If the the tanking economy or decline in Santas and Christmas trees isn't enough to take the yuletide spirit out of your holiday shopping this year, a mall in Staten Island has found a new way to spruce itself up for the season: putting up mug shots of shoplifters. The Staten Island Mall is giving everyone a look at thieves who were caught stealing there by placing the crooks' photographs up on advertising boards throughout it. DA Daniel Donovan has developed a program that digitally mixes the images of shoplifters in with ads for shops within the mall. more ›

Today's Post has discovered the latest way to point out just how tightly all of our purse strings are being pulled by tugging at our heart strings and highlighting the latest group to feel the burn of the tanking economy: holiday Santas. The paper talks to a number of Santas who are not surprisingly seeing a downturn in the Santa presence being used this year by malls and holiday hot spots around town like FAO Schwartz and Tavern on the Green--even Volunteers for America are taking them off the sidewalks. One Kris Kringle tells the paper that the $30,000 he made two years ago will likely be $3,000 this season. The situation is so grave that recently it was recently reported that the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas, which represents 700 Santas, held a series of meetings to discuss their economic survival. Where will Santas turn with all this time on their hands? more ›