. cents as of 11:01 a.m. in Sydney from 98.08 cents in New York yesterday and 98.66 cents on Nov. 19.

Stevens said the Australian dollar's rise was helping contain inflation pressures and that the increase "usually takes some time to flow through fully."

Speaking about monetary policy, Stevens said today that "overall, and also taking account of the exchange rate, which has risen substantially this year, we judge this to be the appropriate setting for the period ahead."

Spare Capacity

The amount of spare capacity in the nation's economy is "pretty modest" and that "the pace of overall wage growth in the economy is gradually increasing," the governor said.

Employment in Australia rose by 29,700 jobs in October from September, a government report this month showed, almost 50 percent more than the median forecast for a 20,000 increase in a Bloomberg News survey.

"There's a bit more scope for labor demand to rise than you might think just by looking at the official unemployment rate," Stevens said. Inflation is near the midpoint of the RBA's inflation target range of 2 percent to 3 percent, he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Michael Heath in Sydney at mheath1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Chris Anstey in Tokyo at canstey@bloomberg.net .

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Different faith volunteers unite for Thanksgiving

Different faith volunteers unite for Thanksgiving

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Different faith volunteers unite for Thanksgiving
Updated on: 2010-11-25 03:19:08

Story posted 2010.11.25 at 12:20 AM PST

Bay Area food kitchens are expecting to be exceptionally busy on Thanksgiving. Hunger in the United States is at its highest level in 15 years, so volunteers started preparing Thanksgiving meals on Wednesday night.

At St. Anthony's in San Francisco, they added a twist to this Thanksgiving. They called the leaders of six different faiths in the community and asked if their members would come and help prepare the meal.

"We were really surprised, we're very happy that we could share our wealth and help the needy," says volunteer Balbir Sull from the Sikh Temple.

They spent a couple of hours on jobs like filling 4,000 pie crusts and decorating the tables, but the moment was so unique, they did take a break long enough to capture it by taking a picture together.

"So often in the news today what we hear are…different faiths struggling with each other or saying one is bringing another down. We're saying, 'You know what? We all work together for the good of our brothers and sisters who struggle,'" says St. Anthony's Executive Director Shari Roeseler.

Over at Glide Memorial Church, volunteers were also busy Wednesday night getting ready for the 5,000 meals they'll serve on Thanksgiving. There's always an impressive turnout of volunteers at Thanksgiving, but many of them realize the importance of showing up after the big holiday.

"It's a place I try to come regularly, not just on Thanksgiving, but it's extra special on Thanksgiving," says volunteer Mio Nitta.

Both Glide and St Anthony's agree need is up this year and type of people who need help has changed.

"I would say some middle class, some who thought they were going to be able to get through this year and years to come and have discovered they don't have the resources," says Rev. Cecil Williams from Glide Memorial Church.

The hope, of course, is that the people they feed will turn into success stories like Shirley Smith and her husband Charles.

"We were in a tent for a whole year. We were on drugs and alcohol," says Shirley.

St. Anthony's helped them with their addictions and with life. They now rent a four bedroom house and volunteer their time at St. Anthony's. And since there are so many people in need this year, they plan on giving some money too.

Story posted 2010.11.25 at 12:20 AM PST

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Víctor Lei

Retailers hope to cash in on Thanksgiving Day

Retailers hope to cash in on Thanksgiving Day

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Retailers hope to cash in on Thanksgiving Day
Updated on: 2010-11-25 11:34:51

Story posted 2010.11.25 at 11:25 AM PST

Many shoppers are braving the early morning cold and hitting stores that open today despite the traditional Thanksgiving Day closure.

Some major retailers are hoping to cash in on bargain-hunters who do not want to wait until Black Friday. It is a real break with tradition. Sears is opening on Thanksgiving for the first time in its 124-year history. One store spokesperson says the five-hour window, from 7 a.m. to noon, is in response to customer requests for an extra day to shop for deals, while avoiding mass Black Friday crowds.

Since a family-sized turkey can take 3.5 hours to roast, that leaves plenty of time for cooks and their loved ones to socialize on Thanksgiving. However, retailers at the mall and online are trying to capitalize on the less hectic morning hours to get consumer to shop.

Sears, Old Navy and Walmart opened some locations at 7:00 this morning. However, there were no stampede or long queues compared to Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when stores offer bargain "door buster" deals to get shopper out for openings as early as 3 a.m. Kohl's is advertising today its doors will open at 3 a.m. tomorrow, while Target is opening at 4 a.m. A few retailers plan to open tonight at 10 p.m.

Online retailers have specials to entice shoppers as well. Free shipping and 25 percent discounts appear on many sites today.

For the past couple years, Black Friday sales have been shifting up a day, with many stores, like Sears, now opening their doors on a day traditionally spent at home with family and friends. Other national retailers opening today are Walmart, Kmart, Old Navy and the home crafts store Michaels. More are joining the trend of offering Black Friday-type deals earlier and earlier during the month of November.

Retail experts say stores are competing for that extra business, hoping consumers will spend more.

"I think the projections this year, nationally, are that retail sales are going to be up between two and three percent from last year. But, at the same time, I think consumers are still pretty cautious with their spending, certainly in California, with the economy the way it is, that it's not the free-spending era that we might have had a decade ago," says Professor Dale Achabal, Executive, Director of the Retail Management Institute at Santa Clara University.

The problem with transforming Turkey Day into a mall day is that not all stores are jumping the gun. Most are sticking to the past strategy of kicking off the holiday shopping season tomorrow. That means early shoppers at San Jose's Westfield Oakridge Mall discovered the Starbucks near the movieplex didn't have brewed coffee yet at 10 a.m. because they had just opened.

The holiday shopping season actually kicked off around Nov. 1 when some retailers began using social media to prime consumers' interest in shopping. The Gap was offering a free pair of jeans for those who follow the retailer on Facebook. A retail consultant in New York, whom we interviewed via Skype video, told ABC7 that social media is a new vehicle to spread the word about new fashions, bargains and sales.

One store offering special deals and drawing a crowd is Best Buy, even though it does not open until 5 a.m. Friday. At one Best Buy store in Colma, shoppers hoping to score on consumer electronics door-busters started lining up Tuesday and have been camping out since then.

The National Retail Federation estimates that this year, 138 million people will go shopping during Black Friday weekend, 4 million more people than last year. If you skip shopping today, do not worry. There will be plenty more stores swinging open their doors starting at 3, 4, and 5 a.m. Friday.

We'll be tracking retail activity today, including how online sales are doing. Look for the story later today online and on ABC7 News at 5 and 6.
Story posted 2010.11.25 at 11:25 AM PST

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Homeless seek shelter, Bay Area fights frostbite

Homeless seek shelter, Bay Area fights frostbite

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Homeless seek shelter, Bay Area fights frostbite
Updated on: 2010-11-24 20:46:27

Story posted 2010.11.24 at 11:14 PM PST

Another night of frigid weather is expected Wednesday night with temperatures dipping into the mid 20s to low 30s. The Bay Area broke some records overnight and the same is expected with a freeze warning and frost advisory in effect from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. Thursday morning.

The freezing temperatures are a dangerous threat to the homeless, who can't find a bed in a shelter.

"I would be outside. I would literally be outside," said Gerald Ashby.

A day before Thanksgiving and Ashby is grateful. The dining hall at St. Vincent de Paul is where he slept last night. With protection from the freezing cold, Nina Garcia slept here too.

"We slept right there next to that false tree in the corner right there," said Garcia.

St. Vincent de Paul serves three meals a day and rotates a nightly shelter program with 15 other congregations beginning in December. With extreme cold in the forecast, they knew they had to open immediately as part of their emergency plan.

"It becomes a serious condition for a lot of people living on the streets who are already in poor health, elderly, a lot of our diners here have chronic illness, so when you combine that with living outside and then the freezing temperatures, it becomes dangerous," says Christen Paquette from St. Vincent De Paul.

Fifty people slept on the floor here last night, and for Wednesday night they are expecting 70. The only other nightly shelter is Mills Street, but they only have 50 beds. Two years ago the county estimated 1,700 homeless living in Marin -- that was before the economy went south. Those running the shelter say they have seen about a 30 percent increase in people who need services. Those who live on the street agree.

"There are more and more homeless coming to Marin because it's supposed to be such a rich place, but it's not rich when it comes to homeless people. There are just so many beds and so many people," says Ashby.

Those who live in the county realize the need.

"Usually give two turkeys, but this time it just seemed like, my goodness, four turkeys didn't even seem adequate," said Mill Valley resident Falvio Gomez.

A few reminders with temperatures dipping into the 20s in some locations tonight, plants need to be covered, pets need to be brought in and make sure what keeps you warm inside is safe.

"People should have their furnaces inspected and service in case there is a problem. Fireplaces... make sure if they do light a fire for the first time, that the flu is open," says San Rafael Fire Chief Jeff Rowan.

There have been lots of people giving to the St. Vincent De Paul shelter.

The shelter will be open for one more night on Thursday night, but after that it depends upon the weather.

Story posted 2010.11.24 at 11:14 PM PST

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Víctor Lei

Storms, not airport security, slow holiday travel

Walgreens

Storms, not airport security, slow holiday travel

Story posted 2010.11.25 at 11:45 AM PST

A planned boycott of airport security scanners was a bust, but holiday travelers in the western U.S. had to contend with a chaotic mix of snow, sleet and ice.

The powerful storm system closed roads and delayed flights from Anchorage to Salt Lake City, and promised to bring messy wintery weather to much of the Dakotas on Thanksgiving Day. Freezing rain glazed roads across the Midwest, and at least three traffic deaths in Iowa were blamed on the weather.

But the cascading delays and monumental lines that many feared would result at airports from the so-called National Opt-Out Day didn't materialize Wednesday, one of the busiest travel days of the year.

The loosely organized Internet campaign encouraged travelers to protest new security screening by boycotting body scanners that can see through people's clothing and insisting on the more time consuming pat-downs. But few passengers seemed to heed the call.

"It was a day at the beach, a box of chocolates," Greg Hancock, 61, said after going through a body scanner Wednesday at the Phoenix airport. He was sent through the scanner after a golf ball marker set off the metal detector.

His wife, Marti Hancock, 58, said that ever since she was in the air on Sept. 11, 2001, and feared there was a bomb on her plane, she has been fully supportive of stringent security: "If that's what you have to do to keep us safe, that's what you have to do.

" Some protesters showed up, including one man seen walking around the Salt Lake City airport in a skimpy, Speedo-style bathing suit. At other airports, they carried signs denouncing the Transportation Security Administration's screening methods as unnecessarily intrusive and embarrassing.

By most accounts, though, the lines moved smoothly, and there was no more or less congestion at major U.S. airports than in previous years on the day before Thanksgiving.

"I would go so far as to say that National Opt-Out Day was a big bust," said Genevieve Shaw Brown, a spokeswoman for the travel company Travelocity, which had staff at 12 of the nation's largest airports watching for problems.

Protest organizers -- some of whom had no plans themselves to fly on Wednesday -- were not prepared to declare the event a flop, saying the publicity alone cranked up pressure on the White House and the TSA to review their security measures.

The TSA maintains that the need for such measures was demonstrated last Christmas, when a Nigerian man allegedly tried to blow up a Detroit-bound plane with explosives hidden in his underwear.

More than 40 million people plan to travel over the Thanksgiving holiday, according to AAA, with more than 1.6 million flying -- a 3.5 percent increase from last year.

Some travelers who opted for the ground said they did so in part because of anticipated headaches at airports, but they were delayed anyway by the weather. Early-season snowstorms buried Seattle, and shut down highways for a time in Idaho, Wyoming and Utah. It also brought strong winds Wednesday from New Mexico to Missouri.

At an Amtrak station in Chicago, Pam Edwards said she decided to travel by train from Jackson, Miss., even though it would take 15 hours instead of two.

"With all the things with the TSA, I just decided it might be a little bit easier, stress-wise, to take the train," the 61-year-old retired preschool teacher said as she stepped off the train.

Marie Martin, taking a break at a gas station in Oklahoma City during her family's road trip from Arizona to Georgia, noted that it was "a lot cheaper for a family of five to drive rather than fly," but also said it eliminated the hassle of flying.

"You don't have to deal with the crowds. You don't have to deal with the baggage check-in," she said. "You don't have to deal with the pat-downs."
Story posted 2010.11.25 at 11:45 AM PST

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Víctor Lei

Facebook helps siblings reunite for Thanksgiving

This is such a warm news for this Thanksgiving Day.

Facebook helps siblings reunite for Thanksgiving

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Facebook helps siblings reunite for Thanksgiving
Updated on: 2010-11-24 22:50:23

Story posted 2010.11.24 at 07:47 PM PST

When a single mother died of cancer in San Francisco more than 40 years ago, her seven children were separated and they've been apart ever since. But this Thanksgiving, five of them will be reunited for the first time.

A picture from April 1969 marks the last time seven siblings from San Francisco were together as a family. Days earlier, their 29-year-old mother Bettie Rae Wilson died of a brain tumor and days later, various social workers and relatives came to their Hunter's Point home and split the family apart.

Four-year-old Yvette Wilson was sent to live with her grandmother in Mississippi.

"The last communication I had with any of them was in 1969," she said.

Nine-year-old Beverly Littlefield and two brothers went to live with their dad and 10-year-old Van Foster was taken by his biological father. No one knows where 4-month-old Antoine ended up.

"He's somewhere. He could be close by," Littlefield said.

Though the oldest four managed to keep in touch over the years, Yvette only found her siblings four months ago through Facebook.

"When I was little, we had a porch and I would lay and look at the stars, and all of them were in the stars and I would say 'they're coming to get me,'" Wilson said.

Now after four decades, five of the seven will reunite for the first time at Beverly's Stockton home for Thanksgiving. It's bittersweet because two brothers won't be there. One, Antonio died from an illness many years ago and despite years of searching public records, the siblings still can't find Antoine, who would be 41 years old.

"We just want to close the story on Antoine Just make sure he's safe and sound and we're able to communicate with him. That's all we're asking for," Foster said.

Still, the family feels blessed that they found one another and can pass on to their children and grandchildren the sense of togetherness they missed out on for so many years.
Story posted 2010.11.24 at 07:47 PM PST

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Víctor Lei

Thanksgiving Is Here!

Yes, it is my most wonderful time of the year. I'm so excited for this day every year. Thanksgiving Day is not only the day to eat turkey, it also reminds me holiday season has arrived, and I have to make plans to celebrate the holiday season. What are my plans? The first one that I do on the day following Thanksgiving Day is of course the Black Friday shopping, lots of people in stores, shopping centers and many other places that offer Black Friday deals. Where do I usually spend money during Black Friday? I usually spend my Black Friday money at Best Buy, why? I think that is a really good time to buy some nice electronic products or gadgets during Black Friday. Few years ago, I also shopped at Circuit City, but they have been closed since early 2009. What I buy and spend on Black Friday varies each year, nevertheless, it is my happiest time for shopping of the year.

Right now I'm checking the Black Friday ads from Best Buy and RadioShack, have I planned to buy anything there. Not yet. I'm still deciding what to buy that day. After the shopping, it should be a good time to have a Black Friday lunch!

What are my other plans for holiday season? I'll tell you as it goes, but I can tell you right now for sure that is always filled with joy.

All right, turkey day is coming, stay home, eat turkey!

)
(
__
.- '_ =\
c=<___\-_)
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy turkey day!

Prepping gardens for Bay Area hard freeze

Walgreens

Prepping gardens for Bay Area hard freeze

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Prepping gardens for Bay Area hard freeze
Updated on: 2010-11-23 21:20:34

Story posted 2010.11.23 at 06:20 PM PST

The Bay Area is expecting a hard freeze Tuesday night, and the warning has local gardeners prepping their gardens.

Three years ago, Sonoma resident Donna Lewis lost oranges, limes and lemons, all to a hard freeze. Her fountain even froze. So she's not taking any chances this time. She has been spraying her citrus trees with a protective coating, hoping that will help.

"There are some things that are going to go… there's a lot of things that will go, and that's what we're concerned about," says Lewis.

And that's what Art Sinclair of Wedekind's Garden Center has been hearing all day -- gardeners worried about the first hard freeze. Winter slammed the Bay Area last weekend, with five inches of snow falling on Mt. Hamilton.

Plants most vulnerable to the freeze are citrus, orange, lemons and limes. Tropical plants are also at risk. The rain we've had the past several days though, could help.

"Plants are better protected if they're hydrated because they're full of moisture," says Sinclair. "A dry plant goes into frost harder. There's more severe damage if the plant is dry, whether it be in your ground or in a pot."

Covering the plants with an insulating, breathable material adds a blanket of protection from overnight lows expected to Dip into the twenties. Sprays that add a protective coating are also recommended.

"Flower petals here can be damaged with the frost," says Sinclair.

Even our winter varieties can sustain frost damage when temperatures drop below 30 degrees. Covering winter blooming Pansies and Cyclamen will extend their blooming cycle. A hard freeze over an extended period can actually kill hearty shrubs, rosemary, and other evergreens.

Hardware stores were also busy with folks buying up insulated wraps and tape to keep water pipes from freezing.

"More than likely it's the pipes that enter your house from the exterior, copper pipes, galvanized pipes, PVC pipes, pool equipment, all the different types of pipes you have exposed outside," says Pat Carpenter of Friedman's Hardware.

Also, don't forget about your pets and be sure to bring them inside. And here's a useful tip: the holiday lights outside your home actually help to keep plants warmer.
Story posted 2010.11.23 at 06:20 PM PST

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Víctor Lei

Student facing deportation thanks supporters

Student facing deportation thanks supporters

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Student facing deportation thanks supporters
Updated on: 2010-11-23 21:38:20

Story posted 2010.11.23 at 07:14 PM PST

A 20-year-old San Francisco college student facing deportation appeared in public for the first time on Tuesday. Steve Li wanted to thank the thousands of people who rallied to keep him in the United States, but his victory is only temporary. He is hoping Congress will provide a more permanent solution for everyone in the same boat.

Li was studying at San Francisco City College to be a nurse, but on Sept. 15, immigration agents knocked on his door.

"They didn't tell me anything. They just searched me, threw me in the car and handcuffed me," said Li.

Li appeared with his mother Tuesday to share their story. His parents left China to escape the country's one-child policy. They went to Peru where Li was born. Then, when he was 11, they moved to the United States.

Li never knew he was not a legal resident. So he was stunned when he was ordered deported, then sent to an Arizona detention center where he spent the last two months.

"We were body searched multiple times a day, going in and out of our jail cell. There were just three toilets and four showers for 64 people. I was being treated like a criminal," said Li.

However, Li's friends and fellow students mobilized to help him. The demonstrations got the attention of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who introduced a bill to block his deportation. Li was released Friday and on Tuesday thanked his supporters.

"That's the only thing that kept me going forward every morning that I woke up while I was incarcerated. So many people out here were supporting me," said Li.

But Li's lawyer says the victory is temporary.

"He doesn't have any legal status. He's actually in limbo status. He still has a final order of deportation," said attorney Sin Yen Ling from the Asian Law Caucus.

Li is working to pass the Dream Act - a bill that would create a path to citizenship for him and tens of thousands of other students who were brought to the U.S. as minors. In the meantime, he's just relieved to be back with his family.

"There is definitely going to be a lot to be thankful for this coming Thanksgiving," said Li.

Li had been scheduled to be deported to Peru where he was born, that's now on hold. His parents were ordered sent to China where they are citizens, but China has not agreed to accept them and the U.S. is not moving to forcibly deport them, so for the time being, the family is still together.

Written and produced by Jennifer Olney

Story posted 2010.11.23 at 07:14 PM PST

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All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Víctor Lei

Tensions high after Koreas trade shelling

Tensions high after Koreas trade shelling

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North, South Korea exchange fire; 2 killed
Updated on: 2010-11-23 14:39:15

Story posted 2010.11.23 at 10:09 PM PST

South Korea's troops were on high alert Wednesday as their government exchanged threats with rival North Korea following a frightening military skirmish that ratcheted tensions on the peninsula to new extremes.

President Barack Obama reaffirmed Washington's pledges to protect ally Seoul after the North shelled a South Korean island near their disputed border, killing at least two marines and wounding civilians in what U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called one of the "gravest incidents" since the end of the Korean War.

South Korea vowed retaliation and said Wednesday it would strengthen military forces in the disputed western waters near the island of Yeonpyeong and to halt aid to the communist North, while the North warned of more military strikes if the South encroaches on the maritime border by "even 0.001 millimeter."

South Korea sent two ships carrying 2,000 boxes of relief supplies to the stricken island Wednesday, Coast guard official Kim Dong-jin said. He said that about 340 residents escaping the island were to arrive at the port city of Incheon aboard a Coast Guard ship around mid-afternoon.

Images released by the local government and obtained through YTN television showed people huddled in emergency shelters, children wrapped in blankets, rows of destroyed houses with collapsed walls, blown out windows and charred roofs. A man with a shovel walked through the rubble.

The skirmish began Tuesday when North Korea warned the South to halt military drills near their sea border, according to South Korean officials. When Seoul refused and began firing artillery into disputed waters -- but away from the North Korean shore -- the North retaliated by shelling Yeonpyeong, which houses South Korean military installations and a small civilian population.

Seoul responded by unleashing its own barrage from K-9 155mm self-propelled howitzers and scrambling fighter jets. Two South Korean marines were killed in the shelling that also injured 15 troops and three civilians. Officials in Seoul said there could be considerable North Korean casualties.

Shin Sung-hee, a fisherman, said he was mending his fishing net near a port on Yeonpyeong when he saw columns of black smoke and fire billowing from the hills.

"I couldn't think of anything. I just thought my wife would be in danger, so I rushed to my house," Shin said.

His wife, Lee Chun-ok, said that when she fled her partly collapsed house, she saw black smoke engulfing the town and fires erupting from nearby hills; a woman was crying on a bridge. Her husband ran over and told her they had to escape, so they ran to a port and managed to get on a ferry with several hundred other people.

The U.S. government called the North's barrages an outrageous, unprovoked attack, but sought to avoid any escalation and did not reposition any of its 29,000 troops stationed in the South. Obama was expected to telephone South Korean President Lee Myung-bak to discuss the issue.

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Tae-young told lawmakers Wednesday that the military will send reinforcements to five islands near the disputed sea border, but provided no details. "South Korea maintains military readiness to deter North Korea's additional provocations," he said.

Separately, South Korea said it was suspending promised aid shipments of cement and medicine worth 580 million won ($506,000), Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said. The government also ordered eight civic groups to stop delivering aid worth 2.7 billion won ($2.3 million) to North Korea.

The top U.S. military officer in South Korea, Gen. Walter Sharp, condemned North Korea's "unprovoked" artillery attack in a statement Wednesday and called on the North to abide by the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

"These actions are threatening the peace and stability of the entire region," said Sharp, who commands U.S. forces in South Korea as well as the U.S.-led UN Command.

The UN Command has called on North Korea to engage with it in high-level military talks to "de-escalate the situation," the statement said.

The confrontation lasted about an hour and left the uneasiest of calms, with each side threatening further bombardments. In Seoul, South Korea's capital of more than 10 million people, citizens went about their business Wednesday with shops, offices and financial markets open as usual, but with the previous day's skirmish on their minds.

"We are concerned that a war might break out," said Oh Duk-man, who was walking in downtown Seoul.

In Young-joo, another pedestrian, called for a strong response.

"Our government has to react very strongly against North Korea after they invaded us in such a daring way," she said.
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All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

..

Víctor Lei