Handicapping shopping madness
It's time for the annual guessing game: "How is the holiday shopping season going .. and what does that mean for the big picture?" Or, the 2011 subplot: "Will fiscal problems in nations that most...
View ArticleEditorial: Renew the payroll tax cut
There actually is a bit of good economic news. Tuesday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its monthly report on state unemployment, reporting that 36 states saw reductions in their...
View ArticleCrafty ideas for winter parties
Q. I am the room mom for my daughter's third-grade class, and I had no idea how much work was involved. I have always helped in the past, but never run the show. Her teacher would like me to think of...
View ArticleToday’s wealthy out for bargains
Today’s most wealthy Americans are relatively down to earth. Self-centered? Sure. But they were raised in the middle class, have families, are well educated, tech saavy — and they’re always looking for...
View ArticleRetail sales top Oct. O.C. jobs list
Retail sales jobs beat out web developers for the most online help wanted ads in Orange County in October in what may be a vote of confidence for holiday spending, the state Employment Development...
View ArticleSurvey: Small business not in gift-giving mood
Small-business owners who plan to give gifts to clients this year is at a five-year low, according to the Small Business Holiday Monitor by credit card giant American Express OPEN. Less than half (43%)...
View ArticleBlack Friday 2011 steals online right now
Why go out and stand shivering in the cold and still maybe miss out on the deal? Black Friday deals are online right now, where you can shop in your pajamas. And you can get free shipping at some, too!...
View ArticleUCLA-USC preview: Rick Neuheisel's last stand?
LOS ANGELES – The first shot came in the form of a newspaper ad, featuring a pointing Rick Neuheisel beneath this now-infamous sentence: "The football monopoly in Los Angeles is officially over." About...
View ArticleUC Irvine falls to Southern Mississippi
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – UC Irvine sophomore Chris McNealy recorded his first career double-double but the Anteaters fell to Southern Mississippi, 78-67, in a first-round game of the Carrs/Safeway Great...
View Article10 best celebrity stories of the week
In this week's episode, celebrities do the things celebrities do. A sexpot portrays the Virgin Mary. We didn't realize she was a blonde. Arnold makes a Western, and has the scars to prove it. Bieber...
View ArticleTop 10 worst anthem embarrassments (re-visited)
Lauran Alaina's national anthem mishap at the Packers-Lions game is hardly among the worst, but we thought it would be a good time to re-visit the top national anthem embarrassments (orginally...
View ArticleToday’s cartoons: A virtual Black Friday
Also: It's not the economy we bought; One more firing
View ArticleSuh's ejection kicks Lions when they're down
DETROIT – Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes you get kicked out for acting like an idiot. The Lions lost a big game and a piece of their reputation, and they deserved to lose both....
View ArticleO.C. football: Countdown to the second-round playoff games
Check out OCVarsity.com's look at the top matchups, best story lines and bold predictions for this week's high school football games. That's right. I did. I'm still the top overall seed at...
View ArticleGift ideas for special needs kids, teens
Finding the perfect gift for a loved one during the holidays can be a daunting task for anyone; after all, we’re all after the same thing: a giant smile on the face of the recipient when they open...
View ArticleBlack Friday shopping brisk but not crazed
Shoppers packed stores before dawn to grab Black Friday door busters this morning, but the unusual variety of store opening hours this year reduced waiting times and parking lot jams for early-morning...
View ArticleFive handmade holiday how tos
Welcome to the new economy where shoppers are choosing handmade items over factory fare and indie designers are seeing a surge in interest in their talents. We don't need retail giants to tell us what...
View ArticleNative plants’ growing season starts now
Don't look now, but the natives are getting restless. This is the beginning of the growing season for California native plants, and if you have a mind to include more in your landscape, this is a good...
View ArticleReview: Less Camaro means more compromises
Cruising top-down in Orange County in a modern-day muscle car isn’t exactly a strange sight. But this particular cruise was taking place earlier this month, and even as a guy who’s lived here over...
View ArticleSmall Business Saturday gains momentum
Small businesses aren't ceding the Christmas shopping season to big retailers and regional shopping malls. Increasing numbers are active participants in today's Small Business Saturday, a national...
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