By Steve Huff 11/08/12 1:58pm

Crime

Crime Scene

Long Island Man Arrested for Black Friday Home Depot Extortion Plot

Federal and New York State authorities have announced the arrest of Deer Park, N.Y., resident Daniel Sheehan, age 50. Investigators say that in October, the Home Depot employee sent an anonymous ransom demand letter to a Huntington, N.Y., Home Depot, warning store management that a bomb was hidden in the lighting department.

This was allegedly intended to demonstrate the letter writer’s ability to easily conceal an explosive device inside the store. Read More

By The Editors 11/30/11 10:04am

Opening Shot

The ever-fashionable Lady Gaga, umbrella ensemble and all.

Thanksgiving Makes Way to Presents and Pepper Spray

Do you hear those sleigh bells ring-a-ling too? Every year we think we’re going crazy when the radio starts playing Christmas songs the moment the organic Whole Foods turkey has turned to Thanksgiving leftovers. (It’s been especially unnerving this year, considering the temperature has us repacking our winter sweaters.) We’re happy to get an early jump on the shopping—er—giving this year, as long it means that we can stuff our stockings with toys from Lady Gaga’s workshop at Barneys. Only $95 for an Alexander McQueen shoe replica made out of chocolate? That’s less than we paid at the Met to see the reel heel!

Another holiday treat has been the silence on Wall Street. Maybe everyone made peace on Thanksgiving … you know, just like the Pilgrims and Indians did before the former wiped out the indigenous culture with smallpox. Read More

By Emily Witt 11/25/11 11:10am

Shopping is hard

scan

Black Friday Shoppers Take Their Barricade Busting Cues from Occupy Wall Street

Yesterday, the photo on the front page of the print edition of The New York Times showed some people sitting in tents outside a Best Buy in Texas. Without the helpful caption explaining that these occupiers were there to shop and not to protest, this could have easily been perceived as an anti-consumerism sit-in. But that would have gotten everyone pepper-sprayed. Read More