31Dec
13 Benefits And 5 Struggles Of Marrying Your Best Friend

Marrying your best friend — yay or nay? Opinions are often split down the middle on this. As I stood at the altar, surrounded by the warmth of loved ones and the anticipation of a lifetime ahead, I couldn’t help but see myself as the biggest cheerleader of the concept.

You see, my story isn’t one of whirlwind romances or chance encounters. Instead, it’s a tale woven through the threads of time spent laughing, confiding, and navigating life’s twists and turns — I married my best friend. Little did I know that the person who happened to share inside jokes and midnight conversations with me would eventually become my wife, ready to embark on the adventure of marriage as my life partner.

Marrying your best friend is a unique and transformative experience, filled with its own set of joys and challenges. In this article, we’ll delve into the pros and cons of marrying your best friend, drawing inspiration from the very journey that brought me to the realization that this is a profound chapter in the book of love — one that unfolds with the familiarity of a cherished story and the unpredictability of a thrilling novel.

What Percentage Of People Get Married To Their Best Friend?

It’s challenging to provide an exact percentage of people who marry their best friend because such data is not consistently tracked, and people’s definitions of “best friend” can vary. Additionally, cultural, social, and individual factors play a significant role in shaping relationship dynamics when marrying childhood best friend.

While statistics on marrying one’s best friend specifically may be elusive, numerous surveys and studies emphasize the importance of friendship in successful marriages. These findings suggest that cultivating a strong friendship with your partner is a key factor in long-lasting and fulfilling relationships with no bottled-up secrets.

Related Reading: Friendship In Marriage Strengthens Couple’s Bond

In this particular study on being married to your favorite person, “The results show that successful couples trust and consult each other, are honest, believe in God, make life decisions together, are committed to each other, and have a friendly relationship. Traditional couples and non-traditional couples differed only in the procedures of family management.”

It’s also not uncommon for married couples to emphasize a strong foundation of friendship in their romantic relationships. Many successful marriages are built on a deep emotional connection and shared values, often resembling the qualities found in strong friendships. Not to mention, it’s a marriage filled with fun! As a result, marrying your best friend reduces divorce more often than not and is great for your well-being.

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Now let’s get into the pros and cons of marrying your best friend.

13 Good Reasons To Marry Your Best Friend

In the complex landscape of romantic relationships, the notion of marrying one’s best friend emerges as a beacon of enduring companionship. This concept of being married to your favorite person transcends the conventional boundaries of marriage, weaving a narrative that goes beyond mere partnership. As we embark on an exploration of the 13 compelling reasons to make your best friend your future spouse today, we unravel the intricacies of a bond grounded in deep emotional connection, shared history, and a foundation of mutual respect.

On marrying childhood best friend, this Reddit user says, “My husband and I have known each other since we were 12/13 (now 32/33). I never thought of him as anything other than a friend till after we graduated high school and he finally got the balls to tell me he’d had a crush on me since the first day he saw me. He asked me if I would go out with him over the summer and I figured what the hell, I’m leaving for college in a couple of months… No biggie. We never looked back and although we’ve had our fights, we’ve been married for 13 years.”

From the solace of comfortable silences to the joy found in synchronized growth, being married to one’s best friend is a deliberate choice to forge a lifelong, intimate partnership with your wife/husband and have a friend forever. Additionally, your favorite person already knows all your flaws and deepest secrets and has made peace with them. There are also no bottled-up secrets between the two of you. These strong signs of chemistry are just a few obvious advantages of a great friendship becoming the cornerstone of a happy marriage. There are many, many more. Let’s take a look at 13 such benefits of marrying your best friend:

1. You share a deep emotional connection

Marrying your best friend means spending time sharing a profound emotional bond with your partner that goes beyond the surface level, creating a connection with your wife/husband that can weather the fights and other storms of life. You know each other’s deepest secrets, making this one of the most important benefits of marrying your best friend.

Related Reading: 8 Types Of Soulmates And Deep Soul Connection Signs

2. You have a built-in support system

Your best friend is not only your life partner but also your go-to person for support, encouragement, and understanding. This built-in support system is invaluable to your well-being in both good times and bad and is a good reason to marry your best friend. Spending time nurturing this element of support in your relationship will not only act as a catalyst for happiness in your marriage but also help you deal with issues sooner and more effectively.

3. You have shared history

Being best friends with your spouse often means you have a significant history with your partner, filled with shared memories, experiences, and milestones. There are no bottled-up secrets when you marry your best friend, so this shared past can contribute to a sense of stability and understanding in your relationship and ultimately your marriage.

4. Open communication comes easily to you both

Best friends are accustomed to open and honest communication. Marrying your best friend encourages a culture of transparency, sharing each other’s deepest secrets, making it easier to get through fights, celebrate successes with your partner, and deal with other issues sooner rather than later. All your flaws put together don’t hold a candle to that kind of open communication when you marry your best friend.

5. You have similar values and goals

Friendships often form around shared values and interests. Marrying your best friend means you likely have similar life goals, making it easier to align your plans for the future with your partner. Spending time on these plans will go a long way in keeping your marriage happy. One of the many reasons I married my best friend.

Related Reading: 10 Family Values You Must Share With A Long-Term Partner

6. You both enjoy comfortable silences

Being able to spend time with your partner without the need to talk all the time is a hallmark of a great friendship. Marrying your best friend means feeling comfortable with each other, whether talking or simply being. A recipe for happiness and an often-overlooked reason to marry your best friend. If you and your life partner can live in the moment, make them your spouse today!

7. There is mutual respect

Friendship is built on mutual respect, and this foundation extends seamlessly into a happy marriage with your best friend. Respect for the opinions, boundaries, and individuality of your wife/husband is key to making your marriage last. If you can do this, you won’t fight as much. One of the key reasons why marrying your best friend reduces divorce.

8. Laughter and playfulness are mainstays in your relationship

A sense of humor often underlines strong friendships between two people. Marrying your best friend means having a life partner with whom you can share laughter and maintain a fun, playful, lighthearted attitude even during challenging times. Another reason it’s a great idea to marry your best friend.

Related Reading: Laugh Out Loud: 60 Hilarious Love Jokes For Couples

9. You are each other’s trusted confidant

Best friends are the ones we confide in. Being best friends with your life partner means having a trusted confidant in your spouse, someone with whom you can share your deepest thoughts, fears, and dreams, thus enabling you to connect with your partner on a deeper level. There are also no bottled-up secrets to break this confidence with your wife, making this one of the best reasons to marry your best friend.

10. You see eye to eye on most life decisions

Making life decisions like having kids becomes smoother when you marry your best friend, as you’re likely to have similar values, making compromises and joint decisions more aligned with both life partners’ desires. Spending time communicating these values with each other does wonders for a healthy relationship. This especially helped me transition from friend to boyfriend.

Related Reading: 15 Core Values In A Relationship For A Happy And Lasting Bond

11. You encourage each other to grow

Best friends support each other’s personal growth. Being best friends with your spouse means having a life partner who encourages and accompanies you on your journey of self-discovery, improvement, and overcoming all your flaws, enabling you both to grow in the relationship. Knowing this, why would you not want to marry your best friend?

12. You accept each other unconditionally

Your best friend knows you inside out, including all your flaws and deepest secrets, and loves you anyway. Marrying your best friend means experiencing a profound level of acceptance and love that transcends imperfections. And this is great for your well-being. This kind of acceptance is rare, so if you and your partner have this, make them your spouse today!

Related Reading: Is Unconditional Love In A Relationship Really Possible? 12 Signs You Have It

13. The intimacy is deep and longer lasting

Intimacy in marriage is not just about the physical aspects but also the emotional and intellectual connection with your favorite person. Marrying your best friend fosters a deep and lasting intimacy with your partner that encompasses all dimensions of your relationship. A great reason to be best friends with your wife.

you grow together in the marriage
Successful marriages often have the same qualities as strong friendships

What Are The Struggles Of Marrying Your Best Friend?

While the benefits of marrying your best friend are many, like any other relationship, this, too, comes with its share of struggles and relationship challenges. In the intricate dance between friendship and matrimony, the disadvantages of marrying your best friend can be as nuanced as the joys. Here are some challenges you must be prepared to surmount:

  • Balancing between love and friendship: One significant challenge in being married to your favorite person lies in the delicate balance of preserving the deep-rooted friendship while navigating the uncharted waters of romantic expectations in relationships when you start dating your favorite person. Take it from me — it’s hard enough to transition from friend to boyfriend let alone consider the idea of marriage
  • Risk of losing a great friendship: The risk of losing a great friendship in the event of a romantic fallout casts a shadow over the relationship, intensifying the emotional stakes for many couples
  • Complacency in the relationship: The ease with which friends share their lives in a marriage can sometimes give way to complacency in the relationship, which means spending time and making an intentional effort to maintain the romantic aspects of the relationship is a must when you marry your best friend. It’s best to deal with these issues sooner rather than later
  • Managing expectations: The struggles of marriage intensify when managing the expectations of dual roles – being both a life partner and a confidant
  • Losing individuality: The fear of losing individuality and independence, coupled with the challenge of setting and maintaining boundaries, can strain the relationship when you marry your best friend

Related Reading: 10 Ways To Become Best Friends With Your Spouse

The need for open communication and a shared commitment to growth and adaptation becomes paramount in successfully navigating the disadvantages of marrying your best friend and dealing with these issues sooner rather than later. A poignant example from the realm of celebrity relationships is the much-publicized union between Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake.

Initially inseparable friends, their romantic relationship became a tabloid sensation in the late 1990s when they got married. However, the pressures of fame, coupled with the intense scrutiny from the media and the public, ultimately contributed to the demise of their marriage.

The transition from best friends to lovers proved to be a tumultuous journey, with the weight of expectations and external pressures, particularly from family, taking a toll on their relationship. The unraveling of Spears and Timberlake’s marriage serves as a cautionary tale about the complexities of merging deep friendships with the demands of a high-profile romantic partnership. It’s stories like this that make one think that it’s not always fun and games and that it may not always be such a great idea to marry your best friend.

Key Pointers

  • In a vast majority of cases, a marriage between best friends is a happy one that lasts
  • The shared history and emotional connection solidify the romantic bond
  • But high expectations and external pressures can be detrimental to a happy marriage
  • Spending time understanding the benefits and struggles can go a long way

Ultimately, the success of a marriage with your best friend lies in the dedication to fostering open communication, preserving individual identities, and embracing the evolving nature of the relationship. There is no straight answer to this question. The ability to navigate disagreements, manage external perceptions, and maintain a sense of novelty is crucial for sustaining the vibrancy of the connection with your spouse.

In the end, marrying your best friend is not just about choosing a life partner but embarking on a shared journey of growth, understanding, and enduring companionship. It’s a celebration of a connection that transcends the boundaries of traditional marriage, where friendship becomes the cornerstone of a love story that unfolds with the familiarity of a cherished narrative and the excitement of an unpredictable adventure.

13 Reasons Why My Husband Is My Best Friend

Are You Falling In Love With Your Best Friend? Here’s How You Know

Dating Your Best Friend – 10 Tips For A Smooth Relationship

Ask Our Expert
31Dec
2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid Review: Grow Up, Glow Up

I especially dig the Sportage’s new boomerang-shaped LED light signature.

Antuan Goodwin/CNET

The latest iteration of the  gets a major glow-up. Kia has been aggressively pushing the design of its vehicles to the point that this muscular 2023 Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige looks of a completely different lineage to the cute, small SUV it replaces. (Heck, it’s barely recognizable as a
Kia’s
.) And behind that wild styling is a sweet new hybrid powertrain, vastly improved cabin tech and the automaker’s latest driver-assistance technology.

Like


  • Head-turning, spacious design


  • Smooth and efficient new hybrid system


  • Excellent mix of standard and optional safety tech

Don’t like


  • Upgraded tech loses wireless CarPlay, Android Auto


  • All-wheel drive efficiency penalty


  • Potentially better plug-in model is right around the corner

Head-turning new look

The new Sportage is larger than before at 183.5 inches from bumper to bumper — 7.1 inches longer than the outgoing model — and has an extra 3.4 inches between its axles, bringing the new wheelbase to 108.5 inches. Sharply creased shoulders, more muscular flanks and horizontal grille and rear bumper elements create the illusion of a much broader stance, despite the 73.4-inch wide SUV only being 0.4 inches wider than its forebear. Overall, the new look is more mature with a good balance of proportions familiar to modern
SUVs
in this class with thoughtful and challenging design details that turn heads wherever the Sportage goes.

The growth spurt makes room for a more spacious interior. The Sportage Hybrid now boasts more legroom than the , particularly on the second row where it’s gained a 3.5-inch advantage (41.3 inches versus the 37.8 inches). And even with the battery pack costing a bit of cargo capacity versus the non-hybrid model, the 39.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the Sportage Hybrid’s optional hands-free liftgate (73.7 cubes with the seats folded flat) is still very generous for this class, beating the RAV4 Hybrid’s 37.5 cubic feet.

Despite being called Shadow Matte Gray, this example’s optional $595 exterior finish is more satin than true matte and, frankly, more premium-looking for it. The top SX Prestige spec feels like it was designed with this finish in mind, complementing the paint with satin chrome accents on the grille and window surrounds and contrasting with glossy black trim around the body and wheel arches. And while the LX and EX trim levels come with machine-finish 17- and 18-inch alloy wheels, respectively, the SX Prestige features practically color-matched matte gray 18s with 235/60 all-season tires.

1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid

The Sportage Hybrid is powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-4 mated to a 44-kilowatt electric motor and a 1.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-polymer battery. Together, they make a total of 227 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque which is routed through a 6-speed automatic transmission to either the front wheels or an optional all-wheel-drive system with a locking center differential for light off-road use. This is essentially the same hybrid powertrain from the outstanding Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, but with one more pony, so if you don’t love the Kia’s look, maybe the
Hyundai
will tickle your fancy.

User-selectable drive modes (Normal, Eco and Sport) allow broad customization of the Sportage Hybrid’s responsiveness. Meanwhile, standard paddle shifters grant more precise control over the transmission’s behavior, but I almost never need them given the hybrid SUV’s comfort-tuned suspension favoring a more relaxed driving style.

Front-wheel drive is more efficient, but EX and SX Prestige models come standard with all-wheel drive.

Antuan Goodwin/CNET

The hybrid is the most powerful Sportage variant (for now), being substantially more potent than the 187-hp 2.5-liter engine in the non-hybrid. I’m impressed with the smooth acceleration and solid passing power. The 1.6-liter engine doesn’t deliver the most pleasant wide-open-throttle auditory experience, but it is a lot less drone-y than most CVT-equipped
hybrids
and, during light cruising and city driving, the Sportage Hybrid is satisfyingly quiet.

It’s also fuel-efficient. The front-drive Sportage Hybrid averages 42 mpg in the city, 48 mpg highway and 43 mpg combined according to the EPA’s estimates. Adding all-wheel drive knocks the numbers for my example down to a tidy 38 mpg across the board. Over a 149-mile mix of performance testing and relaxed cruising, I averaged 35.5 mpg — not too far off the mark.

Wait for the PHEV?

Of course, if you’re as impressed with the Sportage Hybrid’s performance as I am, it may be worth waiting for the upcoming plug-in hybrid model expected to launch later this year. The PHEV swaps in a bigger 7.2-kWh battery pack that can be recharged at an outlet or charging station for up to 32 miles of electric range before reverting to gasoline hybrid operation, which should boost overall efficiency. It should also be a touch more powerful thanks to its 67-kW electric motor.

However, there are potential trade-offs to consider: Making room for more battery will cost the PHEV 1.8 inches of rear legroom and 2.1 cubic feet of cargo space — though, it’ll still finish ahead of the RAV4 by both metrics. There’s also the higher expected price and potentially more limited availability to consider. Still, if it’s anywhere near as good as the Hyundai Tucson PHEV — which it almost certainly will be with the same powertrain and tech — the Sportage PHEV will be worth the wait.

The hybrid is great, but I reckon the plug-in version coming later this year will be worth waiting for.

Antuan Goodwin/CNET

Dual-screen cabin tech

The Sportage’s cockpit is home to Kia’s now-familiar dual-display infotainment system that bonds two screens to a single curved glass panel stretching halfway across the dashboard. This is essentially the same infotainment setup we’ve seen previously in the Kia EV6, but with the EV-specific menus swapped out for hybrid screens.

The left display is home to the standard 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and information display. The right is where you’ll find the latest generation of Kia’s UVO touchscreen infotainment. The base LX trim features an 8-inch touchscreen, while EX and SX Prestige step up to a 12.3-inch display with navigation. I’m a fan of this system’s logical and familiar menu system, the user-customizable ‘star’ shortcut buttons on the steering wheel and dashboard and its unique, weird features like the ability to record audio memos or listen to nature sounds on the go. 

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard for all models with wireless connectivity on the base LX spec’s 8-inch system, but not the big-screen EX or SX Prestige models. This is an odd omission that makes the wireless phone charger added at these trim levels feel slightly less useful, but not quite a deal breaker.

Inside, you’ll find improved tech, but also much nicer cabin materials like the SX Prestige’s perforated and quilted SynTex seats.

Antuan Goodwin/CNET

Standard Drivewise driving aids

Regardless of trim, all 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrids come standard with the automaker’s Drivewise driver aid suite. This rolls in lane-keeping assist, forward-collision avoidance with braking assist, blind-spot monitoring, auto-braking rear cross-traffic alert and rear park distance sensors. Other optional safety features that come online with the SX Prestige trim include adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, Kia’s blind spot view cameras and surround-view parking cameras, as well as 360-degree parking distance sensors with collision avoidance brake assist. 

The SX Prestige also adds Kia’s Remote Smart Parking, a feature that allows the driver to move the Sportage straight forward or in reverse while standing curbside. For safety, the system uses the distance sensors to prevent collisions with obstructions or pedestrians and only operates when the driver is close to the vehicle. It’s nowhere near as complex as, say,
Tesla’s
Summon promises, but it’s also extremely simple to operate. Just line the car up with a narrow parking spot, hop out and hold a button on the key fob to guide the Sportage home. As a person living with a garage that mostly goes unused because most cars won’t fit while still being able to open their doors, I’d use this feature every day given the chance.

At the upper trim levels, opting for the hybrid system is almost a no-brainer.

Antuan Goodwin/CNET

The one to get

The 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid starts at $28,585 (including $1,295 destination) for the base Hybrid LX, a $1,300 premium over the same non-hybrid spec. Add $1,800 if you want all-wheel drive, but only if you think you’ll really need it for your climate; the base Sportage Hybrid is potentially much more cost and fuel efficient without it. EX and SX Prestige models roll all-wheel drive into their respective $32,285 and $37,485 price tags, simplifying packaging somewhat and reducing the hybrid tax to as low as $900 for the top SX spec — choosing the hybrid is almost a no-brainer at this grade.

Including paint and carpeted floor mats, my example comes in at $38,235 as tested — over $4,000 less than RAV4 Hybrid Limited when comparably equipped. So not only is the 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid one of the top picks in its class with excellent performance and outstanding design inside and out, it’s one of the best values, too.
31Dec
Israeli sisters find strength, support and safe place in college basketball

In the days after Oct. 7, in which Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people, Yarden Garzon struggled to eat and sleep. The outbreak of war in Israel and the Gaza Strip was all-consuming to her, as she watched the news from Bloomington, Ind., where she’s a sophomore guard. Yarden, who was born and raised in Israel, worried about her friends, her family, her country. “I think I was more nervous than my mom,” Garzon said. “It was really scary the first week.”

Garzon’s parents have been half a world away from her, staying put in their home in Ra’anana, Israel, an affluent suburb north of Tel Aviv about 50 miles from the war’s epicenter. Still, over the last two months as the death toll has risen, her family has spent time in the house’s bomb shelter. Sirens warning of air strikes pierced the sky.

Of Garzon’s three siblings, only her older sister, Lior Garzon, is also in the United States. She is a senior at Oklahoma State and a preseason honorable mention all-conference forward for the Cowgirls. “This is one of my most important seasons,” Lior said. “I didn’t know what to do. To stay. To go home, be with my family. It was really a question of what to do.”

She stayed. But it has been 82 days since the world shifted for the Garzons. Since then, they have played key roles for their respective schools. Both have started every game and are averaging double-digit points. They’re also dealing with grief.

Growing up, they knew what to do when sirens blared. The sound didn’t ring every day or week — Yarden describes her childhood as peaceful — but Lior says they were always ready for whatever might occur. Her father, Eitan Garzon, recalls a game in which his daughters were playing when sirens went off. Everyone scurried to shelters, but play eventually resumed as normal.

Both Garzons have long gravitated to basketball, even when presented alternatives. As a child, Lior danced and swam, Eitan said. She also tried judo and tennis. Yarden was a talented painter and played volleyball. Nevertheless, the region’s outdoor courts appealed most. “After all, in all the routes that I send them in, they go back to the basketball,” said Eitan, who also played while growing up. Their success has become a point of pride — both Lior and Yarden represented Israel at last summer’s European Championships, which were held partially in Tel Aviv — and a launchpad to travel the world.

When Yarden walks into Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall or Cook Hall, Indiana’s practice facility, she tries to focus on the sport. The gym, she said, is “like that safe place.”

“I just clear my mind when I focus on basketball,” she added.

But if she has her phone in hand, it becomes difficult to ignore news from the region. Lior has tried convincing her sister, who already had a daily habit of watching the news, to take regular breaks and not necessarily track every minute update. Lior concedes that early on she felt anxious during practices, wondering, “What if something is happening right now?”


Lior Garzon writes a message in Hebrew on her sneakers before games at Oklahoma State. (Courtesy of OSU Athletics)

Untangling the situations in their two worlds has been next to impossible. Lior drew a Star of David on both of her Nike sneakers. On the left shoe, in Hebrew she wrote, “You can never kill our spirit.” In the handshake line after Oklahoma State’s loss to Colorado in early November, Buffaloes coaches told her they were thinking of her and her family.

She teared up when at an Oklahoma State football game earlier this season, a moment of silence was held for the thousands who had died amid the fighting. Her teammates made her a gift basket, full of milk chocolate Hershey Kisses and a Starbucks gift card. “To realize other people care and know what you’re going through, to have this moment, I think that was really special,” Lior said.

At Indiana, a section of fans who attended their early December game against Stetson wore blue shirts that read “We Stand With Yarden” on the front and with the Star of David inside a basketball. Assistant coach Rhet Wierzba, who hosted Yarden for a Shabbat dinner shortly after the war broke out, has worn a lapel pin of the Israeli flag on his jacket to support the sophomore. Hoosiers players also posed for a picture holding the flag just days after the initial attack. “The small things we can do that she knows how much she is loved,” Wierzba said.


Yarden Garzon, a sophomore at Indiana, has received support from her teammates as she copes with the conflict in her home country. (Courtesy of Indiana University Athletics)

Before Indiana’s season-opener on Nov. 9, Yarden took a black Sharpie and wrote “Bring Them Home” on tape wrapping her left wrist, with the name Noam Avigdori, a 12-year-old girl who at the time was being held hostage, written underneath. Avigdori is back in Israel, after being held for 50 days, but Yarden has continued raising awareness for those who have been taken.

The gestures, Eitan said, are done without any prompting. “It comes from them, not us,” he said in a phone interview. Still, their parents send photos and videos of the acts to their Israeli friends. They are small displays of support. “The little things is the big things,” Eitan said. Even brief moments of joy are still moments of joy.

Eitan says he and his wife often talk with their daughters more than once a day. They try to stay calm and reassure them of their own safety. But both “take it very hard,” Eitan said. “It’s different to talk about because we just need to touch or to hug them.” Lior said having Yarden in America helps, however. “We feel like (we’re) in the same boat,” she said. The sisters text daily, about happenings at school, about their respective programs and about the war. Community has been key.

It took Lior a while to focus on basketball. Even the sport she’s played since childhood couldn’t distract her. “Like why would I enjoy it when people literally (are) fighting for their life right now?” she asked.

However, more than a third of the way through the season, she’s found herself enjoying the season. She’s drawn strength from feeling added purpose. “I think my mind right now is (thinking) this is the best way I can represent Israel, just showing how strong we are and nobody can actually kill our spirit,” she said.

The words are written on her sneaker. With every step, she moves forward.

(Illustration: Sean Reilly / The Athletic; Photos of Yarden and Lior Garzon: Jeffrey Brown / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images,  Michael Hickey / Getty Images, Courtesy of OSU Athletics)
31Dec
3 Types of HTML Lists and How to Use Them

Key Takeaways

  • HTML lists are essential for organizing and presenting data on a web page. There are three main types: ordered, unordered, and description lists.
  • Ordered lists use numbers or other characters to order the items. The type attribute allows customization, while start and reversed attributes change the starting position and order.
  • Unordered lists group related items without a specific order. The bullet style can be customized using CSS.


An HTML list is an essential structural element for any group of related data on a web page. Whether you’re creating a menu, organizing items on sale, or trying to present complex data in a more readable form, the following lists will help you get the job done.

There are three main types of HTML lists, each serving a specific structural purpose in web development.


1. Ordered List

The HTML ordered list allows you to group a list of related items in a specific order. To create a new ordered list, you’ll need to use the <ol> tag. The <ol> tag groups, and contains, <li> tags. Each list element (<li> tag) will contain a specific item in the list.

 
<ol> 
  <li>Item 1</li> 
  <li>Item 2</li> 
  <li>Item 3</li> 
  <li>Item 4</li>
</ol>

This code renders the following view:

You should note that the ordered list’s default ordering type is numbers, but you can change this using the type attribute. The type attribute gives you the power to decide what element will order your list. You have the option of using the alphabet (uppercase or lowercase), numbers, or Roman numerals (uppercase or lowercase).

 
<ol type="a"> 
  <li>Item 1</li> 
  <li>Item 2</li> 
  <li>Item 3</li> 
  <li>Item 4</li>
</ol>

Adding the type attribute to the <ol> tag renders the following updated view:

Ordered list type attribute

In addition to the type attribute, there are two other attributes that you can use with the <ol> tag: start and reversed.

The start attribute allows you to start ordering from any position using an integer value. For example, if you add start=”3″ to the <ol> tag, without specifying a type, it will start ordering the list from the number three. If you assign a type=”a” or a type=”I”, it will start ordering from c or III, respectively.

 
<ol type="I" start="3"> 
  <li>Item 1</li> 
  <li>Item 2</li> 
  <li>Item 3</li> 
  <li>Item 4</li>
</ol>

The code above renders the following view:

Ordered list start attribute

The reversed attribute allows you to reverse the order of the list. It accepts a boolean value, and its default value is false.

 
<ol reversed="true"> 
  <li>Item 1</li> 
  <li>Item 2</li> 
  <li>Item 3</li> 
  <li>Item 4</li>
</ol>

This code produces the following output in the browser:

Ordered list reversed attribute

2. Unordered List

The unordered list lets you group related items whose order is not significant. By default, a browser uses a bullet point to label each item.

To create a new unordered list, you’ll need to use the <ul> tag as a parent element and the <li> tag for each list item:

 <ul>
  <li>Item 1</li>
  <li>Item 2</li> 
  <li>Item 3</li> 
  <li>Item 4</li>
</ul>

This code renders the following view:

Unordered list default output

The default bullet style for an unordered list is a disc. In the past, you could use a type attribute to set the bullet style of an unordered list. However, the unordered list type attribute is now a deprecated attribute. The recommended alternative for unordered list styling is the CSS list-style-type property.

 <style>
ul { list-style-type: square; } 
</style>

The code above updates the view to the following:

Unordered list square bullets

The CSS list-style-type property lets you use a collection of different bullet styles, including circles, custom images, icons, or symbols. With CSS that changes the layout of list items, you can even use unordered lists to create navigation bars.

Nested Lists

A nested list is a list element that is part of another list. You can create a nested list using a combination of ordered and/or unordered list elements. These structures can represent more complex hierarchies.

 <H3>Chicken Pasta Insturctions</H3>
<ol> 
  <li>Boil pasta.</li> 
  <li>
   Season chicken breast.
    <ul> 
      <li>salt and pepper</li> 
      <li>paprika</li> 
      <li>garlic powder</li> 
      <li>Italian seasoning</li> 
    </ul>
  </li>
  <li>Heat olive oil in pot over medium-high heat.</li> 
  <li>Add chicken breast to pan and cook for 5 minutes.</li> 
  <li>Add heavy cream and parmesan cheese to empty pot.</li> 
  <li>Add pasta and slice chicken to cream sauce.</li>
</ol>

This code renders the following view:

Nested list

3. Description List

The description list element allows you to create a list of terms and their associated details. The <dl> tag enables you to create a new description list, which you should use with the <dt> (description term) and <dd> (description details) elements.

 <h3>Popular Laptops</h3>
<dl>
  <dt>MacBook Pro</dt> 
  <dd> 
    Provides up to 22 hours of battery life, 
    has an advanced camera, and a magic keyboard with touch ID. 
  </dd>
  <dt>MSI GS76 Stealth</dt> 
  <dd>
    A powerful gaming laptop with supercharged graphics and customized keys. 
  </dd>
</dl>

The code above renders the following view:

description list

Organize Your Content With the Right HTML List

The HTML list that you choose to use in your web development project should depend on the content that you want to present to your users. For example, if you want to create a sequential list such as the steps for preparing a meal or completing a task, then an ordered list is your best option.

However, if you want to group related information that doesn’t require a series of steps (such as a checklist), then an unordered list would be a more viable option. Furthermore, if you want to create a glossary or a list of frequently asked questions, then a description list is the better choice.
31Dec
‘Tesla and BYD dominate electric vehicle sales’

00:42

Tesla and BYD have been the big winners in the electric vehicle market in 2023, according to an industry expert, who has also hailed the success of Chinese EV manufacturer GAC. 

The International Energy Agency has predicted that EV sales will reach 14 million by the end of the year, which represents a 35 percent year-on-year increase.

In 2022, 22 percent of passenger vehicles sold in China were all-electric, which adds up to 4.4 million sales. That’s higher than the three million EVs sold in the rest of the world combined.

David Bailey, professor of business economics at the University of Birmingham, says Chinese EV manufacturers and their various models are now dominating global sales.

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Chinese firms BYD and GAC are two of the biggest sellers of EVs globally, but a new competitor, Xiaomi, has entered the market after unveiling its first EV in Beijing this month. /Florence Lo/Reuters

Chinese firms BYD and GAC are two of the biggest sellers of EVs globally, but a new competitor, Xiaomi, has entered the market after unveiling its first EV in Beijing this month. /Florence Lo/Reuters

Chinese firms BYD and GAC are two of the biggest sellers of EVs globally, but a new competitor, Xiaomi, has entered the market after unveiling its first EV in Beijing this month. /Florence Lo/Reuters

‘BYD world’s biggest EV maker’

“Tesla and BYD are dominating sales,” he told CGTN Europe. “We see that with Tesla, with the Model Y and the refreshed Model Three.

“But then you look at the top 10 best sellers, it’s very much dominated by BYD. The only other significant player is another Chinese firm, GAC.

“If you go down to the top 20, you’ll see European firms like Mercedes and BMW, but it’s very much Chinese dominated. In the West we talk about Tesla a lot but BYD is probably the biggest EV maker in the world. 

“They’ve been making EVs for 20 years and have a big cost advantage. they can produce electric vehicles at something like 20 to 25 percent lower cost than European rivals.”

EV sales on the rise

Reducing transport-related emissions remains a key priority for nations worldwide as they pursue their goal of reaching net zero by 2050 and transitioning to sustainable, emissions-free transport.

The result has been a surge in sales of EVs across the world, but Bailey says that the size of the increase in sales hasn’t been quite as big as manufacturers expected.  

“We’ve continued to see progress in terms of EV sales, so that EVs still are taking a bigger share of the market. But that very rapid growth in 2022 is starting to slow this year.

“That’s not really surprising because what we’re seeing is EVs going from the really kind of top end premium end, Tesla end of the market, into the mass market where consumers are more price sensitive.”

Chinese EV firms enter international market

As 2024 approaches, U.S., European and Chinese car manufacturers are preparing to do battle as they attempt to seize an increasing share of the EV market.

But with Chinese firms able to make cars at a lower cost and sell them to consumers for cheaper prices than their European rivals, the likes of BYD and GAC could break into new markets.

“I think we’ll see further internationalization from Chinese firms,” says Bailey. “So those Chinese firms like BYD will start, I think, to really push into European markets and we’ll see more Chinese made cars on the roads. 

“We already see that and we’re going to see a lot more in the future. I think there’s going to be an effort by the European Union to really protect the European industry. We might well see subsidies coming in on a bigger scale for European car makers and tariffs to protect the European market.”

'Tesla and BYD dominate electric vehicle sales'

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31Dec
Opinion: A film projectionist once more, now in L.A. — resurrecting a dying craft

All the crafts that I’ve practiced in my life I’ve done knowing they are either dead or dying.

I have a master’s degree in poetry. I was an investigative journalist at a nonprofit that closed due to lack of funding. I was a 35 mm projectionist. A craft that began at the turn of the last century and all but vanished around 2013 when most movie theaters had transitioned to digital projectors — simply because digital prints are cheaper to make and ship than film.

When I threaded my last projector that year, I was working on an island off the East Coast, living inside the back of a movie theater that had been a live theater — my bed, dresser and desk were where the dressing rooms had once been. The film was “Blue Jasmine.” I went in front of the summer island crowd and said that after 13 years of this work, this would be the last movie I would ever project. They clapped — maybe some of them knew what I was talking about — and I returned to the booth and ran the film. I had spent that summer biking around the island, having trysts, eating ice cream and waking up to a wall still fashioned with film posters from the 1940s. It was romantic as hell, as some dying things can be.

I knew when I ferried off the island the next day that the job security I had for more than a decade — because I knew a trade — was a thing of the past. When digital moved in, film moved out and the need for projectionists died. Theater audiences were then subjected to less bright films. Films that didn’t have as crisp a focus. In other words, the poetry had been edited out.

I soon moved to Los Angeles to be a screenwriter, having lived enough of an experiential life to be able to write from a place of authority. I’ve had some success and I’m going to direct a film I wrote based on my experience as a projectionist and my love of Marcello Mastroianni. It takes place in Italy, so I location-scouted, touring the country with the sole purpose of finding three things: a fitting seashore, a movie theater and a working 35mm projector. The paucity of the latter was heartbreaking.

In Italy, movie theaters are either owned locally or by the church. So, to see them I had to find the local church, hunt down the priest, wait for him to get in touch with the local projectionist — usually an elderly man still holding a torch for Sophia Loren. When they unlocked the theater and I saw the state of the booths and the projectors, the problems were all the same. Either the projectors were completely missing because they were sold for parts, not working at all, or the projector worked but the bulb was gone. Dilapidated. Neglected. The heart of the cinema … broken.

When we film, we’ll have to ship in a projector, most likely from Milan or Rome. I want an Italy that maybe doesn’t exist anymore. Or does, but only in parts. In the meantime, I’m spending my days learning Italian so I may communicate with the local crew when I direct the film, and I’m writing my next project. However, after the writer’s strike, I found myself desperately needing a job. Any job. My repertoire of choices was slim with my background in dying trades.

Enter the Vista. The locally owned theater in Los Feliz that Quentin Tarantino recently acquired, renovated and reopened in November. I went to see Eli Roth’s “Thanksgiving” and on a whim, I asked the manager if they were hiring a projectionist. She said I could drop my resumé off to her personally. One week later I was hired. The first female projectionist on a team of four.

I’m practiced at the art of dying things, but I’m a resurrectionist too, being a projectionist and writing poetry. And everyone who attends a film at the Vista, or at the other few theaters around the world still using film, is a resurrectionist as well. We tacitly agree that this is the way to see movies, with all their heart and poetry.

I like to think of the Vista as a museum and it’s that light in the booth shining through a 35mm or 70 mm print that brings the awareness of the brevity of life to an audience. Walter Murch, the film editor, director, writer and sound designer who worked on the “Godfather” films, among others, said that with film you always feel as if someone is about to enter the room. With digital, you feel like someone’s about to leave it. So, whether at the Vista or elsewhere, come to the museum. Be a resurrectionist. Bear witness. Come, see the art of a dying thing.

Leah Saint Marie is a projectionist at the Vista, the screenwriter of “Spoonful of Sugar” and the host of the podcast “Pitch!” @leahwelch19

31Dec
Tata Punch EV Spotted Ahead of January 2024 Launch: Know Specifications, Features and Expected Price of Tata’s Upcoming Electric Car

New Delhi, December 29: Tata Punch EV has been the buzz of the automotive world as it gears up for its much-anticipated launch. Spotted on the roads during its testing phase, the Tata Punch EV is inching closer to its official debut. Enthusiasts and potential customers are keeping a keen eye on this new entrant in the electric compact SUV segment in India.

As per a report of CarWale, the Tata Punch EV has been seen undergoing rigorous testing before the official reveal. The test mule showcases production-ready features and is expected to have a distinctive taillight, multi-spoke dual-tone alloy wheels, and a large floating touchscreen infotainment system. With its expected range of 200-300kms on a full charge, the Tata Punch EV will likely launch in January 2024, as per the Times Now report. Tesla To Setup EV Plant in Gujarat, CEO Elon Musk Likely To Visit India and Meet PM Narendra Modi at ‘Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit’ in January 2024: Reports.

These glimpses into the pre-production version offer a sneak peek into what the final model might look like. The Tata Punch EV Launch Date is tentatively set for early 2024, and it is expected to be positioned above the Tata Tiago EV in the company’s lineup with an estimated price range of Rs 9.50 – 12.50 Lakh. Xiaomi SU7, Xiaomi SU7 Max Launched; Check Design and Specifications of Xiaomi’s First Electric Cars.

The Tata Punch EV might come equipped with a rotary gear selector dial, a wireless charger, auto-dimming IRVM, ambient lighting, and an electrically adjustable sunroof, adding to the comfort and convenience of the driving experience. While the exact battery pack and specifications remain under wraps, there is speculation that it could utilize either the Tigor EV’s or Nexon EV’s battery unit.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 29, 2023 05:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
31Dec
India Strict about Overseeing, Automating Tax Work Around Crypto: KoinX’s Punit Agarwal

The Income Tax Department of India is issuing alerts around high-value crypto transactions. The matter came to light earlier this week when Punit Agarwal observed a rise in income tax-related queries tied to crypto transactions from the income tax department. Agarwal is the founder of KoinX, a firm that provides crypto tax management solutions in India. Essentially, Agarwal has conveyed to the Indian crypto investors that the government is maintaining a strict oversight on all tax-work related to crypto transactions in India.

Agarwal says that the Indian government is automating the process of validating and verifying the returns on crypto incomes to avoid any flaws in calculations.

For people to avoid attracting penalties on high-value transactions, Agarwal has strongly advised taxpayers to file their taxes accurately and verify data in the ITR filing against the Annual Information Statement (AIS) to catch any prevailing discrepancies.

“Income Tax portal matches the transactions appearing in AIS and the data filed by users. In-case the authorities find any discrepancies, then they issue a notification to the user to re-check if they have missed anything or if everything is in-line. For people, if they find any discrepancies in their income reported vs income generated, then they have to file a revised return. Also, they need to give an explanation to the notification. In case everything is in-line and as expected, people can just submit the feedback mentioning they confirm everything is fine,” Agarwal told Gadgets360.

In the absence of a set rulebook for crypto, India levied taxes on crypto profits last April hoping to be able to maintain some track record of crypto transactions, most of which are largely anonymous.

The country levies a 30 percent tax on crypto incomes and also cuts one percent TDS on each crypto transaction – aiming to identify potential defaulters and suspicious crypto holders, who could be engaging in unlawful activities like money laundering or terror financing.

From what Agarwal shared on X, however, does show the strict oversight that the Indian income tax department is indeed maintaining over the crypto sector.

Given the confusion around filing crypto taxes, only 0.07 percent crypto holders in India reportedly paid their taxes last year.

Players like KoinX are trying to extend all the support required for people to file their crypto taxes because industry analysts believe that adhering to this tax regime can instil faith of the Indian government on the Web3 sector which will eventually result in its overall growth.

Taxnodes, another crypto tax solutions provider, has decided to offer complimentary NFTs as incentives to taxpayers using its platform to file their taxes.

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31Dec
Recap 2023- List of Cyclones Held in 2023

Cyclone Jasper

Cyclone Jasper made landfall in northeastern Australia on December 13, 2023, bringing damaging winds of up to 113 kilometers (70 miles) per hour and heavy rainfall that triggered flash flooding. While it has since weakened into a low-pressure system, it’s important to stay informed and vigilant about the ongoing impacts.

Here’s a summary of the situation:

Impact:

  • Thousands of homes and businesses were left without power, with some areas still experiencing outages.
  • Flash flooding and damaged infrastructure disrupted transportation and communication in affected regions.
  • There were no reported casualties, but residents are urged to remain cautious due to potential hazards like fallen trees and debris.

Cyclone Michaung

Cyclone Michaung did indeed impact Andhra Pradesh on December 5th, 2023, it has since weakened and transitioned into a depression. It’s important to note that today is December 29th, 2023, and the cyclone is no longer an active threat.

Impact of Cyclone Michaung:

  • Made landfall near Bapatla coast on December 5th, bringing strong winds (up to 110 kmph) and heavy rainfall.
  • Caused inundation of 25 villages, damage to 770 kilometers of roads, and uprooting of trees.
  • Unfortunately, 9 people lost their lives during the storm and its aftermath.
  • Power supply and communication were disrupted in several areas.

Cyclone ‘Midhili’

“Cyclone ‘Midhili’ Makes Landfall” sounds like a current event, it actually occurred back in November 2023. Cyclone Midhili made landfall on the Bangladesh coast on November 17th, 2023, bringing heavy rain and winds of up to 80 kmph.

Is there anything specific you’d like to know about Cyclone Midhili, such as its impact, path, or resources available at the time? Knowing your specific interest will help me provide you with the most relevant information.

It’s important to note that today is December 29th, 2023, and there are currently no active cyclones in the Bay of Bengal region.

Cyclone ‘Hamoon’

Cyclone Hamoon, a severe weather phenomenon, struck the southeastern coast of Bangladesh on the 25th October 2023, causing widespread concern and necessitating the evacuation of thousands of people. The storm, originating from the Bay of Bengal, has further raised questions about the increasing frequency and intensity of such weather events in the region, driven by the impacts of climate change. This meteorological event is being closely monitored by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and is expected to weaken in the hours to come.

Cyclone Tej

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a cautionary notice regarding a potential cyclonic storm forming in the Arabian Sea. This impending weather event, likely to be named ‘Cyclone Tej‘, has the potential to impact Mumbai, Pune, and other regions of Maharashtra and the Konkan area. The IMD predicts that the low-pressure system currently developing over the Arabian Sea will intensify into a depression by October 21. However, the possibility of this system evolving into a full-fledged cyclonic storm remains uncertain at this stage.

Cyclone Biparjoy

A cyclone named Biparjoy made landfall in Gujarat, India on June 15, 2023. The cyclone had maximum sustained winds of 167 kilometers per hour (103 miles per hour) and gusts up to 200 kilometers per hour (124 miles per hour). The cyclone brought heavy rains and strong winds to Gujarat, causing widespread damage. At least 22 people were killed and 940 villages were plunged into darkness. The cyclone also caused extensive damage to crops and infrastructure.

Cyclone Fabien

Tropical Cyclone Fabien moved southeast of Diego Garcia on Wednesday morning, 17th April 2023. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, the center of Tropical Cyclone Fabien was located at latitude 9.0°S and longitude 73.6°E, approximately 145 miles (235 km) southeast of Diego Garcia. Fabien was moving toward the southwest at a speed of 6 mph (10 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 110 mph (175 km/h), with wind gusts reaching 130 mph (210 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was recorded at 959 mb.

Cyclone Mocha

Cyclone Mocha was a very severe cyclonic storm that formed in the Bay of Bengal on May 10, 2023. The storm intensified rapidly, reaching peak winds of 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour) before making landfall in Bangladesh on May 14. The storm caused widespread damage in Bangladesh and Myanmar, killing at least 100 people and displacing millions more. Cyclone Mocha was named on the basis of a suggestion made by Yemen. 
31Dec
Best Of 2023: Hi-Fi Rush’s Roquefort Fight Proves That Boss Battles Can Still Be Exciting

Following the lukewarm reception to its latest horror game Ghostwire: Tokyo, few might have expected the next game from the Shinji Mikami led-Tango Gameworks to be a brightly colored, rhythm-based character-action game. Hi-Fi Rush saw a surprise release early in 2023, arguably kicking off the stellar year of unexpected brilliance with its tightly designed combat, incredibly likable cast of rebels, and standout boss fights. Each one of Hi-Fi Rush’s numerous boss fights is memorable for one reason or another (the scale and complexity of the final fight against Kale is as awe-inspiring as the first fast-paced duel with antagonist-turned-ally Korsica), but none come close to comparing with what might be the most adrenaline-fuelled three-phase fight of the year: Roquefort.

Like much of Hi-Fi Rush, Roquefort isn’t memorable because of his outright challenge. The character-action presented in Tango Gameworks’ latest pairs rhythm-based sensibilities with the flow of traditional character-action, equipped with an engaging scoring system that judges your aptitude at balancing both. Smart touches around each stage consistently remind you of the beat you need to keep when inputting presses for combos, while enemy attacks (mostly) adhere to the same beat, only breaking out in half-steps when trying to trip you up. Roquefort is the culmination of everything you’ve learnt about this blend of genres to that point, acting as the penultimate boss that is meant to gatekeep your progress from the game’s eventual most-challenging foe, both figuratively and literally.

Given the imposing stature of the bosses before him, Roquefort is an outlier in that he doesn’t come across as menacing or physically imposing, a fact protagonist Chai tries to leverage before the fight with some misplaced trash talk. It’s not long before Roquefort’s nickname, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, bears out in the most literal sense. The short, plump accountant transforms into a giant mechanical wolf, adorned in chrome and brimming with sharp, pointy ends to do damage with. This alone is an exciting revelation that tees up a grueling three-phase fight, and the mood is immediately set with an improvised version of Wolfgang Mozart’s 5th Symphony produced by Wolfgang Gartner, and further edited to tightly adhere to the pace of the fight.

The fight plays out in Roquefort’s opulent and gold-laden office, eventually moving to a vault overflowing with a comical amount of gold coins, with the music blaring in the background as his hulking wolf form moves with a surprisingly elegance according to the soothing and sometimes erratic beat. This makes his movements surprisingly difficult to track, with the beat shifting in surprising ways until you nail down its looping pattern. Learning this rhythm makes you appreciate how much care was clearly given to sync up with the beat in a manner far more faithful than the bosses beforehand. As a direct consequence, this fight feels more like a dance than any other. It’s not long before your inputs are being directly more by musical instinct than reflexes, letting you entire a zen-like flow despite the highly chaotic duel you’re engaged in. As Roquefort starts revealing more and more of his repertoire, this satisfying back-and-forth forces you to keenly adapt, further engrossing you in the enveloping music to get the upper hand. It’s a gradual escalation that doesn’t stop until the final blow is struck, likely leaving you with an aching foot from tapping and an elevated heart rate that punctuates the adrenaline high experienced throughout.

To say that I’ve had Hi-Fi Rush’s licensed soundtrack on repeat for much of the year would be an understatement, but it would be an even greater one to admit that I haven’t listened to Wolfgang Garter’s incredible track more times than any other on the tracklist. Each time, I’m transported back to the thrill of this incredible fight against Roquefort and reminded of the immense rush a meticulously designed encounter like this can invoke, subsequently leaving a powerful impression that’s slow to fade. Hi-Fi Rush might not be as well remembered after a year of stellar releases, but it’s a game with moments like these that are strong reminders that a good old-fashioned boss fight isn’t a dying trend in an industry laden with more grounded approaches to setpieces. Sometimes just bringing it back to basics, and taking care to nail all the little details, can result in one of the most memorable moments of the year.