Category: Life Style

Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh chosen to host the 2030 World Expo

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Read time : 2 mins

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A supporter of the candidacy of Busan, South Korea, jokes with a supporter Riyadh , Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023 in Issy-les-Moulineaux, outside Paris. In a high-profile showdown, Rome, Busan, and Riyadh are the top contenders as the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) prepares to vote on Tuesday in Paris for the host city of the 2030 World Expo. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

By THOMAS ADAMSON and SYLVIE CORBET Associated Press

ISSY-LES-MOULINEAUX, France (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh was chosen on Tuesday to host the 2030 World Expo, beating out South Korean port city Busan and Rome for an event expected to draw millions of visitors.

Riyadh was picked by a majority of 119 out of 165 votes by the member states of the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions, or BIE.

The vote has been held behind closed doors in Issy-les-Moulineaux, a southwestern suburb of the French capital. The result was greeted with cheers by the Saudi delegation. Busan got 29 votes and Rome 17.

With the stakes high, each city has escalated its campaign efforts, showcasing unique visions and ambitious promises to secure the rights to the globally prestigious event. Continue reading

Supporting nonprofits on GivingTuesday this year could have a bigger impact than usual

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Level : Advanced

FILE – Sgt. Kevin Fowler organizes food at a food bank distribution by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, in Cleveland. Supporting nonprofits on GivingTuesday this year could have a bigger impact than usual as nonprofits and industry groups say donations so far are down compared with previous years. Many organizations will be looking to make up the difference on GivingTuesday, which is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak File)

By THALIA BEATY Associated Press

Supporting nonprofits on GivingTuesday this year could have a bigger impact than usual. Why? Because nonprofits and industry groups say donations so far are down compared with previous years.

Many organizations will look to make up the difference on GivingTuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which started as a hashtag in 2012 and has grown into one of the biggest fundraising dates on the calendar. Many nonprofits will run matching campaigns, meaning a supporter has pledged to double or sometimes triple the donation of other, smaller donors.

Combine that boost with businesses that match employee donations and it can really add up, said Tim Pries, who runs a small production studio in the Bay Area matching employee gifts to nonprofits of up to $1,000.

“It’s just kind of exponential, which makes me happy in my heart that a little bit goes a much longer way, especially on that day,” Pries said. Continue reading

Unlocking Your Career Potential: Learning a Second Language is a Job Market Game-Changer

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Read time : 5 mins

Level : Intermediate

By Caitriona Maria | Wealth of Geeks undefined

Only 21.9% of Americans speak two or more languages in a world where over half of the globe’s population is estimated to be bilingual.

Although the United States is a global leader in some respects, a new generation of Americans is growing up in an increasingly interconnected world and will need to speak more than English to succeed.

Parents seeking advantages for their children in the global market should prioritize bilingualism. With various leading languages to choose from, knowing which to study is half the battle.

According to the World Economic Forum, Spanish and Mandarin are the top two languages in the world. Experts also suggest French as the language of international diplomacy; it’s one of the two official working languages of the United Nations. Continue reading

Side Hustles: Red Flags or Great for Boosting Employee Performance?

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Level : Intermediate

By Ananyaa Bhowmik | Wealth of Geeks undefined

A study conducted by Lending Tree late last year found 44% of Americans have a side hustle. As the cost of living surges, many Americans resort to busting into the gig economy to feed their lifestyles. This may make bosses across industries more than a little worried.

The study shows a whopping 13% rise in Americans with a side hustle since 2020. Gen Zs make up a considerable portion of these growing numbers, with 62% saying that they have a side hustle.

But the expert consensus is that a little side action, employment-wise, actually may improve employees’ performance at their primary jobs. Continue reading

Less boo for your buck: For the second Halloween in a row, US candy inflation hits double digits

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Read time : 3 mins

Level : Intermediate

An assortment of Halloween candy is shown in this photo taken on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023 in New York. For the second year in a row, U.S. shoppers are seeing double-digit inflation in the candy aisle. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer

Spooked by the high price of Halloween candy? There’s not much relief in sight.

For the second year in a row, U.S. shoppers are seeing double-digit inflation in the candy aisle. Candy and gum prices are up an average of 13% this month compared to last October, more than double the 6% increase in all grocery prices, according to Datasembly, a retail price tracker. That’s on top of a 14% increase in candy and gum prices in October 2022.

“The price of candy has gotten to be outrageous,” said Jessica Weathers, a small business owner in Shiloh, Illinois. “It doesn’t make sense to me to spend $100 on candy.” Continue reading

Pics or It Didn’t Happen: The Rise of the Photo-Obsessed American

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Level : Intermediate

By Michael Dinich | Wealth of Geeks undefined

The average American whips out their phone to take a photo six times each day.

A survey of 2,000 U.S. adults revealed that camera rolls are flooded with group photos with friends (66%) and family (69%), as well as photos of friends (63%) and family (58%) without them in it.

Selfies (58%), pet pics (52%), and scenery (43%) also topped the list of frequent photos.

Events to Remember

Respondents are likely to take photos at events such as graduations (45%), weddings (44%), on vacation (40%), and at sporting events (37%) — with the average person taking nearly 23 pics per event.

Following the event, respondents will look back on those photos a little more than once per month, or 13 times per year. Continue reading

Exhibits and collectors editions mark 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s First Folio

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This cover image released by Rizzoli shows “Shakespeare’s First Folio: 400th Anniversary Facsimile Edition: Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories & Tragedies, Published According to the Originall Copies.” (Rizzoli via AP)

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — On the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s First Folio, rare originals are being displayed and publishers are offering collectors editions of Shakespeare’s plays, including one that sells for $1,500.

Scholars believe that between 200-300 copies still survive from the late 1623 release of “Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories & Tragedies.” Presided over by two friends and former colleagues of Shakespeare, who had died in 1616, the Folio ensured that lasting texts existed for “Macbeth,” “Twelfth Night” and other cornerstones of Western literature. In Shakespeare’s lifetime, many of his works were unpublished or available only in cheap paperback editions. Continue reading

From Coke floats to Cronuts, going viral can have a lasting effect on a small business

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Dominique Ansel ices Cronuts before the opening of his namesake bakery in New York, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023. In 2013, before most people knew the term “going viral,” the French pastry chef created the Cronut, a cross between a croissant and a doughnut, at his newly opened New York bakery. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

By MAE ANDERSON AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The Lexington Candy Shop in New York City has served burgers, fries and shakes to hungry patrons for decades. Last remodeled in 1948, the diner is the definition of old-fashioned.

But that hasn’t stopped it from getting a wave of new fans.

In August 2022, this old school business met the new world when Nicolas Heller, a TikToker and Instagrammer with 1.2 million followers known as New York Nico, popped in for a traditional Coke float – Coke syrup, soda water and ice cream. Naturally, he took a video. It went viral, garnering 4.8 million likes.

“The next day (after the video was posted), the lines started forming at 8 in the morning,” John Philis, the diner’s third-generation co-owner, recalls with amazement. “And it was like, huh!” Continue reading

The Best Places to Live in 2023. Does Your City Make the Cut?

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Read time : 4 mins

Level : Intermediate

By Franklin Schneider | Wealth of Geeks undefined

In a polarized society, it’s no surprise Americans are divided on the best places to live in the United States. Many top destinations have just as many detractors as fans.

A new study by real estate company Home Bay, in partnership with Allied Van Lines, asked 1,000 respondents where they do and do not want to live, as well as places they consider over and underrated. As expected, the results revealed many split opinions.

San Francisco, for example, was the sixth-most desirable place to live but the seventh most undesirable place to live. New York City was considered the fourth most desirable city, the fifth most undesirable city, and the most overrated city.

However, there were some clear winners and losers. Continue reading

US breaking pros want to preserve Black roots, original style of hip-hop dance form at Olympics

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Dancers perform during a break in the Breaking for Gold Big Apple breakdancing regional competition Saturday, April 22, 2023, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. The hip-hop dance form makes its official debut at the Paris Games in 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

By AARON MORRISON AP Race and Ethnicity News Editor

As ambassadors of the country where breakdancing originated 50 years ago, members of Team USA have something to prove — and potentially to lose — when the hip-hop dance form makes its official debut at the Paris Games in 2024.

That’s because for U.S. breakers like Carmarry Hall, Victor Montalvo and Jeffrey Mike Louis, it’s more than just nailing the right moves; it’s about preserving breaking’s soul.

“When I started breaking, it wasn’t about competition; it was about culture, it was about Black dance,” said Hall, an African American Team USA member. “The Olympic platform is not going to appreciate the understanding. It’s structured in a certain way, and in that structure, you lose a little bit of the heart.”

But it is precisely that structure that international competitors to the U.S. have zoned in on while battling for a shot at Olympic gold in head-to-head contests over the past year. And at the moment, Team USA’s squad of b-boys and b-girls, the term for male and female breakers, is trailing in rankings tabulated by the World DanceSport Federation, the International Olympic Committee-approved body that administers breaking battles. Continue reading