Strong Holiday Shopping!

REcent reports show that some stores are enjoying stronger sales than last year, but there seems to be a pretty big gap in stores that sell luxury items compared to lower end stores this holiday season. Lower income, less educated Americans are still facing high unemployment and are still feeling glooomy about the recession and economy. They are spending less. Upper income, well educated people are feeling more secure about their jobs and don't plan to cut back on speeding this Christmas. Stores like Walmart are not reporting big gains while sores like Saks Fifth Avenue are doing well. Their customers are spending more freely because they feel secure in their jobs and in the stock market. Luxury stores are not even needing to offer many sales to attract customers. Internet sales and shopping center sales are also up this year, but the divide between upper and lower income shoppers is growing, and that is not good for the economic recovery of the entire country.
Over the past years there has been a increase in the economy. This is good because soon people will feel better and start trusting the economy and spend more and that will only bring up the economy more! Consumer confidence will need to rise in all income groups, not just among the wealthy, if the U.S. is to pull out of the recession. I believe that extending the Bush tax cuts for all Americans was the right move by Congress because it will narrow the gap between all income groups. It will stimulate the economy as a whole. Members of the liberal media often try to encourage "class warfare" by reporting on the benefits of "taxing the rich." The mainstream media often has its own agenda, and citizens have to be very media savvy in order to make up their own ideas on this issue. I believe that keeping taxes as low as possible for every income level will help our economy the most. More jobs will be created, and more people in the lower and middle classes will increase their spending. The gap between richer and poorer consumers will narrow, and retail stores in all markets will see bigger profits at Christmas.

13 Americans die from the Taliban

KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban fighters struck at Afghan security forces Sunday, storming an army recruiting center in the north that sparked a daylong gunbattle, and ambushing a bus carrying army officers in the capital — the first major attack in Kabul in months. At least 13 Afghan security forces were killed in the two attacks, with the firefight at the recruiting center in the northern province of Kunduz ending only after the last remaining militant detonated his suicide vest, local police officials said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for both operations.


Why in the world are Taliban attacking the Afghan security forces? I understand that there are three different groups in Afgan but we have thousands of different groups and we make it work! We come together and make it far for the individual and the group as a whole. I really don't understand why they can't just get along its really not that hard. I think that we should just have all of the firearms taken away from them. Better question how in the world do they get them? I think that they should put a blockade around that country and just wait until they shot up all their bullets and then guess what they are screwed! Ha wow thats a good idea. But are we gonna do that? nope we are just going to keep letting our American Soliders die over their and make the Taliban even more angry with us. I think that the war in Afghanistain should just end that would be a good day.

Teacher doing the school shooting?

The bipolar man who held a Florida school board at gunpoint was frustrated and broke. When his wife was fired from her teaching job and their benefits ran out, he went to the board meeting and said he was prepared to die. Clay Duke killed himself Tuesday after firing at the board members, missing them by mere inches, and exchanging a volley of gunfire with a security guard. A day later, his wife tearfully talked about the man she loved, calling the 56-year-old father a "gentle giant."

what amazes me is that no one died, except for the guy! also you can see from the video's that the teachers didn't even try to hide behind cover until about 30 seconds after he started shooting..., the man shot off 15 rounds and didn't hit one person. Cops think he purposely missed so one of the security guards would take him down eventually the man shot and killed himself after being taking down.

al-Megrahi going home sick

The main Lockerbie bombing al-Megrahi was released from prison recently because he has been terminally ill with prostate cancer. He was part of the bombing that killed 189 americans, our of the 270 that were killed all together. He is suppose to die before December 21, and his beloved friends are expecting any day to be his last. Americans are furious that he was released from prison for what he had done. Britain freed him from prison because they were scared how furious the Lybians would be if he would be held in custoday even while sick.

I agree with what the Britains did. They should release the guy because he is dying and he still has family that wants to see him. Like when people get the death sentance people are able to visit their soon to be passed away family. Maybe they could have watched him, by putting him on probation, and have the police monitor him will he is out. Making he does't talk to anybody he isn't suppose to. Since he is dying of something non-man inforced they should have the right to see him. I don't agree with the Americans being angry for this decision. Evan if he did something horrible, you have to understand that he is still human and that he should get to enjoy his last days of his life. Also be with his family and get the love and close care he needs. I think it was the right one, and even though he did do somethign bad he still deserves rights.

Four in 10 say marriage is becoming obsolete

More people are accepting that getting married isn’t needed to start a family. The Pew Research Center did a study involving marriage, divorce, and single parent families. About 29% of kids under the age of 18 live with a parent that was never married or is divorced. The Pew study shows that 39% of Americans say that marriage is becoming obsolete. The Census Bureau says that unmarried partners that are living together jumped 13% from last year. They believe that people are less likely to marry right now because it is hard to find jobs with steady income. Although things aren’t looking good right now for marriage, it’s not going to disappear anytime soon. 67% of Americans still believe in marriage and the traditional family.
I believe that marriage is an important part of having a successful family but I don't think it's the only way to have a functional family. My older sister is a single mother and she is raising her daughter very well. Sometimes I think it'd be nice for my niece to have a father figure but she is also doing fine without it. Thankfully, I don't think that marriage is ever going to go away. I look forward to getting married someday and starting my own family. It's understandable that couples that are living together are afraid to get married because they don't want things to start off on a bad note; trying to find or hold a job for enough money to survive. Marriage is still an aspiration of most people under 18 and it's not going to go away.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40239472/ns/health-behavior/