Industries

Clock is Ticking on $156k Mega Millions Lottery Ticket Bought in Dana Point 3 Months Ago

It's out there somewhere.A California state lottery ticket worth $156,712 was purchased at Super Stop Liquor, 34469 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, and has not been claimed three months later.Better check those coat pockets.

Five Ways To Celebrate American Craft Beer Week In (Or Near) OC

Next week is American Craft Beer Week, a celebration of brews made in the U.S. of A. Local breweries and restaurants are taking part in the national party. Here's where to go to grab a pint.

[UPDATED with Cinema Spat Ends:] Iron Man 3 Dispute Between Theater Chains and Disney Doesn't Rust Disneyland Exhibit

See the update at the end of this post on the warring theaters reaching an agreement with Disney that has them selling advance Iron Man 3 tickets.ORIGINAL POST, APRIL 16, 3:27 P.M.: For an idea on how psyched Disney is about the Iron Man movie franchise, you needed only to go to the Anaheim theme pa ... More >>

Record Store Day

Fingerprints Records

The Postal Service

Fox Theater

Green Technology Makes OC Register See Red

Media Matters for America, the progressive watchdog counterpart to Accuracy in Media, takes issue with an Orange County Register editorial that uses the financial woes of nearly dead electric car company Fisker Automotive to argue against government investment in green technology: "Despite the incre ... More >>

San Onofre Nuke Officials Buried Evidence Of Problems, Report Says

Last week, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) released a report showing that both that company and Southern California Edison (SCE) knew that replacement steam generators built by Mitsubishi for SCE's San Onofre Nuclear Generating system had major design problems as far back as 2005. The report furth ... More >>

Gary Thomas, National Association of Realtors President, Swears That He is Broke

The National Association of Realtors president, who resides in Mission Viejo, is denying allegations he and his two sons fraudulently pulled nearly $580,000 out of their South County real estate company before seeking bankruptcy protection."Exhibit A," as far as Gary Thomas is concerned, would be h ... More >>

Notes From the Underground Economy

Are companies at the Port of Long Beach cheating truckers out of their rightful wages?

Argus Realty and Associated Firms Allegedly Ripped Off Investors with High Fees, False Data

A Laguna Niguel realty company and an affiliated investment company in San Clemente are being sued for selling commercial real estate securities that were allegedly "rigged" so the firms would make millions in fees while draining investors of their lifetime savings. The investors seek compensatory ... More >>

San Onofre Nuclear Plant Closure Has Cost More Than $300 Million, Edison Investors Told

Southern California Edison overlord Edison International reports it has lost more than $300 million since its two reactors at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station went down last winter.So far.

Cool Films to Watch When It's Hot Outside

[Summer Guide 2012] Your guide to the good stuff

[UPDATED with State Senator's Rewrite:] Tom Harman Thinks Like a Democrat on California's Bullet Train

UPDATE, MAY 22, 10:23 A.M.: State Senator Tom Harman (R-Huntington Beach) has contacted yours truly with proof that the veteran Orange County politician can take a place in the long line of folks who just don't share my sense of humor. This is evident in his emailed rewrite of the jokey headline to ... More >>

Beverage Giant Diageo Screws Independent Brewer At Scottish Awards Show

What do you get when you're a hugely successful independent brewer headed to an awards show you're expected to win at?Well, if the awards show was partly sponsored by Diageo, the largest distiller in the world, the answer is "not the trophy you actually won."

Creme Tangerine's Parker Macy Talks Record Store Day 2012

Miguel Vasconcellos/OC WeeklyParker Macy (top) and Jonathan Staph (bottom) As you can see above, Creme Tangerine is not like most independent record stores. They took a niche market and made it even quirkier by selling vinyl out of a baby-blue trailer. Creme Tangerine, and it's owner Parker Macy is ... More >>

Record Store Day: Good for Only a Few Stores?

Did the annual event really save the vinyl record industry?

Investors Sue Coldwell Banker for $50 Million for Alleged Fund Scheme

U.S. District Court Judge Andrew J. Guilford in Santa Ana has ruled that a $50 million lawsuit against Coldwell Banker on behalf of 1,300 investors in seven real estate investment funds can move forward.Five plaintiffs are named in the suit that alleges an investment scheme was perpetrated by Real E ... More >>

Broadcom Says SEC Probing Its Accounting

​Irvine chip maker Broadcom, which has been no stranger to courtrooms thanks to shareholder lawsuits, complaints that caused one co-founder to step away as owner of his NHL team and a scandalous divorce involving the other co-founder and his love dungeon, may be back in legal hot water.The company ... More >>

Gabriel S. Joseph Acused of $5 Million Scam That Duped Newport Beach Mortgage Broker

​We've done so many posts on crooked mortgage brokers ripping off unsuspecting customers you might assume Orange County is the capital of slimy lending schemes.So, it's only fair that we draw attention to a Newport Beach mortgage broker who found himself burned by an alleged fraudster.

Huntington Beach Claims SoCal Edison Pockets Millions Set Aside for Street Light Repairs

​Huntington Beach is among eight Southern California cities that have formed the Coalition for Affordable Street Lights, which accuses Southern California Edison of pocketing millions in taxpayer money set aside for light pole maintenance and replacement.The coalition--which also includes Torrance ... More >>

[UPDATED With Dispatches from the Port:] Occupy Converges on the Port of Long Beach; Over 200 Protestors Block Access to Pier

Brandon Ferguson​UPDATE DEC. 12, 1:15 P.M.: Though there were several incredibly tense moments at the Port of Long Beach this morning as protesters and police squared off, the day ended without any serious incidents. Between 200 and 300 Occupy activists from Irvine, Santa Ana, Los Angeles, La ... More >>

San Onofre Nuclear Plant Targeted in Ballot Proposal That Can Start Collecting Signatures

​Signatures can be collected for a state voter initiative that would effectively shut down San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.California's only other operating nuclear power plant in Diablo Canyon would also be mothballed should such a measure pass.Ben Davis Jr., the Santa Cruz activist who fo ... 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.

Low Pay for Airline Pilots "Threatens" the Country

​A couple months ago, I almost blogged something that claimed regional airline pilots earn an average of $14,000 a year. Believing that to be a typo--pilots are rolling in it, right?--I moved on to something more important, like Octomom boxing an East Coast skank.However, the nonprofit investigati ... 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 >>

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 Memorial Service Details:] Brian Hayes, Veteran Anaheim Police Officer, Dies in Plane Crash

​UPDATE, JULY 20, 5:25 P.M.: A memorial service for veteran Anaheim Police Officer Brian Hayes, who died in a plane crash with his girlfriend Sunday in Arizona, will be noon Saturday at Calvary Church East Anaheim, 5605 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim.Hayes is survived by his father, Judge W. Michael Ha ... 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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

[UPDATED with Looming Federal Regs:] Windpower Convention Blows into Anaheim

​UPDATE, MAY 26, 8:33 A.M.: Talk about taking the wind out of your sails.An official of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) informed attendees of the Windpower 2011 Convention & Exhibition at the Anaheim Convention Center that a process begins next year to formally reg ... 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 >>

[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 >>

Billionaire Henrys, Nicholas and Samueli, Move to Settle Broadcom Shareholder Suits

​"The Henrys," as Henry T. Nicholas (right) and Henry Samueli are known, had their billionaire asses saved in 2009 when a federal judge accused the prosecution of misconduct and eventually dropped all charges against Broadcom's co-founders. The judge also disappeared the case against William Ruehl ... More >>

[UPDATE] 5 Die in Long Beach Plane Crash. Tom Dean, Laguna Beach Developer, and Bruce Krall, Ladera Ranch Banker, Among the Dead

​UPDATE, MARCH 21, 4:10 P.M.: The doomed twin-engine plane pilot who died in Wednesday morning's Long Beach Airport crash has been identified as Kenneth Earl Cruz.The 43-year-old Culver City resident worked for Rainbow Air of Long Beach, had been a commercial pilot since 2003 an ... More >>

Pilot of Airbus That Nearly Collided with Plane Sees Dark Days Ahead in Skies Above John Wayne Airport

​A cockpit alarm prevented a collision between a small aircraft and an Airbus 319 jetliner in the skies above John Wayne Airport (JWA) this past September.Later, on the FAA's Aviation Safety Reporting System log, the Airbus 319 pilot predicted that the mix of large jets and light aircraft at JWA " ... More >>

Guess Who Paid for Study Advocating Free Prepaid Cell Phones for the Poor?

​A "first of its kind" study by the New Millennium Research Council (NMRC) concludes $4 billion in income could be generated for the poor by simply giving such folks free prepaid cell phones."Subsidized Cell Phones Provide Significant Economic Gains for Poor and Near-Poor Americans" singles out ... More >>

John Wayne Airport Changes Flight Route, But Will It Change the Field's Scary Rep?

​John Wayne Airport--which already has a reputation for being one of the world's scariest because of its steep, vertical takeoffs and throttle-cutting procedures--will have pilots essentially threading a tighter needle beginning next month.A new flight path called STREL will push aircraft into the ... More >>

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 >>

Nike Messenger Project

Memphis Cafe

Bike Messenger Project Opening Reception

Memphis Cafe

JetBlue Fetes More Las Vegas-Long Beach Flights With Special $19 One-Way Fares

​Do you suppose a budget airline's $40.68 roundtrip flights between Long Beach and Las Vegas has anything to do with JetBlue promoting expanded service between its Southern California hub and Sin City with $19 flights each way?Naaaaaaaaw, totally coinky-dink.

Airport Airspace Changes Prompted by Mid-Air Collision Warnings Come in for Criticism

​Looking up at the skies over north Costa Mesa a couple weeks ago produced a most disturbing site: a JetBlue plane making its normal descent into Long Beach Airport was passed maybe 100 feet above by another airliner heading for either LAX or the landing line at John Wayne Airport. Maybe that's a ... More >>

Today on the High-Speed Rail Seesaw...

​Are the current plans for a $40-billion high-speed train meant to connect Fresno and San Francisco with Los Angeles, Anaheim and San Diego brilliant or reckless? Everytime you start to form an opinion, something comes the other way down the tracks. Take, for example, the past 24 hours:

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 >>

Mail-Stealing Mail Worker Sent to Jail

Flickr user Steve 2.0 / Creative Commons.​Tired of using the excuse that your grandma's birthday card didn't ever arrive because it was "lost in the mail?" Instead try this one: It was stolen by a postal worker.That would have been a valid excuse coming from many victims of former US Postal Servic ... More >>

Playing Hive and Seek With the Backyard Beekeepers

Oil Can

The Iron Giant

!Ask a Mexican!

'Real-life Mexicans not only dont care about those stereotypes, they embrace them'