<html><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div></div><div>Buy local, V-peeps! It's a lot safer.</div><div><br></div><div>Courtesy of NBC-Philadelphia at:</div><div><br></div><a href="http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/the-scene/shopping/134486528.html">http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/the-scene/shopping/134486528.html</a><div><div> </div><div>------------------------------</div><div id="headline" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 16px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; width: 659px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px; "><h1 class="title" style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 36px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -0.05em; line-height: 40px; "><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 36px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">Woman Pepper Sprays Black Friday Shoppers, 2 Shot Outside Walmarts</span></h1><h2 class="subtitle" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 18px; font: normal normal normal 18px/22px arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 153, 153); letter-spacing: -0.025em; ">152 million people expected to hit the stores</h2></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); font-size: medium; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px; "><div id="articleText" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: normal normal normal 15px/22px arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; clear: both; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><p id="paragraph1" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">Black Friday is no joke.</p><p id="paragraph2" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">Twenty people were reportedly injured at a Los Angeles area Walmart late Thursday when a woman unleashed pepper spray to keep other bargain hunters at bay. Two others were shot outside Walmarts in the Bay Area and South Carolina. </p><p id="paragraph3" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">The Los Angeles incident occurred at 10:20 p.m. when shoppers were let in the store and coverings to the electronics the woman wanted were removed, police told the Associated Press.</p><p id="paragraph4" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">A witness told NBC Los Angeles the woman, who had two children in tow, became unhappy when people jostled in line while waiting to snag a new Xbox 360.</p><p id="paragraph5" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">Fire department spokesman Shawn Lenske told the AP at least 10 of the 20 injuries were due to "rapid crowd movement."</p><p id="paragraph6" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">According to NBCLA, a section of the store was cleared while hurt customers were treated for the minor injuries. Police were looking for the woman.</p><p id="paragraph7" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">Threre were sporadic reports of violence elsewhere across the country on Black Friday, with many of the incidents taking place at or outside of a Walmart.</p><p id="paragraph8" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">A man was shot outside a Walmart in San Leandro, Calif., NBC Bay Area reported. Officials said the shooting stemmed from a fight in the parking lot and the assailant was still at large.</p><p id="paragraph9" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">In a parking lot across the street from a Walmart in Myrtle Beach, S.C., a woman was shot in the leg around 1 a.m. Cops said the shooting appeared to have been a Black Friday related robbery attempt, WBTV reported. </p><p id="paragraph10" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">Gunfire was also reported at a mall in Fayetteville, N.C., the AP reported. There were no reports of injuries.</p><p id="paragraph11" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">In Kingston, N.C., police used pepper spray to break up a fight at a Walmart, WBTV reported.</p><p id="paragraph12" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">A fight between two men at a Walmart jewelry counter in the Orlando area landed one of them handcuffs, the AP reported.</p><p id="paragraph13" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">And two female shoppers were hospitalized and one man arrested when a melee broke out in the electronics department of a Walmart in Rome, N.Y., the Syracuse Post-Standard reported.</p><p id="paragraph14" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">Walmart was one of a handful of big chains to open hours earlier than usual for this year’s Black Friday.</p><p id="paragraph15" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">Toys R Us kicked off the frenzy at 9:00 p.m, getting a jump on Walmarts by an hour. Best Buy, Gap, Target, Macy’s and Kohl's started up at midnight. Early reports showed strong demand from customers.</p><p id="paragraph16" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">The AP reported 2,000 people waited in line outside a Best Buy in St. Petersburg, Fla., while 300 braved the elements at a Best Buy in New York.</p><p id="paragraph17" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">This year’s earlier-than-ever Black Friday touched a nerve with some workers at Target and Best Buy, who protested the stores’ opening hours. Occupy Wall Street-inspired protesters were also planning demonstrations at major corporations around the country.</p><p id="paragraph18" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">Still, 152 million people were forecast to shop this Black Friday weekend, up from 138 million last year, according to the National Retail Foundation.</p><p id="paragraph19" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">Many stores began posting their deals online on Thanksgiving and sites like Gizmodo and BFads.net and The BlackFriday.com were already highlighting deals well before the sun went down.</p><p id="paragraph20" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">Black Friday counts for about one-third of annual sales for big chains, according to Reuters. Analysts will look at the numbers from Black Friday weekend as a forecasting tool, the retail industry’s equivalent of Punxsutawney Phil.</p><p id="paragraph21" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; ">“If Thursday and Friday are not very good, chances are it will not pick up going up to Christmas," Keith Jelinek, a director at consulting firm AlixPartners's retail practice, told Reuters.<br></p></div></span><div>------------------------------<br><br><div>Seeya round town, Moscow.</div><div><br></div><div>Tom Hansen</div><div>Moscow, Idaho</div><div><br></div><div>"If not us, who?</div><div>If not now, when?"</div><div><br></div><div>- Unknown</div></div></div></body></html>