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Wal-Mart: We're not afraid to say Merry Christmas

No. 1 retailer has decided to abandon its generic 'Happy Holidays' greeting in favor of 'Merry Christmas.'

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Wal-Mart has told its employees that it's OK to once again greet shoppers by saying "Merry Christmas" this holiday season instead of the generic "Happy Holidays."

CNN confirmed that Wal-Mart will announce Thursday that it plans to use the phrase "Merry Christmas" in products and around its stores this holiday season.

The announcement comes a year after religious groups such as The American Family Association and The Catholic League boycotted retailers including Wal-Mart last holiday season for excluding the word "Christmas" from products sold in stores.

"We, quite frankly, have learned a lesson from last year," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Linda Blakley told USA Today in a separate report. "We're not afraid to use the term 'Merry Christmas.' We'll use it early, and we'll use it often."

Besides resurrecting its Christmas pitch, the retailer is also determined to be the leader in this year's holiday price wars.

The November-December holiday shopping period is a critical time for merchants since it can account for as much as 50 percent of their profits and sales.

To that end, Wal-Mart was the first out of the gate to chop prices on toys and electronics much ahead of its competitors like Target (Charts), Toys 'R Us, Costco (Charts) and others.

To support its Christmas deals, the report said Wal-Mart will launch TV ads next week that trumpet "Christmas." It's changing the name of its seasonal decorations department to "The Christmas Shop" from "The Holiday Shop."

Moreover, Wal-Mart stores will play Christmas carols throughout the holiday period and about 60 percent more merchandise will be labeled as "Christmas" rather than "holiday" items, the paper said.

Texas governor orders STD vaccine for all girls
Gov. Rick Perry signed an order Friday making Texas the first state to require that all schoolgirls be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer.

Manhattan is one of the easiest cities to get around in, really. All the streets are in numerical order going north or south and all avenues are also in numerical order going east and west. Very simple once they have that knowledge.

That is internet movie database and it lists all the movies they have had their songs in. Hope you see what you are looking for.

lots of information at that link - I just googled Kwanzaa and up that came among lots of other sites, full of information.

As for me, if we are *white* in discussion, I use *black* and seems to me my black friends prefer that. I did read once that Whoopi Goldberg does not like the term African American and she stated at that time that none of her relatives came from Africa. However, I have since read that's not entirely true (some of her relatives did come from Africa)......

they have a theater just for kids, too. It's great. Very interactive. Kids love it.

things (like maybe a birdhouse or Indian things) that come in packs of 10 - 12 to put together. A little more expensive but I use to order things like that for my cub scout den.

My husband had access to scrap wood and a wood shop. He cut out (10 or 12) pieces for a tool box. The kids loved hammering them together. (kinda a bigger project.)

Maybe plant something that would be ready to plant outside later? Maybe a project for when it gets closer to being warmer.

I would put the question in the "search" box. Even ask for projects for President's Day or whatever holidays are coming up!

At the time I posted it was a 23-y/o Korean THE DETAILS of who did the shooting had not hit the newswires UNTIL THEN.

www.healthmad.com/Men's-Health/Circumcision-of-Males-in-America-and-How-it-is-Viewed-by-American-Women.541911

Apparently women are responsible for infant male circ's? Well, perhaps they are - perhaps they aren't - but what is so wrong in circ'g. Isn't that recommended by docs??

The Meaning of R.S.V.P.

Let's Clear Up the Confusion

I hope that this week's tip will benefit hosts and guests alike, because there seems to be a lot of confusion about the meaning of the above term.

Lack of RSVP's - A Growing Problem

I hear more and more often, and have found in my personal experience, that hosts often do not receive firm indications whether guests plan to attend their parties, even if R.S.V.P. is clearly printed on the invitation. This could mean either one of two things. First it could mean that rudeness is a growing trend in our society. Or, as I would prefer to believe, people no longer understand what the term means. Assuming the best, and that the decline in R.S.V.P.'s can be attributed to ignorance and not rudeness, I will clarify this for the record.

What RSVP Means

The term R.S.V.P. comes from the French expression "r�pondez s'il vous pla�t", meaning "please respond". If R.S.V.P. is written on an invitation it means the invited guest must tell the host whether or not they plan to attend the party. It does not mean to respond only if you're coming, and it does not mean respond only if you're not coming (the expression "regrets only" is reserved for that instance). It means the host needs a definite head count for the planned event, and needs it by the date specified on the invitation.

Why It's Inconsiderate to Not RSVP

An incomplete list of respondents can cause numerous problems for a host including difficulty in planning food quantities, issues relating to minimum guarantees with catering halls, uncertainty over the number of party favors and difficulties in planning appropriate seating, among other things.

So the next time you see R.S.V.P. on an invitation you receive, please call your host and respond promptly.