Not a Surprise #1:

Online sales are estimated to be $45 billion to $50 billion this holiday season, which runs from two weeks before Thanksgiving until Christmas, said Richard Feinberg, director of the Center for Customer-Driven Quality. The amount is up from $34 billion in 2006.

I would ask if this is truly news-worthy, however, after talking with one of my aunts this evening, who is still accessing the Internet via DIAL-UP on a mind-boggling-old-ass laptop, I cannot. The Partner and I have seen an increase in our own Internet consumption; prices are cheap, items are available, and shipping is fast. I got a blurb regarding the above quote from my hosting company, which is perhaps geared towards small-businesses/Internet businesses, but still. Do I really need to be told Internet purchases are ever-increasing?

Not a Surpsie #2:

I, and several of my friends, witnessed a dude being “ushered” out from a local campus bar this evening shortly after last-call, only to charge towards the door/bouncer and then be violently tackled by more than five bigger-than-him dudes to the concrete road, where he was choked and pinned to the ground until the cops showed up. I watched closely. (I remember.) So I got close. The cops came and told him to turn over onto his back. They cuffed him and started patting him down, getting out his wallet. I told him, “Don’t say anything until you have legal representation. Don’t say anything. Get a lawyer. Legal aid, dude, legal aid.” And what did he do? He started talking to the cops.