Last year saw the fewest tickets sold at movie theaters since 1995. Ticket sales were down during the “blockbuster” season of summer, and the year’s “best” films—in terms of critical acclaim and awards like last night’s
Personal Finance
When Gas Prices Are High, High Car Prices Follow
Three states have already passed the $4-a-gallon mark for gas: Alaska, California, Hawaii. Three more—New York, Connecticut, Oregon—look like they’ll be next. By springtime, $4 is expected to be the average price for a gallon …
Get Ready For More Ads on Facebook
Facebook users may have one less thing to “like” about the social media powerhouse starting this week. A leaked copy of a presentation about a new marketing plan the company is said to be announcing this week offers a detailed …
At Panera’s Pay-What-You-Want Cafes, Customers Usually Pay Full Price
Who knew asking people to pay whatever they wanted for a sandwich or a cup or soup would prove to be a successful business model? Panera Bread’s nonprofit arm generated some buzz in 2010 when it announced an unusual concept: …
Free Video Game Rentals This Week at Redbox
Out of the blue (err, red, I suppose), the ubiquitous DVD- and video game-rental kiosk service Redbox has announced five days in a row of free video game rentals.
Lintinis? Spiced Chicken ‘Lings’? The Latest in Marketing Jeremy Lin & ‘Linsanity’
Don’t feel bad for Knicks’ sensation Jeremy Lin just because he played poorly in the team’s Thursday night loss to LeBron James and the Miami Heat. Lin will be the most discussed player during the NBA All-Star weekend in Orlando, …
Index Funds Win Again — This Time By a Landslide
Index mutual funds trounced actively managed mutual funds last year by the widest margin in 15 years. Why are you sticking with an active manager?
Top 10 Most (Yawn) Sleep-Deprived Jobs
Among the occupations that get the shortest amount of shuteye each night, several make life-and-death decisions regularly. And members of one profession on the list carry guns on the job. Anybody need coffee?
5 States With the Worst Credit Scores
What’s in a number? When that number is your credit score, it’s the key that gives you access to credit cards, mortgages and other loans. Anything below 720 can make it tougher or more expensive to get a loan now, which means a …
New Way to Get a Job: Stalk-Worship the Company
During the recession-scarred past several years, job candidates have gone to extraordinary lengths to try to get hired. Some have offered cash rewards—as much as $25,000!—to anyone who helps land them a job, while others have …
Drivers Upgrading to New Cars at Slowest Pace in Years
Buy a new car, and the odds are getting better and better that you’ll still have it when it’s an old car. Not long ago, after buying a car new, the average driver kept it for four years before selling it or trading it for another …
Why It’s So Hard to Make a Living as a Snake Charmer Nowadays
New regulations, government bureaucracy, political connections and changing cultural tastes can affect any career path — and that includes that of a traditional snake charmer in India.