From cbc.ca:

A Wal-Mart worker has died after being trampled by a throng of shoppers shortly after a store opened Friday on Long Island in New York state, police said.

Nassau County police say the 34-year-old worker was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead at about 6 a.m. ET, an hour after the store opened. The cause of death was not immediately known.

A police statement says the shoppers “physically broke down the doors, knocking him to the ground.” Police also say a 28-year-old pregnant woman was taken to a hospital for observation.

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From nytimes.com:

Sorry, Mr. President. Please surrender your BlackBerry.

Those are seven words President-elect Barack Obama is dreading but expecting to hear, friends and advisers say, when he takes office in 65 days.

For years, like legions of other professionals, Mr. Obama has been all but addicted to his BlackBerry. The device has rarely been far from his side — on most days, it was fastened to his belt — to provide a singular conduit to the outside world as the bubble around him grew tighter and tighter throughout his campaign.

“How about that?” Mr. Obama replied to a friend’s congratulatory e-mail message on the night of his victory.

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From cbc.ca:

Most of Wal-Mart Canada’s stores will be operating 24 hours a day throughout the holiday shopping season.

The move, announced Thursday, is an extension of its four-year-old program of keeping certain stores open round the clock from Dec. 1 to Christmas Eve, and during the back-to-school shopping season.

What’s new this year is the number of stores open for the entire period starting Monday and running to Dec 24.

Last year, just 50 of the chain’s 310 Canadian stores remained open. This year there will be 192, said Wal-Mart Canada spokesman Kevin Groh.

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From getrichslowly.org:

Last month, I asked readers to share their favorite frugal Christmas ideas. You responded with over a hundred fantastic tips. One common theme for saving money and adding meaning during the holiday season was to make gifts yourself.

My wife and I are lucky to have many crafty friends. Every year, I’m delighted to see what they create for the holiday season. I drew on our own experience, pulled some of your best tips from the past, and scoured the web for new ideas, in order to produce the following mammoth list of do-it-yourself Christmas gifts. But remember: in order to complete many of these, you need to get started soon. Enjoy!  

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