Christmas Time is Here Again!

Analysts are on the fence about predictions for this year's Christmas season. I'm going to hang with the optimists here and predict a small to moderate amount of growth over last year's numbers. We may even read the terms "surprisingly strong" in reference to Black Friday's numbers. Waiting with baited breath!!

What's hot this year? Check out Zhu Zhu pets, a toy line specifically designed for today's economic climate with every item under $20! Frankly, it's a great line. It's personal, economical, modifiable, and creates a self-contained play universe. Very well done. I apologize for the music, but check them out here:

Can you Guess What This is??

No, it's not a toilet. No, it's not a dishwasher. A very very over the top potato scrubber? Nope, it's a head massager. Specifically, the Headtime scalp massager, produced by Kinatech.

"Global warming isn't just bad for the planet; it's bad for BUSINESS."

The Financial Page of the October 19 New Yorker has an interesting piece about several big-name companies exiting the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "Exiting" is a bit of an understatement; really they're quitting. The Chamber is opposed to global-warming legislation, and Apple, Exelon, and Nike have all defected because they don't agree with the stance.

Historically, this is a new thing. Companies don't come and go from the Chamber, because they want to present a united front. They make statements and have varied opinions, but generally they stay in the Chamber.

Until now. It seems that the impending financial and housing crisis wasn't enough to make companies leave 5 years ago, but the price of ignoring global warming is too high. The resignations may just be a matter of self-preservation, but then again we can always hope that maybe there are some lines that shouldn't be crossed.