The weather outside may be frightful. Unfortunately, your heating bill probably is, too.
Because of spiking fuel costs for most of 2008, the average U.S. household will spend 15 percent more this year on home heating than last year, according to the Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy and Winter Fuels Outlook. The organization estimates that the average American will spend $1,137 heating his or her home between October 2008 and March 2009.
Yikes!

Let’s face it. High schoolers are probably the most difficult group to shop for when the holidays come around. They’re too old for a Tickle Me Elmo and too young for a professional stationery set. And sometimes it’s hard to get a gift request out of a 17-year-old guy.
Whether they say it or not, however, there are plenty of presents that teens are clamoring over this season. So here are a few gifts that are a million times better than a six-pack of socks.

The four best months to go to the movie theater are May, June, July and December. Yes, December. Blockbusters fill the summer, but as the Academy Awards approach, movie studios load the month of December with their Oscar-worthy releases.
This December is shaping up to be a doozie.
Six serious Best Picture contenders will be released in a three-week span, and a handful of anticipated sci-fi and action films will also make their mark on the holidays.
Here are 15 movies you can see during the next two months. I guarantee you’ll like at least one of them.

U2 is one of the few bands that has remained both popular and relevant for a three-decade span. In that time, the band has undoubtedly touched millions around the world with its music.

Long before “Australia” was shown in any theater, it was considered a contender for a Best Picture Oscar. If it does win the award, it will be a travesty. “Australia” suffers from a lack of originality and messy pacing.

Entertainment briefs for Nov. 28, 2008

In a time when hip-hop’s biggest acts are making music for the club, Murs chooses to be different. While Soulja Boy cranks that Superman, Murs is forming some of hip-hop’s best love songs.
He doesn’t do drugs. He doesn’t rap about killing people. He is different, and he wants to make the path of hip-hop different as well.
“Most young hip-hop listeners aren’t looking for the next John Lennon,” Murs says. “They’re not looking for something intelligent... and they haven’t been equipped to think because they’ve been fed nonsense for the last 10 years or so.”

Briefs for Nov. 21, 2008

With the success of “Rock Band” and the “Guitar Hero” series of games, it seems as if every video-game developer is trying its hand at making a popular music game. Some big follow-ups and new titles were released in the last month. Here’s the rundown:

Nicolas Cage is in 11 upcoming films. Unfortunately, none of them will be good.