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 $15.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Danielle said 1:41PM on 4-12-2008
Well, she slept with more than 50 men - every time you sleep with somebody you aren't only sleeping with that person, but every person that they have been with. All I can say is YUCK.... I can't imagine how desperate somebody is to sleep with a bunch of strange men. She could have gotten herself a good vibe and not risked her health. What self respecting men or woman for that matter would even do something like that?
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Brian W. said 4:21PM on 4-12-2008
That's only if she wasn't using protection.
PJK said 10:10AM on 4-14-2008
Sad woman with self-esteem issues looking for the love she obviously never got growing up. I've nothing against people enjoying their own bodies, but this story inspires nothing but pity. Now to go home and masturbate furiously to furry porn.
tfcrow said 2:08PM on 4-12-2008
Women want to be skanks.
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Ice said 3:30PM on 4-12-2008
If the women are skanks, what would you call the men?
Jonathan Allen said 4:54PM on 4-12-2008
ManHo
jokujagu said 9:47PM on 7-10-2009
please i need hot sex wit girl or lady dat is seriouly ready 4 it.my phone number 07031609654........
skank said 5:19PM on 4-12-2008
I love the homophobes who say thet only GLBT people are promiscus and have sex with multiple partners.
This woman is a perfect example of that hupocripsy she fu(k$ 50 strangers and Switched says what..... "kudos for her"
I bet if it were "Gay / lesbuan/ Trans/ Person sleeps with 50 people from facebook" they would be condemning them. Real double standard I bet in thier Kudos comment they didn't even consider that in this day and age she could have been infected with and passed on clamidia, anti-biotic resistant syphilis, Herpes, and AIDS.
I wonder how many of these 50 were married and I hope the hell they didn't infect thier wives.
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Malfoy Roark said 8:39PM on 4-13-2008
Yea because Weblogs are really about the political commentary and voicing their family values on us.
Really you know your posting on a blog and not the NYTimes right?
wolfy said 4:24PM on 6-04-2009
First off, you know you spelled hypocrisy "hupocrispy" and promiscuous "promiscus"? If you want to write a persuasive paragraph to post on Switched and be taken seriously you kind of have to spell things right. I really just couldn't get past "hupocrispy".
Besides that, I think that the woman has a serious sex addiction and needs to get some help for herself. I mean, really, my lord. Fifty people? That is absolutely repulsive. And if she were a gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, or tranny I would have given the same response.
Tardy said 12:20PM on 4-13-2008
I'm always late to the party. Dang.
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Seanross said 3:29AM on 4-14-2008
You wanted a piece of her too?
retro77 said 10:52AM on 4-14-2008
I say grats to her!
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Terpy said 2:35PM on 4-14-2008
So tell me, does it burn when you pee?
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Chris said 1:08PM on 4-16-2008
All I have to say to this is, it identifies the truth that women are the sluts and the guys got the piece of the pie. =]
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oxygen said 12:40AM on 10-22-2008
i dont know if anyone realized it but most of the comments to this article just proved why 'laura' did what she did. she needed sex and she got itas discreetly as possible because of the repercussions. she did the easiest way possible and screened it just like any normal person would do. no person is a slut they are just getting what they need. and honestly people, if you had a std or something going wrong with your lower level would you really go out on a mission to perform sexual acts? didnt think so.
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ZAQAT said 2:17PM on 3-01-2009
oxygen...thanks for saying what I was thinking. What is wrong with our society is that we always judge people about their actions. The last time I checked we all have free will.
nathan said 12:40AM on 10-22-2008
p.s. really, honestly, i am a bio major and this is in response to the first comment written. if you have sex with multiple people, the person after is not having sex with you and all the other people, they are only having sex with you. the human body does not retain other peoples 'substances' in the body, it kills them just like any other foreign microbe entering the body, it does not store them to share with later partners. however, with the exception of sperm and surrounding fluids, if there does happen to be an std, which usually happens to be a sort of virus, then that one particular virus will continue on to the new host and the rest of the substances will be killed off by your immune system. that myth was spread in hopes of reducing std's as a scare tactic. do i support condoms and safe sex? of course. i am std free and plan to be for the rest of my life but please stop spreading false rumors and use other appropriate forms of birth control such as education and interaction with your children and forming relationships with them.
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I want more sex said 3:51PM on 6-22-2009
I think is great that she found so many man to satisfy her desires.
I love orgies and my best one was one that I actually had sex with 15 man and 5 woman. It was a long party with lots of big ..... so .. go for it .
Orgies are great because if a man is too small you can switch to others as never stay hungry you leave once you had a looooott :) and if you haven tried lesbian sex ...... you are missing some very intense orgasms.
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