Forget about the outdated notion of thrift shops as the refuge of the working poor, the down and out or the vintage fashion hipster. In these troubled times, the powerful lure of a secondhand retail bargain is attracting a whole new breed of customer.
Brianne Leckness stares into the camera, a crooked smile spread across her face. It's the epitome of youth -- a young girl with bows in her hair ready to tackle the world. A dog scampers behind her in a blur.
The American economy has hit a new low. Home values are plummeting, bills are rising and job layoffs have every worker concerned.
Like any teen approaching his 16th birthday, Jamie Walters had a dream car: a Mustang fastback. Not the 21st century version, but a classic circa the 1970s.
The Classic Creations barber shop sits empty, surrounded by drunks and shuttered storefronts just two blocks from the manicured lawns of Grosse Pointe Park. The contrast isn't lost on LaVar Anthony, a young barber who speaks in riddles of race, class and politics.
In a new study conducted by marriage counselor M. Gary Neuman, it's estimated that one in 2.7 men will cheat -- and most of their wives will never know about it.
Not too long ago, I purchased a compact Nissan pickup to fix up and recondition, with a goal of making the little Nissan my own bass-thumping, color-laden "minitruck."
Over the centuries, people have had some very good reasons to dress up like a member of the opposite sex.
Five years ago, Sara Vreed got embroiled in soap-opera-style custody arrangements with her ex-boyfriend -- and they don't even have children. What was at stake were the living arrangements for their 5-year-old canine, a Shetland sheepdog named Ivo.
Work hard, get promoted, succeed in your new post, and eventually you'll start earning the big money. This progression seems like a firmly ingrained part of the American Dream, and it's certainly worked for a lot of people.
Forget about the outdated notion of thrift shops as the refuge of the working poor, the down and out or the vintage fashion hipster. In these troubled times, the powerful lure of a secondhand retail bargain is attracting a whole new breed of customer.
Brianne Leckness stares into the camera, a crooked smile spread across her face. It's the epitome of youth -- a young girl with bows in her hair ready to tackle the world. A dog scampers behind her in a blur.
The American economy has hit a new low. Home values are plummeting, bills are rising and job layoffs have every worker concerned.
Like any teen approaching his 16th birthday, Jamie Walters had a dream car: a Mustang fastback. Not the 21st century version, but a classic circa the 1970s.
The Classic Creations barber shop sits empty, surrounded by drunks and shuttered storefronts just two blocks from the manicured lawns of Grosse Pointe Park. The contrast isn't lost on LaVar Anthony, a young barber who speaks in riddles of race, class and politics.
In a new study conducted by marriage counselor M. Gary Neuman, it's estimated that one in 2.7 men will cheat -- and most of their wives will never know about it.
Not too long ago, I purchased a compact Nissan pickup to fix up and recondition, with a goal of making the little Nissan my own bass-thumping, color-laden "minitruck."
Over the centuries, people have had some very good reasons to dress up like a member of the opposite sex.
Five years ago, Sara Vreed got embroiled in soap-opera-style custody arrangements with her ex-boyfriend -- and they don't even have children. What was at stake were the living arrangements for their 5-year-old canine, a Shetland sheepdog named Ivo.
Work hard, get promoted, succeed in your new post, and eventually you'll start earning the big money. This progression seems like a firmly ingrained part of the American Dream, and it's certainly worked for a lot of people.
Someone got cut off. They bleeped their horn. You bleeped back. They gesticulated, you gesticulated.
First there were the Armani suits, then the Versace dishware and first-class airline tickets. Eventually, Josh Estrin says, his partner's need to spend consumed their relationship.
The bulls line the metal chute, horns blunted at the tips, as the men around them hiss catcalls in Spanish.
Regular readers of AOL Autos know that we have done a series of stories on the development and increasing popularity of cars that run -- or will eventually run -- on alternative fuels.
As university residence halls seek to transition into more homey environments -- with additions like full kitchens and single-stall bathrooms -- pet ownership is still forbidden for the majority of dorm residents.
The famed six-toed cats at Ernest Hemingway's island home aren't going anywhere.
There have been presidential daughters almost as long as there have been presidents. (George Washington had no children.)
It was a side trip through a destitute, ramshackle neighborhood in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, that detoured Brian McCarthy from building houses in Albuquerque to an idea to offer the very poor a chance to own a home.
Robert Lutz, vice-chairman of General Motors, caused a stir in the auto industry -- and in the automotive press -- when he announced in January of 2007 that the Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric car would be ready for mass production and on the road, by the end of 2010.
Mohammed Hussain got 3,000 gallons of gas delivered to his Chevron station in suburban Atlanta on Saturday. By Sunday morning, all of the gas, priced at $4.39 per gallon for regular unleaded, was gone.
Firefighter Jonathan Frohreich had never heard of The Wildland Firefighter Foundation, much less its founder, until recovering from severe work-related injuries last month.
Denise Edwards has seen her portfolio shed more than 6 percent this week. The 62-year-old near-retiree said she's angry and annoyed by this week's financial chaos, with the realization that she might have to work several more years to make up her losses.
A few tents cropped up hard by the railroad tracks, pitched by men left with nowhere to go once the emergency winter shelter closed for the summer.
I've never considered myself materialistic. I don't like to shop. I own maybe five pairs of shoes, and would much rather spend money on an adventure, a good cause or a gift.
Eric Hahn thought his financial situation was set after he was approved for a private student loan with an 8 percent interest rate to supplement his federal education loans.
Arnishe Keyes admits she's no Rachael Ray. Until recently, she spent $30 a day to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at restaurants.
Protecting drivers and passengers from injury has been a high priority for car makers for the last 40 years or more.
"My life was sad before because I had to crawl on the ground," recalls Caesar Morales, a 24-year-old father in Mexico who, until recently, had only one limb and couldn't walk.
In a single, tragic day, Chandrasekhar Sankurathri lost everything he loved.
It wasn't your typical rehearsal dinner, but it was everything Liz Jones and Josh Dilworth hoped it would be -- authentic, casual and relatively cheap.
A directive recently handed down by a Detroit-area suburban mayor has ignited the latest round of a seemingly endless debate -- one that always burns with more intensity in the home of the Big Three than anywhere else.
Firefighter Jonathan Frohreich had never heard of The Wildland Firefighter Foundation, much less its founder, until recovering from severe work-related injuries last month.
Julie Quiroz clutches her teddy bear crying. "Mommy," she says softly, as her mother wraps her arms around her and rubs her back. One of her brothers tries to console her. "You're going to come back," he says.
With gas prices as volatile as a swarm of bees that just had their honey stolen, the SUV market has started to shatter.
Think twice before accepting an invitation to a party. That's the lesson Tonya Bowman, 39, learned recently after a birthday bash for a newfound acquaintance at a pricey sushi restaurant.
Following in your father's footsteps by attending the same university is one thing. But moving into the same dorm room as your dad?
Larry Blumberg is looking for a few good Jews to move to his corner of the Bible Belt.
Michelle Rhee says she runs at 100 miles per hour. As the chancellor of one of the nation's lowest-performing school districts, she says she has no choice -- too much bureaucracy to cut through, too many problems to fix after decades of neglect.
What do Pinocchio, Richard Nixon, and an "O, The Oprah Magazine" very inventive columnist all have in common? Every now and then, when the situation calls for it, they've been known to bend, sculpt, or otherwise contort the facts to their liking. Hey, if it saves Bambi's mother...
Driving a car is a complex physical and mental operation. Not only does it require coordination and reflexes, it also requires rapid assessment skills and good judgment.
Bill McMichael braked his new Ferrari F430 Scuderia into the turn, downshifting as he went into the corner. Then he punched it on the straightaway. Pedal down, engine whining an octave higher, the sleek, black car closed in on 140 mph within seconds.
Sally Ferrell bounded from the truck and grabbed a posterboard sign that read: "War is not the Answer."
We keep our cars tuned up, but what about our automobile insurance? Recently I had a chat with an insurance broker. The topic of conversation? Smart insurance buying.
Miriam Brown has always wanted to visit Cape Cod, but when she recently began to plan a trip and found out she would have to pay $200 or more a night for lodging, her dream vacation seemed out of reach.
We'd been waiting 30 minutes for someone to take our order in a busy Mexican restaurant when my friend Cathy decided to take extreme measures.
It was an unusually honest ad for a live-in nanny, a 1,000-word tome beginning, "My kids are a pain." But it worked, attracting a brave soul who's never been a nann.
You're faced with a major auto repair such as an engine, transmission, or differential replacement. Your service provider asks you, "Do you want rebuilt, remanufactured, or used parts?"
Carol Umsted got more than the word of God during services this summer at the Congregational United Church of Christ of Valley City.
The city is asking public school principals to consider giving math tests to kindergartners, a proposal that comes amid debate over the growing use of standardized tests nationwide.
Today's retirees live in what may be the waning days of retirement's golden age, enjoying the full benefits of Social Security and company pensions in many cases.
With fuel prices still high enough to put a hole in your pocket, where does one turn?
Stacy Pearson keeps buying food she knows she'll never eat -- from tomato soup to green beans to ramen noodles -- merely because it's on sale. Why? Blame her mother.
Two weeks after a devastating revelation sent her husband into political exile, Elizabeth Edwards isn't getting the steady sympathy usually afforded to a woman scorned.
Along with normal first-day jitters and excitement, students in this tiny district started school Monday wondering which teachers might be toting firearms.
That's my girl, I thought, as Olivia tore away from us to join the other 5-year-olds for circle time -- legs crossed, hand stick-straight in the air in response to the teacher's question about how the kids spent Father's Day.
"My life was sad before because I had to crawl on the ground," recalls Caesar Morales, a 24-year-old father in Mexico who, until recently, had only one limb and couldn't walk.
Once upon a time there was a princess who was living quite happily and not pining away for her prince or trying to avoid being killed by her evil stepmother.
Negative campaigning in America was sired by two lifelong friends, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Back in 1776, the dynamic duo combined powers to help claim America's independence, and they had nothing but love and respect for one another. But by 1800, party politics had so distanced the pair that, for the first and last time in U.S. history, a president found himself running against his vice president.
Have you ever wondered what your neighbors are carrying around in their car's trunk or SUV's cargo hold? I decided to find out -- by asking 100 strangers in a department store parking lot.
Bishop Kenneth Spears always thought gifts from God came from above. He never imagined that the gifts would be hiding under his church in Fort Worth, Texas.
Faced with soaring diesel fuel costs, school districts are forcing students to use the old-fashioned way to get to class: on their own two feet.
David Gilmour's 15-year-old son did not just hate school. He seemed to have a psychological allergy to it.
Before you parachute into a new car dealer looking for the best deal on your next set of wheels, take time to equip yourself with these 10 no-holds-barred buying tips:
If tuition stays the same, an undergraduate living on campus will have spent $33,720 on tuition alone after eight semesters at Kent State.
Harder times and higher fuel prices are following kids back to school this fall.
John Yancey leans against his truck in a field outside his home, his face contorted in anger and pain.
Without ever lifting a shovel, an archaeologist could dig through Dave Chameides' house and get a pretty good picture of how he has lived for the past eight months.
Got the urge to save some cash? When economic times get tough, consumers look to wring out as many savings as they can from their daily budget.
In a single, tragic day, Chandrasekhar Sankurathri lost everything he loved.
Grace O'Malley (born Gráinne O'Malley) was the Irish Sea Queen of the 16th century. Earning her sea legs as a kid on voyages with her father, O'Malley went on to lead a crew of 200 sailors as part of her Celtic Sea "protection service."
Robert Gilliland didn't think much about carpooling until gas prices got out of control. Now, he's happy to trade his motoring freedom for $120 in weekly savings.
Gotcha! That's how many motorists feel when they see a little bright flash, which they know means an unwelcome fine and points on their license are heading their way.
You have a dilemma. You really want a new car but you absolutely despise being taken into that small room with a car salesman and subjected to common sales tactics. You dread the manipulation, being brow-beaten and, heaven forbid, a hefty dose of gold-chain-laden charm.
Bryan Beer, a citrus grower in southwestern Florida, sees himself as a bit of a pioneer. He's not digging for gold. It's more like he's planting for oil.
Emory University is hoping to make bikes the must-have back-to-school accessory this fall.
The money we keep in the bank is supposed to help us sleep at night, not cause nightmares.
Most women are better at dancing. On the rare occasions when my mother prevailed on my father to join her on the dance floor, the five of us -- three boys, two girls -- would laugh as we watched him lumber back and forth, counting out the rhythm like it was math homework.
A gallon of unleaded gasoline: $10. Heating fuel: $9.10 a gallon. Electricity: $1.17 per kilowatt hour -- 11 times the national average.
A gallon of unleaded gasoline: $10. Heating fuel: $9.10 a gallon. Electricity: $1.17 per kilowatt hour -- 11 times the national average.
Lexus once again stands alone atop a closely watched list of vehicle dependability after Buick slipped from the No. 1 spot it shared with the Japanese luxury brand last year, J.D. Power and Associates said Thursday.
Keri Rainsberger isn't rich. She works in the nonprofit world for a relatively low-profit salary. Yet, as many Americans are scrimping for every penny, she hardly feels the pinch.
The Rev. Paul Earl Sheppard had recently become the senior pastor of a suburban church in California when a group of parishioners came to him with a disturbing personal question.
It may not be as big as 7-7-7, but thousands of couples are heading down the aisle Friday, hoping the date August 8, 2008, brings them luck and an easy to remember anniversary date.
Herb Geving unleashes a broad smile in his 11,000-square-foot mansion. The former cattleman, farmer and owner of a North Dakota garbage business is now retired, able to count the dollar signs brought in by three oil wells.
That navy blue sedan behind you with the flashing blue light on the dash is probably a cop -- but it could be a creep using police paraphernalia to get you to pull over.
"What do you do all day?" is a question Anne Marie Davis, 34, says she gets a lot.
The rich are sharing your financial pain -- and contributing to it.
Most people know not to stick their fingers through the bars at the zoo -- though some don't and get to learn from the experience. Likewise, there are things you should never do to your car or truck that can have consequences every bit as unpleasant -- and sometimes as permanent -- as offering your succulent fingertips to a hungry rhesus monkey.
The Rev. Paul Earl Sheppard had recently become the senior pastor of a suburban church in California when a group of parishioners came to him with a disturbing personal question.
Oh, my! Three tiger cubs at a Kansas zoo are getting some maternal care from an unlikely source -- Isabella the golden retriever.
Ah, that new car smell, that eau de car-logne; it does an ego good while it does a wallet bad. And now it turns out, it can do bad things to your health, too.
Brides-to-be feeling the pinch of the current economic downturn might be willing to pare down their wine list, favors, even the guest list. Their gown, however, is often another story.
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