East German industries thriving in West 20 years after wall falls

Many people feared it would take several decades for East to catch up with West after the wall collapsed on Nov. 9, 1989. But today, economic output of eastern Germans has surpassed 70 percent of that of western Germans — up from one third in 1991. Read More

A growing PayPal could soon overshadow parent eBay

John Donahoe, eBay’s CEO, has said he expects PayPal to surpass the marketplaces business in revenue simply because PayPal targets all of electronic commerce while eBay is one of many online sales sites. Read More

Arkin relishes role in 'Anarchy'

LOS ANGELES -- When Adam Arkin signed on for "Sons of Anarchy," he didn't have reservations about his role as a slick white separatist or the FX drama's dark heart. Read More

Seeking sacred in life

Authors to talk about religion and pop culture in American society

In the U.S., religion and popular culture often go hand in hand. Sermons are broadcast on television and radio. Bibles are illustrated and marketed to particular demographics. Read More

Charleston chef plans trip to homeland

Italian chef and Charleston restaurateur Massimiliano Sarrocchi once again will lead a small group tour to his homeland May 8-17. The first six nights will be spent in a remodeled 15th-century convent in the hillsides of Siena on the Via Francigena, the ancient road used by Crusaders and ... Read More

Community clinics *

Access To Better Children's Dentistry Address: 1243 Savannah Highway, Charleston. Phone: 573-0733. Dental Care for those up to age 20 with Medicaid, Partners for Healthy Children or Headstart. Dental office is in West Ashley in the Parkwood Pediatric Center. Barrier... Read More

Decorating in a jiffy

Usually home decorating is an evolving process. But sometimes speed is of the essence -- say, when you're preparing to sell your house or you're just eager for a change. That's Jill Vegas' forte. Read More

Novel looks at fight to save family from Nazis

THE PUZZLE KING. By Betsy Carter. Algonquin. 344 pages. $23.95. Read More

Novel a rap on blight, greed

THE YEAR OF THE FLOOD. By Margaret Atwood. Doubleday. 434 pages. $26.95. Read More

Author reinterprets the tale of 'Peter Pan'

THE CHILD THIEF. By Brom. EOC Books. 481 pages. $26.99. Read More

'Fear' author weaves story of deception

FEAR THE WORST. By Linwood Barclay. Random House. 416 pages. $24. Read More

Talking Heads singer makes sense on bicycle

BICYCLE DIARIES. By David Byrne. Viking. 304 pages. $25.95. Read More

'Hardball' worth the 4-year wait

HARDBALL. By Sara Paretsky. Putnam. 446 pages. $26.95. Read More

Story of couple in Kenya unconvincing

A CHANGE IN ALTITUDE. By Anita Shreve. Little, Brown. 307 pages. $26.99. Read More

Stuckey feels more at home in Cleveland

When Chansi Stuckey was traded from the New York Jets to Cleveland last month, the former Clemson wide receiver thought he would have a big role in the Browns' passing game. Think again. Read More

Reed wins September Golden Pen

Rick Reed of Sullivan's Island has won The Post and Courier's Golden Pen Award for September for his letter to the editor, "Protect barrier island system." Read More

Don't rush Calhoun plan past concerned residents

A preliminary plan for a $100 million makeover of Gaillard Municipal Auditorium, and for offices in new buildings along the streets surrounding the auditorium, is the latest big plan for east Calhoun Street. Read More

Ford's instructive success drive

Five months ago, Ford Motor Co. declined a federal bailout. Six days ago, Ford reported a third-quarter profit of nearly $1 billion. The happy lesson of this story: One of the "Big Three" U.S. automakers isn't dependent on massive infusions of taxpayer dollars. Read More

Hardy could give TNA big boost

Which free-agent star would you go after if you had a wrestling company, a sizable bankroll and your initials weren’t WWE? If you’re Dixie Carter, you’ve got to be thinking about that question. Read More

Corporate giants like Nucor sitting on piles of cash

Nucor doesn't trust the government to reinvigorate the economy. “We’re keeping our powder dry,” says the steelmaker's CEO. Read More