BREATHE - Daily Word

Daily Word — Thursday, November 20, 2008

Breathe

I am a vibrant creation of God, living a life of health and freedom.

In my commitment to a healthy lifestyle, I realize a great benefit in making breathing a part of my focus. Taking in oxygen as I inhale, I feel refreshed. Exhaling, I release all concerns. As I breathe in--mindful that I am taking in the breath of life--I use affirmations of health and renewal.

Several times throughout the day, I close my eyes and affirm: I claim healthful habits every day in every way. I acknowledge: God guides me to right choices, and I live a life of health and well-being.

In times of seeming challenge, I repeat: I am relaxed and at peace. Divine guidance supports me in being whole, well, and free.

At all times I proclaim the truth about me: I am a vibrant creation of God, living a life of health and freedom.

"The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life."--Job 33:4

DealAlerter.com

Deal site lets buyers pick the price
08:03 PM PST on Saturday, November 15, 2008
By JANE SMITH, kgw.com

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Shoppers who cringe over paying retail can now get help from a new website. It’s called Deal Alerter. From electronics, to skis, to baby items, shoppers submit prices and see if they can find a deal.

Search for an item, scan the prices and if you want to pay less, submit the price you want to pay. The website will email you when and if your price is met.

It doesn’t cost anything to sign up and you are under no obligation to buy a product.

The creator of the company says you can use Deal Alerter as a bargaining tool for stores. For some shoppers, it’s not a deal if it’s not a steal.

"You can't ever buy anything for the real price you have to find something on sale or it's not worth it," said Cami Carter.

The website is supposed to save shoppers not only money but also time. Dealalerter.com

Daily Word — Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Harmony

I live in harmony with myself, my family, my community, and the world.

Harmony begins with each individual, and I am open and receptive to the love of God that allows me to experience and express harmony in my life.

During the day, as I go to work, tend to my family, or run errands, I carry with me a sense of my oneness with God. In all situations, I trust the love of God to guide my words and actions so that I experience a peaceful, harmonious day with those around me.

As I pray for the world community, I envision people everywhere filled with the love of God and united in a consciousness of peace. Living from this peace and love, we create harmony as we accept one another as beloved children of God.

"Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose."--1 Corinthians 1:10

Bless the Children - Daily Word

Daily Word — Monday, November 17, 2008

Bless the Children

God bless children, for they are the teachers and peacemakers of the world.
When I contemplate the miracles of life and the hope that children are, I realize that they find joy in so many things that adults have forgotten. Children remind grown-ups how to be pure joy in expression.

To be in the presence of children is to look through the eyes of those who live each day to the fullest, who perceive a miracle in every situation. Children are life's greatest teachers, for to them, all people are beautiful, all ability levels are special, and all cultures and backgrounds are marvelous and interesting.

I take the time to mentor and care for the children, even as they mentor and care about me. The children in my life are well fed, well cared for, and always have someone to look up to and trust.

"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.' "--Matthew 19:14

Grace

My heart beats with gratitude for the blessings of amazing grace.

As I turn in thought to God, I reflect on the incredible, enduring gift of grace--God's unconditional love and acceptance.

To perceive the magnitude of God's grace is to experience the gentle, abiding love that enfolds all and blesses always. Even in the most trying moments, I am at peace, knowing that because God's grace is active, all is well.

With gratitude to God for the myriad ways grace shows up in my life, I act in ways that enrich the lives of those around me. The results are amazing: forgiveness and love, freely given and received; help and hope extended to those who are most in need.

Grace is light that shines forth through the darkness, lifting the fog of concern and revealing the power and presence of God. My heart beats with gratitude for the blessings of amazing grace.

"From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace."--John 1:16

President Elect Obama's First Weekly Address

President Elect Obama is on the job and using technology to get his message across. Yes We Can!

Breakthrough - Daily Word

Daily Word — Saturday, November 15, 2008

Breakthrough

I am one with God.

When rays of sunlight break through the clouds on a gloomy day, it is a welcome reminder that the sun is always shining--whether I see it or not.

At times, I may feel a bit gloomy. I may have allowed myself to become so caught up in the busyness of my life that I do not see the good that is always there. When I take a break from worry and frustration, I become aware of my blessings.

And like a bright ray of sunlight on a cloudy day, I break through to the truth of my oneness with God. My breakthrough may come in reading Scripture, listening to inspirational music, a sudden insight, or an unexpected solution to a problem.

Always, I return to the understanding that God is with me and all is well.

"The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple."--Psalm 119:130

INNER PEACE - Daily Word

Daily Word — Friday, November 14, 2008

Inner Peace

Retreating to the stillness of my soul, I experience absolute peace.

When life seems hectic, it's time for me to redirect my thoughts to the presence of God within me.

To experience God's peace-giving presence, I can either take a break for a few moments in the silence or set aside a longer time for prayer. Or I may go away for a tranquil weekend of spiritual reflection and renewal.

In the stillness of these quiet times, I commune with God. God is my strength and my sustenance, and as I spend these quiet moments realizing my connection with God, peace wells up from within.

Retreating to the stillness of my soul, I experience absolute peace. I am refreshed and revitalized--ready to greet my day and the people around me with a smile on my face and joy in my heart.

"As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God."--Psalm 42:1

Jackson 5 - Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

Whitney does Christmas

Qustion Is....

I was at this taping....I still have to shake my head and close my eyes and raise my hands to the heavens!

CeCe Winans - Oh Holy Night

Donnie McClurkin - What Child Is This

I Know The Holidays are HERE when I hear this song - Donny Hathaway

This song IS CHRISTMAS --- Thank you Aunt Jean!

Eartha Kitt Rocks "Santa Baby"

Grateful for....

• Pretty colors
• iPhone
• Legos
• Finding money
• Learning new stuff
• Talking to old friends
• Family
• Taking care of myself
• Jazz Music
• Having an office of my own
• Good friends
  

Music Really Makes the Heart Good

I have been playing straight ahead jazz while working and also helping 5 year old with homework. Son seems to enjoy it and we get lots accomplished. I was looking for something about jazz and it's impact on kids studying and found this article.

MochaMom365

The Cardiovascular Benefits Of Music Are Similar To Those Found In Previous Study Of Laughter

Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Article Date: 12 Nov 2008 - 7:00 PST

Listening to your favorite music may be good for your cardiovascular system. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore have shown for the first time that the emotions aroused by joyful music have a healthy effect on blood vessel function.

Music, selected by study participants because it made them feel good and brought them a sense of joy, caused tissue in the inner lining of blood vessels to dilate (or expand) in order to increase blood flow. This healthy response matches what the same researchers found in a 2005 study of laughter. On the other hand, when study volunteers listened to music they perceived as stressful, their blood vessels narrowed, producing a potentially unhealthy response that reduces blood flow.

The results of the study, conducted at the University of Maryland Medical Center, were presented at the Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association, on November 11, 2008, in New Orleans.

"We had previously demonstrated that positive emotions, such as laughter, were good for vascular health. So, a logical question was whether other emotions, such as those evoked by music, have a similar effect," says principal investigator Michael Miller, M.D., director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center and associate professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "We knew that individual people would react differently to different types of music, so in this study, we enabled participants to select music based upon their likes and dislikes."

Study design

Ten healthy, non-smoking volunteers (70 percent male, average age 36 years) participated in all phases of the randomized study. There were four phases. In one, volunteers listened to music they selected that evoked joy. The volunteers brought recordings of their favorite music to the laboratory, or, if they did not own the music, the investigators acquired the recordings. Another phase included listening to a type of music that the volunteers said made them feel anxious. In a third session, audio tapes to promote relaxation were played and in a fourth, participants were shown videotapes designed to induce laughter.

Each volunteer participated in each of the four phases, but the order in which each phase occurred was determined at random.

To minimize emotional desensitization, the volunteers were told to avoid listening to their favorite music for a minimum of two weeks. "The idea here was that when they listened to this music that they really enjoyed, they would get an extra boost of whatever emotion was being generated," says Dr. Miller.

Prior to each phase of the study, the volunteers fasted overnight and were given a baseline test to measure what is known as flow-mediated dilation.

This test can be used to determine how the endothelium (the lining of blood vessels) responds to a wide range of stimuli, from exercise to emotions to medications. The endothelium has a powerful effect on blood vessel tone and regulates blood flow, adjusts coagulation and blood thickening, and secretes chemicals and other substances in response to wounds, infections or irritation. It also plays an important role in the development of cardiovascular disease.

During the blood vessel dilation test, blood flow in the brachial artery, located in the upper arm, is restricted by a blood pressure cuff and released. An ultrasound device measures how well the blood vessel responds to the sudden increase in flow, with the result expressed as a percentage change in vessel diameter.

After the baseline test, each volunteer was exposed to the music or humorous video for 30 minutes. Additional dilation measurements were obtained throughout each phase to assess changes from baseline. Participants returned a minimum of one week later for the next phase. Sixteen measurements per person or a total of 160 dilation measurements were taken during the course of the study, which took six to eight months to complete.

Study results

Compared to baseline, the average upper arm blood vessel diameter increased 26 percent after the joyful music phase, while listening to music that caused anxiety narrowed blood vessels by six percent. "I was impressed with the highly significant differences both before and after listening to joyful music as well as between joyful and anxious music," says Dr. Miller.

During the laughter phase of the study, a 19 percent increase in dilation showed a significant trend. The relaxation phase increased dilation by 11 percent on average; a number that the investigators determined was not statistically significant.

Most of the participants in the study selected country music as their favorite to evoke joy, according to Dr. Miller, while they said "heavy metal" music made them feel anxious. "You can't read into this too much, although you could argue that country music is light, spirited, a lot of love songs." says Dr. Miller, who enjoys rock, classical, jazz and country music. He says he could have selected 10 other individuals and the favorite could have been a different type of music.

Could other types of music produce similar positive effects on blood vessels? It's possible, according to Dr. Miller. "The answer, in my opinion, is how an individual is 'wired.' We're all wired differently, we all react differently. I enjoy country music, so I could appreciate why country music could cause that joyful response," he says.

Dr. Miller believes that a physiological reaction to the type of music is behind the formation of positive and negative blood vessel reaction. "We don't understand why somebody may be drawn to certain classical music, for example. There are no words in that, and yet the rhythm, the melody and harmony, may all play a role in the emotional and cardiovascular response."

That physiological impact may also affect the activity of brain chemicals called endorphins. "The emotional component may be an endorphin-mediated effect," says Dr. Miller. "The active listening to music evokes such raw positive emotions likely in part due to the release of endorphins, part of that mind-heart connection that we yearn to learn so much more about. Needless to say, these results were music to my ears because they signal another preventive strategy that we may incorporate in our daily lives to promote heart health."

----------------------------
Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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BARACK, The New HOT Name for Babies

I knew it was going to happen. I just wondered when. How many babies are going to be named "Barack" within the next 4 years.

MochaBarackMom365

Barack a hot name for new babies

By Jennifer 8. Lee

Published: November 10, 2008, nytimes.com

Decontee Williams was so excited by Barack Obama's victory on Tuesday night that she started jumping up and down — and went into labor. Twelve hours later, Barack Jeilah was born at Phoenix Baptist Hospital to Williams and Prince Jeilah. The baby was 8 pounds 9 ounces and had a full head of hair.

"I love Barack Obama, and I love the name," said Williams, 31, who came to the United States as a refugee from Liberia in 2003. "In Africa, we call it a blessing. That is a good name."

In the last week, Barack, Obama, Michelle, Malia and Sasha have become inspirations for first and middle names across the United States, according to news reports. But the Obama baby boom has been even more pronounced in Kenya, particularly in Kisumu, an area in the western part of the country where relatives of Obama live.

From Election Day through Saturday afternoon, 43 children born at the Nyanza Provincial Hospital in Kisumu were named after the Obamas, with 23 boys given the first and middle name Barack Obama and 20 girls named Michelle Obama.

Pamela Odhiambo, who gave birth to a girl during Obama's victory speech in Chicago, named her Michelle Obama. "It's a new start, a new beginning," said Odhiambo, 18.

There have been other presidential naming trends in the past century, according to Social Security Administration data. Franklin jumped to No. 33 in 1933, up from No. 147 in 1931. Dwight surged in the 1950s and Lyndon in the 1960s. Theodore hit its peak in the first decade of the 20th century.

"Honoring new presidents with baby namesakes used to be an American tradition," said Laura Wattenberg, author of "The Baby Name Wizard." But she pointed out that the custom faded around the time of Watergate, in part because people became more cynical about the presidency.

Wattenberg said Barack and Obama might break that trend for a number of reasons. Blacks, particularly moved by Obama's victory, tend to be more open to new names and to naming children after public figures. Also, Obama drew strong support from people of child-bearing age, and his name sounds fresh.

Obama has said that Barack has the same etymological roots as the Hebrew name Baruch, "one who is blessed."

A shift away from traditional names has meant a decline in the prevalence of John, George, William and James, the popularity (or unpopularity) of presidents notwithstanding.

There is perhaps more hope for presidential surnames, as parents look for untraditional monikers with a classic flavor. Lincoln (for boys) and Kennedy and Reagan (for girls) jumped in popularity in the 1990s. But none of those can compare with the surge by Madison, which broke into the top 10 for girls in 1998 and peaked at No. 2. (Though that may have more to do with a mermaid in the movie "Splash" than a framer of the Constitution.)

And the names can also track the rise and fall of the public's perception of presidents. Hoover came out of nowhere to land at No. 367 for boys' names in 1928, the year Herbert Hoover was elected the 31st president. Then the Great Depression started, and it dropped to No. 945 in 1931. And Clinton, a top 200 baby name for boys in the 1970s and 1980s, still ranked No. 211 in 1992. By 1999, the year after the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke, it had sunk to No. 664.

Even the most tainted presidencies have left a nomenclature mark. The Watergate president inspired some parents, at least overseas. In Venezuela, Nixon Moreno was one of the leaders behind student protests two years ago.

Then again, his co-organizer was Stalin González.

Christmas Around the World at the Museum of Science & Industry

The Museum halls will be decked, holiday singers and dancers will be joyously kicking off the festivities and the sparkle of more than 50 trees will greet you at this year’s Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light. We couldn’t resist one more chance to pay homage to our “Diamond Anniversary” and more than seven decades of imagination, invention and inspiration with the theme “Celebrating 75 Years of Museum Memories.”

The Museum’s grand 45-foot tree will be decorated with shimmering ornaments representing the Museum’s iconic exhibits, while fun-loving “penguins” play under the tree and welcome Museum guests to our very own South Pole. (Or maybe just the South Pole of Chicago.)

More than 50 trees—including the new Bulgaria tree—will be beautifully decorated by members of Chicago’s ethnic communities. Stroll through the trees on the Main Level, enjoy intermittent falling “snow” and savor the performances of various dance and choral groups every day of the week on the Holiday Stage, adjacent to the East Court.

In honor of our 75th Anniversary, you will be able to read favorite Museum memories that our guests have generously shared with us. If you still have a memory you would like to share, we will also be collecting them throughout the duration of the exhibit.

More special holiday events, performances and, of course, new memories, await you at this year’s Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light, so be sure to check back here for further details (and to download our Trees and Traditions podcast) as the holidays approach!

Events schedule »

Great line in this story is to invest in the people...that's where true wealth is. I personally think that Obama recognizes this is the case, particularly since he and his wife are experiencing first hand with young children the importance of a good education. Yes, I am hopeful for our future generation and our brain trust.
MochaMom365

Obama and Our Schools

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Published: November 12, 200, NY Times

President-elect Barack Obama and his aides are sending signals that education may be on the back burner at the beginning of the new administration. He ranked it fifth among his priorities, and if it is being downplayed, that’s a mistake.

Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times

Nicholas D. Kristof

Readers' Comments

"It's not choice, it's not vouchers, it's not getting rid of the teacher's unions that will 'fix' education. It's changing what we value."

Jan Jelliff, Grand Forks, ND

We can’t meaningfully address poverty or grow the economy as long as urban schools are failing. Mr. Obama talks boldly about starting new high-tech green industries, but where will the workers come from unless students reliably learn science and math?

The United States is the only country in the industrialized world where children are less likely to graduate from high school than their parents were, according to a new study by the Education Trust, an advocacy group based in Washington.

The most effective anti-poverty program we could devise for the long run would have less to do with income redistribution than with ensuring that poor kids get a first-rate education, from preschool on. One recent study found that if American students did as well as those in several Asian countries in math and science, our economy would grow 20 percent faster.

So let’s break for a quiz: Quick, what’s the source of America’s greatness?

Is it a tradition of market-friendly capitalism? The diligence of its people? The cornucopia of natural resources? Great presidents?

No, a fair amount of evidence suggests that the crucial factor is our school system — which, for most of our history, was the best in the world but has foundered over the last few decades. The message for Mr. Obama is that improving schools must be on the front burner.

One of the most important books of the year is “The Race Between Education and Technology,” by two Harvard economists, Claudia Goldin and Lawrence Katz. They argue that the distinguishing feature of America for most of our history has been our global lead in education.

By the mid-1800s, most American states provided a free grade-school education to the vast majority of white children. In contrast, only 2 percent of British 14-year-olds were enrolled in school in 1870.

At the beginning of the 1900s, Americans embraced high schools, and by the 1930s, a majority of American children attended high school. In contrast, as late as 1957, only 9 percent of British 17-year-olds were enrolled in school.

Then the United States — with help from President Franklin Roosevelt — pushed for mass education at the college level, and by 1970, half of American students were attending a university, at least briefly. We were far ahead of the rest of the world.

Professors Goldin and Katz crunch the data and conclude that America’s edge in mass education was the crucial competitive advantage that allowed the United States to build wealth while reducing income inequality. For most of the 20th century, America prospered at the same time that the gap between the rich and poor diminished.

Then in the 1970s, the United States education system began to stagnate, with high-school graduation rates stuck at about three-quarters of all students. Probably as a result, income inequality increased again.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world invested heavily in education and caught up with, and in some cases surpassed, us. As Fareed Zakaria notes in his terrific book, “The Post-American World,” the problem with American education is not the good schools. White suburban schools still offer an excellent education, comparable to those in Singapore, which may have the best education system in the world.

Rather, the central problem is our bad schools. “Lots of kids are being left behind,” Professor Goldin said, adding: “Investing in human capital is still a very good deal. Returns are very high.”

There’s still a vigorous debate about how to improve education, but recent empirical research is giving us a much better sense of what works. A study by the Hamilton Project, a public policy group at the Brookings Institution, outlines several steps to boost weak schools: end rigid requirements for teacher certification that impede hiring, make tenure more difficult to get so that ineffective teachers can be weeded out after three years on the job and award hefty bonuses to good teachers willing to teach in low-income areas. If we want outstanding, inspiring teachers in difficult classrooms, we’re going to have to pay much more — and it would be a bargain.

No family underscores the power of education more than Mr. Obama’s. His father began as a goat-herd in a remote village in Kenya, but his studies carried him to the University of Hawaii. And Mr. Obama himself has ridden the education escalator to the White House.

So Mr. Obama, let’s give others the chance to board the escalator that you and your father enjoyed. Let’s pick up where we left off in the 1970s and mount a national campaign to make high-school graduation truly universal, and to make a college education routine.

I invite you to visit my blog, www.nytimes.com/ontheground, and join me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kristof.

WSJ Says "Cure" for AIDS Stumbled Upon

My aunt has been doing AIDS research for years and I pray that this ugly disease is behind us!

Wall Street Journal Says "Cure" for AIDS Stumbled Upon

Todd Heywood on November 11, 2008 - 8:00am, wsj.com

Doctors in Berlin, Germany, are reporting that a 42-year-old American living in that city may have eliminated the virus from his body after a bone marrow transplant.

According to the Wall Street Journal report, the man was suffering from leukemia and AIDS, and while he continues to receive treatment for the leukemia, the virus has not reappeared in his blood in 600 days.

Traditionally, when a person on antiretroviral medication to treat HIV stops taking the pills, the virus bursts back with a flurry of activity. But this unidentified patient stopped taking the medication and has not had any evidence of the virus in his blood since.

The report explains that doctors believe this is due to the man’s leukemia doctor's use of bone marrow from a donor who had genetic immunity to HIV infection.

The development suggests a potential new therapeutic avenue and comes as the search for a cure has adopted new urgency. Many fear that current AIDS drugs aren’t sustainable. Known as antiretrovirals, the medications prevent the virus from replicating but must be taken every day for life and are expensive for poor countries where the disease runs rampant. Last year, AIDS killed two million people; 2.7 million more contracted the virus, so treatment costs will keep ballooning.

So what does this case indicate to experts? The Journal reports:

While cautioning that the Berlin case could be a fluke, David Baltimore, who won a Nobel prize for his research on tumor viruses, deemed it “a very good sign” and a virtual “proof of principle” for gene-therapy approaches. Dr. Baltimore and his colleague, University of California at Los Angeles researcher Irvin Chen, have developed a gene therapy strategy against HIV that works in a similar way to the Berlin case. Drs. Baltimore and Chen have formed a private company to develop the therapy.

“Sounds like good news so far — I’d be hesitant to call it a cure,” Mark Peterson of the Michigan Positive Action Coalition, or MI-POZ, a group of politically active HIV-positive people in Michigan, said in an e-mail. Peterson went on to say that the news underscored the importance of research into a specific class of drugs that stop the virus from invading human cells in the first place.

This is possibly very important news in the fight against HIV.

When antiretrovirals were first introduced, and viral loads (the number of viral particles in the blood) were found to have been suppressed to undetectable, doctors thought that eventually cells harboring HIV would die off and the person would be HIV-free. That did not happen. Researchers discovered that the virus incorporated itself into the genetic makeup of the infected person and waited for the opportunity to reignite the infection.

But in 1996, researchers also made another startling discovery, the Journal reports:

…researchers discovered that some gay men astonishingly remained uninfected despite engaging in very risky sex with as many as hundreds of partners. These men had inherited a mutation from both their parents that made them virtually immune to HIV.

The mutation prevents a molecule called CCR5 from appearing on the surface of cells. CCR5 acts as a kind of door for the virus. Since most HIV strains must bind to CCR5 to enter cells, the mutation bars the virus from entering. A new AIDS drug, Selzentry, made by Pfizer Inc., doesn’t attack HIV itself but works by blocking CCR5.

Craig Covey, executive director of the Midwest AIDS Prevention Project based in Ferndale, said he had not heard anything about the case or the reports, and was unable to comment.

FREE (Daily Word)

Free
(Daily Word)

I am an expression of unlimited potential in a world of infinite possibilities!

When a butterfly emerges from its chrysalis, it leaves its past, and all that would keep it from being free, behind. No longer bound to earth, the butterfly is a new creation, a creature of flight.

I, too, am able to break free by leaving negative thoughts and unhealthy habits behind. I am free to use my imagination and skills, strength and determination to experience life to its fullest.

Seeking divine guidance, I give my attention to the highest and best ideas, divine ideas. I am inspired to make changes in my thinking and way of living that will allow me to express my true Christ nature.

Like the butterfly, I leave the things that no longer serve me behind and explore a world of infinite possibilities.

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death."--Romans 8:2

Twitter is the Joint!

I've always been the one to try the new thing and be out front on trends. Since coming back to Chicago, from living in NYC for 13 years I was missing something...an energy that included folks who made stuff happen that were accessible all of the time. That's what made twitter so addictive. It has this real cool energy of folks coming together. It really matters who you follow.

Enjoy the article below.

Tweeting Your Way to the Top
Sandra Fathi
November 11, 2008, prweekus.com

In today's on-demand society, news travels fast. In fact, according to social networking tool, Twitter, news travels at about 140 characters at a time. Twitter is the most widely used micro-blogging site and has become an essential PR and marketing tool. When the medium is being talked about by mainstream media staples such as CNN, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times, PR folks need to be paying attention.

More and more companies now use Twitter to communicate and create close relationships with reporters, customers and prospective clients. No matter what industry you work in, Twitter is a tool that needs to be on your radar. At the very least, your company should be monitoring Twitter and figuring out the best way to utilize it.

Twitter can be thought of as a short form subscription tool. One of the major benefits of creating a corporate presence on Twitter is that it is spam free, which makes it more inviting to subscribers. The 140 character limit requires tweets to be clear and concise, which forces users to make each interaction meaningful. Once a regular conversation is established through frequent tweets, your profile has the potential to attract a strong following.

PR and headline news
From a PR standpoint, Twitter is a great way to seek and create media opportunities. Reporters are now proactively tweeting to inform their followers of upcoming projects to help find spokespeople. It's also a valuable tool to help monitor key trends, breaking news, and find out about reporters' interests. Whether it's green initiatives or the recession, Twitter users are able to quickly stay on top of what's “hot” in their industry. In this way, Twitter has opened up a new level of awareness that hasn't been available to PR professionals, and one that other social networking sites have not been able to offer. Companies that don't pay attention to Twitter are potentially missing out on extremely valuable media opportunities.

Customer service and CRM Twitter can also be a great way for companies to stay on top of customer service. Many companies have set up Twitter accounts in an effort to improve their reputation and increase customer loyalty. For example, customers might tweet about product issues, glitches, and other problems that arise. A company that monitors tweets closely can provide solutions and answers quickly, directly to the customer, in order to build trust and strengthen the relationship with their customer base.

Engagement, interaction, and viral marketing
Another advantage of Twitter is that users are able to insert themselves into conversations immediately, which can be a major marketing tool, especially at events. Companies can now offer exclusive content through tweets from the conference floor at trade shows and events. By engaging potential customers in conversation before, during, and after an event, Twitter allows companies to get a leg up on their competitors. Twitter can also be used to launch and maintain viral marketing campaigns. Brands can encourage users to follow them on Twitter to receive exclusive updates and news.

Immediate gratification and distribution
What makes Twitter so powerful is how quickly users are able to communicate with large groups of people. There is no limit to how many people a tweet can reach at virtually no cost. Twitter has become one of the most cost-effective marketing tools available. Business leaders can use Twitter in a number of different ways, but, as with any social networking tool, it is important to understand the medium, the culture and the unwritten “rules of the network.”

In public relations, new tools are constantly emerging to give practitioners an edge. Twitter is an important social networking tool that has shown no sign of slowing down. Get involved today at least by listening to the conversation, even if you're not ready to join in just yet.

Sandra Fathi is the founder and president of tech-focused boutique PR and marketing firm Affect Strategies. She blogs at techaffect.com, and can be reached at sfathi@affectstrategies.com and on Twitter @sandrafathi.

Design Your Own Muppet for Christmas

Imagine designing your own Muppet for Christmas.... Miss Piggy has always been a favorite with all of her baubles and attitude. FAO Schwartz does it again by coming up with something great to do.

"It's time to put on makeup, it's time to dress up right"
By Brian Little November 13, 2008 wired

This is too cool, and may end up being part of the geeklet's Christmas. FAO Schwarz's Build Your Own site now features the Muppet Whatnot Workshop, where you can create your own customized Muppet.

Start by picking from one of three body styles and colors. Add one of several choices of eyes/glasses, a nose, and hair (or fur, as your taste dictates). Then pick an outfit -- options range from a Hawaiian shirt to a Guy Smiley-esque plaid jacket and tie.
Submit your choices, and get a preview image of your customized Muppet, along with its cost and an estimated delivery time. Every one I built cost $90, and the estimated delivery time was 3-4 weeks.

Admittedly, we're not talking about Beaker and Scooter here. Still, the idea of creating your own one-Muppet show has a certain gonzo appeal.

Today's Blessings

• I had a great evening with son and just ate sandwiches, played Legos and did some homework.


• Discovered 8 potential new clients that I sent information to.


• Got positive feedback from my manager on an account that I was on the ledge about


• A friend called me today at just the RIGHT moment


• I told my mother exactly (well almost) how I felt and that I was going to speak with her when I felt up to it


• Been listening to Pandora's straight ahead jazz station. Son was listening with me and he really enjoyed it.


• Called aunt and cousin to check on them --- wasn't able to go to funeral yesterday but reached out yesterday.


• Called and talked to ex-boyfriend's mom who I love! She is some kind of wonderful.


• Cried a lot - evidently needed to

ACT or SAT...didn't we do both back in the day?

ACT or SAT? More Students Answering 'All Of the Above'

http://www.washingtonpost.com/,
Yahoo! Buzz

By Daniel de ViseWashington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, November 12, 2008

For students in the Washington region, picking a college entrance test has become a multiple-choice question.

The SAT has long dominated the bustling college-prep market in the District and its suburbs. But the rival ACT is making inroads, buoyed by a shift in conventional wisdom, which now holds that the tests are of about equal value and that a student would be wise to take both. Colleges are driving the trend because admission officers are spreading the word that it doesn't matter which test students take.

The ascendance of the ACT has brought Hertz-Avis style competition to the test-obsessed D.C. region. It's a boon to students, who find they have more ways than ever to impress colleges. The SAT tests how students think. The ACT measures what they have learned. Each is a better fit for some students than others.

"You'll do well on at least one of the tests," said Jordan Kirschenbaum, 15, a junior at Winston Churchill High School in Potomac. He plans to take both. If ACT participation has doubled in Fairfax and Montgomery counties in the past three years, rising from about 2,550 seniors in 2005 to more than 5,100 this year. The SAT remains dominant, but the number of seniors who took the test in the two counties declined this year to about 16,900 from about 17,600 last year.
Melissa Goldberg, 17, a senior at James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring, took the ACT last month on the advice of her guidance counselor and her parents, who reminded her that the ACT had come up in all of her college visits. She has sat for the SAT three times. If she did well on the ACT, she might take it again. The ACT, she said, is "definitely something the colleges are looking at more now than before."

A decade ago, the ACT was virtually unknown in this region, reflecting the supremacy of the SAT on the East Coast. But in the past five years or so, colleges have stated "with unanimity" that they don't care which test students take, said Paul Kanarek, vice president of the test-preparatory company Princeton Review.

Guidance counselors in this area used to advise students to take the SAT as many times as necessary to yield an acceptable score. Now, they might tell students to take each test once, then retake the one they liked better, said Henry Broaddus, dean of admission at the College of William and Mary. "And I actually think that's fairly sane advice."

Although they operate as nonprofit groups, the New York-based College Board, which owns the SAT, and Iowa-based ACT Inc. have an interest in building market share and maintaining prestige among students and colleges in every state.

"We're growing everywhere, but it's especially dramatic down the East Coast," said Jon Erickson, vice president for educational services at ACT.

"We don't see this as a horse race," said Alana Klein, a College Board spokeswoman. "What's important to us is that students are prepared for and succeed in college."
The College Board recently unveiled an eighth-grade assessment and changed a rule to allow students to report only their best scores from multiple tests. Both moves could be viewed as responses to the ACT, which publishes an eighth-grade test and allows students to choose the scores they send to colleges.

College entrance tests remain vital to the admission process, even in an era when dozens of colleges have waived them as a requirement.

The SAT, introduced in 1926, has evolved from its origins as a quasi-intelligence test for Ivy League applicants. Today, the test spans three hours and 45 minutes and three sections in reading, writing and math, including an essay. The ACT was introduced in 1959 as an alternative, focusing on curriculum, with sections in English, math, reading and science and an optional essay. It is most prevalent in the middle of the country. The core test, not including the essay, takes two hours and 55 minutes.

Each SAT section yields a score from 200 to 800, while ACT section scores top out at 36. A typical applicant to a competitive college might boast section scores in the upper 20s for the ACT and above 600 for the SAT.

To an extent, the recent popularity of ACT reflects backlash against changes to the SAT. The College Board expanded the exam from two sections to three in 2005. The result was a longer test that some students did not care to take twice.

A Montgomery school system analysis shows that the number of students who retook the SAT dwindled from 5,049 in 2005 to 4,361 this year. About one-quarter of this year's Montgomery graduates took the ACT.

"They're voting with their feet," said Montgomery School Superintendent Jerry D. Weast, who was among the first educators in the region to note the migration from one test to the other.
College Board officials did not furnish comparable data for the nation but confirmed that fewer students are retaking the test. Klein said the number of repeat customers stabilized last year after declining in 2006.

ACT hype has crept into the local test-prep field, "and with good reason," said Erik Kimel, founder of the Peer2Peer tutoring service in Montgomery. Local school systems recently have begun reporting ACT results alongside SAT scores. Parents at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda give practice SAT and ACT tests on different Saturdays.
"Clearly, the ACT is beginning to challenge the SAT's dominance in our local college testing market," said Christopher Garran, the school's principal.

College Board officials say the ACT's gain is not necessarily the SAT's loss. The number of students taking the SAT nationwide is up 30 percent since 1998. For the ACT, the totals are up 43 percent. In the Washington region, where the ACT is booming, SAT participation is steady.
Still, the College Board seems to be fighting back. Last summer, the New York publisher announced that students would soon be permitted to pick their best scores from multiple SAT tests to show colleges. At present, colleges receive all of a student's scores.

The change, effective with the Class of 2010, seems tailored to encourage repeat business. Vincent Abadsantos, a junior in the International Baccalaureate program at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, said the new policy is "the primary driving factor" for choosing the SAT for himself and his friends, many of whom will take it two or three times. He does not plan to take the ACT.

Last month, the College Board also announced a new test to prepare eighth-grade students for the rigors of high school. Promoters said the ReadiStep exam helps create a "college-going culture." Some industry insiders say the test is more about test-taking culture: steering ever-younger students onto the SAT track, a role filled by the Preliminary SAT.

"It's a business move, and it's an intelligent move," Kanarek said.
Klein, of the College Board, said the new test "is completely unrelated to the college admissions process." ReadiStep will be rolled out next fall. Maryland officials said it would be piloted in three middle schools in Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties. Virginia and D.C. officials had no set plans.

Analysts say some of the region's best students take both tests to see which yields the better score.

Of 11,636 applicants to William and Mary for the class that entered this fall, 3,800 took the ACT, Broaddus said. Most of those students also took the SAT.

"What we see is more and more students who want to take both exams," he said.

Staff writer Maria Glod contributed to this report.

I NEED My sleep

I love sleep and it feels as though after having a 5 year old, I'm finally getting the rest that I deserve. Here's some new research on how to get a good nights rest:


Sleep Better - Imitate Children
By UT Southwestern Medical CenterNov 11, 2008 - 8:10:01 AM

All kidding aside, you can sleep better using good habits (HealthNewsDigest.com) - Physicians say adults should imitate children when it comes to getting enough rest. “Children go to bed when they’re tired,” says Dr. Nilesh Dave, medical director of the Sleep and Breathing Disorders Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Just like children don’t get in the bed to play, adults shouldn’t read, work, watch television or use their laptop while in bed, Dr. Dave says. “The bed should only be used for two things: sleep and sex,” he says. Bad bedtime habits could lead to insomnia, which has been associated with depression, anxiety, chronic pain and high blood pressure. Drowsiness from insomnia can affect concentration, work performance, quality of life and driving alertness.Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/sleep to learn more about UT Southwestern’s clinical services in sleep and breathing disorders.www.HealthNewsDigest.com © Copyright by HealthNewsDigest.com -->

Wall Street Journal Black Power Brokers Ready to Rise In Tandem With New President

NOVEMBER 6, 2008

Black Power Brokers Ready to Rise In Tandem With New President

By JONATHAN KAUFMAN, wsj.com

Jeh Johnson, a black partner at a prominent Manhattan law firm, strolled down the hall from his corner office to chat with a fellow partner: Theodore Sorensen, President Kennedy's former speechwriter. It was late 2006, and another of Mr. Johnson's allies, Barack Obama, was pondering a bid for the White House. He suggested to Mr. Sorensen that he meet the politician.

Mr. Sorensen drafted notes about the pros and cons of running, including issues of personal safety. He and Mr. Obama talked by phone and later met face-to-face. Impressed, Mr. Sorensen vowed to support the young senator.

Today, Mr. Johnson, a Democratic fund-raiser who advised Sen. John Kerry during his 2004 race, is among a tightknit group of black Obama backers preparing for their own victory laps. Seated in his office recently, Mr. Johnson casually pulled out a list that's been circulating over the Internet of rumored Obama cabinet picks. Next to his name was the title secretary of labor. "I was flattered," said Mr. Johnson, before dismissing the speculative document with a laugh. "I am part of the Obama team and I'd want that to continue -- if asked."

For more than a decade, Mr. Obama has cultivated ties with a growing circle of black power brokers who are poised -- and eager -- to wield greater national influence. Some of these insiders stand to gain new status in an Obama administration, and many more in law firms, big corporations and on Wall Street. They believe that their proximity to the president-elect will burnish their reputations, much in the way that white elites always have leveraged connections in business and politics.

"When I get introduced to a new client these days, the first thing my colleagues mention is that I am a litigator and the second is that I am on Obama's national finance committee," says Mr. Johnson, 51 years old.

Being known as a top fund-raiser or adviser to Mr. Obama has given African-Americans "the opportunity to build wonderful relationships," says John Rogers, the 50-year-old founder of Chicago-based Ariel Capital Management who has known the president-elect for years. "Once people get to meet someone like [senior Obama adviser] Valerie Jarrett, they say, 'They are so smart, so sharp -- I want to do business with them. I want to have them on my board.'" On Wednesday, Mr. Obama spent much of the day working out of Mr. Rogers's office.

The senator's network of black executives, lawyers, fund-raisers and advisers stretches from Chicago to Cambridge, Mass., to Wall Street to Washington, D.C. In many ways, their careers mirror that of the candidate himself. They are graduates of Ivy League and other prestigious colleges and law schools. They ascended the ranks of mainstream corporate America, often accumulating great wealth in the process. They've been adept at navigating elite white precincts while retaining ties to the black community. They are also bound by an intricate social web that operates largely out of sight from whites: family connections, black law-school alumni organizations, black fraternities and sororities, as well as popular vacation spots for affluent African-Americans like Martha's Vineyard.

Many are now eyeing Washington -- for jobs and less-formal resumé-boosting roles. "These black executives see a window of opportunity for themselves," says Peniel Joseph, a black professor of political science at Brandeis University. "Obama being elected president shatters the last glass ceiling."

Of those hoping for access and government stints, some may be disappointed. Loyalties aside, Mr. Obama, according to people familiar with his thinking, may be constrained in the number of blacks he appoints to avoid any charges of favoring African-Americans.

Other blacks, meanwhile, complain that they have been shut out altogether. Absent from the senator's advisory circle, for instance, are the civil-rights leaders and ministers who figured prominently in the candidacies of an older generation of black politicians such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson. "There is no one who represents the black inner city, who is rooted in the black community," says the Rev. Eugene Rivers, an influential black Boston minister. "It's the whole black Brahmin thing: Vote for us because we're better than you."

Obama supporters point out that the senator himself worked as a community organizer in a black Chicago neighborhood. "There are a lot of ways other than being from the street to be tough and have wisdom," says Martin Nesbitt, a Chicago real-estate developer and close friend.

"There will be room in an Obama administration for all kinds of talented people," says Ms. Jarrett, a longtime friend and key adviser to Mr. Obama who is now a member of the triumvirate heading his transition team. Blacks, she stresses, won't be pigeonholed into "historically conventional" roles, such as secretary of housing and urban development or assistant attorney general for civil rights.

On Wednesday, Mr. Obama offered Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel the job of White House chief of staff. An Obama spokesman declined to comment on other specific administration assignments.

African-Americans have held top cabinet and presidential advisory positions before -- most notably Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice in the Bush administration and Vernon Jordan, who was a close adviser and friend to President Bill Clinton. Both Mr. Jordan and Mr. Powell have advised Mr. Obama.

But now, the spotlight has shifted to a new cadre of African-Americans in their 40s and 50s. Their growing visibility is already changing the tone of Washington and creating new power matrixes. For example, Eric Holder -- who helped conduct Mr. Obama's search for a vice president and is considered by people close to the campaign as a candidate for attorney general -- met Mr. Obama two years ago at a Washington dinner party organized by Ann Walker Marchant. Ms. Marchant is a black former Clinton administration official who is also the niece of Mr. Jordan and a cousin of Ms. Jarrett.

View Interactive

Click to see an interactive map of election results.

Judith Byrd, 52, a graduate of Georgetown Law School, first met Mr. Obama during his early career days, in the 1980s. Back then, he was a community organizer and she was a city official. At a meeting where he was leading local opposition to landfills, Ms. Byrd recalls "my head whipping around as he spoke because of the conviction and clarity with which he was making his case."

In 2004 she introduced Mr. Obama to her husband, Ron Blaylock, 48, an African-American veteran of Citigroup and UBS who now runs a private-equity fund. Backing their friend's political efforts, the couple quickly ramped up their social network for fund-raising events. One gathering, held this spring, was at the Park Avenue home of a friend. The invitation list consisted of friends and clients as well as colleagues from the predominantly white, A-list nonprofit boards on which they've served: Georgetown and New York Universities, Carnegie Hall, the American Ballet Theater. The event raised $370,000.

"That's our existing network," says Mr. Blaylock. "Our friends and the people we associate with every day are mixed, of all races. It's not all black."

For the past several months, Mr. Blaylock has been emailing Austan Goolsbee, Mr. Obama's top economic adviser, with his thoughts on the housing crisis and its impact on financial markets. "I reached out to them and they have reached out to me," says Mr. Blaylock.

Ms. Byrd says she approached Mr. Obama three months ago at a fund-raising event and joked about his personal availability. "If I ever need to talk with you would I need to go through 100 people?" Ms. Byrd says the senator laughed, summoned a staffer, then handed over his cellphone number.

Chicago provides the oldest and closest circle of black business executives around Mr. Obama. Many have benefited from the historically strong black business community and the 1983 election of the city's first black mayor, Harold Washington, who appointed many African-Americans to city posts.

Mr. Nesbitt, a 45-year old real-estate developer and a close friend of the senator, is chairman of the Chicago Housing Authority. Before Ms. Jarrett was named president of a large Chicago real-estate development and management company, she was a top aide to Mayor Richard Daley. In addition to raising money for Mr. Obama, Mr. Rogers, of Ariel Capital, played major fund-raising roles for Bill Bradley during his presidential run and for the successful 1992 Senate race of Carol Mosley Braun.

Harvard Law School is another nexus of influence, having played a key role in expanding the African-American power base. Since it began accepting blacks in large numbers in 1968, Harvard has typically admitted 30 to 40 black law students a year, according to David Wilkins, a Harvard Law professor who has tracked the numbers. In 2000, Mr. Wilkins organized a reunion of black graduates and found there were 1,400 black alumni -- more black law-school graduates than any other law school except historically black Howard University.

"Harvard Law School has always produced an influential network....Now blacks are part of that network," says Rep. Artur Davis (D., Ala.), who attended law school with Mr. Obama.

When Mr. Obama first ran for office in Chicago, campaign workers recall, he took out his copy of the Harvard Law School alumni directory and began dialing to solicit donations. In this campaign cycle, Mr. Obama has raised more than $500,000 from Harvard faculty and staff -- not including alumni -- making the school the third-largest contributor among employers.

Starting in the 1990s many aspiring black policy makers began finding work in Washington as Democratic congressional and White House staffers. President Clinton appointed more blacks to sub-cabinet and White House jobs than any previous president. Some are now top advisers to Mr. Obama including Mr. Holder and Susan Rice (who worked in the Department of State under Clinton and now is a possible candidate for National Security Adviser, according to people close to the Obama campaign). Cassandra Butts, one of Mr. Obama's top advisers on domestic issues, worked as a senior adviser to Rep. Richard Gephardt.

"The Clinton administration brought a lot of African-Americans into government and into policy-making roles," says Ms. Butts, who, along with Ms. Rice, has been tapped for Mr. Obama's transition team. "They came out and landed in law firms or think tanks or on Capitol Hill."

Mr. Johnson, for example, was named a partner at his firm, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, in 1993. He joined the Clinton administration as general counsel of the Air Force from 1996 to 2001, then returned to his law firm, where he has remained active in politics. He now serves as part of Mr. Obama's foreign-policy advisory team as well as a fund-raiser.

Some blacks believe that a larger ripple effect is under way -- that Mr. Obama's ascendancy is affecting, for instance, things like the number of black commentators appearing on cable-TV news shows. Says Ms. Butts: "You will see changes in Washington, D.C., where people are making decisions about who is running a news bureau, who is heading up a lobbying shop," bringing in more blacks to top positions.

While Mr. Obama's political rise has augmented the role of many well-connected blacks, the country's overall racial progress remains uneven, notes Mr. Rogers. As an example, he points to the financial sector in Chicago where there are virtually no African-American partners at the major investment banks, hedge funds or venture-capital firms.

This election "isn't going to change everything," says Harvard's Mr. Wilkins. "But it is going to change the way people understand power. It changes the view of who could be an important person."

Mr. Wilkins and other influential blacks say they have already noticed subtle changes in the way they are treated at upscale restaurants in Washington, D.C., and places like Martha's Vineyard where affluent Americans -- and the Obamas -- vacation. "No one is quite sure who you are," says Mr. Wilkins. "Now the assumption is you might know the next president of the United States."

Write to Jonathan Kaufman at jonathan.kaufman@wsj.com

I think I want a Zap Car....

Not only is this car hot, but it's efficient. I would definitely have to watch my car keys because my 5 year old would want to take it for a spin:):

What’s the Zap Electric Car?

• Posted by Bill Belew in Automobiles, Transportation

Monday
Nov 10,2008

A redesigned 2009 Zap Electric Car with a hatchback will make its debut in Sacramento.

Performance
• 0 – 60 mph : 7.7 seconds
• Vmax: 100 mph
• EV range: 100+ miles (160.9 kilometer)
• Vehicle curb mass: 1612.6 lbs (733 kg)

MSRP - $32,500

ZAP is a leader in electric transportation and has been since 1994.

ZAP has delivered over 100,000 vehicles to consumers.

ZAP cares can be found in more than 75 countries.

ZAP manufactures a line of electric vehicles including electric:

1. cars

2. electric trucks

3. motorcycles

4. scooters

5. ATVs

6. bicycles

ZAP Alias is ZAP’s high-performance electric vehicle.

ZAP has a strategic partnership with Dubai-based Al Yousuf Group.

Black Friday Deals - Check it out....

Okay, I still haven't gotten my list in order for all of the special deals that are coming up for the holidays but here are some places to begin. Santa Claus is coming to town.....

Where To Look For Black Friday Deals

(huliq.com - 11/10/08)

Black Friday deals at Kmart are easy to find. Websites are springing up with sneak peeks at major retailer Black Friday sales. Let’s take a look at Kmart, just one of several stores with Black Friday deals available online.

Kmart is offering digital cameras at a deeply discounted price. For example the Casio EX-Z9 8.1MP Digital Camera – is going for $99.99. While you can also get a Memorex DVD player for 14.99. Or how about the Eureka Bagless Boss Vacuum? That will be a steal for 29.99. Kmart has an entire list of Black Friday deals available for the cost conscious shopper.

If you’re looking for electronics Black Friday deals, look no further than Best Buy and their VIP contest especially designed for Black Friday deal shoppers.

Is Black Friday shopping a tradition for you and your family?
What do you do to make the day after Thanksgiving a particularly fun and special day?

If Black Friday deal shopping is a tradition for you and your family, then share your story and if you’re one of 25 lucky winners, you could be crowned Black Friday VIP at pre-designated Best Buy stores. The Black Friday VIP contest will be conducted in the following cities:

Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, and Washington, D.C.

Each Black Friday VIP will receive:

* A $1,000 Best Buy gift card

* VIP treatment at the designated Best Buy store closest to you, including:

A limo ride to and from Best Buy on the morning after Thanksgiving
On-site pampering and prizes for the winner and three guests
Early admittance into the store at 4:30 a.m. � a half hour before anyone else! The ability to purchase up to four Black Friday door busters! Hurry though, the entry deadline is November 18, 2008.

Not to be outdone, Sears has major Black Friday deals going on. You can get a Vizio 26 in LCD HDTV (720p) for $379.99. Just in time to meet the deadline for the digital TV conversion that happens in February of next year. Or if 26 inches isn’t big enough, check out the 42 inch Sylvania HDTV for $699.00.

Since Sears sells everything under the sun, they’ve included automobile tires as part of the Black Friday deals. Or how about a SpongeBob Pillow Buddy for 14.99? If you’re looking for something to augment family game night, Sears Black Friday deals includes buy one board game and get a second board game at 50% off.

Toys ‘R Us has a huge listing of items ready for Black Friday. Similar to the Sears sale, items are listed alphabetically, and don’t really announce any great deals. For instance, the Guitar Hero bundle World Tour on Nintendo Wii is showing 99.99. However, you can go into almost any store right now (specifically Wal-Mart) and get that same price. Hardly worth getting up at 4:30 in the morning for.

Other retailers like Target, Wal-Mart still have their Black Friday deals under wraps. They may be waiting to see what the competition is doing so they can better prepare for the shopping extravaganza that follows a good turkey dinner. We’ll do our best to keep you updated as we find out of upcoming Black Friday deals from your favorite retailer. But, we suspect most of them will keep their Black Friday deals under wraps until the very last minute—the night before.