Curiosities 62

The World’s Highest-Paid TV Actresses

These top 10 big earners of the small screen made a combined $156.5 million between June 1, 2016 and June 1, 2017, before taxes and fees. And while each actress added millions to her bank account in the last 12 months, no one managed to out-earn Sofia Vergara, who has been number one on the list for six straight years.

Elle Macpherson, 53

The supermodel took a bikini-clad siesta after a hard day of posing seaside.
Elle Macpherson (born Eleanor Nancy Gow; 29 March 1964) is an Australian model, businesswoman, television host and actress. She is well known for her record five cover appearances for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue beginning in the 1980s, leading to her nickname The Body. She is the founder, primary model, and creative director for a series of business ventures, including Elle Macpherson Intimates, a lingerie line, and The Body, a line of skin care products.

Rosato Is the New Rosé

Giving up our favorite pink beverage as soon as cold weather strikes = double whammy. Luckily, we have the Italians to thank for rosato, a dark rouge rosé that’s reminiscent of tart pomegranates and cranberries.

Even if you don’t swirl your glass before every sip, swish it loudly in your mouth and say things like “I definitely taste tire rubber,” you can still enjoy the world of wine. In fact, right now’s a great time to explore the industry as some super interesting, delicious and fun trends are popping up. Here, seven super fun wine trends about to take over fall.

While there’s no secret formula for happiness, research suggests that certain factors can influence our overall well-being.

In fact, everything from the type of job you have to your relationships and your level of physical activity can influence your satisfaction in life. Studies have also found that our “everyday contentment” increases with our income – but this relationship plateaus after an annual salary of $75,000, although this threshold likely varies depending on where you live.

In a new study, personal finance website WalletHub examined the happiness level of all 50 states in the US using 28 key factors, drawn from relevant research. This includes metrics such as depression rate, sports participation rate, income growth, and more.

According to WalletHub, here are the 20 happiest states in America, ranked in increasing order of happiness.

You can read more about the study’s methodology on WalletHub.

Still trying to go clear

The Church of Scientology has been in the peripheral awareness of those of us interested in pop culture for decades — but, for the most part, we all just thought it was kind of a kooky religion that Hollywood’s elite tended to gravitate toward. We didn’t know a whole lot about it, but it seemed harmless enough. Until Leah Remini decided to blow the lid off the whole deal, that is.

As a former Scientologist herself, Remini has accused the church of physical, emotional and sexual abuse against men, women and children — and she’s not anywhere near done exposing the inner goings-on of Scientology on her Emmy-nominated show, Scientology and the Aftermath. But even with all of the recent bad press, there is still a grip of celebs who are Scientologists. Check it out.

Originally published December 2016. Updated September 2017. Still trying to go clear The Church of Scientology has been in the peripheral awareness of those of us interested in pop culture for decades — but, for the most part, we all just thought it was kind of a kooky religion that Hollywood’s elite tended to gravitate toward. We didn’t know a whole lot about it, but it seemed harmless enough.

Less pain

Less pain is on the list of benefits of meditation. Just ten minutes a day of mindfulness meditation may reduce the need for painkillers by improving pain tolerance and decreasing anxiety levels, according to new research out of Leeds Beckett University. The study included 24 healthy university students who were randomly split into a control group and a meditation group. Participants were asked to put their hand in warm water for two minutes before removing it and placing it into ice water for as long as they could stand.

They then either sat quietly for 10 minutes or meditated before doing it again. Both groups performed similarly the first time around, but the participants in the meditation group saw a decrease in anxiety about pain and a higher pain threshold and pain tolerance on the second go. ‘These results do show that a brief mindfulness meditation intervention can be of benefit in pain relief,’ says Osama Tashani, PhD, Senior Research Fellow in Pain Studies at Leeds Beckett University in Leeds, UK, in a news release. Holding hands with your partner can also help quash pain.

On August 24, Victoria’s Secret officially announced the lineup for its annual fashion show. This season, 59 models made the cut to walk the runway in Shanghai, China, on November 28.

Victoria’s Secret’s 14 official Angels – including favorites like Adriana Lima and Candice Swanepoel – will be joined by 16 newcomers and 29 returning models. While Bella Hadid is one of the latter, it’s unclear if Kendall Jenner will be back on the runway. And out of the newcomers, viewers should keep an eye out for promising models like Aiden Curtiss, Frida Aasen, and Xin Xie.

While fans count down to the fashion show, here are the models who have been confirmed to walk the runway.

Having trouble finding a date? It wouldn’t hurt to work on your opening line. Or upgrade your wardrobe. Or get a better haircut. But it may also be that you’re just in the wrong locale: When it comes to finding a date and a great place to take them, not all cities are created equal. Some don’t have many single folk to begin with; others don’t have a lot of fun bars or restaurants to entertain you and your date (if you find one).

To help figure out the cities with the best singles scenes, we pulled data from the U.S. Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics, WalletHub, and more, determining which metropolitan areas have the most dating spots per capita, the highest percentage of singles, and more. Together, these numbers show where the best singles scenes are and thus which cities are the best for dating—some are what you’d expect, but a few will probably surprise you.

Watch your back

In line at the grocery store, I’ll hold my phone like I’m looking at the screen and snap your card as you’re using it. Next thing you know, I’m ordering things online—on your dime. If you lose your wallet, take these 10 steps to stop identity theft.