hide caption In virtually every county, there is a Walmart open every hour of every day, and every one of those Walmarts is being visited by 37,000 people a week — that's 220 people an hour, in every Walmart, every hour of the day. Here, a Walmart worker pulls carts at a store in Pittsburg, Calif.

Paul Sakuma / AP Dispatches from the field: A customer was nabbed by police for sampling raw meat at a Walmart in Pennsylvania. A woman said she had an encounter with a bat at a Walmart in Minnesota. A family of five was living in a car at a Walmart in Florida. A girl had a run-in with a monkey at a Walmart in Missouri. A man was caught in flagrante delicto at a Walmart in Louisiana. And that is just in the past few weeks.

Files from the front lines flow in daily — some serious, some sad, some just plain silly. But all point to the notion that perhaps Walmart has become a major magnet for American mayhem.

The Wall Street Journal spotted the phenomenon recently. The headline: " Today's Special at Wal-Mart: Something Weird ." "Almost any imaginable aspect of American life can and does take place inside Wal-Mart stores, from births to marriages to deaths," observed the Journal 's Miguel Bustillo. "Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin once officiated a wedding at the Wal-Mart in her hometown of Wasilla."

Walmart, long accused of draining the life from the town squares and main streets of small-town America, has gradually become the main square of the United States.

Since that story, there have been reports of two Walmart employees accused of stealing money from their Arizona store to be used for a sex change; a couple in South Carolina who found an image on their Walmart receipt that looked like Jesus; and a woman in a string bikini who was involved in a contretemps at an Oregon store.

What is it about Walmart? As a species, we are fascinated by the place. The Web is awash with sites that scrutinize the Arkansas-based retailer's every move. Walmart Watch , funded by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, says its mission is to challenge the multibillion-dollar retail chain "to more fully embrace its corporate responsibilities." The now-infamous and snarky People of Walmart posts photos of shoppers. Hel-Mart offers anti-Walmart merchandise, such as T-shirts that say, "Resistance Is Futile." Videos of people praising, mocking, pranking, walking around, dancing in Walmart are continuously posted on YouTube.

Perhaps our constant watch on Walmart is like looking into a multidimensional mirror. It's just a store — aisles of food, racks of clothes, shelves of electronics and toiletries and housewares — like so many others. There are occasional stories of weird things happening at a Target. Or at a Kmart.

But the Walmart store has somehow become something more in this country, occasionally including a landmark of looniness and an outpost for outliers. And on some days, the local Walmart is a high-def pageant of popular culture, a wacky video game come alive, a swirling blender of the good, the bad and the downright strange.

Officially, Walmart explains the apparent zaniness this way: "Over the years, Walmart has become a microcosm of American life," says company spokesman Lorenzo Lopez. "With stores serving millions of customers in communities nationwide, it's not uncommon for us to see our share of what happens every day in cities and towns all across the country."

Lopez adds: "Some of the stories that make news are the unusual and sometimes unfortunate events, but the ones we embrace are the simple acts of kindness we see every day among our associates and customers."

On balance, there are plenty of tales of goodness at Walmart, as well. Recently a podiatry clinic in Massachusetts took a dozen students to a Walmart and gave each $75 to buy food for their families. In New Hampshire, a Walmart associate who runs the one-hour photo machine was able to provide swifter service — handing over an envelope of photos — because she recognized a customer from the personal pictures.

And there are other, wacky acts of "kindness" like the story of the man in a cow costume who, police say, stole milk from a Virginia Walmart in April and began handing it out to strangers in the parking lot.

So why does such an incredible array of stuff happen at Walmart?

"Walmart, long accused of draining the life from the town squares and main streets of small-town America, has gradually become the main square of the United States, replacing the place it has helped put out of business," says Charles Fishman, author of The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World's Most Powerful Company Really Works – and How It's Transforming the American Economy .

Not Just Weirdness Weird behavior at Walmart often gets more attention than the company's beneficence. In fiscal year 2011, according to the corporate website , charitable giving by Walmart and its philanthropic foundation included:

$732 million in cash and in-kind gifts in the U.S., up from $467 million in fiscal year 2010 $66.8 million in cash and in-kind gifts in international markets, up from $45 million in fiscal year 2010 $114 million from Walmart's customers and associates through in-store giving programs that benefit local charities Fishman's assertion is backed up by the company's official statistics: About 140 million Americans shop at Walmart every week. "That's half the adults in the country, going to Walmart every week," Fishman says. "If each shopper only spends 30 minutes at Walmart, on average, that's 70 million hours of time Americans spend at Walmart each week — that's kind of incredible."

* With 1.5 million employees in the U.S., Walmart is the country's single largest private employer. "Walmart has added more employees in the United States in the last year than Google or Amazon actually employ total," Fishman says. "In many states — at least half the 50 states, by my very laborious count — Walmart is also the No. 1 employer."

* There are 3,140 counties in the United States and some 3,822 Walmart stores of every kind — Walmarts, Supercenters, Sam's Clubs. That averages out to more than one store per county. So there are roughly 500 Walmart employees per county.

* Of the 3,822 Walmart stores, 2,939 are Supercenters, which means they are open 24 hours a day. So in virtually every county, 500 people work at Walmart, and there is a Walmart open every hour of every day, and every one of those Walmarts is being visited by 37,000 people a week — that's 220 people an hour, in every Walmart, in virtually every county in the whole country, every hour of the day.

Marveling at the strange reports from Walmart gets Fishman really wound up. "If you do just one more bit of math," he says, "that means that at any given moment in the U.S., there are 850,000 Americans inside Walmart stores. That's truly amazing. If only one-tenth of 1 percent of them are doing something a little distinctive, well, that's still almost 1,000 people."

Americans, he says, "literally, live at Walmart. We spend a huge amount of time at Walmart every week — not individually, but collectively. And so anything that can happen in the world, in the country, in human behavior — both good and bad — is going to happen at Walmart."

Fishman doesn't think that there is something about Walmart, in particular, that attracts more unusual behavior than another store might. It's just a matter of opportunity — because of the store's accessibility and vast size.

The stores take up a lot of real estate in a community, Fishman points out. "Walmart stores themselves tend to be 4 acres or so under roof — a wide expanse — plus another 20 acres of parking lot. That's a lot of space," he says. "That, too, has an impact — the stores are so large, you can kind of lose yourself inside a Walmart, feel alone, and feel like you can do almost anything and no one will ever know."

The catch, of course, is that nowadays surveillance cameras are everywhere. And many people have cellphone cameras to document the dizzy deeds. And the Internet spreads weird stories with alacrity and glee.

And so we learn recently of the Louisiana man accused of pumping low-priced Walmart gas into a 350-gallon plastic container in his van — to mark up and resell at his convenience store — and was arrested for careless handling of a dangerous material. And of the Tennessee woman accused of trying to shoplift 111 items from a Walmart — including clothing, jewelry, miscellaneous craft items and a box of zip-lock bags.

In many ways, Walmart today is more than a shopping experience or a primo spot for people watching. It is a pumped-up fun house on the carnival midway that is contemporary America.

Demi Lovato took to her Twitter earlier today to share a racy selfie.

In the sexy snapshot, the 21-year-old "Neon Lights" singer lies on her stomach in only a barely there thong bikini while tanning. At the forefront of the pic is Lovato's gorgeous makeup-free face and cleavage while behind her is her curvaceous backside and legs! The whole photo is accented by rays of light shining over the former X Factor judge's body.

Lovato captioned the sexy bikini pic with, "When in Brazil......#NEONLIGHTSTOURSA."

Twitter Lovato also shared a scenic shot of the Brazilian coastline and ocean. "How gorgeous is Rio?? #NEONLIGHTSTOURSA," Lovato wrote with the beautiful beach pic. The touring pop star added, "Brasilia you were on FIRE tonight... I love you!!!!!"

Lovato covers this month's issue of Cosmopolitan for Latinas . In the issue, she opened up about her troubled past and wanting to be a role model for young girls.

"When I was younger, I needed someone in the spotlight to idolize, who stood for positivity and light and happiness, and wanted to change the world," she revealed. "And because I didn't have that, I realized, I want to do that, if only for my 12-year-old little sister."

Shaving can be a great experience, who doesn't like a clean face, even bikini line, or perfect tape up? However, for many individuals, specifically those of African American and African-Caribbean descent, shaving is a dreaded experience because it often leads to the development of razor bumps. Razor bumps come in a variety of forms, from red, to white, brown, or yellow, yet the pain of them is the same for everyone. Razor, bikini, or neck bumps should not be ignored. They are your body's inflammatory response to bacteria growth or infection. But, if you are growing to manage them, you have to be relentless.

How to Eliminate Your Razor Bumps Fast- Step #1: Cleanse Your Skin Before and After Shaving: Yes, many of us wait until the last few minutes to shave or get a hair cut, having to rush out the door quickly. But, this has harsh consequences; specifically it breeds a ground for bacterial cultivation and skin inflammation.

How to Eliminate Your Hair Bumps Fast- Step #2: Wash your targeted area before shaving with an all natural anti-bacterial cleanser. This will open the hair follicles and remove trapped dirt, bacteria, oils, and debris. An all natural cleanser is best, as many hair bump solutions can irritate or precipitate hair bumps more due to their inclusion of proven skin irritants, such Propylene Glycol and Parabens. The best all natural hair bump eliminating product on the market is Beauty 4 Ashes HBD Hair Bump Destroying System. It contains a hair bump destroying solution and hair bump eliminating cleanser. Beauty 4 Ashes HBD Hair Bump Destroying System, includes a great anti-bacteria bump wash that is made from tea tree, Aloe Vera, Coconut, and so many other natural hair bump destroying ingredients that I cannot list them all. For best results you should use their tea tree wash before you shave to gently lift bacteria away from your face and to prepare the skin for shaving. You can find it at wwwdiscoverb4acom.

How to Eliminate Your Ingrown Hairs Fast- Step #3: Use Proper Shaving Techniques: Many people develop razor bumps or ingrown hairs because the shave their heads or body against their hair's natural growth pattern. This causes the hair, when growing back in, to grow improperly, creating a clogged hair follicle. Always shave in the direction your hair grows.

How to Eliminate Your Bikini Bumps and Hair Bumps Fast- Step #4: Shave with Clean Utensils: You must use clean hair care utensils, not only when you shave, but also when you style and groom your hair. Wash you hair combs, picks, and brushes at least three times a week. Wipe them in alcohol. Do this also to your shaving utensils before and after shaving.

How to Eliminate Your Razor Bumps Fast- Step #5: Make sure your barber uses clean barbering clippers: Ask your barber before he cuts your hair to clean his or her clippers with Barbicide. Most stylists should not squirm about doing this. If they do, I would not go to their establishment. Unfortunately, unsanitary barber clippers contribute to more than 75% of African American males' encounters with neck, razor, and hair bumps. Your tight tape up is not worth the life long headache of controlling barber rash or ingrown hairs.

How to Eliminate Your Hair Bumps Fast- Step #6: Apply a hair bump eliminating lotion or serum DAILY, at minimum three times a day. If you have hair bumps, you must consistently apply a hair bump solution to keep them at bay. Apply it as much as necessary so that you don't give bacteria any time to grow or give bumps any chances to appear. Depending on your severity of your bumps, it may take awhile for your bumps to become manageable, but consistency is key.

Look for all natural hair bump solutions. While there are several hair bump solutions on the market that make the skin tingle or cause dead skin to shed, most of these products contain alcohol, synthetic preservatives, and toxic agents that are FDA recognized skin irritants, known to aggravate hair bumps. Good all natural hair bump products are best to fight your hair bumps, as they can help the skin naturally learn to build immunity to bacteria that cause hair bumps. Good all natural products will contain at minimum Tea Tree, White Willow Bark (the natural form of salicylic acid), Neem, and some form of Aloe Vera. Make sure the product contains essential oils, not just extracts. Extracts are not as powerful as essential oils. Essential oils actually have the capability to eat away bacteria, regulate sebum production, and remove dead skin cells. Again, I recommend using Beauty 4 Ashes HBD hair bump destroying system, because it contains everything that I listed above and more.wwwdiscoverb4acom.

How to Eliminate Your Hair Bumps Fast- Step #7: Cleanse your scalp using an all natural shampoo if you have neck hair bumps. Unfortunately, many of your existing personal care products may only aggravate your neck bumps, especially shampoos containing sulfates, parabens, and alcohols. Try to make your own natural shampoo. Here's a recipe. Take 1 cup of brewed Chamomile Tea and mix it with cup of Lemon Juice, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and borax, a natural soap detergent. No, this shampoo will not suds, but it will effectively help your bumps. You can also use Beauty 4 Ashes HBD Tea Tree Cleanser, which is apart of the system as hair bump destroying neck shampoo.

My eyes are killing me! After swatching and photographing all this retina-searing gorgeousness, I still had hundreds of photos to edit. Yes hundreds. Nearly a hundred for Pool Party alone! Anyhoo, I'll have comparisons over the next couple weeks so my eyes can heal ;p but here are the swatches!

Pool Party - There's a slight warmth to this HOT pink, and believe it or not, this photo is pretty darn accurate. I've got it on my toes now and from two or three feet it's honestly incredibly bright. This is one of the polishes from this collection that is quite opaque, and doesn't benefit much from being layered over white. It's gorgeous on it's own. It reminded me initially of Color Club Screamin' Fuchsia, but it's much pinker.

Flip Flop Fantasy - This is a little easier on the eyes, not quite so painful ;p It's a neutral bright coral, and the formula is quite creamy. This is the most opaque of the bunch as far as I can tell and putting it over white, as I have done on the pinkie in this pic, doesn't do much. You can barely tell the white polish is there. This is my very favorite of the collection and just might be the most wearable to the general population.

Sun Worshiper - Oh, how I love thee. I worship Sun Worshiper. This is described as "neon orange" but to be honest it's like a yellow and orange mix. Think Color Club Explosive with more orange. I was so happy that this actually looked good on my skintone! Neither the orange or yellow aspects turned me red, which is a feat. On my pinkie I'm wearing SW over white, but it only makes a slight difference. I love the way this applied, as well; very smooth. Gawgeous.

Yellow Polka Dot Bikini - This one actually has a slight green cast to it in real life that the camera couldn't pick up. If you wanted Essie Limelight to be less sheer and streaky, this one will probably make you feel better. While it's still a bit sheer, three coats are sufficient to cover evenly if you let it dry between coats. The photo above is two coats, so you can see it's pretty pigmented compared to Limelight. On my pinky in this photo I applied it over white which does brighten it up a bit.

Kiwi Cool-ada - I've got a little Sun Worshiper stuck on my cuticles in this pic ;( Sorry i couldn't quite get the perfect tone on this one! It's a bit brighter in person, but this is a straight up bright neon radioactive green. It's a bit sheer like most neon greens I've tried, but three coats with sufficient dry time in between will work to get you good coverage. I've applied it over white polish on my pinkie, and this really gives it a bit of something extra.

Towel Boy Toy - This is the only polish in the collection with shimmer. It's a gorgeous bright warm blue with shimmer and a bit of a violet cast in some lights. The finish reminds me of China Glaze Turned Up Turquoise . This polish strikes me as delicate but in-your-face at the same time. I've applied it over white on my pinkie in this photo but I don't think you need it, really. This one is tied with Sun Worshiper for my second favorite of the collection!

I'm in the process of doing comparisons of these with other polishes, and I hope to have them up soon, so keep an eye out! I literally cannot weed out one of these that aren't better than another similar polish, or unique on it's own that would make it unnecessary, but I think the ones you cannot miss are Sun Worshipper and Flip Flop Fantasy! Even if you're not super-warm toned they're amazing, they didn't turn my skin the least bit pink which oranges and yellows tend to do!

So what do you guys think? Are you excited for these? Which ones will you be getting?

Disclosures: The product samples reviewed in this post were received by PR for review consideration. Everything I review is put through the same types of testing, and is reviewed fairly, no matter how I come by the products. I don't "sell" products to my readers or viewers, I just want to help you make informed decisions when you research your beauty choices, and share my views on products I like and dislike with you. See the Disclosures page at the top of the page for more.

Candace Cameron Bure hasn't been shy in the past when opening up about her "submissive" role in her marriage, so how does the former Full House star justify shaking her stuff on a sexy show like Dancing With the Stars ?

"You know, I feel like a sexual woman...I've been married for 18 years," the mother of three responded when host Erin Andrews asked the star how she balances her religious beliefs while performing a sexy dance. "I am a sexual woman. But, you know, I want to reserve certain things for my husband. So we did, I think, the best that we could with the rumba that I still felt comfortable doing."

And while Cameron Bure and partner Mark Ballas ended with a decent score, nabbing a 7 from all three judges, their road to their romantic rumba wasn't exactly smooth sailing.

"I'm a Christian. My life revolves around my relationship with Jesus Christ, so with the overall tone of the dance or the costumes, I'm not going to take a backseat. My voice will definitely be heard," the conservative star says in the clip.

In the BTS video, the partners are seen disagreeing over costume choices, as Cameron Bure nixes Ballas' plans to go shirtless, to which he replies, "You're worse than Bristol Palin . And she was bad."

"This rumba is not a sexual dance," Cameron Bure continues. "It's a sensual emotional dance. Sensual is more sexy than raunchy sexy, so I think this is going to be a beautiful dance," she said of the rumba, which the duo performed to tune of "Say Something."

NEWS: Candace Cameron Bure defends being submissive to husband: It's the biblical definition

Despite the fact that the pair may have fared better last week, the show was still exciting for the blond beauty, whose family was not only in the audience, but her ex Jeremy Miller of Growing Pains fame was also in attendance as well.

Last week, it was revealed that Cameron Bure and fellow contestant and beloved '90s TV star Danica McKellar both previously dated Miller back when they were teenage girls.

"It's got to be both of them, they both did so fabulous last week, there's no way I could honestly pick," he said before adding, "Besides, they'd kill me."

There are two ways to go: rent or buy. Costume shops with large rental departments usually stock mass-assembled outfits in polyester and cotton for such characters as Li'l Abner, Big Bird and Betsy Ross. With huge inventories, dressing rooms, wig departments and accessory counters, these stores can outfit most alter egos.

On average, machine-made new costumes for adults run about $40 to $60. Renting costs about $15 less. Costume shops usually go one way or the other: They either rent and sell new costumes or they sell primarily used costumes but do not rent.

Renting has several advantages: It's easier to pick up the entire costume in one package rather than scouting around used clothing shops; costumes available for rent are usually new or almost new and sealed in plastic bags so you know they are clean and unworn, and it's sometimes cheaper to rent than to buy (but not always).

On the other hand, while these rented costumes do get the message across, they cannot be considered works of art. Sewn in inexpensive fabrics, they are like maternity clothes used to be: made to be worn a few times and tossed out rather than handed down to the next generation.

Costume shops that carry new and used outfits for purchase allow for a little more creativity. Often, costumes found in these shops have been made by hand rather than machine. While they may be slightly worn, they are usually of better quality and fabric, decorated with such distinctive touches as brocade or real feathers. They have been unearthed at yard sales or antique shops and may have had several owners and colorful histories. And many times these costumes are cheaper than renting new outfits.

One of Southern California's largest costume shops is Fantasy Costumes in Brea. With 7,000 outfits available to rent and about 2,000 for sale, Fantasy Costumes is a sure bet for one-stop shoppers. You will not find velvet-turbaned genies or a real cheerleading costume from the 1950s, but you will find machine-made cavemen, Keystone Kops, tomatoes and pirates to rent or buy.

About 75 masks--including Freddy from "Nightmare on Elm Street," a demon gargoyle and a mummy--line an entire wall of Fantasy Costumes. Bins are filled with badges, jewelry, feathers, body parts, animal tails, crowns, wands and leather whips. A makeup section carries paints and goos of all descriptions and wigs come in nearly every style known to mankind and some previously unknown to that species.

Fantasy Costumes carries "like-new" outfits for rent and new costumes for purchase. Aside from the rentals, all the merchandise in the store is new.

On the other end of the pole is a quaint little shop in Orange called Gasoline Alley. Stocking new and used costumes, 15-year-old Gasoline Alley is a vintage clothing store during most of the year, only revealing its costume shop character during October. The store has provided wardrobes for several Hollywood movies, including "La Bamba," and, with its selection of lederhosen, is a popular spot for Oktoberfest revelers.

The media's fascination with round numbers on the major indices - especially the Dow Jones Industrials ( DIA ) - is one of the great mysteries of the investing game. When the Dow breaks through an important milestone, there tend to be celebrations (remember Dow 10,000?). But whenever the venerable index fails to surmount a big, round number, there is usually disappointment.

The difference may be as little as twenty-five or thirty Dow points - or less than one quarter of a percent. But for some reason, breaking above what amounts to a line in the sand is good while failing to do so is bad.

Milestones Aren't What They Used To Be Back in the old days, the big, round numbers meant more for at least a couple of reasons. First, the absolute levels of the indices were much lower. Thus, the Dow moving the 100 points from 4,900 to above 5,000 was a bigger deal than the 100 points needed to overtake 16,000.

In addition, investing in an index used to be tough. Back in the early 1980's mutual funds had barely taken root as an investment tool for the public. So, there was no passive vs. aggressive discussion (because there wasn't much in the way of index funds). And to be sure, there wasn't an ETF to replicate every index known to man. No, index investing wasn't a thing yet.

But regardless of the financial math involved, the media still loves to make big deal about those big, round numbers.

So, for those who pay attention to such things, imagine the excitement coming into Monday's session as the DJIA was flirting with 16,000, the SP 500 ( SPY ) was closing in on 1,800, the NASDAQ ( QQQ ) was flirting with 4,000 (something it hasn't done in at least a decade) and while, considerably less important, the SP Midcap ( MDY ) was just above 1,300. In short, if a big, round number is important, then four of them must be monumental, right?

Case In Point Five minutes after the opening bell on Monday, the DJIA had broken on through to the other side of the semi-magical 16K level and all was right with the world. However, once Carl Ichan started yammering on about the idea that stocks are expensive, a series of sell programs materialized and within minutes, the financial anchors were nervously talking about the market's failure to hold those all-important levels.

Sure, the decline was algo-induced. Yes, it is true that the negative catalyst was (a) hard to identify and (b) of very little substance. But the bottom line in this game tends to be the bottom line. And the bottom line here was that the major indices all failed to close above those big, round numbers.

Why Does Anybody Care? One of the reasons that some folks care about these so-called market milestones is they represent an external cue to take action. For example, if you believe that stocks have run too far, that valuations are too high, and that the only reason stocks continue to go up is an addiction to monetary meth, then a big, round number is a logical place to take a stand.

Given that the market has indeed enjoyed a strong run and that some valuations measures are becoming a bit stretched, Monday's big, round numbers represented a nice spot for the fast money, gambler types to take a shot at some downside.

Everybody knows that all good things come to an end at some point. Everybody knows that this bull move is getting long in the tooth. And everybody knows that if the market fails at a big, round number, disappointment ensues. Thus, those looking to slip into their bear costumes for a trader were likely eyeing Dow 16,000, SP 1800, and NASDAQ 4000 - especially if they all were in play at the exact same time.

Who Will Prevail? So, the question of the day is who will win this turf war? Will there be some additional downside action to test the bulls' mettle? And if so, will the dip-buyers continue to do their thing? Or will the bulls simply continue to trample anyone in their way into the end of the year (it has happened before)?

So stick around, because with not one, not two, not three, but a total of four big, round numbers in play, this is about to get interesting.

Turning to This Morning ... Overnight markets were weak after the OECD lowered its estimates for global growth. The organization's estimate for 2013 GEP was cut to 2.7% from May's 3.6% level and the 2014 forecast is now down to 3.6% from 5.8%. However, a better-than-expected report from Home Depot ( HD ) appears to be buoying the futures in the U.S. At this point, stocks look like they will open slightly lower on Wall Street.

Pre-Game Indicators Here are the Pre-Market indicators we review each morning before the opening bell ...

Stock Futures Ahead of Open in U.S. (relative to fair value):

Thought For The Day ... Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck - Dalai Lama

LONDON - It might have been a casual shopping trip, or it might have been ... something more.

Britain's royal watchers are on pins and needles over even the smallest details about Prince William's upcoming wedding to Kate Middleton. In the frenzied pre-wedding atmosphere, a visit by the bride's mother and sister to Bruce Oldfield, one of Britain's leading fashion designers, is seen as an indication that Middleton may be using him to design The Dress for her April 29 union.

He's just shot to the top of the list, said Peta Hunt, fashion director for You and Your Wedding magazine. She said the fact that Carole and Pippa Middleton, who are both known to take a low-key approach to fashion, spent 90 minutes with Oldfield at his salon is a sign that he is doing some designing related to the wedding.

Of course, it's always possible Oldfield may be making gowns for the mother and sister of the bride, but not the bride herself, or that Carole and Pippa Middleton stopped in to buy accessories for another event.

Still, Hunt said Oldfield would do a superb job if he is, indeed, the chosen one.

He has a simple elegant touch which would be ideal for Kate, she said.

The identity of the actual dressmaker is a closely guarded secret. Oldfield's spokeswoman Monday refused to comment, and palace officials said the dress choice is a private matter because Kate Middleton wants to be able to surprise her fiance on their wedding day.

There have been earlier boomlets of speculation about Oldfield, who was one of Princess Diana's favorite designers.

He concocted many dresses for Diana over the years and has also developed a celebrity following that includes Catherine Zeta Jones, Sienna Miller and Barbra Streisand.

Oldfield, 60, was mentioned as a possible choice to design Middleton's dress when the royal engagement was announced in November. In December, designer Ben di Lisi created a stir when he said he had heard that Oldfield had been chosen.

London bookmakers have slashed their odds on Oldfield designing the gown since news of the Middletons' visit to his salon came out because so many people expect him to get the choice assignment if he doesn't already have it.

RCMP investigators at 65B Ave. and 131 St. in Surrey where a homicide occurred early morning Thursday, June 19, 2014. Photograph by: Jason Payne

, PNG METRO VANCOUVER - Despite two murders in four days, Surrey's homicide rate is well below where it was at the same time last year.

Including the suspicious death of a young woman on New Year's Day this year, Surrey has had seven homicides in 2014, compared to 13 by the same date in 2013.

Last year saw a record 25 homicides in Surrey, prompting a task force to review what needed to be done to tackle violent crime in the city. The 2013 count for Surrey was just under half the overall total of 53 murders and suspicious deaths in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.

Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts said the strategies put in place to deal with last year's record rate — like police targeting high-risk areas — have paid off.

Certainly the work that has been done has pre-empted a lot of the issues we've seen, Watts said.

Murders related to gangs and the drug trade are way down, she noted. The cases this year have mainly been domestic homicides or slayings during fights or parties, she said.

They're still tragic but they are not something where the police could have been sitting there and prevented them.

Sgt. Bari Emam, of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, said the murder squad is dealing with fewer cases both in Surrey and across the region.

We are talking almost July. At this time last year, our numbers were higher overall and for the city of Surrey, Emam said. Numbers-wise, it's a better year. Hopefully it stays like that.

IHIT is investigating the murder of a man found critically injured in the 13100-block of 65b Ave. just before 2 a.m. Thursday. He died later in hospital.

When the 911 calls were made, both police and ambulance showed up and found this man, said Emam, adding that the victim's age and identity have not been confirmed.

Emam said he couldn't release the apparent cause of death, beyond saying there was no indication of gunshots.

He said the man doesn't appear to be associated to a residence near where he was attacked.

It is probably more of a public place kind of situation, he said. Our investigators were on the ground most of the day asking every neighbour what they heard or saw.

Emam also said he couldn't comment on reports that two groups of men had been fighting in the area before the murder.

There is no obvious connection between the latest murder and the slaying of Shaunce Poirier three days earlier in the 13200-block of 108th Avenue, Emam said.

Emam said earlier that Poirier, 33, had a history with police and that his murder was targeted.

A drive-by shooting in Clayton Heights Wednesday afternoon that left a man wounded is also believed to be unrelated to other violent crimes in Surrey this week.

Surrey RCMP Sgt. Dale Carr said police responded to a report of shots fired in front of a business complex in the 7200 block of 192A St. about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Upon attendance, officers located a male victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to his hand, Carr said in a release.

According to information obtained at the scene, the victim was stopped in traffic when he fled from his vehicle and was shot at by suspects travelling in another vehicle.

He said the 34-year-old victim, who is known to police, is not fully co-operating.

Based on early findings of the investigation officers believe this to be a targeted incident, Carr said.

Jan. 1 - Maurine Arogie, 19, plunged 26 floors to her death from a high-rise apartment in the 13000-block of 100 Avenue on New Year's Day. Police called the death suspicious. IHIT is investigating.

Jan. 21 - Surrey resident Tarsem Dhaliwal, 36, was found dead inside a vehicle parked in the 18900-block of 92nd Avenue in Port Kells. IHIT said the slaying was targeted and associated to criminal activity.

May 1 - Anne Shouchuk, 83, was killed inside her home in the 13600-block of 111A Avenue. The suspect, her 61-year-old daughter Kathleen Maximuik, then committed suicide.

May 12 - Gregory Quesnelle, 32, was shot to death inside a townhouse at Rodeo Park Place in Cloverdale. His girlfriend's ex-husband Barry McQuarrie, 33, is wanted for questioning in the slaying. Emam said Thursday that someone may be helping McQuarrie stay hidden.

May 14 - Milton Reyes-Moraga, 39, was fatally stabbed inside a Whalley basement suite in the 9300-block of 132nd Street just before 10 p.m. IHIT said two men inside the suite had been fighting prior to the slaying. A 29-year-old was arrested, but later released.

June 16 - Shaunce Poirier, 33, was found critically injured in the 13200-block of 108th Avenue in Whalley. He died later in hospital.

June 19 - The unidentified man was found critically wounded in the 13100-block of 65b Ave. He died later in hospital.

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Our kids are growing up. Mostly that's enjoyable, but sometimes I worry that the childhood magic is melting away. For example, whenever I'd ask A what he wanted for Christmas in October, this was his depressing response: "I don't need anything really." What?! That answer made me sad. Last year he surprised us (and himself) when he walked into Santa's stash at Jim's office, and I don't think he was quite ready for the truth that followed. In so many ways, I want him to stay young! To keep dreaming wildly for a few more decades...at least! But he is partially his father's practical son, and partially a very aware oldest child who doesn't want to stress his parents with demands.

I didn't realize, though - at the outset of this season - that a new magic replaces the old when a child reaches a certain age. The world takes on a larger orbit as they become well aware of the fact that they are not the central figure on its stage. There have been multiple upon multiple times through this year's holiday festivities that my Aidan has come to my side and given me a hug and a genuine "thank you", and multiple upon multiple times when he has conspiratorily glanced at me as he talks to the younger two about Santa or prods them to their own "thank you"'s. No, growing up is not so bad with a boy like A. He gave me many magical moments to treasure this season, and I'm grateful for his heightened awareness of others.

This is our traditional pose (began with Davyn's first Christmas at 11 months old). I can't wait to see this pose the last Christmas before Aidan's mission, when they're 17, 16 and 11. They're such little traditionists that I don't even think it will take prodding on my part! I look at this picture and feel a flood of gratitude for the life I live. I love being the mother of these three!

I always make them pause for a pic on the stairs before them come into the Living Room on Christmas morning. They feigned sleep for this one, but it reminds me to note that my kids do blessedly love sleep. We don't have to do crazy early Christmas mornings. 7:00 seemed just fine to me.

and one more picture pause at the stairs...just to properly tease!

My Davyn is fascinated with the world around him. Santa brought him a microscope with prepared slides and slide-making tools. I love witnessing his thirst for knowledge.

And his patience with Miss Mae. She was very frustrated with the concept of opening only one eye so she could see inside the microscope.

Aidan with his air soft gun. He spent most of the day shooting in the backyard.

I had way too much fun playing with Azure's Maleficent doll. I do love a good villain.

These were my favorite gifts of all - both handmade by papa for Azure:

Mike Kay joined us for Christmas morning breakfast. They are the best breakfast makers ever so it wasn't quite as good as at their house, but the kids were excited to see them on Christmas morning.

Jim and Davyn were installing running boards on the truck, and I ran to grab my camera when I saw how cute they looked. D - of course - had his legs crossed...he cracks me up.

All the Scott boys had fun building the trebuchet from the kit I got Jim. You have to have something to put together (and launch!) on Christmas day, right?

Mostly we had a quiet day - good food, gifts, family, games. I love this life that I'm blessed to have. And - most of all - I'm grateful for my Savior's birth that began a life that changed the world. For our combined Christmas lesson in Young Women's we read The Living Christ and then each leader took a few minutes to bear testimony of the Savior. The spirit was powerfully present in that room. When it was my turn I told the Young Women that this is the best gift we could ever give them - sharing our testimonies of the divinity and love of Christ. I know they felt it. And I know that my children have felt it during this holiday season, as well. I know that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer and I am grateful for the tender mercy of the Atonement and His presence in my life.