Consumer Products and Services

Because You're Ugly: Paul & Joe for Perrier

The Irvine Company LOVES its Cheap Santa Ana Mexicans!

Nothing made for funnier reading this holiday season than an article in CityLine, a newspaper put out by what was once known as the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce but now calls itself the Greater Santa Ana Business Alliance so they can justify holding mixers outside of their beloved city. Under the h ... More >>

Playing Hive and Seek With the Backyard Beekeepers

Nothing made for funnier reading this holiday season than an article in CityLine, a newspaper put out by what was once known as the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce but now calls itself the Greater Santa Ana Business Alliance so they can justify holding mixers outside of their beloved city. Under the h ... More >>

Dropping In

Following his sale to Nike, Bob Hurley has global reach

Hi-Fi Food!

Oranges Filling Station pumps up the vittles

Toys from Hell

In China, Santas elves labor in a Dickensian workhouse

Comic-Con International 2010: Mostly Underwhelming Weekend Highlights

At Comic-Con International 2010, the nerds kept multiplying overnight. This year, the panels were separated into two types: the must-sees and the if-I-get-a-chance-tos. Friday was a bit of the latter--and by Saturday, the stench of nerd BO had officially taken over the building. Aside from the stab ... More >>

The Thing About the North Park Music Thing

​The thing about the North Park Music Thing, explains founder Kevin Hellman, is that he wants the two-day festival in San Diego to be as regional as SXSW. And some day, maybe bigger.  "The first year it was called North by North Park, but the folks in Austin (home of SXSW) threatened to su ... More >>

A Gimmick From Record Stores and Slayer on Black Friday? No Way!

​Thanksgiving, Schanksgiving. As a music geek who lives to shop, Black Friday gimmicks are near and dear to my heart.This year has a bunch of Black Friday gimmicks that sound pretty interesting.

Comic-Con International 2010: Day One Highlights

Comic-Con International 2010 kicked off yesterday, and the first day of the yearly pilgrimage for nerdery in film, comics, games and more include Angelina Jolie sightings, a Jackass in 3D and updates on many many movies that geeks like. Check out our slideshow here.Christopher Victorio/OC WeeklyThe ... More >>

Record Stores Hold Nationwide Vinyl Sale on Black Friday; Here's a Handy List of Local Participants

John Gilhooley/OC WeeklyFingerprints Record Store​A few weeks ago, the people behind Record Store Day announced their plan to host "Back to Black Friday," where indie music stores will be carrying exclusive and limited vinyle and CD releases by Metallica, U2, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and the Heartbre ... More >>

Embassy Suites Irvine, Hotel Facing Worker Complaints and Union Push, is Sold

​HEI Hotels & Resorts just sold the 293-suite Embassy Suites Irvine-Orange County Airport for an undisclosed price.The Norwalk, Conn.-based investor in hotel properties reportedly says the sale will allow it to implement further cost-cutting at the hotel by managing the property. But it also ... More >>

WTF of the Week: The Grammy Noms

Christopher Victorio/OC WeeklyEminem, nominated for 'Recovery'​WTF:Despite the fact that the way the world listens to music has changed radically over the past decade, the Grammys ostensibly continue to reward bands based on a model en vogue 50 years ago. This year's list of nominees reflects that ... More >>

Toyota's Record $32.4 Million Fine Settles Federal Probes But Not Suits Brought by OCDA and Others

​Toyota's agreement to pay a record $32.4 million to settle U.S. Department of Transportation investigations into the giant automaker's handling of two recalls does nothing to resolve civil lawsuits brought by the Orange County District Attorney's Office and the families of those killed or injured ... More >>

Delaware North Says its Offer for John Wayne Airport Food Contract Won't Rip Off Consumers, Like Rival Bid HMSHost would

Flickr user b r e n t​Many of ustedes are probably going through John Wayne Airport for points north and east this week, probably munching on food you brought with you from home lest you get ripped off at Mickey D's or Starbucks. Many of you are hoping that the Orange County Board of Supervisors a ... More >>

Orange County No Longer the Promised Land for Fast Food?

​Taco Bell, Del Taco, In-N-Out, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.--the list of fast-food chains with headquarters in Irvine is among the largest in the country. They came to our land of plenty not just because of a friendlier business environment, but also because Southern California has always offered delive ... More >>

Haven Gastropub Expanding to Pasadena

​OC's own Haven Gastropub is opening a second, Pasadena location in late 2011. It's not just a clone of the Old Towne Orange restaurant, but an ambitious expansion into their own, on-site beer brewing operation.

Chick Fight! Chick Fight! Barbie vs. Bratz

​Considering the preponderance of plastic, empty-headed bleach blondes one finds around these parts, at least a few have likely found their way into the federal courthouse in Santa Ana. But the two fitting the same description going before a judge at the Reagan today have achieved icon status with ... More >>

New Rumors of a Merger Between Freedom and MediaNews

​Yesterday, Dean Singleton, the controversial chairman and CEO of MediaNews Group, which owns dozens of newspapers including the Denver Post and LA Daily News, announced he was stepping down from his longtime post. Now, the Wall Street Journal is reporting, two new members of the board of director ... More >>

Lily Allen Starts Label Through Sony Music

​The 25-year-old actress/musician Lily Allen is launching new boutique label "In the Name Of," which will receive financial backing from Sony Music. The first signing for the label is Brooklyn electro-pop duo Cults, whose debut album will be released later this year.

Ozzy Named 'Ambassador,' Bats Cry Foul

​On April 16, the annual Record Store Day event will be hosted by independent record stores to recognize great music and the artists who play it. Ozzy Osbourne was named 2011's Record Store Day Ambassador, following in the footsteps of such honorees as Jesse Hughes from Eagles of Death Metal in 20 ... More >>

Lupe Fiasco, 'Lasers,' and Artistic Freedom

lupefiasco.com​ Lupe Fiasco's Lasers, one of the most embattled albums in recent hip-hop history, finally finds its way to shelves and digital downloads today. It took a fan organized protest deemed "Fiasco Friday" back in October to force Atlantic Records to preemptively announce a release date f ... More >>

Carl's Jr., Hardee's to Sell Turkey Burgers--Chain Finally Going Healthy?

Is this burger going the way of Carlos Jr.?​Carl's Jr. has spent most of the last decade boasting of its waistline-busting burgers, proudly proclaiming their entrees are for sloppy guys who think a salad and any thought of health is one fey thang, hanging their hat on 1,000-calorie-plus creations ... More >>

Foo Fighters at Fingerprints!

[Mental Notes] Record Store Day, Andrew W.K. and Honeypie at Detroit Bar

Beer Makers Raising Prices on Budget Beers to Make Consumers Buy More-Expensive Brands

​Better load up on the Pabst Blue Ribbon, Keystone Light, and other budget brews that help this Great Recession go down a bit smoother: the nation's beer cartel is openly raising the prices of such beers in a blatant effort to squeeze consumers into buying their more-expensive brands. So much for ... More >>

What's Happening in OC/LB on Record Store Day? Your Handy Event Directory

​Since its inception in 2007, the fandemonium over Record Store Day has only grown. Drak, owner of Vinyl Solution in Huntington Beach, expressed his awe of fans last year who flooded into his store "like mice after a piece of cheese. It's amazing." It's no wonder they do--each year on the third Sa ... More >>

Volcom Sues Jay-Z

[Mental Notes] More important, what's going on for Record Store Day in OC?

Chili's Allegedly Serves Alcoholic Mudslide Instead of Chocolate Shake to 4-Year-Old

It was first Applebee's, then Olive Garden, and now this. Chili's is the third restaurant in the last few weeks to be accused of serving an alcoholic drink to a child. This time it's in Chicago, and the drink was a Mudslide allegedly mistaken for chocolate shake.

[UPDATED with Mattel Getting Bitch-Slapped:] Chick Fight! Chick Fight! Barbie vs. Bratz

​UPDATE, APRIL 21, 12:31 P.M.: The sluttier, younger chick wins!A federal court jury in Santa Ana not only rejected claims that MGA Entertainment's popular line of Bratz dolls violates the copyright of Mattel's Barbie, but the panel awarded MGA $88.4 million for trade secrets misappropriated by M ... More >>

Press-Telegram Kills Sports, Photo and Features, Allows Staffers to Reapply at Daily Breeze

​The Long Beach Press-Telegram, whose history extends back to 1897, is reportedly eliminating its sports, photo and features departments.In Long Beach, anyway.Some members of those departments will be swallowed up by the Torrance Daily Breeze, which shares news the P-T and other MediaNews Group pa ... More >>

[UPDATED with Award Proposal:] Bratz Maker MGA Wants $339 Million From Barbie Sugar Daddy Mattel

​UPDATE, MAY 25, 9:30 A.M.: Analysts agree that in the seven years since Barbie-maker Mattel first went after Bratz manufacturer MGA Entertainment in court, the smaller company's fortune dwindled while Mattel remained a toy industry giant. MGA is hoping to retrieve $339 million of that fortune in ... More >>

As Food Prices Rise, is an Economic Slowdown Our Only Hope?

​Well this is a great story: mega-chains ranging from McDonald's to Nestle, Cracker Barrel to Whole Foods, are raising their prices, not because they're trying to milk you dry, but because the cost for food is going up, up, up. Yay!The United States Department of Agriculture had already forecast t ... More >>

Patrick Rue Is the Brue-master

From a Placentia industrial park, Patrick Rue and his Bruery have revolutionized craft-beermaking in Southern California

Lady Gaga: DNA Perfume, Camera Glasses, a Laptop with Her Face on It--the Best Slices of Her 360 Deal

This whole week we've been inundated with everything Lady Gaga. (Seriously, I've read more stories about Born This Way's album release than the tornado in Joplin.) From Amazon's 99-cent download to GagaVille to appearances on American Idol and Letterman, it's hard to go on the Internet without seein ... More >>

How 'Born This Way' Went All the Way to No. 1 Told in Lady Gaga Gifs

​Lousy album cover aside, Lady Gaga's sophomore release Born This Way sold 1.1 million copies in its first week and is No. 1 on the Billboard charts, the biggest since 50 Cent's The Massacre.

[UPDATED with Tribune Talks Back On:] Sale Could Lead to One Company Owning All SoCal Dailies

​UPDATE, JUNE 16, 9:22 A.M.: Now that merger talks with MediaNews have broken down, Irvine-based owner of the Orange County Register Freedom Communications has revived negotiations with that other Southern California newspaper  publisher.No, not the Los Angeles investment company that bought ... More >>

I MiX What I Like! An Interview with Jared Ball (Part II)

​Yesterday, we published the first part of an interview with Jared Ball, author of I MiX What I Like! A Mixtape Manifesto, where the "Funkinest Journalist" talks about the politics of hip-hop and popular culture. Read the first part of the interview with Jared Ball here; in this second installment ... More >>

Q&A: Mike Altman, Technical Director for Pixar

​A little over a decade ago, Mike Altman and I were both attending the Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD) in Columbus, Ohio. Today, Mike works at Pixar as a Technical Director, and I'm interviewing him for "OC Weekly." He wins!Mike worked for animation houses DNA Productions in Dallas and ... More >>

Art Alexakis

Coach House

Mid Year Music Sales Numbers Are In--and Up

​Nielsen Soundscan's mid-year numbers are in, and despite the economic doom and gloom being reported by news outlets across the land, it would seem Americans have a lot to be optimistic about. Soundscan is the music industry's data information service and tracks sales at the point of purchase. It' ... More >>

Anheuser-Busch Wants the 713... and the 714?

Flickr user tsandHow is drinking Bud Light 713 Beer like having sex in a boat? Both are fucking close to water.​Our sister blog, Eating Our Words over at the Houston Press, reported that Anheuser-Busch's parent company, AB InBev, has applied for trademarks on the number 713--which just happens to ... More >>

Final D23 Expo Details Revealed: Sneak Peeks, Pixar Stamps, Screenings

​D23 is now just one week away and, oddly enough, I find myself getting excited. Of course, I am a Disnerd, but what I'm not a fan of is being stuffed into a room for hours on end with folks who go above and beyond being simple fans. Many D23 attendees will live Disney, much in the same way I live ... More >>

[UPDATED with $315 Mil Bond for Mattel:] Bratz Maker MGA's Total Take From Barbie Sugar Daddy Mattel? $310 Million

​UPDATE, AUG. 17, 5:21 P.M.: In federal court in Santa Ana today, Judge David O. Carter ordered Mattel to post a $315 million bond while the El Segundo-based toy manufacturing giant fights a $310 million award to MGA Entertainment.It's the latest twist in the trade secrets legal battle the makers ... More >>

Hardees Commercials for Fried Bologna Biscuits

​ You may or may not like Carl's Jr's. commercials. They're purposely polarizing and provocative. The ads use either tits or creepers to capture your eyeballs and your wallet. Now they're using both at the same time--creepy old man moobies to sell Hardee's Fried Bologna Biscuit breakfast sandwic ... More >>

AEG Wants to Build an NFL Stadium in Downtown LA (What Traffic?), OC Supervisors Want City of Industry

AEGA stadium will be built ... somewhere in LA County.​An NFL stadium is coming to the greater Los Angeles area, at some point. The sponsorship deal with Farmers Insurance has been sealed, the promotional propaganda has been spread, the LA city council has voted unanimously in favor of a tentative ... More >>

Three Reasons the Michael Jackson Trial App Feels So Wrong

​So yes, there is such as thing as a Michael Jackson Doctor Trial App, a mini "media center for the iPhone and iPad and Android devices." Released by Fox Television Stations, the app includes live video of the trial proceedings, recorded local news segments, photo galleries and biographies of th ... More >>

Huffington Post Gets Punked by Fake Ben & Jerry's Arrested Development Ice Cream Flavor

Suck it up!​It is amazing (and hella disturbing) how most people even bother to scan, let alone read a story anymore before spreading it around the Internet. Sign of the times, I guess. But when the offending organization is the Huffington Post (which carries my ¡Ask a Mexican! column), such a ru ... More >>

Stone's Greg Koch To Sign Books and Share Rare Beer Flights at The Bruery Provisions on Thursday

StudioSchulz.com Koch​The founders of Stone Brewing Co., Greg Koch and Steve Wagner, have written a book on how they built SoCal's biggest and arguably best-known craft brewery. The Craft of Stone Brewing Co. reveals the 15-year history of the Escondido-based brewer, and includes recipes for ... More >>

Google Music Store Rivaling iTunes Expected To Be Unveiled This Afternoon

​Google is expected to unveil a new online music store featuring songs from three of the world's four biggest music companies today, according to reports.

5 Most Important Video Game-Related News Stories of 2011

​2011 has come and gone, and the year that seemingly slipped right past us was full of major events--some of which may very change the landscape of the video gaming industry forever. Everything from new a new Nintendo console to the death of a computer pioneer was all crammed into the previous yea ... More >>