Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.
Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.
Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.
Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.
HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.
HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.
HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.
GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.
Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.
Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.
Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.
Saying this makes us feel a bit old but: What the hell is wrong with kids these days? It used to be that youthful acts of rebellion involved a piercing or running off for a day -- not hiring a hit man to murder your parents. 
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Reader Comments (Page 6 of 7)
Nicole said 8:40PM on 11-12-2007
You've to be kidding me with kids these days. Really? A hitman because of being punished? What a little psycho. I hope he is locked up for a long time and I hope his family gets the hell away from that creep. Some people are just born evil and bad. Might as well get away from them.
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Carla said 8:25AM on 11-07-2007
Its not just teens, it's also younger kids..I see them every where talking to their parent as if they were the adults..screaming at them for whatever, they didn't get a toy or crying, throwing hissy fits, etc.. My Nephew John did this to me when he was little about 5, he actually went to the ground and screamed inside a store...I walked away from him and shopped longer, when he finished he came to me and apologized, I spanked him.(when we got home)...he deserved it.
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zatar111 said 1:02PM on 11-08-2007
People today should have to go through rigorous testing and inspections in order to get a licence to have children, pets, or credit- whoops! they do for credit, don't they! guess the money's more important HUH?
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Tim said 8:32AM on 11-07-2007
This kid is in dire need of a serious ass kicking.
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Jim said 11:33PM on 11-07-2007
Well here's the thing, It's not that kids are playing too many violent video games... It's their lack of being able to process what's real and what's fake, the world has become so desensitized to death and murder that it's not uncommon anymore to hear about this kind of thing and we just don't care and don't do anything about it. Hitman has a M rating, which means that it can only be purchased by an adult or person over 18 which this kid obviously was not which means his parents had to buy it for him. 10 Minutes of stopping and thinking about something other than yourself is wise... it appears he was a troubled youth anyway with his stealing and skipping school... It may not be all the video games... Common sense just isn't that common anymore
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roberto said 8:52AM on 11-07-2007
The blame lies more so on the police for tempting the kid. I'm 16 as well, have played violent videos games since I was 4 or so [haven't we all?], and have never once went to school with a gun in hand or hired a hitman [which is a great game]. But, as it is a trying time in life and I'm not going to even assume what all he has going for him, there is a lot of factors that have probably been left out. It's like if someone starved you for two weeks, then put a steak out in front of you. Chances are you would eat it. Now when his parents take away his stuff, kick him out of the bloody house, and he gets a spur of the moment chance to get them back, it may have just been a sudden reaction without any real thought. Sadly though, everyone wants to blame the games instead of question their own parenting skills.
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Onnagooday said 12:47PM on 2-07-2008
murder is not new, even of parents, neither are hitmen. video games didn't invent it.
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Joe said 9:26AM on 11-07-2007
I think the whole family is in need of a great deal of psycholocical help. Parents kicking a 16 year old out of the house after an arguement, a teenager who avoids getting arrested, tries to have his parents killed, and believes someone will kill for the price of a truck indicates that both the parents and the teenager have serius mental problems.
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Toni said 9:47AM on 11-07-2007
Why are we really surprised at this child's behavior? We should expect nothing else, after all we told the kid he was perfect as he was a reflection of the 'perfect' life of the parent who had perfect nails, the perfect tennis game, the perfect dinner party, etc. And, we made heroes out of Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold as we put our kids in front of the likes of "Rambo", etc. The kids were raised on violence in films and the news. And, all of you are right, we 'spared the rod' in hopes that they could be 'talked through' their inappropriate behavior. Well, I was a teacher in the '70's and would never have survived teaching in the '80's and beyond. Again, Why are we surprised at the result of this kind of upbringing where children were given no boundaries and limits. We are in for a rough ride with this younger generation.
Toni
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Doctor Bob said 9:51AM on 11-07-2007
Looks like Hillary's Village did a pretty poor job of raising this brat. But, hey - what do you expect when the State tells you that you can't blister the bottom of a spoiled rotten kid and force him to do what's right, whether he wants to or not? Instead, wait until they wind up in prison, where the State will force him to do what's right. What a screwed-up system the Libs have foisted on us all!
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TYBRHUCO74 said 10:54AM on 11-07-2007
I HAVE FOUR BOYS. ALL OF THEM BUT 1, HAS A PS2 AND AN XBOX. WHICH THEY GET GROUNDED FROM WHEN THEY MISBEHAVE. THEY HAVE CHORES. THEY GET MONEY FOR DOING THERE CHORES. IT TEACHES THEM RESPONSIBILITY. THEY DON'T DO THEM, THEY DON'T GET PAID. AND, THEY WON'T HAVE MONEY FOR THE EXTRA THINGS THEY WANT, THAT I WON'T BUY THEM. THEY ARE NOT DISRESPECTFUL. WE DO STUFF AS A FAMILY. PARENTS TEACH THERE CHILDREN HOW TO ACT. THEY LEARN BY WATCHING US. BE INVOLVED IN EVERYTHING THEY DO, EVEN IF YOU DON'T CARE FOR IT. AT LEAST YOU ARE MAKING AN ATTEMPT TO BE INVOLVED. HELL, SIT AND PLAY THOSE VIDEO GAMES WITH THEM. YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED.
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Dan said 1:52PM on 11-07-2007
Bill Mc - VERY FUNNY! - "Very curious. Did the indercover guy hang a sign around his neck saying "hitman ?"
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Gee said 2:25PM on 11-07-2007
I am thrilled that so many people recognize that that we have been tricked into believing that spanking your kids is equal to abuse.
Spanking is discipline. Abuse has nothing to do with discipline. It has to do with power and control issues. I am not going to beat my kids until they are bloody and bruised! But I will swat a backside. And yes it should be a last resort because it becomes ineffective if used to liberally.
What is amazing to me is you aren't supposed to spank your children but the police can beat them with a night stick, tazer them or put them in a choke hold?
If you DO NOT spank their butts early on the authorities will!
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Mona said 2:47PM on 11-07-2007
We are hearing more and more of these stories. This will NOT be a popular comment..but..it seems to me that no one is "minding the store" so to speak. In other words there is seldom a mother at home any more. Money and lifestyle has become God in America and no one is raising the children or making a real home. Baby sitters, fast food and cleaning ladies are the apparent way to go. So...we will hear more stories like this..and more. And then of course there is the new game "Manhunt"...geez!!!
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Karen Ann said 3:52PM on 11-07-2007
I'm more and more convinced that kids growing up now are so attuned to violent behavior because this type of story has been played out any number of times in the media and entertainment venues. The kids see it; digest it; possibly some of them think "its life."
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Rene Garcia said 4:48PM on 11-07-2007
That is one of the funniest things ive ever heard. Talk about a dysfunctional family.
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Debera said 4:59PM on 11-07-2007
Sorry folks but this kid I would spank all the way to Child Protection and hand him over for a good two weeks vacation maybe a few months vacation. What a brat, destroy the damn playstation let him see how it is to have not.
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theskyisfalling said 7:24PM on 11-07-2007
This young person is entitled, to everything. Hopefully the boy doesn't get sent to juvenile jail like most youth trouble makers; he will get to play playstation and watch TV and learn that intimidation will help him strive in the jail system and then he will go to adult jail and learn nothing but how to become a victiim because he has been misled in the juvy system.
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sandy said 3:32PM on 11-08-2007
Corporal punishment is not warranted in ANY
circumstances with children.
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Matthew said 7:46PM on 11-08-2007
People need to get it threw there heads that it's not video games that make kids violent! this kid had problems and bad parents!!! and why the hell did they put up a picture from the hitman game?
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