Exercise Equipment: Nobody wants the five (OK, 10) pounds they gained over the holidays thrown back in their face, which is exactly what your sweetheart will feel you're doing if you give him or her a Thighmaster this year. Leave the purchase of exercise equipment to the individual, unless they specifically requested it as a gift themselves.
Anything Used: If the box is crinkled, even slightly, they'll know it's been used! Same goes for clothing that mysteriously contains no tags, or popcorn tins that are slightly less than full.
Gifts That Require Work: Vacuum cleaners, most kitchen appliances, leaf blowers and nose-hair trimmers are not, and should not be considered, "gifts." Again, a possible exception is if they have been asked for -- no, begged for -- and even then ask yourself, would they really like something that adds fun or enchantment to life instead?
Socks: Most people are happy to buy their own socks, and would rather do so than receive them as a present. (Yes, even if they're covered in reindeer or have separate places for each toe.) Don't believe us? Consumer Reports found that socks were the most offensive and disappointing gift that people received in 2005!
Homemade "Trinkets:" There are some exceptions here -- for example, such gifts from children to parents -- but generally, the recipient will not appreciate the hours you spent hot-glue-gunning tiny Christmas bears to a wooden sleigh (that you also spent hours hand-painting with the family's initials and coat of arms). We know this violates some people's assumptions and best intentions, but according to experts and studies it is so!
"Weird" Items: It's tempting to buy that one-of-a-kind, fuzzy, fuchsia sweater vest for Aunt Sue, or that giant frog-shaped paperweight for cousin Pete, but, unless you know they've been yearning for one, chances are slim that they'll like it (and odd items may be difficult to return). Remember, there is a line between tasteful unique gifts and flat-out weird ones, and the line is not that fine.
Clothing: Although clothing is the most popular gift for 2006 shoppers, according to Consumer Reports, it also came in as the most disappointing category (with socks the worst among them) of gifts received in 2005. So unless you are absolutely confident that you know the correct size, color, fabric -- and style -- that the person will like, don't buy it. Less risky are neutral items of clothing that don't quite run these risks.
Lingerie: In a similar vein, lingerie is a risky bet. Pick out something she likes, and that's the correct size, and you may have done well -- but the chances of this are slim (no pun intended). More likely you'll buy something that's too big (and therefore implying she's fat), or too small (and therefore implying she's fat), or is the wrong style entirely (opening up a whole new can of worms).
Items That Could Hurt (or Annoy) Others: Your neighbor's kids may love a drum set, but would their parents speak to you afterward? Similarly, rollerblades are fun, but did your Uncle Theo tell you about his bad hip? Risky items in this category include slingshots, pellet guns and other toys that involve projectiles, items that involve loud, repetitive sounds, and sports equipment and/or power tools that fall into the wrong hands.
Novelty Gifts: You may think that a fly-in-the-ice-cube gag is the greatest thing, but chances are that novelty gifts such as these will not impress your loved ones (unless they're 5 years old). Also watch out for quirky things that you may think are cute, but will actually violate the rule above (think the "Singing Bass" fish that hangs on the wall or a snowglobe that plays "It's a Small World").
Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup marshmallow creme
2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
Directions
Blend together the cream cheese, marshmallow cream and thawed topping. Add enough pineapple juice to make it dipping consistency. Chill for 1 hour.
Rain may put pumpkin pie in peril, Nestle says
Nestle says poor weather hurt harvest, canned pumpkin for pie may run short for holidays
The company said heavy rains made it nearly impossible to pick its pumpkins during this year's harvest. The longer the pumpkins sit in the muddy fields, the more they deteriorate. As a result, the company announced this week that it would not pack any more pumpkins for the season -- which means it may be hard to find its canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie filling product until next year's harvest.
"Mother Nature had other plans for us," the company said in an open apology to customers online.
Nestle is the largest national brand for canned pumpkin products, with 80 to 90 percent of the market, the company said.
It plants a special strain of pumpkin at a farm in Morton, Ill., which provides nearly all its supply. Nestle estimates if you turned all the pumpkins it grows on the farm to pie, it would total 90 million pies.
"There are a lot of beautiful pumpkins out there that we just can't rescue," said Nestle spokeswoman Roz O'Hearn.
The company had a wet harvest last year, too, which meant it didn't have a surplus to carry over into this year and led to spotty shortages in late summer and early fall. The harvest started in August and it began getting products on its shelves soon after, but it won't be able to meet its normal demand.
"We hope everyone understands that Mother Nature was a little difficult this year and hope she's a little bit kinder to us next year," O'Hearn said.
Nestle said it has seen the popularity of pumpkin grow recently as more people have become aware of its health benefits, but Thanksgiving is still the company's peak season.
Pie makers can still use fresh pumpkin or other brands.
Trader Joe's said it has its store brand pumpkin in stock but said it couldn't predict what would happen to supplies in the future.
Whole Foods Market Inc. said that while it is aware of lower pumpkin yields in parts of the country, the company was able to get enough pumpkin for its store brand product and actually shipped more product to stores this year than ever before.
Farmers Market Organic, the country's largest provider of organic canned pumpkin, said it didn't experience the same issues with fungus and mold at its farm that big growers in the Midwest suffered this year and last.
And the company, based in Corvallis, Ore., said it increased its capacity and has shipped millions more cans of its product this year.
"Pumpkin pie is something people just won't do without, it's pretty sacred," said Tracy Miedema, national sales and marketing manager for Farmers Market. "They are willing to switch out of a previous brand but they aren't willing to switch out of pumpkin pie."
Black Friday: Prepare for the Fight
Here's a logic question for you: If it's true that everyone loves a deal, and Black Friday offers the best deals of the year, then is it safe to assume that folks will go into a state of high-grade hysteria the day after Thanksgiving? The answer is: duh, of course.
Though over a week away, Black Friday is already igniting the Search box. Shoppers have pushed up searches on "black friday 2009" and "black friday ads" to dizzying heights. One might think that retailers would keep the deals a secret until the big day, but nothing could be further from the truth.
In an effort to get spend-happy shoppers to their stores, retailers have "leaked" many of their most drool-worthy deals. Offers from Walmart, Best Buy, and Target are all garnering a ton of lookups. And, interestingly, many of the deals are quite similar.
CNN Money explains what shoppers can expect find at Walmart on November 27. According to sources, there will be HDTVs, laptops, toys, and Blu-ray players for the grabbing. Confirmed products include a 50-inch Sanyo 720p plasma TV for $598, a Magnavox Blu-ray player for $78, and a GPS from TomTom for $59.
And across the urban sprawl at Target? A lot of the same, actually. There, you can get a 32-inch LCD HDTV from Westinghouse for $246, some toys for 50 percent off, and toasters and coffeemakers for just $3. Best Buy will reportedly offer shoppers a 50-inch Samsung plasma TV for $898, "huge discounts" on GPS units, and a PlayStation 3 Slim with two games for $300.
It's worth noting that none of these deals are "official," as the stores have yet to confirm them. But odds are, they're the real deal. Set your alarms and sharpen your claws � it's gonna be a long day.
(AP) GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) - Authorities in Colorado say a homeowner who was selling his house returned to the property to find a 24-year-old squatter wearing only underwear.
Police in Golden say the homeowner found someone's car in the garage of the home when he arrived Nov. 9. They say the unidentified homeowner then discovered Timothy P. Gonzales in the house, where he had been showering, doing laundry and putting food in the fridge.
Police say they also found materials used to make methamphetamine on a work bench in the garage.
Gonzales is being held on $50,000 bond. He faces counts of suspicion of burglary, menacing, possession of burglary tools, possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest.
It was not immediately clear whether he had a lawyer
Soft drinks contain little to no vitamins or other essential nutrients. However, it is what they do contain that is the problem: caffeine, carbonation, simple sugars � or worse, sugar substitutes � and often food additives such as artificial coloring, flavoring, and preservatives.
A lot of research has found that consumption of soft drinks in high quantity, especially by children, is responsible for many health problems that include tooth decay, nutritional depletion, obesity, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Why the sugar in soft drinks isn't so sweet
Most soft drinks contain a high amount of simple sugars. The USDA recommendation of sugar consumption for a 2,000-calorie diet is a daily allotment of 10 teaspoons of added sugars. Many soft drinks contain more than this amount!
Just why is too much sugar so unhealthy? Well, to start, let's talk about what happens to you as sugar enters your body. When you drink sodas that are packed with simple sugars, the pancreas is called upon to produce and release insulin, a hormone that empties the sugar in your blood stream into all the tissues and cells for usage. The result of overindulging in simple sugar is raised insulin levels. Raised blood insulin levels beyond the norm can lead to depression of the immune system, which in turn weakens your ability to fight disease.
Something else to consider is that most of the excess sugar ends up being stored as fat in your body, which results in weight gain and elevates risk for heart disease and cancer. One study found that when subjects were given refined sugar, their white blood cell count decreased significantly for several hours afterwards. Another study discovered that rats fed a high-sugar diet had a substantially elevated rate of breast cancer when compared to rats on a regular diet.
Swine flu has caused at least 19 more children's deaths � the largest one-week increase since the pandemic started in April, health officials said Friday.
At least 114 children have died from swine flu complications since the spring, up from 95 reported a week earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Meanwhile, the government has decided to release the last of its stockpile of liquid Tamiflu for children because of reported shortages of the swine flu treatment. Enough to treat some 234,000 children is being released.
"We didn't see a reason to keep it in reserve when we have so much illness in children now," CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden said at a news conference.
The government sent some of the stockpile to states in the spring and more earlier this month. To replenish the supply, the government has ordered more from Tamiflu's manufacturer, Switzerland-based Roche Holdings, he added. But that medicine is not expected to come in until early next year.
Pharmacies are able to convert adult Tamiflu capsules � which are in good supply � to pediatric doses, he added.
The 19 new deaths in children under 18 represent lab-confirmed cases reported in the week ending Oct. 23. The CDC also received three other reports of children dying from flu. Those are also believed to be swine flu fatalities but those cases didn't undergo full lab-testing to confirm that.
The increase probably reflects the rise in illnesses that have been seen in many parts of the country this month, and the numbers are expected to get worse, Frieden said.
In the past two months, health officials have seen more reports of flu hospitalizations in non-elderly people than they normally do in entire six-month flu seasons, he added.
Swine flu is more widespread now than it's ever been, with 48 states now reporting widespread flu activity. The only states without widespread flu are Hawaii and South Carolina.
Except for children, CDC officials do not keep an exact count of all U.S. swine flu deaths, but say the number has surpassed 1,000. They don't have a tally of all swine flu illnesses, either, but say many millions have been at least mildly sickened by the virus since it was first identified in April.
Each year 50 to 100 American children die from complications of seasonal flu, which tends to hit the elderly the hardest. Seasonal flu kills an estimated 36,000 Americans annually.
The swine flu vaccination program that began Oct. 5 is picking up, Frieden said Friday. Initially there were only a trickle of doses, frustrating worried people cross the country. But manufacturers have been releasing more doses, and now nearly 27 million doses are available for shipment, up from 16 million a week ago.
According to preliminary information, about half of those vaccinated so far are children and half are non-elderly adults. A very small percentage are elderly. That's appropriate, because many elderly people seem to have some immunity to the virus and so are not considered a priority group for the limited vaccine doses.
At the first house on Halloween my neighbor gave to me...
a large piece of chocolate taffy.
At the second house on Halloween my neighbor gave to me...
2 lollipops &
a large piece of chocolate taffy.
At the third house on Halloween my neighbor gave to me...
3 sticks of gum,
2 lollipops &
a large piece of chocolate taffy.
At the fourth house on Halloween my neighbor gave to me...
4 peppermints,
3 sticks of gum,
2 lollipops &
a large piece of chocolate taffy.
At the fifth house on Halloween my neighbor gave to me...
5 POPCORN BALLS!!!
At the sixth house on Halloween my neighbor gave to me...
6 peanut clusters,
5 POPCORN BALLS!!!,
4 peppermints,
3 sticks of gum,
2 lollipops &
a large piece of chocolate taffy.
At the seventh house on Halloween my neighbor gave to me...
7 candied apples,
6 peanut clusters,
5 POPCORN BALLS!!!,
4 peppermints,
3 sticks of gum,
2 lollipops &
a large piece of chocolate taffy.
At the eighth house on Halloween my neighbor gave to me...
8 chewy caramels,
7 candied apples,
6 peanut clusters,
5 POPCORN BALLS!!!,
4 peppermints,
3 sticks of gum,
2 lollipops &
a large piece of chocolate taffy.
At the ninth house on Halloween my neighbor gave to me...
9 orange gumdrops,
8 chewy caramels,
7 candied apples,
6 peanut clusters,
5 POPCORN BALLS!!!,
4 peppermints,
3 sticks of gum,
2 lollipops &
a large piece of chocolate taffy.
At the tenth house on Halloween my neighbor gave to me...
10 shiny pennies,
9 orange gumdrops,
8 chewy caramels,
7 candied apples,
6 peanut clusters,
5 POPCORN BALLS!!!,
4 peppermints,
3 sticks of gum,
2 lollipops &
a large piece of chocolate taffy.
At the eleventh house on Halloween my neighbor gave to me...
11 creamy nougats,
10 shiny pennies,
9 orange gumdrops,
8 chewy caramels,
7 candied apples,
6 peanut clusters,
5 POPCORN BALLS!!!,
4 peppermints,
3 sticks of gum,
2 lollipops &
a large piece of chocolate taffy.
At the twelfth house on Halloween my neighbor gave to me...
12 cherry bonbons,
11 creamy nougats,
10 shiny pennies,
9 orange gumdrops,
8 chewy caramels,
7 candied apples,
6 peanut clusters,
5 POPCORN BALLS!!!,
4 peppermints,
3 sticks of gum,
2 lollipops &
a large piece of chocolate taffy.
Using butter or margarine, lightly grease the sides and bottom of a medium saucepan.
Place the sugar, evaporated milk, pumpkin, butter, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in the saucepan.
Stir constantly over medium heat.
Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 12 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the baking chips and marshmallows until melted.
Stir in the nuts and vanilla.
Pour into an 8-inch square pan that has been lined with foil and greased.
Chill mixture until set.
Cut into small squares to serve.
WASHINGTON � President Barack Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, giving his health chief the power to let hospitals move emergency rooms offsite to speed treatment and protect noninfected patients.
The declaration, signed Friday night and announced Saturday, comes with the disease more prevalent than ever in the country and production delays undercutting the government's initial, optimistic estimates that as many as 120 million doses of the vaccine could be available by mid-October.
Health authorities say more than 1,000 people in the United States, including almost 100 children, have died from the strain of flu known as H1N1, and 46 states have widespread flu activity. So far only 11 million doses have gone out to health departments, doctor's offices and other providers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials.
Administration officials said the declaration was a pre-emptive move designed to make decisions easier when they need to be made. Officials said the move was not in response to any single development.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius now has authority to bypass federal rules when opening alternative care sites, such as offsite hospital centers at schools or community centers if hospitals seek permission.
Some hospitals have opened drive-thrus and drive-up tent clinics to screen and treat swine flu patients. The idea is to keep infectious people out of regular emergency rooms and away from other sick patients.
Hospitals could modify patient rules � for example, requiring them to give less information during a hectic time � to quicken access to treatment, with government approval, under the declaration.
It also addresses a financial question for hospitals � reimbursement for treating people at sites not typically approved. For instance, federal rules do not allow hospitals to put up treatment tents more than 250 yards away from the doors; if the tents are 300 yards or more away, typically federal dollars won't go to pay for treatment.
Orange and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with the Fall harvest and black is associated with darkness and death.
Jack o' Lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.
Pumpkins also come in white, blue and green. Great for unique monster carvings!
Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe who would celebrate the harvest around a bonfire, share ghost stories, sing, dance and tell fortunes.
Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America.
The ancient Celts thought that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween night. They began wearing masks and costumes to avoid being recognized as human.
Halloween candy sales average about 2 billion dollars annually in the United States.
Chocolate candy bars top the list as the most popular candy for trick-or-treaters with Snickers #1.
Halloween is the 2nd most commercially successful holiday, with Christmas being the first.
Bobbing for apples is thought to have originated from the roman harvest festival that honors Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees.
Black cats were once believed to be witch's familiars who protected their powers.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups white sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
salt to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 quarts popped popcorn
DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter and water. Stir and heat to hard-crack stage or 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Remove from heat, add vanilla ; mix well.
Pour slowly over popped popcorn while stirring. Wait 5 minutes and shape into 3 inch round balls.
"Samhain was the Celtic God of the Dead, worshipped by the Druids with dreadful bloody sacrifices at Halloween."
As for Samhain being the "lord of the dead," this is a gross fallacy that seems to have been perpetuated in the late 18th and 19th centuries. There is no historic or archeological evidence of any Celtic deity of the dead named "Samhain." The names of about 350 Celtic deities are known and Samhain is not found among them. The Dictionary of the Gaelic Language says that "samhuinn" (the Scots Gaelic spelling> means "summers end."
"Halloween is a rite with pagan, demonic roots."
Halloween did not originate as a Satanic festival, but was religious in nature (the Celtic faith of the ancient Druids). The Celts did not actually have demons or the devil in their belief system. Halloween's association with Satanic worship is a modern phenomenon. There is a big difference between Paganism and Satanism. Pagans are people who believe in more than one god. Some modern day pagans call themselves "Wiccans." Pagans do not worship Satan or the devil. Pagans believe in powers (spirits and gods) which they "ask" to do things.
Satanists are worshippers of Satan. They believe in Satan and demons which they "demand" to do things. The Celts were pagans, not Satanists. There is no original evidence to indicate that Samhain was any more Satanic than pagan harvest festivals of other religions, like the Romans or the Greeks. The Celts did believe in gods, giants, monsters, spirits, fairies, and elves, but these were not considered evil ... so much as they were dangerous. The fairies, for example, were often considered hostile and menacing to humans because they were seen as being resentful of men taking over their lands. On the night of Samhain, the fairies would sometimes trick humans into becoming lost in the numerous fairy mounds, or "sidhe," where they would be trapped forever.
"Evil Druids would go from castle to castle, seeking virgin princesses to rape and sacrifice to the "lord of death," leaving carved pumpkins illuminated by candles (made from human fat) for those who cooperated, and arranging demonic assassinations for those who refused to give them what they wanted."
There is absolutely "no" evidence anywhere (from tradition, Celtic texts, or archaeology) that these events ever occurred.
There is a general agreement among historians that the Celts did in fact practice some form of human sacrifice, but then, most cultures at that stage of development did. The Celts sacrifices seem to have been limited to criminals, prisoners-of-war, or volunteers. Today, we still sacrifice humans, mostly "criminals," but we now call it the "death penalty."
The finds in the peat bogs of apparent human sacrifices (or judicial killings) are mostly in Germanic territories, not Celtic.
The pumpkin is a New World plant that never grew in Europe until modern times, so it could not have possibly ever been used to make "carvings illuminated by candles."
What is a pumpkin? A pumpkin is a kind of squash, and a member of the gourd family. Technically, the pumpkin itself is a fruit, although we use it as a vegetable in our cooking.
Pumpkin seeds are planted in groups called hills. The pumpkins are green or yellow when they are immature. They are not harvested until the skin is orange and tough, about 120 days after seeding, and they must be picked before a heavy frost occurs.
Pumpkins grow on vines which crawl along the ground. Melons, cucumbers, zucchini and gourds also grow on vines.
Pumpkins have been around a long time. Pumpkin seeds dating back to 7,000 B.C. have been found in caves in Mexico. Pumpkins were eaten in Africa, China and India in the 6th century.
Among the first to raise pumpkins were the American Indians. They cut pumpkins into rings and dried them to keep during the winter.
Pumpkin has been made into soups, stews, bread, pickles, pies, puddings, ice cream, and even beer or ale!
According to the Guiness Book of World Records, Jerry Ayers carved a ton of pumpkins in a record-setting 7 hours, 11 minutes on Oct. 16, 1999, at Kickman Farms in Ohio. Each pumpkin featured eyes, ears, a nose, mouth and eyebrows.
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