Recession Haggling: Let’s Make a Deal

Think you should haggle only when buying a car or shopping in the streets of Morocco? In this recession, if you’re not bargaining for everything everywhere, you’re needlessly draining your wallet. According to the consulting firm America’s Research Group, in October, 56% of consumers said they had recently tried to negotiate at retail outlets other than car dealerships.

Share

Trying Times for Russia’s Nesting Dolls

Under the white walls and blue-and-gold cupolas of the Sergiyev Posad monastery, the row of vendors selling nesting dolls and other traditional Russian handicrafts is noticeably shorter this summer. Usually the cheap folding tables, set up in a double row outside the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church, are surrounded by tourists snapping up the iconic egg-shaped souvenirs, made of smaller and smaller wooden dolls hidden one within the other. But on a recent Thursday afternoon, there were only about a dozen people looking to buy

Share

Former Catholic priest in photo scandal marries

Father Alberto Cutie, an internationally known Catholic priest who admitted having a romantic affair and breaking his vow of celibacy, was married this week in Miami, Florida. Cutie, 40, announced last month that he was leaving the Catholic Church and joining the Episcopal Church

Share

Can Apple beat the too-expensive rap?

SAN FRANCISCO –The big knock on Apple — whether or not it’s always been accurate — is that its products are more expensive than most of its competitors. But in the keynote speech Monday that opened Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, it became clear the company is tackling the price question head on.

Share

What’s SUP? A Surf Sport That’s Bucking the Recession

Stand-up paddle surfing may sound like a scene from a screwball comedy, but no one’s laughing in a sports and fitness industry that has hit the recession skids as hard as any other business. SUP, as it’s called for short, looks exactly as it sounds: you stand on a large surfboard and propel yourself forward with a paddle. But, unlike traditional surfing, you don’t have to wait for the waves.

Share