This digital TV racket sounds a lot like a money-grabbing scam to shaft the people out of more money, similar to the television meters they have in Britain and other countries. You chuck in a few coins and your TV will run for half an hour or so, then your TV shuts off until you chuck in a few more coins. ...more

January 21, 2009

Andrew Kobak, or "Master Drew" as he preferred, avoided prison Wednesday, thanks to the lies and questionable testimony of his former sex slave, Alyssandra Cardillo. ...more

July 17, 2008

Andrew Kobak avoids prison in plea deal. ...more

July 16, 2008

In a murderous quest aimed at "cleansing" their turf of snitches and rival gangs, members of one of Los Angeles County's most vicious Latino gangs sometimes killed people just because of their race, an investigation found. ...more

December 31, 2007

'The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,' by Junot Diaz (Riverhead, $25) ...more

October 14, 2007

It isn't that Junot Diaz is the only contemporary author with literary aspirations who mashes high and low culture into an entertaining mix. It's the fact he does it so well, and also, yes, the fact he was born in the Dominican Republic and now lives in the United States, which gives him a very different set of cultural references than, say, fellow mashers Michael Chabon or Dave Eggers. ...more

October 12, 2007

S.L. Paszko of Tarpon Springs defends her German heritage and bashes "banksters." ...more

October 10, 2007