ENTERTAINMENT
February 14, 2009 | Erika Schickel
Helen Fisher thinks dating should be less about romance and more about science. "If you are describing yourself on a dating site or in the personals," she writes in "Why Him? Why Her?
BUSINESS
February 8, 2009 | Alana Semuels
You may already know Alana Semuels from her holiday advice column on The Times' website. With Valentine's Day coming up, she debuts in print as etiquette maven Ask Alana, answering questions about romance and finance. Relationships are hard enough without the economy being in the crapper. Now that money is tight, annoying financial issues in your relationship or dating life have the potential to become huge craters that could run you off-road.
BUSINESS
February 1, 2009 | Michelle Maltais
4 So, a man and a woman walk into a theater with a budget of $25. . . . That was the opening of the evening my pal Jevon and I had planned for an informal night of cheap laughs. We had intended to hit the Second City improv, but we walked into the wrong theater on Hollywood Boulevard. We unwittingly stumbled into comedic relationship therapy at iO West -- a date that killed two birds with $10 each.
BUSINESS
February 1, 2009 | Julie Makinen
8 In Ohio, the drive-in was a summer ritual. My mom would pile me, my brother and at least four of the neighbor kids into her faux-wood-paneled Oldsmobile station wagon and roar off into the humid dusk. Snuggled up in a pile of pillows and blankets, we'd be mesmerized by kiddie gems like "Herbie Goes Bananas." We'd stuff our faces with popcorn and other treats brought from home; weeks later, we'd still be picking kernels and smooshed gummy bears out of the Custom Cruiser's back seat.
BUSINESS
February 1, 2009 | Andrea Chang
7 The last time my boyfriend, Aaron, and I went on a date for $25 or less, we were in high school. So we were pleasantly surprised at how much we could do for that price now. We started our day at the Hollywood Farmers Market, strolling around and sampling fresh produce, lavender-flavored goat cheese and apple cider. At a flower stand, Aaron paid a buck to buy me two pink gerbera daisies. We also picked up a pound of grapes for $2 and scored big when the seller tossed in an extra half-pound.
BUSINESS
February 1, 2009 | Sallie Hofmeister
6 My partner, David, and I had missed celebrating the New Year with a couple of our friends, so we made plans to meet them at the Malibu Seafood Fresh Fish Market and Patio Cafe a few Sundays later to satisfy our craving for raw oysters and champagne. I packed a little cooler with a couple of bottles of Blason de Bourgogne's Cremant de Bourgogne, a delicious French sparkling wine sold at Trader Joe's for $9.99. I dug out a box of cheap champagne flutes and tucked an oyster knife into my pocket.