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In a survey of 23,400 online users conducted by ForeSee Results, based on the American Customer Satisfaction Index, Apple ranked first place among online computer and electronics retailers and fourth place overall. A report by Philip Elmer-DeWitt of Fortune noted that in terms of customer satisfaction, Apple ranked fourth out of all the top 100 online retail [...]

I've been involved driving sled dogs since the eighties and bought and built many gadgets over the years that I've found useful despite not being a big “gadget guy”. A life long nordic skiier, I learned about skijoring from a Swedish musher and thought it sounded like a great idea. The only thing was that in the [...]

Last night the remaining nine contestants on American Idol stumbled through the catalogue of Elvis Presley, failing for the most part to make any of the King’s tunes their own. Season-eight runner-up Adam Lambert blessedly livened things up as a guest mentor, and he was actually a great tie-in to the week's theme since Elvis also wore [...]

Don't just sit there, start talking (well, typing). When you enter your name and e-mail address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. (We admit it's annoying. Get over it.) If you use the password at the bottom of that e-mail, you won't get any more confirmation requests from us. If you [...]

Remember your best friend? You know, the furry guy always camped at your feet, waiting patiently for those four magic words: “Ready for a walk?” Even on the days you don’t manage to tear yourself away from your computer, your dog still loves you. That’s unconditional love. So how about reciprocating? Put your work aside, get out [...]

Dear readers: When I first began to write this column, I received many questions about behavioral issues. The two most pressing issues for dog owners were anxiety and aggression. For cat owners, aggression and inappropriate urination were the two most common. I do not think these issues have gone away. I still see people on a [...]

Baseball season is officially upon us — go Phils — which also mean it's time for baseball fans to start snarfing down hot dogs. And with 2,430 regular season games to be played over the next few months, the sheer number of hot dogs to be devoured is astounding. The folks at the National Hot Dog & [...]

Made from polyurethane, which is less pliable than latex, the female condom could be uncomfortable and resulted in a less-than-intimate sexual experience. Users complained of a “crinkling” or “squeaking” noise—not to mention a tendency for the condom to slip out if not inserted properly. But last year's FDA approval of the second-generation female condom, called FC2, has [...]

There are plenty of funny videos on YouTube but the ones that get us spitting our tea all over our monitors and give us the best giggles are animal-themed affairs. Man’s best friend doubles as a clown on notable occasions, many of which this selection of YouTube YouTube favorites captures to great comedic effect. Keep reading for some hilarious [...]

The dogs says “Jay Weston.” On this Easter Sunday I went to a lovely garden party in the valley and greeted many old friends. Ate rare lamb, deviled eggs and nasturtium salad (uggh), drank lots of red wine…and still felt hungry. Driving home, listening to the earthquake news, I obeyed a sudden urge and headed to Hollywood [...]

Pink's Hot Dogs, a beloved Los Angeles institution or tourist trap nightmare depending on whom you ask, was hit in an armed robbery this morning. The LA Times reports:

A gunman robbed the landmark Pink's Hot Dogs early Monday, stealing a tip jar when employees were unable to open a safe, Los Angeles police said.

The thief, who [...]

Pink's Hot Dogs, a beloved Los Angeles institution or tourist trap nightmare depending on whom you ask, was hit in an armed robbery this morning. The LA Times reports:

A gunman robbed the landmark Pink's Hot Dogs early Monday, stealing a tip jar when employees were unable to open a safe, Los Angeles police said.

The thief, who [...]

You only have to look in that box titled “AMERICAblog Reader Pets” in the upper right hand corner of this site to see how much we all love their pets. We've received hundreds and hundreds of pet photos — and they keep coming. Last week, John — finally — joined the rank of pet owners. So, [...]

As everyone who reads this site probably already knows, Chris Evans was officially, finally cast yesterday as Steve Rogers in Joe Johnston's The First Avenger: Captain America .  With Evans donning the shield and Hugo Weaving apparently The Red Skull, the next step is to locate the 'female lead/love interest'.  Among the leading contenders are Alice Eve, Emily [...]

Are you trying to find a landlord who will not only welcome Fido with open paws, but understand the pooch's need to use the backyard as a potty? Are you someone whose home-buying priority isn't good schools but rather proximity to a dog park or 24-hour vet clinic? If you had your druthers, would you forgo [...]

As a blind person I know the amount of time it takes to make the decision to work with a Service animal I also know that when that decision is made you want to be on the road to a training program as soon as possible. Just remember that choosing a Training program for yourself and [...]

Do you have a dog that likes to run off with your table scraps? Perhaps your dog likes to go picking through the garbage can and make a huge mess. If you find that your dog has this problem, there are several things that you can do to stop the bad dog behavior. Try one [...]

A videotape from a home surveillance system was key in solving the case of the Yorkshire Terriers stolen at gunpoint. Four purebred puppies and an adult pet were stolen by intruders who held the owners at gunpoint while catching the dogs and putting them in a plastic bag. The videotape of the crime was played [...]

So many times I hear the phrase “he thinks he's a person” when someone is talking about his or her dog. This statement makes me cringe every time. Your dog, no matter what breed he is or how he has been raised, does not think he's a person. Your dog doesn't even think he's a dog. [...]

Last November, the Girls Scouts Research Institute, in partnership with the Dove Self Esteem Fund, asked one thousand teenage girls about fashion, the media and body image. The recently released findings are worrying. Eighty-eight percent of girls surveyed said that the media “place a lot of pressure on teenage girls to be thin.” And it seems [...]