Here is a handy breakdown of consumer spending habits by country. Something to ponder when you are inundated with “Death of Retail” and “Nobody Is Buying Anything, At All” news reports in the next week.

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The Best Links:

1. Retail sales plummet, world ending
2. Retailers bemoan the “dismal holiday season”
3. US Retailers in BATTLE AT DAWN for survival

BUSINESS BUZZ: Online shoppers are rushing to buy last minute gifts that will arrive before Christmas. Here are some recommended gifts to help you out. UPDATE: This weekend is the last chance for Christmas gift buying with two day rush delivery. Or you can just hit the mall on Christmas Eve like everyone other procrastinator.

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The Best Links:

1. Flip MinoHD - Super Easy Fun Video Flip Cam
2. Canon PowerShot 8MP Digital Camera
3. Canon PowerShot 10MP (SWEET!)
4. Wall-E DVD (YAY PIXAR!)
5. The Snowball - The Book For Warren Buffett Fans
6. iPod Touch 32 GB (The Kid Who Gets This Is Very Very Very Very Very Very Lucky)
7. Outliers - New Book By Author of The Tipping Point and Blink
8. The Tales of Beedle the Bard (POTTER WILL NEVER DIE!)
9. Barack Obama’s “Dreams from My Father” (Our New President’s Classic Memoir)
10. Garmin 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (FUTURISTIC!)
11. Games For Geniuses

CULTURE BUZZ: A new book from New York Times Magazine columnist Rob Walker about our relationship with the brands we consume. Design and marketing blogs are excited about the book — due out next month — and there are a few sample chapters available online.

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The Best Links:

1. Buying In: A Sneak Peak of the Book
2. Walker’s Blog: murketing
3. Book Review: “Buying In”
4. “A fantastic read for anyone engaged in brands”
5. “His theory is that we have a deep relationship and dialogue with the products we consume.”
6. Interview with Rob Walker