What would movies be without music? As far back as the silent era, accompanying musicians (often organists) or small orchestras were fundamental to the moviegoing experience. Today, major films produce a legion of best-selling…
The cost of higher education in the United States has been growing at such an alarming rate that total student loan debt in the country hit $1.7 trillion this year after topping $1 trillion…
Despite the rise of cyber attacks involving things like phishing, denial of service, and malware, people often still create passwords that are easy to crack (simple numerical sequences, for instance, or personal information that…
Vodka is the most popular liquor in the United States – and has been since 1970. According to Forbes, 78.1 million cases of vodka were sold in the U.S. in 2021 – edging out…
As long as there have been motion pictures, there have been horror films. The genre has gone through numerous evolutions since the first three-minute horror short, “Le Manoir du Diable” (“The House of the…
In 2020, the highest-grossing movie in the U.S. — the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence action comedy “Bad Boys for Life” — was rated R. Since 1968, when the Motion Picture Association instituted its…
As most people who commute by car know, rush hour is often anything but speedy. The times of the day when people are most likely driving to and from work is also when you’re…
In 2020, more women ran for national office in America than in any other year in history. Most prominently, Kamala Harris became Vice-President. With Nancy Pelosi already having previously broken through the glass ceiling…
Perhaps you’re an aspiring indoor gardener – or one who’s tried to nurture houseplants but killed dozens in the past, despite your best efforts. In either case, don’t fear. Raising healthy, vibrant houseplants doesn’t…
To be nominated for an Oscar is an honor. But let’s be honest: Winning is a lot more fun and a lot more satisfying. So much goes into making a film, from top-notch acting…
Gross domestic product is a metric often used to compare the sizes of economies as well as how well an economy performs. As the world’s largest economy, the U.S. GDP is over $21 trillion.…
Science fiction is an often undervalued genre, considered lowbrow by many. Why distract oneself with films about aliens or killer robots when there are higher art forms to absorb? A good answer might be:…
“The Sound of Music,” the heart-warming 1965 musical starring Julie Andrews, and “Get Out,” the 2017 horror film written and directed by Jordan Peele, have something in common: They are both among the 75…
Italian restaurants in America today are many and varied, and much more authentic and/or regionally focused and/or contemporary in style than they used to be. It’s possible to find real Ligurian, Roman, Sicilian, and…
The U.S. unemployment rate has been edging back toward pre-pandemic levels in recent months, falling to 3.9% in December 2021 compared to 3.5% in February 2020. Joblessness varies by industry and region, but overall,…
“You have to be in it to win it!” Although that phrase could refer to anything in life, it most often applies to a lottery. Americans apparently take that advice very seriously. In 2019,…
As the COVID-19 pandemic spread, many Americans struggled to make ends meet without a weekly paycheck after the mass layoffs in the early days of the pandemic. Although expanded unemployment benefits helped for a…
With more than 32 million small businesses in 2021 — about 8% of them founded in any given year — the United States has a vibrant business startup culture. Even though nearly half of…
Businesses come and go, and fortunately there are always entrepreneurs willing to start up a business — some more successfully than others. (These are large cities where starting a business is worth the risk.)…
Rap originated in the Bronx in the 1970s and has grown into one of the most popular musical forms in the world. In 2017, R&B/Hip-Hop became the most listened to genre according to Nielsen…
