Korean giant Samsung has filed papers at a US court claiming that Apple’s latest iPad mini, released this month, infringes eight technology patents.
Samsung has asked a judge to add the 7.9-inch Apple tablet to a list of products, including the iPod Touch 5, and the iPad 4, which it claims violate patents on radio signaling technologies.
A patent war has engulfed technology giants with firms trying to make sure the others’ latest products are involved in the legal dispute in a bid get sales banned.
Apple and Samsung have filed cases against each other in more than 10 countries, each accusing the other of violating its patents.
Last week Apple successfully applied to add Google’s latest mobile operating system, Android 4.2, Jelly Bean, to the case.
In a minor victory for Samsung, on Wednesday, the judge ordered Apple to disclose the financial details of its patent licensing deal with HTC.
Samsung has filed papers at a US court claiming that Apple’s latest iPad mini, released this month, infringes eight technology patents
Apple and HTC signed a 10-year license agreement earlier this month, but did not make the details public.
But the court ordered Apple to produce a full copy of the settlement agreement “without delay”, subject to an “attorneys’ eyes only” designation, meaning it will not be made public.
Legal experts say the question of which patents are covered by the HTC settlement, and licensing details, could be instrumental in Samsung’s efforts to thwart Apple’s subsequent quest for a permanent sales ban on its products.
Samsung has argued it is “almost certain” that the HTC deal covers some of the same patents involved in its own litigation with Apple.
It seeks to show Apple is willing to license its technology if the price is right.
It has been speculated that HTC has agreed to pay Apple a royalty of up to $8 on each smartphone it sells, but the figure has been flatly denied by the firm’s chief executive.
The settlement of Apple and HTC ended their worldwide litigation and brought to a close one of the first major flare-ups in the global smartphone patent wars.
Apple first sued HTC in 2010, setting in motion a legal conflagration that has since circled the globe and engulfed the biggest names in mobile technology.
Dentists insist flossing will keep our teeth sparkling and free from decay, as well as keeping our gums healthy.
Regular flossing has even been said to protect us from heart disease.
Yet, for most of us who try wrestling with the tape, it only results in a cricked neck and bleeding gums.
And now, according to a provocative new book, Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye, it seems that dedicated followers of flossing could actually be wasting their time.
The book is causing waves because it’s written by U.S.-based Dr. Ellie Phillips, who was among the first women dentists to train at Guy’s Hospital in London.
Dr. Ellie Phillips says that flossing – and that goes for whichever gizmo, gadget or bit of tape you choose to use – will do nothing to reduce your risk of tooth decay.
The science, she says, is on her side. Only one study has shown a benefit, and that involved a group of schoolchildren who did not floss themselves, but instead had their teeth flossed by a hygienist five days a week for two years.
And a study published in the British Dental Journal in 2006 found no difference in the number of cavities suffered by adults who flossed and those who did not.
So is Dr. Ellie Phillips right? Surprisingly, it seems she may be – but only up to a point.
“In all fairness, there is no evidence that flossing is effective in preventing tooth decay in the long run,” says Dr. Graham Barnby, a dentist from Marlow, Bucks, who is also a member of the Simply Health Advisory Research Panel, which analyses the latest research and medical thinking.
“So in a sense, she does have a point. Yet although the benefits of flossing may be limited with tooth decay, flossing does have a role in the prevention of gum disease.”
Tooth decay occurs when acid in the mouth eats away at the teeth. This acid is found in foods, but is mainly produced when bacteria in the mouth “digest” sugar – hence the reason sweets rot our teeth.
Gum disease, on the other hand, is caused by plaque – a film of bacteria on the teeth which, if not removed with brushing, irritates the gums, causing them to bleed and recede.
If left, the plaque hardens into tartar, which irritates the underlying bone of the gums and, in severe cases, can lead to wobbly teeth.
Some studies have even linked gum disease to heart disease, as the same bacteria found in the mouth have also been found in the heart.
Christina Chatfield, an independent dental hygienist based in Brighton, who is nominated for hygienist of the year, says effective flossing should help reduce both tooth cavities and gum disease.
She argues that the reason studies have shown it to have little effect is that too few people actually do it properly.
“The majority of those who do use floss (which I believe to be around 5% of the population), don’t use it effectively, so it is of minimal benefit to them,” Christina Chatfield says.
“To remove plaque, you need to hook the floss like a C around the tooth, so it hooks out the plaque from between the contact points of the teeth.
“I liken bad flossing to trying to clean a bottle neck with a piece of string floating in the middle – which, in effect, is all most people achieve.”
Dr. Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, says flossing is definitely not a waste of time – provided you’re doing it properly.
“We certainly shouldn’t be encouraging people not to do it,” he says.
“If you don’t clean between the teeth, you’re cleaning only 60% of the tooth’s surface.
“The dental profession has been pushing it for 20 years, yet we’ve got only 5% of the population to do it – because it’s fiddly.
“Most dentists recommend interdental brushes – small brushes that can get right below the gum line.
“They are much easier to use, and get into the curves of teeth so it’s easier to clean each side of the tooth.”
According to a provocative new book, Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye, it seems that dedicated followers of flossing could actually be wasting their time
However, Dr. Ellie Phillips argues that rather than flossing or using brushes, all you need to do is use three different mouthwashes – one before brushing, and two after.
People often clean their teeth immediately after eating, yet this can lead to the teeth wearing away, she says, because food softens teeth.
Instead, she recommends using Ultradex mouthwash before brushing, which stops this happening. It contains chlorine dioxide, which studies show may help remove bacteria.
After brushing teeth, Dr. Ellie Phillips advocates Listerine, to enhance the cleaning process, and then a fluoride rinse such as Fluorigard to help strengthen and repair teeth.
In addition, she advocates using lozenges or chewing gum containing the sweetener xylitol, which has been found in tests to reduce tooth decay.
So does Dr. Ellie Phillips’ method work?
“The bacteria around teeth that cause gum disease are extremely protective and hard to shift – they don’t even respond to antibiotics,” says Christina Chatfield.
“The idea that these bacteria could be shifted by mouthwash alone is ludicrous. The only option is to shift them physically, and even with the most thorough flossing some get left behind.”
But could xylitol still be the secret to a healthy mouth?
Xylitol, a naturally occurring sweetener found mainly in the bark of the silver birch tree but also in the fibres of many berries, fruits and mushrooms, works by suppressing production of harmful bacteria in the mouth.
“There are clearly dental health benefits with xylitol, therefore products that contain it can help fight tooth decay,” says Dr. Nigel Carter.
Hundreds of studies show it is a proven force against tooth decay. A study of 80 adults who, for three weeks, were given xylitol gum to chew three times a day after meals revealed that the gum brought about a dramatic decline in bacteria numbers.
In Scandinavia – which is a major producer of xylitol thanks to its high numbers of birch trees – xylitol lozenges are popular.
“The lozenges have about 100% xylitol, but in the chewing gums you’ll get only about 30%,” says Dr. Nigel Carter.
“Many dentists now recognize the benefits of xylitol and encourage their patients to use it.”
He adds that many European countries use xylitol in sweets instead of sugar. In Spain, for instance, around 70% of confectionary is sugar-free, whereas in the UK it is closer to 30%.
Peppersmith mints and gum are made with pure xylitol (these are available at most large supermarkets and in Holland & Barrett), and you can also buy granulated xylitol in the sugar aisle of supermarkets. Lozenges can be bought online and in some health food stores.
The recommended dose is about 5g a day. Regular intake of xylitol can cause flatulence and diarrhoea, but Dr. Nigel Carter says this effect will only be temporary.
Professor Stephen Porter, director of the Eastman Dental Institute in London, cautions that xylitol lozenges should be avoided by some groups.
“It’s certainly not suitable for children or the elderly, because it can have a laxative effect and cause tummy upsets.”
Rather than mouthwashes and sweets, most dental professionals say it is simple measures that will help protect dental health.
“That means avoiding sugary snacks between meals as sugar leads to more acid which then attacks the teeth, and you want to limit the time that this happens,” says Prof. Stephen Porter.
“You also need to brush and floss thoroughly to clean plaque off, and use fluoride toothpaste to help strengthen the teeth.
“You don’t need fancy equipment – just dental tape and a toothbrush will do fine
“Above all, people must remember that flossing will do them absolutely no harm whatsoever, and will actually most probably have an awful lot of benefits.”
Black Friday’s extreme shoppers are coming up with such conniving ways to thwart the competition that some people decided to forgo their Thanksgiving feast altogether.
The biggest consumer spending day of the year isn’t what it used to be; with retailers now opening earlier than ever, day-long lines, and watchful policemen, so shoppers have revised their strategies for the ultimate trip in bargain hunting.
Taking friends to divide and conquer, camping out for days prior, using sign language to communicate across the store, lying about fake sales, and hiding merchandise before the sale even starts are just some of the strategies that extreme bargain hunters are employing.
One 21-year-old college senior admitted to tricking other customers into thinking they could get a better deal elsewhere so that she can cut the queue.
Amanda Willis, who was in an hour-long line at J Crew told Today.com that she secretly made her phone ring, before yelling into it: “Are you kidding? Yankee Candle is giving away those big candles for free for the next 10 minutes?!”
Most of the people in front of her fled the store at Jersey Shore Premium Outlets to run over to the candle store. Amanda Willis then made her purchases in under 15 minutes.
By way of explanation for her ruse, she said: “I’m on a schedule.”
Meanwhile Louise Sattler, 53, admitted to being manipulatively nice to other shoppers in her Los Angeles area.
She said people are then much more willing to help you, if you need your place in the line held while you go to the bathroom, or by letting your child step into the line with you.
Louise Sattler’s family is fluent in sign language which they use to coordinate with each other inside loud stores, because “it’s faster than texting”.
Black Friday’s extreme shoppers are coming up with such conniving ways to thwart the competition that some people decided to forgo their Thanksgiving feast altogether
In Salt Lake City, Utah, Chace Cannon, 26, waited outside all night in six degree temperature so he could purchase a-40 inch Westinghouse HDTV for $299, usually $600.
He explained that he and his friends put eight televisions in their shopping carts, and on the way to the checkout, a swarm of latecomers tried to take the boxes. The team raced to a corner and protected their shopping carts until reinforcement friends and family arrived.
And now that Black Friday is quickly getting supplanted by Grey Thursday with retailers like Best Buy, Walmart and Sears opening their doors yesterday at 8 pm and Target at 9 p.m. means that the rush to get in first has intensified further.
Melissa Rush from Florida said she is “hooked” on the “adrenaline high of getting all these great sales”.
The 24-year-old’s aim today was to buy a present for each of her 30 different family members, without spending more than $300 total.
Using a spreadsheet on her phone that she synced from her computer, a bevy of coupons, price matching, and manufacturer’s rebates, she says it is all about meticulous research.
She says it is most important to look at the catalogues from the week before, as well as Amazon.com, to make sure the Black Friday “deals” are actual savings – and to make sure you go with at least one other person who can get into the checkout line as soon as you enter the store.
She admitted: “At first people thought I was crazy. Then they saw the receipt.”
And Holden Hanson, who won’t take any chances in missing out of his must-have products on Black Friday, said he goes to Walmart on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to hide the items on his list so other shoppers won’t find them.
The more sinister elements of Black Friday shopping are still prevalent however.
After a Wal-Mart worker was trampled to death in 2008 by uncontrolled crowds, some shoppers such as David Galloway from South Carolina, said his Thanksgiving will be spent with family and watching the great American tradition of football.
He told The Huffington Post:“I think greed is winning out over family but I think [stores] will get enough of a backlash to make some change next year.”
Millions are battling for bargains across America today as Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, has got off to a flying start despite bad weather, giant crowds and fights in the supermarket aisles.
The first giant scrums started at a Walmart where families battled with each other to get their hands on a pair of $5 headphones, while paramedics rushed to help a Dick’s store cashier who passed out.
With sales on Black Friday expected to soar by 3.8% this year to a staggering $11.4 billion, thousands of shoppers queued around blocks before stores opened. As many as 11,000 lined around Macy’s flagship store in New York City’s Herald Square before it threw open its doors.
In one Walmart, the fights were underway within minutes of opening – as captured on a video posted to YouTube by a father who brought his two children along to the sales.
The youngsters are filmed sitting in a shopping trolley as the person with the camera asks them if they’re “here for the craziness” adding that they are about to watch people fight over a $5 deal for a pair of headphones.
A large crowd are standing in a circle around the box of headphones waiting for the go-ahead from the Walmart staff.
The cameraman, posting on YouTube as David Quigley, struggles to keep his camera steady as the deal drops and the crowd goes wild, throwing themselves over the box.
Men, women and children are seen mercilessly elbowing each other as they shove to grab a pair.
Violence also escalated at a San Antonio mall after a shopper allegedly pulled a gun on another man who had tried to cut to the front of the line at a Sears, the San Antonio Express-News reported.
The man had rushed into the store when it opened Thursday night to get to the front of a line and started arguing with people as he tried cutting in front of them.
A man who was punched in the face during the scuffle pulled a gun and shoppers scattered. But the man had a gun permit and has not been charged with a crime.
There was also drama elsewhere. One shopper from Juneau, Alaska tweeted a picture of a woman being carried from a Dick’s store on a stretcher as crowds focused on the shelves.
“Cashier passed out at Dick’s,” Stevie Hendrix tweeted.
“Black Friday was too much… No one cared, it was kind of sad, they just wanted their stuff.”
Black Friday 2012 fights at Wal-Mart over headphones
In Woodland Mall in Kentwood, Michigan, two teenagers were arrested after a brawl broke out between 15 men outside a JC Penney at 1.30 a.m. Witnesses said pepper spray was used.
At a Walmart in Altamonte Springs, Florida, 28-year-old Samantha Chavez was arrested after being disruptive in the traffic line, and allegedly bullying the officer directing vehicles.
Once inside the store, she allegedly threw merchandise on the floor.
Witnesses, who caught the arrest on video, claimed she only made a scene after losing her sister in the store and becoming scared, CFNews13 reported.
Police also responded to reports of shooting at 1 a.m. in Westroads Mall in Omaha, Nebraska, where nine people were killed five years ago.
Authorities later learned that while a fight had broken out, witnesses had heard trash cans being knocked over, rather than gunshots. There were no arrests.
An hour later at nearby Oak View Mall, police got into a scuffle with a shoplifter who allegedly tried to spray mace at store security guards.
Another video from Black Friday shows hundreds of girls and women storming the entrance of a Victoria’s Secret Pink store at Oak Park Mall, Kansas as it opened at midnight.
And in Springfield, Massachusetts, Anthony Perry, 34, was arrested after he allegedly left his girlfriend’s two-year-old in his car so he could by a 51 inch television from Kmart.
Security notified police about the boy sleeping in the Nissan Venza, broke into the vehicle and took him to hospital for a check-up.
Police found Perry at his home in Springfield with his new television, but do not know how he got there without his car. He claimed the youngster was in the store with him and became lost but will be charged for reckless endangerment of a child.
The shopping frenzy got off to its earliest ever start as the nation’s customers put down their turkey and headed straight to the malls, with some stores opening as early as 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving.
Shops typically open in the small hours of the morning on the day after the national holiday – named Black Friday because it is traditionally when they turn a profit for the year.
But openings have crept earlier and earlier over the past few years and this year, stores such as Target and Toys R Us opened on Thanksgiving evening, while retailers from Macy’s to Best Buy opened their doors at midnight on Black Friday.
Despite the YouTube videos, many shoppers claimed the crowds were largely peaceful, avoiding the riots seen in previous years.
Many stores had an unusually heavy police presence, and there were some reports of scuffles between customers in packed-out shopping aisles.
And amid the shopping frenzy, two customers – a husband and a wife – were hit by a car in the parking lot of a Walmart on the edge of Seattle on Thursday evening, with the wife being airlifted to hospital after the accident which saw her pinned under the vehicle.
Stores from Target to Toys R Us opened their doors on Thanksgiving evening, hoping Americans will be willing to shop soon after they finish their pumpkin pie.
Target opened its doors at 9 p.m. on the holiday, three hours earlier than last year. Sears, which didn’t open on Thanksgiving last year, opened at 8 p.m. on Thursday through 10 p.m. on Black Friday.
Toys R Us opened at 8 p.m., an hour earlier than last year. And others such as Macy’s are opening at midnight on Black Friday.
When Macy’s flagship Herald Square store in New York opened its doors at midnight, about 11,000 shoppers showed up.
Overall, about 17% of shoppers plan to take advantage of Thanksgiving hours, according to a International Council of Shopping Centers-Goldman Sachs survey of 1,000 consumers.
It is estimated that sales on Black Friday will be up 3.8% on last year, to a total of $11.4 billion.
Michael Prothero, 19, and Kenny Fullenlove, 20, were even willing to miss Thanksgiving dinner altogether for deals. They started camping out on Monday night outside a Best Buy store in Toledo, Ohio, which was slated to open at midnight.
147 million people are expected to shop this Thanksgiving weekend
Stores are expected to make a total of $11.4 billion on Black Friday
The average spend per customer is expected to be $398
In 2008, Walmart employee Jdimytai Damour was trampled to death on Black Friday when shoppers at Green Acres Shopping Center, Valley Street, New York pushed the doors open and streamed inside. Paramedics who arrived to help him were also trampled and seriously injured
Last year, two dozen shoppers at a Walmart in California were pepper sprayed as Elizabeth Macias, 33, battled them for reduced video games
Stores are expected to make a total of $11.4 billion on Black Friday 2012
“Black Friday” is believed to be the day retailers get “in the black” because of the profits they make. But the term was first used in January 1966, when Bonnie Taylor-Black of the American Dialect Society wrote: “Black Friday is the name which the Philadelphia Police Department has given to the Friday following Thanksgiving Day. It is not a term of endearment to them. Black Friday officially opens the Christmas shopping season in center city, and it usually brings massive traffic jams and over-crowded sidewalks as the downtown stores are mobbed from opening to closing.”
According to Google Trends, people started widely searching online for “Black Friday” on October 14
Some eager shoppers have been camping out at a Best Buy in California since November 12 – that’s 11 days before doors opened
Experts have warned that the top five celebrity fad diets should be avoided in the New Year.
The British Dietetic Association (BDA) said that diets followed by the rich and famous were becoming “more extreme” and increasingly involved “medical intervention”.
Dieticians warned there really is “no quick fix” to a slim, trim body for 2013 and said that following celebrity fads could lead to health problems.
Among the most disturbing entries was the Ketogenic Enteral Nutrition Diet (KEN), said to be followed by top fashion models.
The KEN diet involves eating nothing at all. Instead, a liquid formula is administered through a feeding tube inserted through the dieter’s nose. You are attached to a portable pump and liquid bag for ten days and can unhook yourself for only 60 minutes every 24 hours.
BDA consultant dietician Sian Porter described the procedure as “shocking” and something ‘usually reserved for the chronically ill’.
The list also included the bizarre Party Girl IV Drip Diet. Offered at private clinics for about £225 ($340) a time, it involves a high-dose cocktail of vitamins and nutrients administered via a drip of the type used to treat the severely malnourished and clinically ill, supposedly providing a “power boost”.
Sian Porter said: “There is very little evidence that this even works in well people. Even if it did, food and drinking water or other healthy drinks is preferable to having an IV drip inserted into your body.”
She added: “Our concern is that many of these diets are quite invasive. It shows the extreme lengths that people are willing to go to in order to lose weight.
“Eating is a pleasure and people should enjoy their food.”
The carb-free Dukan Diet was named as the worst offender for the third year in a row. The Dukan Diet became the bestselling diet book of all time, with more than a million copies sold in Britain alone. It is credited with Carole Middleton’s svelte figure at her daughter Kate’s wedding to Prince William.
But the BDA described it as “confusing, time-consuming, very rigid” and warned it could cause “lack of energy, constipation and bad breath”.
The Six Weeks To OMG [Oh My God] Diet was dismissed as “six weeks of hell and isolation”. Its London-based creator, Venice A. Fulton, recommends doing exercise first thing in the morning after drinking black coffee, and sitting in a cold bath to burn stored fat.
The BDA attacked as “madness” the increasingly popular Alcorexia or Drunkorexia Diet, which encourages followers to shun calories during the week so that they can binge on alcohol at the weekend. Sian Porter said: “After Christmas, people often look for a quick fix. They see air-brushed celebrities and aspire to look like that.
“But if it looks too good to be true, it usually is. We see new health fads and diets every year but there is no substitute for exercising and a balanced diet.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she doubts an agreement can be reached on the European Union’s 2014-2020 budget at the summit taking place in Brussels.
Angela Merkel spoke after negotiations on the 2014-2020 budget were adjourned until midday on Friday.
The opening of the summit was delayed for three hours because of stark differences over the budget plans.
Most EU members support an increase in the budget but several countries say it is unacceptable at a time of austerity.
Earlier, President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy circulated a revised proposal for the new budget and said he believed that a compromise was possible.
“I think we’re advancing a bit, but I doubt that we will reach a deal,” Angela Merkel said.
She has previously said that another summit may be necessary early next year if no deal can be reached now.
French President Francois Hollande also cautioned that an agreement might not be possible.
But he added: “We should not consider that if we don’t get there tomorrow or the day after, all would be lost.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she doubts an agreement can be reached on the European Union’s 2014-2020 budget at the summit taking place in Brussels
The 90-minute session late on Thursday followed a grueling day of face-to-face meetings between Herman Van Rompuy and each of the bloc’s leaders, followed by a flurry of backroom discussions.
Before suspending talks, leaders nominated Luxembourg’s Yves Mersch to the executive board of the European Central Bank.
The EU Commission, which drafts EU laws, has called for an increase of 4.8% on the 2007-2013 budget.
The UK is the most vocal of EU member states seeking cuts in the budget to match austerity programmes at home.
“No, I’m not happy at all,” Prime Minister David Cameron said about Herman Van Rompuy’s offer to cap spending at 973 billion euros ($1.2 trillion).
“Clearly, at a time when we’re making difficult decisions at home over public spending, it would be quite wrong – it is quite wrong – for there to be proposals for this increased extra spending in the EU.”
The statement called the rebate “fully justified”. The EU Commission and some EU governments want the rebate scrapped.
David Cameron has warned he may use his veto if other EU countries call for any rise in EU spending. The Netherlands and Sweden back his call for a freeze in spending, allowing for inflation.
Poland and its former-communist neighbors, which rely heavily on EU cash, want current spending maintained or raised.
Francois Hollande has also called for subsidies for farming and development programmes to be sustained for poorer nations.
France has traditionally been a big beneficiary of EU farm support.
Failure to agree on the budget would mean rolling over the 2013 budget into 2014 on a month-by-month basis, putting some long-term projects at risk.
Possible outcomes
A deal after intense negotiations which may continue into the weekend
Failure to agree and a follow-up budget summit
If no agreement is reached by the end of 2013, the 2013 budget ceilings will be rolled over into 2014 with a 2% inflation adjustment, amid uncertainty over long-term EU projects
David Petraeus has consigned himself to a year in the doghouse with his wife Holly Petraeus even though he is getting “cabin fever” stuck at home while he waits for the attention around his sex scandal to die down.
Friends have revealed that David Petraeus has given up his relentless schedule of high level meetings for “self-imposed exile” and groveling to his family.
Gone are his five-mile runs in the open air every morning in Washington D.C. – instead he has confined himself indoors and is working out on a treadmill.
David Petraeus has also traded CIA briefings for emailing friends to chat and catching up on his reading.
Meanwhile his wife of 38 years, Holly Petraeus, has made a point of going to work every day and leaving him home alone.
Among the blog posts she has written in her role as a spokeswoman for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is the line: “You know the old saying: <<If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is>>.”
According to the New York Times, friends of David Petraeus are “concerned” that a man so used to constantly working has nothing to do for the first time in his life.
His main focus is lying low and salvaging his marriage given that Holly Petraeus is said to be “furious” over his conduct and has threatened to divorce him.
David Petraeus’s close friend Jack Keane, the former vice chief of staff of the Army, said: “Basically he’s the same guy but considerably more subdued, in terms of his spirit.
“And that’s understandable. His voice doesn’t have the same peppiness in it.”
Friends have revealed that David Petraeus has given up his relentless schedule of high level meetings for self-imposed exile and groveling to his family
David Petraeus is said to be weighing up his options about what to do the in the future including offers for a book deal, speaking engagements and interest from various corporations to serve on their boards.
Having hired media super-lawyer Robert Barnett he could also become a talking head on TV.
For now, however, he hardly leaves the house and is having to prove to Holly Petraeus that he deserves her trust again. The New York Times said he plans to put his life on hold for the next 12 months to sort out the mess.
A friend said: “Several of us are concerned. He’s a very active individual. He needs to stay active.”
Another friend said: “I asked him whether he’d seen a certain article, and he said: <<No, send it my way. I’m looking for something to read right now>>.
“He kept such a grueling schedule. This is unchartered territory for him right now.”
Meanwhile Holly Petraeus has been in the office every day at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in her role running the Office of Service Member Affairs.
She has written two blog posts in the last week including one about the dangers of buying a flood damaged car which includes the line: “Once you’ve signed the contract you’re committed, so Know Before You Owe!”
Until the scandal became public, the Petraeuses seemed to have a rock solid marriage.
They met on a blind date when David Petraeus was a student at the military academy at West Point, where Holly’s father was the superintendent.
He graduated in June 1947 and the couple married the following month, before going on to have two children, Ann and Stephen, and traveling the world with his work.
Despite moving 24 times in 38 years, Holly Petraeus has also built her own career.
She became a volunteer, performing military and family support roles on bases, before assuming her current title.
A source has told the National Enquirer that David Petraeus has been “falling all over himself” apologizing but she “isn’t listening”.
The source said: “After all his lies, she doesn’t believe anything he says anymore, and she’s thinking about consulting a divorce attorney.”
Friends have also given fresh insight into how David Petraeus became involved with Army reservist Paula Broadwell whilst she was writing his biography.
A friend said that the general initially thought it was a book on Afghanistan and that he “belatedly” realized it was about him.
When Paula Broadwell told him about the six-figure advance he thought: “Well, I better help her to get it halfway right rather than pushing her away to have something come out that was half-baked.”
He also admitted that after breaking off the relationship he continued to help Paula Broadwell with the project to try and put things back on a more “professional plane”.
Olivier Martinez was injured during a “brutal fight” with his fiancée Halle Berry’s ex lover Gabriel Aubry, which left both men hospitalized and saw Aubry charged with battery.
The shocking brawl came as Gabriel Aubry dropped off his daughter Nahla at Halle Berry’s house on Thanksgiving morning.
Olivier Martinez reportedly tried to speak to Gabriel Aubry about the ongoing custody dispute between him and Halle Berry.
After Olivier Martinez said to Gabriel Aubry: “We have to move on,” the Canadian model is said to have pushed the French actor and tried to punch him before a full blown fight broke out.
Gabriel Aubry and Halle Berry – who split in 2010 – have been at odds ever since she tried to convince a judge to allow her to move to France with Nahla, a move which was recently blocked by the courts.
Sources told TMZ the fight was “brutal” with the website describing a blow-by-blow account of the melee.
“Olivier blocked [Gabriel’s punch] and the punch struck him in the shoulder instead… Gabriel then pushed Olivier to the ground, a struggle ensued, ending when Olivier pinned Gabriel to the ground.”
Olivier Martinez was injured during a brutal fight with his fiancée Halle Berry’s ex lover Gabriel Aubry
Police were called to the home and arrested Gabriel Aubry for battery. He was charged on his release from hospital and released after meeting the $20,000 bail.
Andrew Smith, Commanding Officer, LAPD Media Relations and Community Affairs Group told People: “He [Aubry] was booked for a private persons arrest for battery.”
A judge then issued an emergency protective order – meaning Gabriel Aubry has to stay 100 yards away from Halle Berry, Olivier Martinez and Nahla.
Gabriel Aubry was taken to hospital for his injuries after suffering a broken rib, bruises to the face and a possible more serious head injury.
Olivier Martinez has a possible broken hand and neck injuries. He arrived at the same Los Angeles hospital for treatment as Gabriel Aubry around an hour after him.
It is unclear whether 4-year-old Nahla witnessed the fight between her father and stepfather.
However, sources told TMZ that Halle Berry rushed her daughter inside to prevent her seeing the fight.
The youngster was later seen being carried in her mother’s arms as the anxious looking actress arrived home with Olivier Martinez following his discharge from hospital.
After a brief stop at home, the pair headed to a friend’s house nearby.
Gabriel Aubry, a French-Canadian model who lives and works in Los Angeles, had petitioned the court to stop Halle Berry’s plans to move to France.
He argued it would give him limited access to his daughter, while Halle Berry countered the privacy laws are stronger in France and would keep Nahla safe from the paparazzi.
Halle Berry, 46 – who split with Gabriel in 2010 – and Olivier Martinez, had put their wedding plans on hold while the actress focused on her custody battle.
The biggest shopping day of the year has begun, as stores began to open their doors as early as 8 p.m. on the evening of Thanksgiving in an effort give customers as much time as possible to get their hands on Black Friday deals.
And shoppers wasted no time tearing themselves away from their families to take advantage of the sales, with stores such as Walmart, Target and Sears packed with desperate bargain-hunters.
While initial accounts indicated that the crowds were largely peaceful, avoiding the riots seen in previous years, many stores had an unusually heavy police presence, and there were some reports of scuffles between customers in packed-out shopping aisles.
And amid the shopping frenzy, two customers – a husband and a wife – were hit by a car in the parking lot of a Walmart on the edge of Seattle on Thursday evening, with the wife being airlifted to hospital after the accident which saw her pinned under the vehicle.
Stores from Target to Toys R Us opened their doors on Thanksgiving evening, hoping Americans will be willing to shop soon after they finish their pumpkin pie.
Target opened its doors at 9 p.m. on the holiday, three hours earlier than last year. Sears, which didn’t open on Thanksgiving last year, opened at 8 p.m. on Thursday through 10 p.m. on Black Friday.
Toys R Us opened at 8 p.m., an hour earlier than last year. And others such as Macy’s are opening at midnight on Black Friday.
When Macy’s flagship Herald Square store in New York opened its doors at midnight, about 11,000 shoppers showed up.
Overall, about 17% of shoppers plan to take advantage of Thanksgiving hours, according to a International Council of Shopping Centers-Goldman Sachs survey of 1,000 consumers.
Shoppers queued up at Toys R Us in New York’s Times Square on Thursday evening
Retailers are trying everything they can to lure consumers into stores by making shopping as easy as possible.
In addition to expanding their hours into Thanksgiving, many are offering free layaways and shipping, matching the cheaper prices of online rivals and updating their mobile shopping apps with more information.
“Every retailer wants to beat everyone else,” said C. Britt Beemer, chairman of America’s Research Group, a research firm based in Charleston, S.C. “Shoppers love it”.
Indeed, there were 11 shoppers in a four-tent encampment outside a Best Buy store near Ann Arbor, Michigan. The purpose of their wait? A $179 40-inch Toshiba LCD television is worth missing Thanksgiving dinner at home.
With 41million people expected to shop on what has been dubbed “Gray Thursday”, police have responded to fights and threats between bargain-hungry customers, some of whom have camped outside stores for days.
The spats add to the discontent surrounding the stores, with employees frustrated about working on Thanksgiving, and Walmart workers threatening to protest over their pay, schedules and benefits.
Outside a Kmart in Indianapolis, which opened at 6 a.m. on Thursday, officers responded to a brawl between shoppers as some attempted to sell vouchers the store had handed out for limited items.
“Everybody started going crazy about it, and then the cops got called in and it just became a madhouse,” one shopper told News 8.
And at a Kmart on Stockton Boulevard in South Sacremento, one shopper threatened to stab people while waiting in line for K-Mart’s doors to open and told people he “wasn’t joking”.
Police arrived at the scene shortly after the threat – made after shop staff came outside to hand out “doorbuster deal” vouchers to the first in the line – to help control the crowds.
In a bid to minimize trouble, the Los Angeles Police Department deployed helicopters over some malls, while a cavalry of police officers on bikes and horses monitored from streets below.
According to the L.A. Times, others scoured crowds from rooftops and signs warned shoppers against becoming victims of theft.
It comes after a series of previous Black Friday incidents; at a Wal-Mart in the city last year, scores of people were injured when a woman pepper sprayed her competition in a bid for discounted video games. Two years ago, gunfire broke out at a Toys R Us, killing two people.
“For some people, shopping is a competitive sport,” LAPD Cmdr. Andy Smith told the paper.
“But it should not be a contact sport.”
Officers are also working with stores to keep violent outbursts under control, and Best Buy even participated in training drills to handle the large crowds.
The Walmart where the pepper spray incident occurred will hand out vouchers for some items to avoid a scramble. If customers do not get a voucher for the item, they should expect there will be none left, management told the Times.
If you can face the lines! Top deals on BLACK FRIDAY
Target
Canon T3 body, lens, memory card and camera bag: $499 – usually $749
Nook Simple Touch: $49 – usually $99
Best Buy
8GB iPhone 4S with a two-year contract: $1
Kohl’s
50% of all toys
60% off certain kids’ clothing lines
Discovery Kids Digital Camera: $19.99 – usually $69.99
Black Friday 2012 Top Deals
Amazon
Canon PowerShot s100: $309 – usually $429
Sears
Toshiba 50-inch LEDL: $299 – usually $849
Toys ‘R Us
Power Wheels Barbie or Silver Cadillac Escalade: $269.99 ($150 off)
DS, PS3 and Wii Games are buy one, get another for $1
Get a $15 iTunes gift card when you buy $50 iTunes gift card
Walmart
$75 gift card when you purchase the iPad 2
Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year, with customers queuing for days and sometimes even resorting to violence in order to get their hands on the best deals.
But the post-Thanksgiving sales may not in fact be the best time to snap up low-priced merchandise, according to a new analysis.
Researchers found that around a third of products advertised as being on sale for the holiday have been available at lower prices earlier this year.
More people than ever before are expected to abandon the tradition of family time and head to stores to get a head-start on Christmas shopping or treat themselves to cut-price gadgets.
This year, the consumer frenzy has even spread to Thanksgiving Day itself – redubbed “Gray Thursday” – with a number of major retailers opening as early as 8p.m. to attract those who are keen to leave the house after a day of turkey and television.
In the past, the Black Friday sales have resulted in riots as customers compete to snap up limited bargains – but for many shoppers, the threat of violence is apparently worth it for the prospect of uniquely good-value deals.
However, an analysis by the Wall Street Journal and Decide Inc. has revealed that many products popular on Black Friday are actually available cheaper at other times.
Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year, with customers queuing for days and sometimes even resorting to violence in order to get their hands on the best deals
They surveyed more than 500 “doorbuster” bargains which have been promoted by stores such as Sears and Best Buy, and concluded that nearly a third had been sold for a lower price earlier this year.
The fact that Black Friday is not always the cheapest time to go shopping is not surprising, according to McKinsey’s Rob Docters, who suggested that many customers assume that the best bargains are available then without bothering to check prices on specific items.
“People associate Black Friday with good prices, and that eliminates the need to check price,” he told the Journal.
Sears is advertising the KitchenAid Series Stand Mixer at the special price of $319.99 this holiday season.
But in March, the same device was on sale at Sears for $296, according to Decide.
A spokesman insisted: “Our advertised prices are competitive.”
At Home Depot, a GE Adora dishwasher is advertised for $598, said to be a saving of $151.
But a Columbus Day offer in October pushed the price down to $538.
The company claims that the majority of its Black Friday deals are the best bargains of the year.
Other deals work out as uniquely cheap only when you include the value of gift cards given away with some items.
Experts told MarketWatchthat while some items, such as gadgets and white goods, are particularly good bargains on Black Friday, customers should hold off for other purchases.
Winter clothing and linens, for example, tend to be cheapest in January as stores clear out their stock in preparation for spring.
And those hunting for deals on luxury goods such as jewellery are likely to be disappointed – retailers like Tiffany’s are too worried about the blow to their high-end image to offer any sort of Black Friday bargains.
Following the unveiling of the new BMW R 1200 GS at Cologne Intermot earlier this week, the organizers at the Motorcycle Live have revealed the prize for this year’s competition will be this exquisite motorcycle:
BMW 2013 model R 1200 GS. The price is worth in excess of £10,500!
Called the “perfection of an icon”, the new R 1200 GS represents the top technology in the German manufacturer’s 32-year history of defining and dominating the Adventure Sport market.
The new version is robust, dynamic, and full of the enduro character essential for a bike equally at home either on or off road.
At first glance, the new R 1200 GS too is a genuine GS: robust, dynamic, and full of character. Virtually all surfaces were revised, and all materials provided with a better finish. The two-cylinder opposed twin engine merges harmoniously into the unmistakable GS flyline.
A new feature for the R 1200 GS is the water-cooled boxer engine. This has allowed BMW to sculpt revolutionary vertical contours – a masterpiece of lightness and aerodynamics. With its 125 hp (92 kW) and 125 Nm torque, the two-cylinder opposed twin engine promises power in every situation. Based on a new concept of combined air and liquid cooling and vertical flows through the cylinders, the engine operates efficiently, reliably, and with high torques at all times. Further improvements like the new wet clutch with anti-hopping feature and the electromotive throttle actuator E-Gas make the opposed twin engine the perfect drive solution at the heart of the new R 1200 GS.
What can you expect to see on display at the NEC for Motorcycle Live, which takes place from November 24th to December 2nd?
Aprilia Caponord
The Caponord is a 1,200cc V-twin developed from the Dorsoduro 1200. The bike is directed more at the Ducati Multistrada, road-biased end of the sector and comes with a semi-active suspension option similar to Ducati’s.
BMW R1200GS
This will be BMW’s first liquid-cooled boxer engine. This is as important as when Porsche switched to liquid cooling with its 996-series 911 in 1998.
Ducati Diavel Strada
This will be the touring version of Ducati’s extraordinary Diavel performance cruiser.
Ducati Hypermotard
The new 821cc version of Ducati’s liquid-cooled Testastretta engine. It comes with an unique touring seat, screen, luggage and other extras. ABS is included in all versions as well as traction control while the high-spec SP version, which also gets the new engine, adds Marchesini wheels, Öhlins and Marzocchi suspension and a smattering of carbon-fibre panels.
Ducati Panigale R
Carbon-fibre for a high price of around £30,000ish.
Honda CB500F, X and R
This is Honda’s new family of twin-cylinder middleweights, exceptionally economical (76mpg). All versions share the same steel tube frame and the new, 471cc parallel twin engine.
Honda CBR600RR
Honda has added “Big Piston” forks, refined rear suspension, updated bodywork with a 6.5% reduction in drag and improved agility. They haven’t changed the engine, but added new electronic management.
Kawasaki Z800
Upgraded with an overbore to 800cc and various other engine differences aimed at improving reliability and efficiency. The chassis remained unchanged and the styling has been modernised.
KTM 1190 Adventure
Highly capable with a 148bhp engine for a body of 212kg – the greatest power-to-weight ratio in the same class with the Ducati Multistrada.
Other models to be launched:
KTM Duke 690R and 390BMW F800GT
Moto Guzzi California 1400
MV Agusta Brutale 800
Piaggio Vespa 946
Suzuki C1500T
Triumph Daytona 675
Triumph Street Triple
Yamaha FJR1300A
For bike insurance and motorcycle insurance you should consider Carole Nash. They offer a range of motorbike insurance policy types, including cover for off-road bikes, classic bikes and custom motorcycle.
TICKETS AND OTHER INFORMATION
Advance tickets for Motorcycle Live 2012, which takes place from November 24 to December 2, cost £16 per adult, £10 for seniors and £6 per child. These include free access to the Ramp’d Up Freestyle Motocross Arena.
To book, call 0844 581 2345 or visit www.motorcyclelive.co.uk. The closing date for advanced tickets is 5pm on November 23.
The NEC, by the M42 east of Birmingham, is signposted from the M40, M42 and M6. It is connected to Birmingham International station by covered walkway.
Two people are dead and more than 120 injured, some critically, after a massive pile-up today involving at least 100 vehicles that left trucks twisted on top of each other and authorities rushing to pull survivors from the miles of wreckage.
The Thanksgiving Day collision happened around 8 a.m. on Interstate 10 southwest of Beaumont, a Gulf Coast city about 80 miles east of Houston.
Extremely dense fog blanketing a section of the Texas interstate made conditions treacherous for drivers heading to Thanksgiving holiday feasts.
A man and a woman were killed in a Chevy Suburban SUV crushed by a tractor trailer, the Texas Department of Public Safety told KFDM-TV.
Officials at Acadian Ambulance service said more than 50 people have been taken to area hospitals in Beaumont, Port Arthur and Winnie. At least eight are critically hurt.
Multiple ambulance crews responded and transported patients to area hospitals.
Baptist Beaumont Hospital spokeswoman Mary Poole told KFDM News they’ve received at least 21 patients. One was in critical condition. They’ve transported two children and one adult with head injuries to a Houston hospital.
It wasn’t immediately clear how the pileup began, but Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Rod Carroll said the fog was so thick that deputies didn’t immediately realize they were dealing with multiple accidents.
The westbound lane of the interstate has been reopened, he said.
“We have 18-wheelers on top of cars, we have cars on top of cars. It’s just catastrophic,” he said, adding that rescuers were still looking for victims.
The Thanksgiving Day collision happened around 8 am on Interstate 10 southwest of Beaumont, a Gulf Coast city about 80 miles east of Houston
He said the initial accidents took place separately about a mile apart on the east- and westbound sides of the interstate.
The highway had been crowded with motorists traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday. Many of the vehicles were moving close to the posted speed of 70 mph despite dense fog that limited visibility, Rod Carroll said.
Chief Charles Sonnier of the Labelle-Fannett Volunteer Fire Department told KFDM News the vehicles involved in the accidents include seven tractor trailers that collided on the eastbound side.
Two were carrying hazardous materials, but they aren’t leaking, according to Charles Sonnier.
Charles Sonnier added that firefighters had to use the jaws of life to cut people out of a car and pickup truck.
I-10’s eastbound lanes were expected to remain closed for most of Thursday.
Texas Department of Public Safety trooper Stephanie Davis told KFDM that two people in an SUV died after the crash. She said at least 100 cars and trucks were involved in the accident.
Ron Carroll said uninjured drivers tried to help as authorities sorted through the wreckage.
“It’s just people helping people,” Ron Carroll said.
“The foremost thing in this holiday season is how other travelers were helping us when we were overwhelmed, sitting and holding, putting pressure on people that were injured.”
Paul McCartney has revealed how a rainy day inspired him to write a song about wife Nancy Shevell.
The singer famously wrote a love letter to his American heiress wife on Valentine’s Day while on holiday in Morocco.
In upcoming television documentary Live Kisses the musician is seen singing the track, called My Valentine, recorded for his album Kisses On The Bottom.
The former Beatles star wrote the tune on a rainy day while on holiday in Morocco as the couple about their hotel to keep dry.
Paul McCartney revealed: “We were on holiday together, Nancy and I, and it was raining, it’s kind of led me towards a kind of minor-y type thing and the sentiment of you know, oh it’s raining.
“I wrote the song on Valentine’s Day in Morocco where we were on holiday and it had been raining, and I’d said <<oh pity about the rain>> and all of that, and she’d said to me <<it doesn’t matter, we’ll have a good time>> – and I really liked that because I know there’s nothing you can do about weather.
“So I was in the foyer of the hotel, knocking around on this old Joanna that the Irish pianist played in the evenings and because it was raining, because it was not sort of sunny and bright and everyone milling around, this minor-y melody came out and the words were pretty much what I was thinking really, they just spilled out.”
Paul McCartney has revealed how a rainy day inspired him to write a song about wife Nancy Shevell.
Live Kisses documents a February night in Los Angeles – the very same evening The Beatles made their debut television performance on The Ed Sullivan show 48 years prior – when Paul McCartney decided to bring the tunes on his album to life.
He performed the songs at the Capitol Studios earlier this year where much of the collection was created and he is seen singing his love letter to Nancy Shevell live.
The recording took place hours after the long awaited addition of Paul McCartney’s star to the Hollywood Walk of Fame drew a traffic-stopping throng to pack the stretch of Vine Street in front of the famed Capitol Records building in Los Angeles.
And to add to the feeling of anticipation, the music had not been performed by the band of musicians before and the show was broadcast online live for the world to see.
The reunited all-star entourage included Grammy-winning producer Tommy LiPuma, Al Schmitt in the control room, musical director Diana Krall at the piano, and Kisses… players John Clayton, Karriem Riggins, John Pizzarelli, Anthony Wilson, Mike Mainieri and conductor Alan Broadbent.
Exclusive interview segments of Paul McCartney with Kisses On The Bottom collaborators Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, Krall and LiPuma, among others can be seen in the show which will be broadcast on Saturday.
The show will be broadcast on ITV1 at 11p.m. on Saturday 24 November
Chris Brown has canceled a stadium concert in Guyana after local protests over his 2009 beating of then-girlfriend Rihanna, according to event organizers.
Chris Brown was billed to headline a big show in Guyana on December 26.
But he drew the ire of women’s rights groups and opposition lawmakers who said chris Brown would not be welcome in Guyana three years after his assault of Barbadian superstar Rihanna.
Concert promoter Hits & Jams Entertainment said on Thursday that Chris Brown backed out, citing discomfort with the protests.
Chris Brown has canceled a stadium concert in Guyana after local protests over his 2009 beating of then-girlfriend Rihanna
In 2009, Chris Brown hit, choked and bit Rihanna during an argument in Los Angeles. He later pleaded guilty to assault.
Since then, Chris Brown has worked to repair his image, undergoing violence counseling and putting out a new album.
Chris Brown has a duet with Rihanna on her recently released record, Unapologetic.
For those on the hunt for last-minute Thanksgiving recipe ideas, Marilyn Monroe’s handwritten checklist might offer some inspiration.
Jotted on a letterhead from an insurance company, Marilyn Monroe explains how she prepares a turkey dinner, with all of the trimmings.
For the stuffing she soaks a French loaf in cold water and adds five herbs, spices and nuts, while to prep the bird she rubs it with salt, pepper, and butter, before cooking it in an oven set to 350 degrees.
The notes, which feature in Fragments, a collection of her letters and musings from 1943 to her death in 1962, are the best evidence yet that she had a passion for cooking.
Fussing over details, Marilyn Monroe writes that giblets must be “liver-heart” and stipulates that the beef must be “browned (no oil)”. She even takes care to specify the quantity of the produce needed.
The most important instruction of all is right at the very top, where she states that “no garlic” should be added to the stuffing.
Unlike other cooks, she uses little fat or broth and no eggs or binder to hold it together. To make the mix right it also needs “1 handful” of grated Parmesan and an unspecified amount of “parsley”.
For the bird – either a chicken or turkey – she salts, peppers and butters it before stuffing and sewing it up and cooking at 350 degrees, for two hours or longer, depending on its weight.
The final meal is presented with sides of potato, canned button mushrooms and fresh green peas.
Marilyn Monroe’s flair for cooking was evident at an auction of her personal effects in 1999 when two well-worn cookbooks of hers from the 1950s were sold off for well above the reserve.
The recipe is dated around 1955 or 1956 when she was living in New York with her husband, the playwright Arthur Miller.
At the time, riding high off the back of the success of the Seven Year Itch, Marilyn Monroe had just signed a four-film $100,000 per-film deal with 20th Century Fox.
The four would include Bus Stop and Some Like It Hot, for which she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress. Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller later divorced amid accusations of affairs on both sides before her death in 1962 from an apparent overdose.
For those on the hunt for last-minute Thanksgiving recipe ideas, Marilyn Monroe’s handwritten checklist might offer some inspiration
Marilyn Monroe’s Thanksgiving Recipe
FOR THE STUFFING
No garlic
Sourdough
French bread – soak in cold water, wring out, then shred
For chicken giblets – boil in water 5-10 mins
Liver – heart then chop
1 whole or ½ onion, chop & parsley / four stalk celery, chop together following spices – put in rosemary
Thyme, bay leaf, oregano, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper,
Grated Parmesan cheese, 1 handful
1/2lb – 1/4lb ground round – put in frying pan – brown (no oil) then mix raisin 1½ cuops or more
1 cup chop nuts (walnuts, chestnuts, peanuts)
1 or 2 hard boiled eggs – chopped mix together
TO PREP THE BIRD
Salt & pepper inside chicken or turkey – outside same and butter
Sew up clamp birds put chicken or turkey in 350 oven
Roasting chicken – 3or 4lbs or larger
Cooks 30 min to 1lbs
Brown chicken or pheasant (vinegar, oil, onion, spices) – let cook in own juice
Over three million cheering spectators lining the streets of Manhattan were treated to the awkward sight of Elmo the puppet singing together with Big Bird at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The potentially inappropriate decision by the makers of Sesame Street follows directly in the wake of allegations that Kevin Clash, the puppeteer behind the much-loved red Muppet sexually abused up to four young men.
Taking their place among stalwarts such as Buzz Lightyear, Sailor Mickey Mouse, the Pillsbury Doughboy, Spider-Man and Kermit the Frog, Elmo and his buddies have long been a fixture in the parade enjoyed by up to 50 million people watching from the warmth of their homes.
Despite the controversy, organizers said they hoped the parade will lift the spirits of New Yorkers still recovering from the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, and thousands of those affected were given front-row seats by Macy’s.
Unrepentant, the makers of Sesame Street had given prior warning that they would not pull the loveable red monster from the float.
Yesterday a representative for Macy’s told TMZ: “Elmo will be joining his Muppet friends on the Sesame Street float with an alternate puppeteer bringing him to life.
“Current events have no bearing on Sesame’s participation in the Parade and we are confident their world-renowned, family-friendly entertainment and educational programming will continue to bring kids and families joy for decades.”
However, Twitter lit up with those who found the appearance of a character now unfortunately linked to sexual abuse claims odd.
Meanwhile, beneath blue skies and 50-degree temperatures, the huge balloons were carried along a new route down 6th Avenue by 8,000 trained wranglers.
It kicked off at 9:00 a.m. at 77th Street and Central Park West, continued on to Columbus Circle and turned onto Central Park South. The parade then snaked down Sixth Avenue and headed from 59th Street down to 34th Street, making its final stop at Macy’s Herald Square.
The helium balloons joined 28 floats, 1,600 cheerleaders and dancers, 900 clowns, 11 marching bands and, of course, Santa Claus. There was also an appearance by Miss USA winner, Olivia Culpo, who grinned as she waved at the screaming spectators.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2012
The nation’s biggest singing stars and celebrities also entertained the crowds, including Call Me Maybe songstress Carly Rae Jepsen, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Flo Rida and Whoopi Goldberg, The Muppets and the U.S. Olympic gold medalists in gymnastics known as The Fab Five.
Some parade-goers had camped out overnight to get a good spot, while others came well-prepared with folding chairs.
Alan Batt and his 11-year-old twins, Kyto and Elina, watched the parade at the end of the route, seemingly too far away for a good view. But they had an advantage: Two tall stepladders they hauled over from their apartment eight blocks away – one for each twin.
“We’re New Yorkers,” the 65-year-old Alan Batt said.
“We know what we’re doing.”
With the height advantage, “I get to see everything!” Kyto Batt said.
But it’s not all joy as the parade snakes through the city, with Today host Matt Lauer coming under fire from viewers for his on-air blunders, while others criticized the decades-long tradition going ahead amid world helium shortages.
Yet others stayed in the festive mood while watching the parade, with organizers saying they hope that the display will help lift the spirits of New Yorkers who are still recovering from the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.
In a special tribute to those suffering from the effects of the hurricane and those helping the victims, the parade featured a float dedicated to first responders and each person marching in the lineup wore a Red Cross pin.
Macy’s also gave 5,000 tickets to families affected by the storm and organized transportation to whisk them to the route.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the city, along with local groups and businesses, is organizing 26,500 Thanksgiving meals for those hit by the storm.
“Those people who don’t have heat, electricity, water, we have a responsibility to get them back and get their lives back and maybe next year they’ll be back here smiling as well,” Michael Bloomberg said.
Speaking to CBS before the parade, Michael Bloomberg revealed he would be spending his Thanksgiving Day visiting police and firefighters in the Rockaways before thanking volunteers.
Between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Wednesday, the dozens of flattened balloons depicting comic book characters were all laid out on the ground around the Museum of Natural History and blown up with helium to their full size.
“Each one of the elements in the parade start as a simple sketch, and we sit with the artist and talk about what we want to see come to life,” Amy Kule, executive producer of the parade, told 9News.
Spectators who decided to brave the chill and come out Wednesday to witness the last-minute preparations for the main event got a chance for get a close look at their favorite balloons without jostling for space with three million other people.
The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was held in 1924 when it was known as the Macy’s Christmas Parade and starred animals from the Central Park Zoo. In 1927, it debuted its first helium character balloon, Felix the Cat.
Sandy Island in South Pacific, shown on marine charts and world maps as well as on Google Earth and Google Maps, does not exist, Australian scientists say.
The supposedly sizeable strip of land, named Sandy Island on Google maps, was positioned midway between Australia and French-governed New Caledonia.
But when scientists from the University of Sydney went to the area, they found only the blue ocean of the Coral Sea.
The phantom island has featured in publications for at least a decade.
Scientist Maria Seton, who was on the ship, said that the team was expecting land, not 1,400 m (4,620 ft) of deep ocean.
“We wanted to check it out because the navigation charts on board the ship showed a water depth of 1,400m in that area – very deep,” Dr. Maria Seton, from the University of Sydney, told the AFP news agency after the 25-day voyage.
“It’s on Google Earth and other maps so we went to check and there was no island. We’re really puzzled. It’s quite bizarre.
“How did it find its way onto the maps? We just don’t know, but we plan to follow up and find out.”
Sandy Island in South Pacific, shown on marine charts and world maps as well as on Google Earth and Google Maps, does not exist
Australian newspapers have reported that the invisible island would sit within French territorial waters if it existed – but does not feature on French government maps.
Australia’s Hydrographic Service, which produces the country’s nautical charts, says its appearance on some scientific maps and Google Earth could just be the result of human error, repeated down the years.
A spokesman from the service told Australian newspapers that while some map makers intentionally include phantom streets to prevent copyright infringements, that was was not usually the case with nautical charts because it would reduce confidence in them.
A spokesman for Google said they consult a variety of authoritative sources when making their maps.
“The world is a constantly changing place and keeping on top of these changes is a never-ending endeavor.” the Google spokesman told AFP.
While most explorers dream of discovering uncharted territory, the Australian team appears to have done the opposite – and cartographers everywhere are now rushing to undiscover Sandy Island for ever.
A lone apartment building stands in the middle of a newly built road in the city of Wenling, in Zhejiang province, China, after an elderly couple refused to relocate.
Luo Baogen and his wife insist on living in the half-demolished building because they believe that the relocation compensation offered by the government is not enough.
Now the only building left standing, the five storey block is a strange sight as cars drive around it while the couple remains living inside.
To ensure the couple’s safety, adjacent rooms in the building have been left intact but all their neighbors have moved out, according to local media.
The road paved through the Xiazhangyang village leads to the Wenling railway station and is yet to be officially opened.
Luo Baogen and his wife believe that the compensation on offer would not be enough to cover their rebuilding costs.
In the People’s Republic of China, during most of the Communist era, private ownership of property was abolished, making it easy for residents to be moved on – but now the laws have been tightened up and it is illegal to demolish property by force without an agreement.
Luo Baogen and his wife insist on living in the half-demolished building because they believe that the relocation compensation offered by the government is not enough.
Property owners in China that refuse to move to make way for development are known as “Nail Householders” referring to a stubborn nail that is not easy to remove from a piece of old wood and cannot be pulled out with a hammer.
Earlier this year, Hong Chunqin, 75, and her husband Kung, who live in the two dilapidated buildings with their two sons, had initially agreed to sell the property in Taizhou, in Zhejiang province and accepted $12,000 in compensation.
But then she changed her mind and refunded the money once work on the road had started.
Earlier this year, Niu Chuangen and Zhang Zhongyun dared to stand in the way of a local property developer in Zaozhuang, in the Shandong province.
As a result, the resolute couple, both in their 60s, have been left stranded on their tiny spot of land, while all around them the ground is dug up and skyscrapers erected.
The distraught pair were regularly threatened by gangsters and have had to fend over a number of attempts to illegally demolish their ramshackle home.
They were cut off from utilities in 2009 when a local developer started the enormous earthworks involved in building dozens of high-rise residential buildings in the area.
In another case, one family among 280 others at the site of a six storey shopping mall being built in Chongqing refused to leave their home for two years.
Developers cut their power and water, and excavated a 10-meter deep pit around their home, which their family had inhabited for three generations.
The owners broke into the construction site, reoccupied it, and flew a Chinese flag on top and then Yang Wu, a local martial arts champion, used nunchakus to make a staircase to the house and threatened to beat any authorities who attempted to evict him.
The owners turned down an offer of $450,000 but eventually settled with the developers in 2007.
Onesie is the item predicted by supermarkets and high street stores alike to be the number one Christmas gift for 2012.
Celebrities were early adopters of the trend, with the likes of Rihanna, Robbie Williams, Tulisa, One Direction and Tom Daley all stepping out in their own versions of the adult romper suits.
Holly Willoughby appeared on This Morning wearing one, Keith Lemon stepped out in Asda’s Incredible Hulk onesie and Amy Childs vajazzled a £60 ($90) velour all-in-one, 2,000 of which sold out on her website in two days.
And now, as Christmas approaches, it is clear that the people of Britain have embraced the all-in-one too.
Evidently millions have already bought one for themselves. George at Asda, who are predicting that onesies will be the number one Christmas gift this year – say that sales of onesies have soared by a staggering 606% on year, and the word “onesie” now the most searched-for term on their website.
Marks & Spencer and Debenhams have reported staggering sales results too, with M&S saying last month they would be producing an additional 10 styles of the onesie in time for Christmas, and Debenhams reporting a 155% rise in sales in October than the previous month.
A spokesman said at the time they’d sold 2,075 units in just one week – and that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Onesie is the item predicted by supermarkets and high street stores alike to be the number one Christmas gift for 2012
With Christmas now fast approaching, many more are expected to jump on the onesie bandwagon.
A poll on the George at Asda Facebook page revealed that 42% of customers are planning to buy a onesie as a gift this year, and a third admitting the ultra-forgiving onesie will be their outfit for Christmas day.
As a result, Asda say they have stockpiled one million onesies to meet demand, and have launched an online Onesie Shop for customers. There, shoppers can buy Sponge Bob Square pants onesies, onesies in tiger print and dalmation, a Fair Isle onesie inspired by the Burberry catwalk show – and thatIncredible Hulk onesie as worn by Keith Lemon, which sales analysts at the store predict will sell out in 24 hours (no fighting in the aisles over the last one now please).
Fiona Lambert, George Brand Director said she predicted sales of onesies will go on soaring right up until the big day.
“Onesies are the must-have item for Christmas 2012,” she said.
“Each week at George we see sales soar higher than the week before which we are attributing to celebrity influence.
“Due to such high customer demand we have ordered in thousands of extra onesies and launched our dedicated online <<Onesie Stop Shop>> to ensure our shoppers don’t miss out on the perfect outfit for a cozy Christmas morning, day and night for the whole family.”
Kris and Bruce marriage is allegedly at breaking point as he supposedly hates her flirting with younger men and claimed his wife’s ego was “out of control”.
However, Bruce and Kris Jenner put on a show of solidarity as they supported daughter Khloe Kardashian as she presented X Factor USA.
Kris Jenner jumped on her husband’s lap for some PDA action in front of crowds and just in case anyone missed it she got daughter Kim Kardashian to tweet the snap to her followers.
The pair was recently at the centre of rumors they were headed for divorce, according to Star magazine.
However, a source told gossip website HollywoodLife.com: “Kris and Bruce are doing just fine. Bruce would never, ever leave Kris because he is too much in awe of her.”
Earlier this month it was reported how the 63-year-old Olympic gold medalist consulted a lawyer because he was fed up with Kris Jenner flirting with younger men and her increasingly large ego.
But a source close to the couple insists that they are not heading for a divorce because they are still madly in love.
Kris Jenner jumped on Bruce Jenner’s lap for some PDA action in front of crowds at X Factor
The insider said: “Sure she pushes his buttons and p***es him off from time to time, but deep down inside Bruce is crazy about her.
“She’s the boss of the relationship and he knows this.”
Kris Jenner was certainly keeping up with her daughter Khloe Kardashian style on Wednesday – after stealing one of her dresses.
Khloe tweeted a snap of her “momager” backstage at the X Factor USA, after the entire clan turned out to support her as she took to the stage again for her presenting duties.
But there was something very familiar about 55-year-old Kris Jenner’s black leather dress with sheer sleeves – Khloe Kardashian had actually worn it on the Fox show earlier this month.
Referring to the popular segment for the E! TV show Fashion Police, Khloe Kardashian tweeted the hashtag: “B****StoleMyLook.”
She joked: “Oh hi momager! I see you raided my closet LOL.”
Millions of bargain-hungry shoppers are set to scour shops for deals on Thanksgiving as an increasing number of stores across the country throw open their doors a day early.
Some of the nation’s largest chains, including Toys R Us and Target, have nudged their opening times into Thursday in a bid to make more money than ever over the Black Friday weekend.
“Retailers are now commercializing Thanksgiving, giving the opportunity to the consumer who doesn’t want to watch 12 hours of football,” said Marshal Cohen from consumer research firm NPD Group.
“It’s no longer Christmas creep, it’s the Christmas crush. This is about beating the competition.”
Across the US, a staggering 17% of consumers – or 41 million people – are expected to shop on Thanksgiving, according to a consumer holiday tracking survey by The International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs.
And for retailers, it makes sense. Last year, stores which extended their hours saw sales soar by up to 22% over the weekend, while those retailers that did not lost up to 8%.
The National Retail Federation predicts 147 million Americans will shop over Thanksgiving weekend, and that there will be an increase of holiday sales of 4.1% on last year.
Already queues are snaking outside large stores. Tents began gathering outside Best Buy stores on Tuesday as bargain hunters hoped to get their hands on gadgets when doors open on Friday.
Stores are enticing shoppers with discounts including $7 board games at Target, $19 sweaters at Gap and $299 Toshiba 50-inch LEDs at Sears – down from $849.
Aware that many customers plan to shop online, Target and Best Buy are also matching prices offered by online competitors such as Amazon.com, Bloomberg reported.
And in some stores, there will be kiosks and mobile checkouts to integrate online and in-store shopping, while Apple customers can simply scan their products and pay remotely.
Millions of bargain-hungry shoppers are set to scour shops for deals on Thanksgiving as an increasing number of stores across the country throw open their doors a day early
Independent stores and entire malls nationwide are also opening early. In South Florida, for example, Dolphin Mall in Sweetwater and Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise each open at 9 p.m. on Thursday for 24 hours.
With stores opening earlier, the retail industry has crossed the Black Friday barrier and it might creep further forward still, Kimberly Taylor, an associate professor from Florida International University, told the Miami Herald.
“It is becoming almost a whole season,” she said.
“Where is it going to end? Will it take away the whole Black Friday if it is the whole week or the whole season?”
There will also be early sales online as discounts are offered ahead of the internet’s equivalent of Black Friday – Cyber Monday.
The deals are expected to boost sales made on Thanksgiving last year, when online spending rose 18% to $479 million. On Black Friday, sales soared 26% to $816 million.
But not all employees are happy about the changes, with some workers signing petitions at change.org demanding stores including Target and Walmart stay closed on Thursday.
One petition started by a Target employee, Casey St Clair, was entitled “Target: Take the High Road and Save Thanksgiving” and had gathered almost 400,000 supporters.
But in response, Target told the Orange County Register that other workers were happy to have the overtime hours.
“When we made the decision to open our doors at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving, the first thing we did was reach out to all of our store leaders and ask them to have discussions with their team members and seek volunteers wanting to work,” Tina Schiel, executive vice president of stores for Target, said.
“We had so many team members who wanted to work on Thursday that hundreds of our stores are now keeping lists of volunteers who want to work if shifts open up.”
Florida socialite Jill Kelley, whose tip to the FBI uncovered David Petraeus’ affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell, was awarded a prestigious military medal for her “selfless contributions” to the forces, it has emerged.
Jill Kelley received the award for “Outstanding Public Service” from the Joint Chiefs of Staff – the second highest honor to a civilian – after she was recommended by David Petraeus himself.
After problems with the application, it was resubmitted in October 2010 by Marine General James Mattis, who had replaced David Petraeus as the head of U.S. Central Command.
David Petraeus then presented the award to Jill Kelley, whom he met through her work and lavish party planning for MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, at a ceremony in Washington on March 18, 2011.
The award citation noted the honor was for her public service to the U.S. Central Command, MacDill and the Department of Defense from October 31, 2008 to May 31, 2010. She received a silver medal, lapel pin, citation and certificate.
Jill Kelley received the award for Outstanding Public Service from the Joint Chiefs of Staff after she was recommended by David Petraeus himself
“Mrs. Kelley distinguished herself by exceptional service while supporting the mission of the United Central Command, building positive relationships between the military and the Tampa community, supporting community outreach, and advancing various military endeavors,” according to the award citation, seen by the Tampa Tribune.
It adds that her “willingness to host engagements with Senior National Representatives from more than 60 countries was indicative of her support for both the Coalition’s effort and the mission of United States Central Command”.
Jill Kelley’s willingness to rub shoulders with the military’s top brass has become increasingly apparent since her part in the Petraeus scandal emerged over the past two weeks.
