Shopping for Wine Online

    From Amazon to EBay, there are hundreds of sites where one can shop for wine online.  The problem is not the availability, it is weeding through the masses in order to determine the best fit for the need. What site offers the most robust variety? What site or sites has prices that are conducive to my budget? How can I avoid paying $100 for a bottle that is only worth $10?

    Find yourself asking these questions and running to your local store for a wine that no longer excites your pallet?  Retail stores do account for the vast majority of wine sales, but that is due to the ignorance surrounding shopping for wine online coupled with the lack of trust in online retailers (this is due in part to most have only been in business for less than 10 years).

     Just as with a brick and mortar wine retailer, cheap is not always the best choice; nor are flashy bells and whistles.  Do not allow yourself to be drawn into purchase simply because a sight is plastered with seals, symbols and crests.  The vast majority of these have disclaimers at the bottom informing you that they are not approved, recommended, by etc.  It is just an eye-catching form of advertising.  The very best in the industry are viewed as such due to a perfect combination of personal touch, variety of inventory and pricing.

Top Online Wine Retailers

Tasting Room à Known for their low pricing as well as their ability to sell full sized and sample sized (the precise amount that would be enjoyed at a wine tasting) bottled and sampler packs.  The sampler packs are of mixed variety and allow wine lovers to explore new tastes at the leisure from home. 

Half Wit Wines à Offers 1200 wines in half bottles.  This site is not pretty to look at, but is perfect for those that only desire (or need) half bottles of wine.

Accidental Wine Company à Think of them as the scratch and dent online retailer of wine.  Smudge on the label? Vintage of 1 or 2 years? Accidental will sell it to you.  It’s not what they bottle looks like, it’s what is inside; and a great bottle of wine exceeds any aesthetic. 

Monger Wines à Dedicated to the sale of artisanal wines, Monger is the perfect place for the discerning and highly evolved pallet.  The company began as an Australian wine retailer and has since expanded to include Italy and a subset of Californian vineyards. 

Bottle Rocket à Offers incredible customer service as well as wine tips.  Need to know what wine will properly compliment a meal? Bottle Rocket can tell you.  This is a very out-of-the-box site.  Offering customers a unique voyage as they browse for their perfect bottle.

      Shopping for wine online can be a delightful but daunting journey; but at the end of the day, you will have what your heart desires…wine.  There will be no standing in long lines, no engaging in tastings that you would prefer to bypass, simply a wine that you chose in your hands.  Rather on your own or with the help of tools that assist in finding the best wine for you, shopping for wine online will bring the perfect wine straight to your door.  

Couponing at Target

     Many people do not automatically think about couponing when it comes to Target because of their discounted prices; but you should.  Target is actually one of the BEST places to coupon at.  You are able to stack coupons and maximize your savings.  The following tips will help you stock up your cabinets and desires while leaving plenty of cash in your pockets. 

Download the Cartwheel App

This Target app offers additional savings on various products throughout the store.  While shopping, you can scan the barcode of an item in order to determine if an additional savings is offered.  Also, if your phone is not Wi-Fi enabled, you can print a barcode Cartwheel card from home, laminate it and show it at checkout for your savings. 

Stack your Coupons

This means that you can use a manufacturer coupon along with an in store coupon.  Coupon stacking can also be used in conjunction with Cartwheel offers as well. 

Know the Markdown Schedule

Coupons can be used in conjunction with markdown prices at Target.  Before venturing out for your next shopping adventure, know the schedule.  It is as follows:

·        Monday – Girls, boys, infants, and electronics

·        Tuesday – Women’s and juniors

·        Wednesday – Men’s, food, stationary, health and laundry

·        Thursday- sleepwear, athletics, pet, housewares, paper, shoes, and toys

·        Friday – domestics, auto, scarves, beauty, and  jewelry

Sign up for coupons via text

Each Saturday, Target sends out coupons via text message.  Do not miss out on the deals. Simply text coupons (or baby) to 827438. 

Know the price cuts

Target offers two types of price cuts.  The first is a permanent price cut, the new displayed price will not revert back after a set time limit.  The second type is a temporary price cut; which last between 7-14 days. 

Price Matching

If you know that an item is less expensive elsewhere, simply take the item to guest services and they will confirm the lower price and ensure that you receive the item for the lower amount.  Additionally, coupons can be used in conjunction with price matching.  

Get Rain checks

If you find that a sale item has been sold out, take a picture of the shelf tag.  The shelf tag contains the DPCI code and the picture you take will make it easy and non-time consuming when requesting your rain check and they can be requested and received at any register.  Please note that rain checks will look like an additional receipt, therefore store separately and make note of the date received.  Rain checks are good for 45 days. 

Reusable Bags Credit

When you bring your own bags, you receive a $0.05 credit for each bag used at checkout. 

Utilize Rebate Apps

There are great apps that will give you cash back or gift cards once you scan (or take a picture of) your receipt. 

·        Ibotta – Allows you to scan your receipt, choose the deals that you want to “cash in” and receive cash back on your purchase

·        Check out 51 – upload your receipt and receive cash back on various items that you purchased.  Payments are released in $20 increments. 

·        Punchcard – allows you to upload pictures of your receipts for points that can be cashed in for gift cards or merchandise

·        Receiptpal – Enters you into sweepstakes for cash and prizes

·        Endorse - Allows you to scan your receipt, choose the deals that you want to “cash in” and receive cash back on your purchase or make a charitable donation.

Four Ways to Use Thanksgiving Leftovers

     With the holidays approaching, there is a lot of excitement in the air.  People anxious to reunite with relatives from afar.  Recipe boxes being dusted off in order to ensure that family favorites are on the table.  But what happens in the days following the holidays? What to do with the plethora of leftovers that are taking up valuable space in your fridge? How to you get your family from becoming bored with turkey and all the fixings?

    The following are great ideas on how to re-invent your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers that will excite the pallets of all within your household without sending you to culinary arts school. There is also absolutely no reason to break the bank to feed your family following the holiday.  Use your leftovers are the primary ingredients to some very simple and easy recipe ideas and save money while satisfying the family.

     Turkey is a very versatile meat, and that should be kept in mind as you think about how to best utilize the country’s coveted dinner bird.

Homemade Turkey Soup

     Make the most of what is left of your turkey no matter how much or how little.  Simply simmer (2 hours) the turkey bones in order to get the rich flavor.  From there, remove the remaining meat, add rice, vegetables and cream soup.  Within a matter of minutes, you will have a hearty and cost effective meal for you family.

Cheddar Turkey Casserole

     Add your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers with a creamy cheese sauce and vegetables for a tummy pleasing meal.

·        Ingredients

o   4 cups uncooked spiral pasta

o   1 garlic clove, minced

o   3 tablespoons of butter

o   3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

o   1 teaspoon salt

o   ¼ teaspoon mustard

o   ¼ teaspoon dried thyme

o   ¼ teaspoon pepper

o   2 cups 2% milk

o   1 ½ cups shredded cheese

o   2 cups turkey

o   2 cups frozen vegetables

o   ½ cup slivered almonds

·        Directions

o   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta per package instructions.

o   In a large saucepan, sauté garlic in butter until tender.  Stir in flour, salt, mustard, thyme and pepper. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted. Drain pasta and add.

Stuffing Crust Pot Pie

     This is a way for you to re-invent the majority of the leftovers in your fridge.  Use your remaining stuffing, vegetables, turkey and mashed potatoes.  This is a budget conscious way to spice up the leftovers from Thanksgiving.

Turkey a la King

·        Ingredients

o   2 tablespoons butter

o   1-3/4 cups of mushrooms

o   1 celery rib, chopped

o   ¼ cup onion, chopped

o   ¼ cup green pepper, chopped

o   ¼ cup all-purpose flour

o   1 cup chicken broth

o   1 cup milk

o   2 cups turkey breast

o   1 cup frozen peas

o   ½ teaspoon salt

o   2 cups cooked rice

·        Directions

o   In a large nonstick skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms, celery, onion and pepper; cook and stir until tender.

• In a small bowl, mix flour and broth until smooth; stir into vegetable mixture. Stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Add turkey, peas and salt; heat through. Serve with rice. Yield: 4 servings.

    With these meal suggestions, there is no need to stick to grandma’s method of making countless turkey sandwiches with your leftover Thanksgiving turkey.  Allow yourself to be as creative as you are on any other night of the year for the days following the holiday.  Do not reserve yourself from amazing your family on the holiday alone.  Fill their bellies and delight their taste buds with new meals each night with the leftovers from America’s favorite meal. 

    

No More "Breaking Bad" with Toys R Us

     

Most people have heard about the petition that was created on change.org a week ago by Ft Myers, Florida mother, Susan Schrivjer, to ban the sale of 'Breaking Bad' action figures (manufactured by Mezco Toyz) within Toys R Us.  Schivjer, who admitted to being a fan of the show, made a compelling argument that the figures were adult in content and should not be sold amongst children's toys; especially since they are packaged wearing hazmat suits and with components to create [fictitious] meth.    In her defense there are a plethora of shops that specialize in collectable action figures for adults and the 8,000 people that signed her petition appear to agree that those shops and NOT the place that [for years proclaimed to be] “where a kid can be a kid”.

    As of [late] Tuesday, the New Jersey based toy retailer expressed to the Associated Press that is would be pulling the action figures from its shelves and website.  This move has many believing that the voice of concerned parents/citizens is not mute to the ears of big business.  That in a day and age where it seems that children are being left to their own devices and parented via TV and social media…….someone still cares about who and what influences developing minds.

    Or, due to the petition’s close proximately to the largest shopping season of the year, the retailer decided damage control far outweighed potential loss of sales that a ‘scandal’ would create.  With 8,000 signatures surfacing in a week, and various media outlets reporting on the dolls being on the shelves, it would appear to be the most plausible business move. 

    Keep in mind, Schrivjer’s petition was not without opposition…..and that opposition came from a Manhattan Beach, California father by the name of Daniel Pickett.  According to Pickett (who launched his own petition to keep the action figures on the shelves), it is the responsibility of parents to govern what their children is exposed to.  Pickett also contends that Toys R Us has a longstanding reputation for stocking toys for all ages, and that tradition [if you will] should not be interrupted because subject matter that will be exposed to children in other arenas anyway.  Both parents on either side of the argument appear to agree upon that point, while differing as to what is appropriate to explain and govern in an environment targeted at children.

     3,000 signatures to Pickett’s petition give the impression that they too have no issue with action figures riddled with adult content are completely appropriate for display and sale in an environment where at any given time small children can be seen riddling the aisles.  Toys R Us does indeed have an adult figurine section in the store, and the “Breaking Bad” figurines were placed there [in limited supply], therefore, Pickett’s argument having such a backing is understandable.  But one may be inclined to point out that the other figurines are not accompanied by chemistry components that are widely known to exist in the world of meth making.

     When “Hunger Games” debuted to the world, the action figures made to accompany the film were displayed and sold at the retailer to zero chatter.  Many across the web have  also taken time to point out the amount of violent, adult content latent video games that are displayed and sold at the store as well and are in opposition to what has been labelled as of Wednesday as a ‘ban on “Breaking Bad’ dolls’. 

     Regardless of the side of the line drawn in the sand pertaining to this topic, for the time-being, “Breaking Bad” figurines will have to be purchased elsewhere by die hard and/or novice collectors.

Trick-or-Treat for Murder

   

 On Halloween night 1957 just as they settled in for a night's rest, Peter and Betty Fabiano heard their doorbell ring at [approximately] 11:30 pm.  Believing that there were lingering candy chasers at the door, Peter journeyed down the stairs, grabbed the last few pieces of candy left from the night and opened the door.  Betty heard him utter, "Isn't is kind of late for this sort of thing?" The question was followed by a bang, a thump and finally a car speeding away.  Betty ran down the stairs to determine what the commotion was only to find her husband laying on his back with blood pouring out of his chest.......dying.  Peter died in the ambulance on its way to the hospital and it was determined upon arrival, that Peter died due to a .38-caliber bullet becoming lodged beneath his heart.

     Peter, a WWII veteran and hair stylist (who operated two salons in San Fernando Valley) appeared to be a model citizen, with no murderous enemies.  The only blemish on his record was a minor bookmaking charge from 1948, with that being said, initially it was difficult for police to determine the why and who regarding the 35 year old's murder.  It was a full two weeks before police officers uncovered a plausible suspect........Joan Rabel (40).  Rabel was a divorced freelance photographer that  worked in one of Peter's shops.  Upon being questioned by the police (as was Betty and ALL employees of Peter), Rabel proclaimed that the Fabiano's were "two of my closest friends".  That was [partially] a lie.  

     The Fabiano's had recently reconciled after a stent of living separately.  During the time of the separation, Betty Fabiano and Rabel became roommates and developed a friendship that (by all accounts) did not set well with Peter.  Upon the couple's reunion, Peter forbade ALL contact with Rabel, which sent her into a unshakable negative space. Especially since Betty (36) admitted that their separation occurred because of her relationship with Rabel. 

     On November 16th, Rabel was taken into to custody where her partial lies cast an even greater dark cloud over her head.  When asked about her whereabouts on Halloween night, she protested earnestly that she had not left her home and her proof  was her car that remained unmoved in front of her house.  That was another [partial] lie.  Police did confirm that her car did not move all night, but that Rabel did, courtesy of her friend Margaret Barrett's car that she had borrowed for the evening.  To explain that away Rabel said that she used the car to go grocery shopping.  With NO murder weapon and no eye witness to confirm or deny that Rabel pulled the trigger, she was released.

     On month after Rabel's release, investigators received an anonymous tip that led them to a rental locker at a department store which contained a .38 caliber pistol.  Ballistics confirmed that the pistol was indeed the murder weapon and a scan of sales receipts lead them to a meek LA Children's Hospital lab tech, Goldyne Pizer (42).  Pizer, unlike Rabel, had no poker face.  Through a sea of tears, she admitted to fatally shooting Peter......but because a woman had put a curse on her.  That woman that placed a curse on her was none other than Joan Rabel.

     According to Pizer, the three women had all been friends (for approximately 3 years) until Peter became uncomfortable with Rabel's closeness to Betty.  Once Betty was no longer a member of the trio, Rabel began ranting about him daily and the [now] duo became [increasingly] closer.  Pizer admitted that over that past few months leading up to the murder, Rabel had filled her head with tales of the "evil and vile" man "who was destroying everything around him". Pizer believed, without question, when she was told that Peter was cruel to his wife and step-children (Judy and Richard, from Betty's previous marriage). 

 

According to Pizer, "she said he mistreated his wife and that he was dealing in narcotics.......she told me he was always bothering her at home."

     Pizer began to hate Peter just as much as Rabel and confessed  to planning his murder alongside Rabel.  The two had considered using poison and a knife before settling on shooting him.  Rabel drove Pizer [several] times to his primary salon so that she would know what he looked like and provided the money for the gun used to kill him.  Pizer told the Pasadena gun salesman that she needed the weapon to protect herself, since she was a woman living alone...and he bought the story hook, line and sinker.....although she only bought 2 bullets.  

 

The murderous duo, planned the murder down to most of  the details.  Rabel borrowed Barrett's car, picked up Pizer and drove to the Fabiano home around 9 pm.  The two sat outside the home for more than 2 hours before Pizer dawned a Halloween costume (jeans, khaki jacket, hat, red gloves, domino mask and dark face paint) provided via Rabel in a paper bag.  After the bedroom light went out around 11:30 pm, Rabel looked at Pizer and said, "....go do it."  Pizer rang the doorbell twice and waited for Peter to open the door before removing the revolver from a paper bag.  Admittedly, she was trembling horribly, "I had to use the left hand to hold the right hand in order to pull the trigger."  

   After fatally wounding Peter with a single shot, Pizer ran back to the car, received a kiss and thank you from her Svengali and the two sped back to Barrett's house (where they left the khaki jacket in the car).  Upon parting ways, Rabel told Pizer, "forget you ever knew me" before Pizer cut up and torched the remaining components of the costume the following night.  It was also Pizer that hid the murder weapon in the pay locker.  

     Due to the confession made by Pizer (Rabel continued her stoic vow of silence), the duo was charged with first degree murder; to which Rabel plead innocent and Pizer, insanity.  On March 11, 1958, just before their trial was set to begin, the duo accepted a plea deal.  The charge was reduced to second degree murder with a sentence of 5 years to life.....which outraged the public.  A few years into their sentences, they were released.  As of 1971, Pizer was an officer in the Miracle Mile Chapter of the Professional Women's Club and died at the age of 83 (in 1998).  After her prison release, Rabel left no paper trail but is believed to have expired in her 80's as well.

    It has been widely speculated that Betty Fabiano was also involved in the planning of her second husband's murder, but no charges were ever filed against her.  She died in 1999 at the age of 81.

Mental Illness Awareness Week

   

Most people have NO idea that October plays host to Mental Illness Awareness is October 6th-12th.  October is primarily known for Halloween and Breast Cancer Awareness.  On top of not knowing about the awareness week, most Americans also have NO idea what mental illness is or how prevalent it is in our society.  26.2% of Americans (approximately 1 in 4) suffer from a [diagnosable] mental disorder in any given year.  As of the 2004 Census, 57.7 million people suffer from mental illness within the US.

    Mental illness is defined as a wide range of mental health conditions/disorders that affect mood, thinking and behavior.  Illness can cause problems in daily life ( including work and relationships), and can be managed via counseling and/or medications.  It is the leading cause of disability for individuals between the ages of 15-44 in the US and Canada; with 45% of those diagnosed fitting the criteria for at least 2 mental illnesses.
    From time to time all people walking the earth have (or experience) mental health "concerns" and concerns differ from actual illness.  Concerns occur from time-to time and do not truly affect a parson's life or livelihood.  Illness has ongoing signs and the symptoms cause frequent stress and affect the ability for a person to function.  Mental illness can form at any age and 1 in 4 adults have mental illness within a given calendar year.  Approximately 50% of Americans develop a form of mental illness in their lifetime......yet people will rumor and ridicule about mental illness as if it is the resurgence of the black death.  It is NOT.  Approximately half of chronic mental disorders present themselves by the age of 14 and 3/4 by the age of 24 in Americans.

     Serious mental illness costs the US $193.2 billion in lost earnings each year.  The below qualify as serious:

• schizophrenia
• bipolar disorder
• obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• panic disorder
• post traumatic stress order (PTSD)
• borderline personality disorder
• major depression

     Just as any other ailment that effects people, mental illness has symptoms (keep in mind that they may vary according to the disorder and individual circumstances as well as other factors); the [general] symptoms  are as follows:

•  feeling sad or down
• confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrate
• excessive fears or worries or extreme feelings of guilt
• extreme mood changes of highs and lows
• withdrawal from friends/activities
• significant tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping
• detachment from reality (delusions), paranoia or hallucinations
• inability to cope with daily problems or stress
• trouble understanding and relating to situations and to people
• alcohol and/or drug abuse
• major changes in eating habits
• sex drive changes
• excessive anger, hostility or violence
• suicidal thinking
  

     At times symptoms present themselves physically as: 

• stomach pain
• back pain
• headaches
• unexplained aches and pains

     Mental illness is widely believed to be caused by a variety of genetic and environmental factors.  Those factors are as follows:

• Inherited traits - Certain genes may increase a person's risk of developing a mutual illness.
• Environmental Exposures [Before Birth] - Exposures to viruses, toxins, alcohol, or drugs while in the womb can (sometimes) be linked.
• Brain Chemistry - Neurotransmitters (naturally occurring brain chemicals) play a role in SOME mental illness.  In some cases, hormonal imbalances affect mental illness.

     Risk factors for mental illness are as follows:

• having a biological relative (parent or sibling) with an illness
• experiences in the womb (the mother was exposed to viruses, toxins, drugs and alcohol)
• chronic medical condition (i.e. cancer)
• stressful life situations
• brain damage
• traumatic experiences
• illegal drug use
• being abused or neglected as a child
• having few friends or few healthy relationships
• previous mental illness

     Adults living with mental illness tend to die [on average] 25 years earlier than other Americans.  Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death (which is higher than homicide)  and is the 3rd leading cause of death in individuals 15-24 years old.  More than 90% of those that commit suicide have MORE than one mental disorder.  With that being said, did you know that about 60% of adults and almost 50%  of 8-15 year olds with mental illness received NO services/treatments/etc a year previous to a formal treatment plan being followed.  In other words, at any given time nearly half of our population roams about UNDIAGNOSED and UNTREATED. Lack of diagnosis and treatment  costs the nation more than $100 billion per year and comes with the following complications:

• unhappiness and decreased enjoyment in life
• weakened immune system
• family conflicts
• relationship difficulties
• social isolation
• problems with tobacco, alcohol and other drugs
• missed work/school or other related problems
• poverty/homelessness
• self-harm and harm to others (including suicide and homicide)
• increased risk of motor vehicle accidents
• heart disease

     This does NOT mean that you should take the information above and attempt to diagnose those in your life......nor does it mean that you should perpetuate the stigma that has been place upon mental illness.  It means that you should look within.....get tested or lend a caring ear and welcoming shoulder to those that may suffer from the plethora of mental illnesses.

    Don't think that you know someone by blood relation, work or friendship?  Think about the following:

• Approximately:
• 2.4 million people live with schizophrenia
• 6.1 million people live with bipolar disorder
• 14.8 million people live with major depression
• 42 million people live with anxiety disorders 
• 9.2 million people live with co-occurring mental health and addiction disorders     

           Mental illness does NOT affect people according to social class, upbringing, educational level, religion or creed.  It is NOT something that you can "just get over" or combat via "will power".  Mental illness says NOTHING about a person's "character".  Mental illness is no different than an other than any other ailment such as diabetes or high blood pressure.  There is NO reason to feel ashamed for a diagnosis or for seeking treatment.  One is not ashamed of having heart disease.  One is not ashamed of blindness.  One should not be ashamed of being one of several millions of people that are battling right along side of you.

       Resources:

• National Suicide Prevention  Lifeline 800.273.TALK(8255)
• Active Minds - Email Non profit dedicated to using student voices to raise awareness
• American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry - 202.966.7300
• American Psychiatric Association (APA) - 888.35.PSYCH(77924)
• American Psychiatric Nurses Association - 855.863.APNA(2762)
• Mental Health America - 800.969.6642
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - 800.950.6264
• Mental Health America (MHA)
• SAMSHA
• US Department of Veteran's Affairs

What You Didn't Know About Halloween

     

  I am not known for reporting on what's widely known, so just because Halloween is right around the corner, that is not changing a thing.  I have collected 11 (yes that s an odd number, but hey, it works here) factoids that I found interesting and believe that you will as well.  Let me know what you think or what you may want to know about in next year's addition.

1. Jack O'Lanterns - According to  Irish legend, the name comes from a stingy man named jack.  Jack is said to have tricked the devil several times resulting in him being forbidden entrance into both heaven and hell. Once condemned to an eternity on earth, Jack would roam about with his lantern attempting to sway people from their path.
2. Trick-or-Treating - This tradition derived from the Christian precursor of Hallowmas (November 1st) where poor people would travel door to door offering to pray for dead in exchange for a soul cake (a small cake were filled with allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and other spices while adding raisins or currants in before the baking).
3. Why Orange & Black? - Orange symbolizes strength and endurance (along with brown and gold that also stand for harvest and autumn).  Black is [typically] the symbol of death and darkness, which is a reminder that the holiday was once a festival that marked the boundaries between life and death.
4. Birth - It is typically believed that Halloween was born in Ireland.  It s also believed that Halloween began around 4000 BC
5. Why costumes? - This is a tradition stems form an ancient Celtic tradition of dressing up like demons and spirits.  Celtic townspeople believed that disguising themselves in this manner would allow them to escape the notice of real spirits that would be roaming about on Halloween.  
   
6. Your Mate May Be Revealed to You on Halloween? - Scottish girls believed that the image of their future husbands would be shown to them on sheets that were hung in front of a fire on Halloween night.  Others believed that the image of your boyfriend would be revealed if you looked into a mirror while walking downstairs at midnight on Halloween.
7. Fear Halloween? - If you have a morbid fear of Halloween, you suffer from samhainophobia (pronounced sow-wen-o-phobia).  
8. Witches - Witch comes from the Old English word 'wicce' which means "wise woman".  There was a time when wiccan were held in high regard and were highly respected.  According to legend, witches would hold one of their 2 sabbats (main meetings) on Halloween night.
9. How other countries view the holiday - Many other countries, including France and Australia see the holiday as unwanted with overly commercial American influence.
10. Child deaths - Children are twice more likely to die due to being hit by a car on Halloween night. That is why AAA recommends that children under 12 NOT be permitted to trick-or-treat alone.  Children tend to be more focused on gathering as much candy as possible while socializing with friends than they are with using crosswalks and looking both ways when crossing streets.  Often times, children avoid sidewalks altogether and are found walking in the street throughout the night.
11. Halloween capitals - There are two self-proclaimed Halloween capitals of the world.  One being (obviously) Salem, Massachusetts and the other is Anoka, Minnesota. Salem boast that it hosts "America's biggest Halloween party" that everyone is invited to.  In the infamous witch town one can attend the Annual Witches Ball, visit with psychics, take several ghostly tours, visit historic sites with [perceived] paranormal activity, costume parties and many haunted houses.  Anoka proclaims its capital standing because it is one of the first US cities to remove the "tricks" and trouble making that often surrounds Halloween.  Beginning in 1920, a week long celebration began being held in Anoka.  The week includes the Grand Day Parade with the Mass band (made up of several high school bands), The Gray Ghost 5k run (inspiring by the ghost of 70 something marathon runner Bill Andberg who has been spotted running through a local cemetery).  Also during the week, there are pumpkin bake-offs, Halloween house decorating contests and more.

For a few more facts, be sure to visit - http://cincitaz.outloudlaughs.net/halloween-fun-facts