We are a society of shoppers. We have been since we were prehistoric hunters and gatherers. From the souks of the Middle East to the night markets of Asia to the malls of America, humans come together to browse, bargain and buy. ...more

December 5, 2009

First, it was Vietnam, which tore our country apart, ruined LBJ's presidency and stunted an entire generation, not to mention the enormous casualties. Then it was Iraq, and all that happened there, which tainted the Bush years. Now it's Afghanistan, "the graveyard of empires," where we have already spent nearly eight fruitless years. ...more

December 5, 2009

Fresh off impressive wins against Florida State, then-No. 2 Michigan State and Rutgers, Florida jumped from unranked to 13th in this week's Associated Press Top 25 poll. ...more

December 1, 2009

Walt Disney Co. studio chief Dick Cook announced Friday he's stepping down immediately, after nearly four decades with the company. ...more

September 18, 2009

My husband and I moved to Sebring several years ago. We wanted to help the local economy so we decided to use Sebring companies when possible. Unfortunately we had some disappointments with some companies like when we bought window treatments for the entire house and had problems with the blinds not working properly, only to find that the company was no longer in business. ...more

May 22, 2009

Dale Earnhardt Jr. hadn't even climbed out of his car after winning last year's Budweiser Shootout, and his fans were already counting his future championships. ...more

February 7, 2009

ANGOULÊME, FRANCE - Dave Eggers preceded his memoir "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" with a section titled "Rules and Suggestions for Enjoyment of this Book." It's a brilliant attempt to disarm the reader and preempt criticism. Among its warnings, referring to chapter four: "The book thereafter is kind of uneven." (Disclosure: Eggers edited my work at two magazines in the 1990s.) ...more

January 28, 2009

This year's Australian Open can be added to James Blake's list of Grand Slam disappointments. ...more

January 27, 2009

Friends of those who lose their loved ones are there for them through the funeral. ...more

January 12, 2009

On this, my Day of Days, I ask myself, What is the importance of a birthday? ...more

January 5, 2009