Black Friday Shopping Up 16 Percent

Results from a new survey released on Tuesday show that Black Friday shopping is going to jump 16 percent this year. Approximately 57 million people have said that they are definitely doing their shopping on Black Friday compared to the 49 million people that shopped on Black Friday in 2008, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation. Along with those shoppers, another 77 million said they will wait and decide after seeing the weekend deals and sales.

So, what do you think about all of the sales, deals, and "doorbusters" that people seem to be obsessed with? Is it worth it to wait in line at 5 a.m. to get the greatest deals?

From the results of the survey, about 10.3 percent will get to stores as early as midnight to shop for the best deals, while another 28.8 percent decided to start around dawn, between 4 and 6 a.m. Aside from the people shopping at those horrendous times, 28.2 percent said they would most likely shop between 7 and 9 a.m. Do any of those hours seem appealing during a long weekend? I understand that people want to get shopping done. As a college student, I feel differently now because I enjoy my precious hours of sleep. What category would you fall into if you were to go shopping on Black Friday?

Many stores such as Toys R Us, Kohl's, JCPenney, Herberger's, and Macy's will have amazing deals that start very early in the day on Friday. Walmart is also adjusting time in order to get more people through their stores. Of their stores, 810 are not open 24-hours a day on a normal basis, but they will be open all night for Black Friday.

Another topic that this article brought up was the option of online shopping. Retailers have great offers online as well as in their stores. From the individuals that were surveyed, 27.6 percent said that they would shop online. I definitely use this option more now than I used to. Last year, I did most of my shopping online. I find it so much easier to view items online and not venture out into the weather and crowds in order to shop.

So, after hearing these statistics, what do you think? Are they what you expected? Do you think they will rise even more in the future years? Also, what kind of shopping experience do you prefer?

Also, check out the video on preventing Black Friday deaths!

Wheelchair Rugby Builds Confidence

Have you ever thought about what life is like as a quadriplegic? Just ask Talbot Kennedy or his coach and occupational therapist, Amy Bohn.

Talbot Kennedy became a quadriplegic on his last day of high school when he tried a trick on his trampoline which ended in disaster. After landing on his head and injury to his upper neck, he was paralyzed from the chest down. Now he is in a wheelchair, but he keeps active by playing rugby with other quadriplegics. Kennedy is part of the Smash Rugby team at a rehabilitation hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, and the team participates in tournaments as part of the United States Quad Rugby Association.

Occupational therapist and coach, Amy Bohn, says that "They learn to live again, and learn to live in a different way but realize that there's life after their injury, and they can do all the things they before."

Kennedy is embracing his new "family" of friends that he participates with. He is still able to be an athlete even though he can't do the same activities as he did before. Working hard and working together as a team has really helped boost his confidence. He will be the first to tell you that rugby is not an easy sport at all. The full-on contact with other players creates a tough and intense environment. By doing this, they get a great cardiovascular workout because they still have to strengthen themselves.

I feel that Kennedy is very inspiring to anyone who has dealt with a serious injury that affects them in some way physically and emotionally. He is still able to be independent, live alone, go to college, participate in athletics, and build up a new life once again. "You get so much confidence in yourself by doing this. ...It's a wonderful sport." Kennedy expresses "I don't know where I'd be without it." He really is an amazing person, and I admire is hard work and determination during such a hard time in his life.

Life is Precious

With all of the new movies that have been advertised in the last couple of months, one film has stood out to me. "Precious" is a new film based on the book “Push” written by an African American poet and writer known as Sapphire. The main character of the movie and book is Precious, an overweight 16-year-old African American girl living in Harlem. She portrays a troubled teen that goes through an extremely harsh life with her father and mother as well as society. Precious must endure intense feelings of rage and sorrow as she is pregnant for the second time by her absent father and abused by her mother. This movie focuses on the feelings of any person that has been degraded or underestimated.

Several popular actors and actresses are involved in the movie. Precious’ character is actually played by newcomer Gabourey Sidibe (pronounced SIH-deh-bay). Sidibe learned about the role from her mother who is an R&B singer. After reading through the script for the audition, she spoke with the director Lee Daniels who instantly asked her to be a part of his film. Other actresses in the film include Mo’Nique who plays Precious’ mother and Mariah Carey who plays the welfare caseworker. Many people know Mo’Nique for her comedic acts, but this film just shows how diverse Mo’Nique really is.

Reviews for the movie are quite diverse. Comments range from praise of the film to criticisms about whether or not a movie should portray such harmful stories and images. From comments that I have seen about the movie, I get the impression that it is very emotionally charged and moving for viewers.

I have watched other movies that reveal the horrors that sometimes occur in our society. Other controversial films such as “Boys Don’t Cry” featuring Hilary Swank are extremely hard to watch because of the content, but those movies are very moving at the same time. Even though the film touches base with so many controversial and harsh topics, I am quite interested to see it.

What are your feelings about “Precious”? Would you be interested in seeing the movie? Have you seen other controversial movies?

Employers' Top Ten

What do you think employers look for when they are hiring new employees? What important factors can you bring to the table when looking to join a company?

A recent article from CareerBuildern.com and CNNLiving website describe the top ten reasons why employers want to hire you and what they are looking for. A recent study from CareerBuilder and Robert Half International showed that multitasking (36 percent), initiative (31 percent) and creative thinking (21 percent) are the most important personal characteristics in a job applicant. It is important to have knowledge of the company and what they want before going into the entire interview process. Knowing what they are looking for can help you get the position.

During the survey, six workplace experts chose the ten most common reasons why employers hire employees. These reasons are in no particular order.

1. Long-term potential
2. Ability to work well with others
3. Ability to make money
4. Impressive resume
5. Relevant work experience
6. Creative problem-solving skills
7. Strong online presence
8. Multitaskers who thrive on variety of projects
9. Enthusiasm and initiative
10. Good cultural fit

One of the most interesting reasons that I found was having a strong online presence. In today’s society, social networking is becoming extremely important. Having a presence on social networking sites has its positives and negatives. Social networking allows employers to see any content that is placed about you. This means that content needs to be kept appropriate. On the other hand, showing that you are involved in social networking can help employers see you in another role apart from the face-to-face aspect alone.

All of these factors can determine whether one person would be hired over another. Which characteristics do you think you need to work on personally? Which ones are already your strong areas? Good luck in all of your job searches and interviews!