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Biz Bytes: Vote on the best plan to save taxpayer dollars & holiday shoppers holding back

By on Monday, December 7, 2009

Federal employees come up with thousands of ways to save money It was a simple idea, but boy did it pay-off big time. At the end of September, President Obama’s SAVE Award contest was launched by the Office of Management and Budget. Federal workers were asked to come up with ways to save taxpayer money by making the government perform more effectively and efficiently. In three weeks, they got 38,484 entries! Some of the plans were so good that the Obama administration is already working on putting them into practice. The President’s SAVE Award will... Read More →

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President Obama talks about those upbeat job figures, the economy, and where we go from here

By on Saturday, December 5, 2009

Photo: Pete Souza/The White House 12/03/09 President Barack Obama gets it. The economic recovery will not really hit home for many until the sluggish job market is revitalized. Yesterday, the Labor Department reported the national unemployment rate took a surprising dip to 10 percent in November— the best it’s been since December of 2007. Companies laid off 11,000 workers last month, compared to 111,000 in October. A significant improvement.  Still, millions of unemployed Americans searched but did not find work last month.   Meanwhile, the nation’s tally of 2009 bank failures hit 130... Read More →

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News Bytes: Cyber Monday, Black Friday & $123.5 million in free money

By on Tuesday, December 1, 2009

 Cyber Monday Sales Up The keyboards were clicking and online shoppers were buying on Cyber Monday. Early data indicates sales were up 14 percent over last year. On the average 4.3 million consumers per minute reportedly visited shopping web sites yesterday. More on the cyber shopping bonanza here.   Black Friday Sales Tumble Big crowds turned out on Black Friday and over the Thanksgiving weekend, but apparently those shoppers were more lookie-loos than serious buyers. Early figures show those shoppers spent 8 percent less than last year — which is really bad news all around. Consumer... Read More →

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“Twilight” items hot sellers this holiday season

By on Friday, November 27, 2009

Black Friday is the official kick-off for the holiday shopping season. Thousands of sleep deprived, but eager bargain hunters stormed the stores, malls, and outlet centers before dawn today — traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year. Cash registers were ringing all day long and into the evening giving the appearance of strong Black Friday sales. Nevertheless, it’s going to take a few days before retailers know if this is going to be a jolly season for them. At this early stage, there is one clear gift winner: The Twilight Saga. At the top... Read More →

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Gas prices riding high this Thanksgiving week

By on Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — Burbank Looking for bargains this Thanksgiving week? Head for the malls or shopping centers, but don’t expect to find great deals at the local gasoline pumps.  If you’re hitting the road for Thanksgiving take along some extra cash or plan on swiping your credit card a few times, because the trip is going to cost ya! Last night, I bought almost 7 gallons of regular at the Conoco Phillips 76 station at Alameda Avenue and Victory Boulevard in Burbank for about 20 bucks. The price per... Read More →

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“New Moon” huge at the Box Office

By on Sunday, November 22, 2009

                                                   We knew it was going to be big, but I don’t think anyone predicted it would be like out-of-this world huge! The fantasy/romance, “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” made an astronomical figure — an estimated $140 million this weekend — to easily become the number one movie in the country!! This is the second in the “Twilight” saga of two young lovers, teenager Bella Swan and vampire Edward Cullen, based on a series of bestselling novels by Stephenie Meyers. In “New Moon” it becomes a love triangle when Bella gets... Read More →

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Hollywood’s most overpaid stars

By on Thursday, November 19, 2009

Some surprises on the annual list of the most overpaid Hollywood stars by Forbes magazine. It wasn’t just about the fat paychecks with all those zeros. Some actors aren’t generating a good return at the Box Office, according to Forbes. In the number one spot on the magazine’s list, comic/actor Will Ferrell. Funny guys Eddie Murphy, Jim Carrey and actor Tom Cruise made the top 10 as well. However, the shockers for me were Drew Barrymore and Ice Cube! Here’s the story on how Forbes decided who is worth the big bucks... Read More →

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BBQ on Labor Day weekend

By on Saturday, August 30, 2008

Handy Market cooks grilling to the max at a recent July BBQ. The grill team will be smoking in the parking lot of the Handy Market on West Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank today. The market has been open for business more than 35 years. Also, Handy Market has won the Burbank Leader Readers’ Choice Award for the best grocery store 12 years straight. Every Saturday, the market’s custom grill is fired up and laid out with turkey drumsticks, chicken sections, ribs, corn, sausages, and of course, the store specialty tri-tip. This is a major BBQ... Read More →

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