American Morning
(Tea) Partying for Halloween?
By Erica Fink, American Morning Producer
It's time to party like it’s 1773.
This Halloween, sales are up across the board; but sales of Colonial costumes are beating the spread.
Retailers think it’s the influence of the Tea Party and election-year patriotism, but they’re not asking too many questions as they bring in more revenue from Revolutionary officer uniforms and breeches.
"It’s all about the scallywag hats. People are interested in anything they can get for that look," says Andrew Perry, a Halloween Express franchise owner in Charlottesville, VA. Perry has resorted to looting pieces from his pirate costumes to meet the demand for Colonial-style costumes. The category is doing twice as well for him as it did last year, and the vast majority of his Colonial inventory has already sold.
Perry’s store is not alone. National online retailers CostumeCraze.com and BuyCostumes.com have both seen an increase in sales of about 50 percent for their “Colonial” items in the past two months. In both cases, that represents a bigger rise than they’ve seen in overall sales.
"Unemployed" Superhero: Comic relief for economic doom and gloom
We've had Superman and Spiderman. Now we've got...Unemployed Man?
Yes, Unemployed Man is the latest comic book hero created by Gan Golan and Erich Origen (and designed by Mike Netzer, Terry Beatty, Lee Loughride and Tom Mauer), who wanted to provide some comic relief for those who don't have a job while at the same time digging deeply into the economic problems that caused such widespread unemployment.
Watch the video here. For more information, visit Unemployedman.com.
The Teaser for Thursday, October 28, 2010
"The Teaser” is a preview of the guests we have lined up for the next day – so you know when to tune in (and when to set your alarm!). Guests and times are always subject to change.
6:10AM John Avlon, CNN Contributor and Columnist for TheDailyBeast.com, on the whim of the independent voter as election day approaches. As more undecideds tune into Senate races across the nation, they show signs of breaking to Republicans. Is the trend momentary or a sign of a long term shift? Can the Democrats turn the tide in these final days?
6:40AM Ramani Durvasula, Prof. of Pyschology Cali. State Univ and Psychologist on the Bravo Series "Thintervention", with reaction to the controversy Marie Claire blogger Maura Kelly sparked with a post on the CBS sitcom “Mike and Molly”, a show about a couple that meets at overeaters anonymous. Kelly wrote, “In real life, I find it aesthetically displeasing to watch a very, very fat person simply walk across a room”.
7:24AM David Bianculli, Founder & Editor, TV Worth Watching and TV Critic, NPR's "Fresh Air", on President Obama's visit to Jon Stewart's The Daily Show, the first time a sitting president has appeared on the show.
7:40AM Christine Jennings, USA Swimming Team, on the death of fellow American swimmer Fran Crippen, 26, in an open-water race Saturday. Jennings says she became dangerously fatigued during the race, vomiting several times in the water, unsuccessfully attempting to signal for help, and finally struggling passed the finish line, ending up in a hospital. She discusses the conditions that lead to her harrowing experience and may have contributed to the death of the young American athlete.
8:40AM Gan Golan and Erich Origen, co-authors, "The Adventures of Unemployed Man", on making light of the beleaguered American economy in their new comic book, "The Adventures of Unemployed Man". In the book, superhero Unemployed Man battles villains from the Hall of Just Us, including The Man, a sinister CEO, The Human Resource, Unemployed Man's seductress and nemesis, and Nickel & Dime, an evil pair of silent killers.
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'Black-out in a can"?
(CNN) - Nine Central Washington University students hospitalized this month after an off-campus party were sickened by "Four Loko," a caffeinated malt liquor also known as "blackout in a can," according to a police investigation.
Investigators concluded that none of the students were drugged or given alcohol without their knowledge and no sexual assaults occurred, according to a school statement.
The findings convinced university President James Gaudino to ban "alcohol energy drinks" from his campus. CNN's senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen discussed the concerns raised over the drink.
Businesses profit from social media
Christine Romans looks at how smart business owners are using the power of social media to help grow their businesses.
See the video below:
Dorsey's "Square" could change the way we pay
It's not much bigger than a postage stamp, but the "square" could soon change the way you pay your babysitter, your landscaper, even your lunch bill. Simply attach a small tiny credit card scanner "Square" device onto your iPhone, iPad, Droid, download the software, and you’re ready to go.
CNN American Morning’s Kiran Chetry talks to co-founder and CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey about Square, gets a brief demo and ask talks about the Twitter revolution.
For more information, visit www.squareup.com
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