Bloglist's Blog (41)

American consumers spent less money on Christmas trees in 2008 than they did the previous year, according to a recent consumer tracking poll released by the National Christmas Tree Association.



Consumers here purchased 28.2 million farm-grown Christmas trees and 11.7 million artificial trees last year, according to the study. Both are declines from 2007, with the artificial tree category showing a decline of 35 percent, while real trees were down about 10 percent.



“It…

DEPARTMENT store group David Jones says the next six weeks of trade are critical to its annual profit performance, refusing to upgrade modest profit forecasts until shoppers have shown the colour of their money.

Speaking at the company's annual general meeting in Melbourne yesterday, chief executive Mark McInnes said a nationwide review of the company's 37 stores had convinced him the company was well-placed for holiday trade, which typically contributed about 70 per cent of first…

U.S. news organizations say President Barack Obama plans to announce his new strategy for Afghanistan on Tuesday evening, during a prime-time television address.



The reports say the president is most likely to back a plan to send between 30,000 and 35,000 additional U.S. troops to the country.



The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan earlier this year told the president that up to 40,000 troops are needed to combat Taliban and al-Qaida militants in the region.…

The physician being investigated in Michael Jackson's death reached an agreement Monday in a separate child support case that kept him out of a Nevada jail.

Prosecutors in Las Vegas had sought an arrest warrant for Dr. Conrad Murray after he failed to appear for previous hearings before Family Court officers attempting to collect unpaid child support for a California woman and her 11-year-old son dating back to October 2008.

With Murray at his side, defense lawyer Christopher…

The physician being investigated in Michael Jackson's death reached an agreement Monday in a separate child support case that kept him out of a Nevada jail.

Prosecutors in Las Vegas had sought an arrest warrant for Dr. Conrad Murray after he failed to appear for previous hearings before Family Court officers attempting to collect unpaid child support for a California woman and her 11-year-old son dating back to October 2008.

With Murray at his side, defense lawyer Christopher…

FORT COLLINS (Reuters) - The parents of a Colorado boy whose apparent brush with death in a helium balloon transfixed millions pleaded guilty on Friday to staging a publicity-seeking hoax and will be sentenced next month.

Richard and Mayumi Heene pleaded guilty to a felony and a misdemeanor and will be sentenced on December 23.

The case has sparked outrage over the amount of money spent on a rescue attempt for the six-year-old child, dubbed "balloon boy," after live television…

The rumors are true, according to Sarah Palin: The McCain-Palin campaign was not a happy family. In Palin's new memoir, "Going Rogue," she confirms reports of tension between her aides and those of the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain. The vice presidential candidate confirms that she had wanted to speak on election night, but was denied the chance and says she was kept "bottled up" from reporters during the campaign.

Palin also writes harshly of CBS anchor…

Nintendo's Wii has been one of the most profitable games consoles ever sold, and after its launch in 2006, Nintendo took months to satisfy pent-up demand. This enabled the company to charge a premium price for its hardware and make large profits while rivals such as Sony and Microsoft were losing money on every machine…

One might argue that Angelenos are by nature always in costume, but the pressure of outward appearance is never greater than on Halloween. Although many have been crafting their costumes since July, others among us will scramble around the house with mere hours to spare, trying to piece together something passable. In the event that you've procrastinated -- or are barely making the rent -- here are some free, last-minute get-ups that will, if nothing else, get you past…

US Airways Group Inc., which sounded upbeat about traffic rebounding when it announced a smaller-than-expected third-quarter loss earlier this month, Wednesday unveiled a major route retrenchment and job cuts aimed at returning the company to profitability.

The sixth-largest U.S. airline by traffic, US Airways said it is realigning its operations to focus almost exclusively on flights from its three domestic hubs: Charlotte, N.C.; Philadelphia; and Phoenix.

It also will retain…