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I have a big iPhone family, and I'm not optimistic about Apple's new EarPods or AirPods (AAPL)

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AirPods are displayed as Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook makes his closing remarks during an Apple media event in San Francisco, California, U.S. September 7, 2016.  REUTERS/Beck Diefenbach

I live in a four-iPhone family, with a fifth on the way, that is ruled by a consistent theme: Everyone is always losing and destroying their earbuds.

Well, all except for me. I don't lose or destroy mine, I just give them to someone who has and replace them with inexpensive SkullCandy earbuds that I buy two or three at a time to have a reserve for when a family member comes to me with a tales of loss or destruction.

This experience leads me to be beyond skeptical of Apple's new EarPod design for the iPhone 7, with its elimination of the traditional headphone jack and connector, and the new Bluetooth AirPods, which have already been widely ridiculed for getting lost before they've even shipped.

We already know that the Apple Lightning charger design is awful. We're lucky to get a few months out of the Apple units before the cords fail. Over the past few years, I think we've spent at least a new iPhone on dozens of charger replacements. And that's after we squeeze a few extra weeks out by using electrical tape to make a temporary repair.

Apple charger electrical tape

So with the iPhone 7, I'm looking forward to not just constant charger replacements, but EarPod replacements as well — EarPods destroyed and useless for a new but not unfamiliar reason. I'm also wondering what will happen with the charge port as it goes from accepting a charger a few times a day to having EarPods incessantly plugged in and unplugged.

The pain of EarPod replacement isn't that bad — they only cost about $30. The pain of AirPod replacement is going to be far worse, even if a single lost AirPod can be replaced for less than the $159 sticker price.

What are earbuds for?

And about that sticker price. I understand, thanks to Jonny Ive's video presentation on the Apple website, that AirPods are meant to be what I'll call a "nodal" device: Another link the the chain of Apple devices being used — iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, all operating in wireless unity.

But despite the fact that you can tap your AirPods to trigger Siri, all "Star Trek" style (And who wouldn't want to be seen doing that in public?), it seems to me that most folks use their EarPods to perform two main tasks: make calls and listen to music.

Airpods

I've always thought the call quality on iPhones is mediocre, headphones or not, so let's not worry about that.

But the sound quality is an issue, and I always figured it was one of the reasons Apple bought Beats — to capture revenue from those customers who aren't satisfied with Apple EarPods. However, the new AirPods, given their price, ought to improve Apple's own reputation on this front.

Good sound?

Obviously, nobody has yet given the AirPods a thorough listen. So perhaps we should give Ive the benefit of the doubt when he declares that they sounds splendid. For the price, they really should sound pretty good.

But I doubt it, mainly because I've been shopping for a pair of new earbuds in that price range, and I wouldn't touch Bluetooth with a 10-foot iPhone 7 traditional headphone-jack dongle adapter. And I don't have to. I have no intention of buying an iPhone 7 or Bluetooth anything on the earbuds score. I'm probably going to upgrade my old iPhone 5 to a 6 and get a pair of Grado iGe earbuds.

Other members of my iPhone clan are likely to advocate for different setups entailing Apple products. I can already see the grief looming. And I'm really not happy about it.

SEE ALSO: There is no Apple Car — and there never will be

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Apple ditching the headphone jack actually makes a lot of sense


Why McMansions were doomed investments from the start

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mcmansion annotated 2The term "McMansion" is not usually used as a compliment.

Loosely defined as a cookie-cutter suburban home of between 3,000 and 5,000 square feet, the McMansion was considered the ultimate sign of affluence in the late 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s, before the crash of the housing market in 2008.

A recent report from Bloomberg and Trulia claimed that these homes turned out to be terrible investments — though the assumption was that McMansions would cost more to construct and sell for more than a typical starter home, it turned out that just wasn't true. Bloomberg cited data from Trulia that showed that the premiums paid for McMansions have declined significantly in 85 of the country's 100 biggest cities.

One feasible explanation for this decline in value is purely aesthetic: McMansions are just ugly.

In the era of speculative homebuilding before the recession, bigger was considered better, and buyers sought homes with the same general list of features: five or more bedrooms, a three-car garage, and cathedral ceilings in the master bedroom or living room, for example.

But according to the anonymous author of McMansionHell, that emphasis on a laundry list of features led to some poor architectural choices: mismatched window styles, disproportional dormers projecting from the roof, and garish, unnecessary columns. 

"When homebuilding is influenced by trends, the houses become, well, trendy. A house was no longer tailored to the needs of a family, but to their wants, becoming a check-off list of features considered desirable for 'resale,' something that was previously in the very back of one's mind when buying or building a home, but never the forefront," the author recently told Business Insider.

"People used to buy a home under the assumption that they would be living there until the end of a long, nebulous concept of time. A house was for life, a marriage of sorts. The McMansion was never designed to last forever, we see this in the McMansions of the eighties, which have aged badly already."

mcmansion annotated

The author explained that the move toward the McMansion began in the 1980s, when the home became valued less as a place to live and more as a statement of luxury.

"The McMansion was built cheaply in order to get maximum items checked off the check-off list for the lowest cost. The designing of houses from the inside out caused the rooflines to be massive and complex in order to accommodate the cathedral ceilings in the upstairs master bedroom, etc.," she said. "These roofs are nearing their time of needing to be redone and maintained at extraordinary cost due to their complexity. As the era of repair draws near, I suspect many homeowners are quietly trying to walk away from their bad decision."

She added that she hopes her work — which, though critical, should be taken as satire — will bring a revival of architecture as beauty rather than status.

"I started McMansionHell with the goal of educating people about architecture and making them aware of the flaws of these houses (both architectural and sociological) through a combination of humor and easily digestible information in a way people who wouldn't otherwise care about architecture can get engaged with," she said.

"If my work can stop just one person from bulldozing a forest to build an oversized house that's a blight on the environment, then I would call McMansionHell a very successful project."

SEE ALSO: The American McMansion is dying for good

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: An architect figured out how to build houses from plastic waste

The dramatically different morning routines of people in 8 major cities around the world

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coffee

All over the world, people fill their mornings with similar activities: hitting snooze, cooking breakfast, getting ready to face the day ahead. But these morning routines differ drastically from city to city, according to data from IKEA's 2015 "Life at Home" report.

The study surveyed more than 8,000 people, ages 16 to 60, in eight major cities worldwide about their morning habits, and found several interesting differences between residents of Berlin, Moscow, London, New York, Mumbai, Paris, Stockholm, and Shanghai. 

In Mumbai, more than 70% of people eat breakfast alone. Over in Shanghai, only 28% do. While 61% of Stockholm residents rise before 7 a.m., just 36% do in Moscow.

Here's how these eight cities stack up on six aspects of their morning routines:

SEE ALSO: 7 morning rituals that are hard to adopt but will pay off forever

DON'T MISS: I followed Jack Dorsey's morning routine for a week and was surprised by the difference it made in my day

Stockholm is full of early risers.



People in Mumbai hit snooze more often than any other city in the study.



More than 70% of residents in Mumbai and Shanghai eat breakfast with company, while a mere 28% in Stockholm do.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

3 things to know before you eat marijuana edibles

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cannaisseur_series_chef_coreen_carroll 9041

"User-friendly" is not a word that's often used when describing marijuana edibles.

Whether you're biting into a pot brownie cooked up in a college dorm or nibbling on a fruit chew purchased from your local dispensary, you never really know how much marijuana you're ingesting. It can take hours to get high, and the effects can be intense and long-lasting.

That said, edibles offer a discreet way to get high in public or among disapproving company, and a single dose can power users through the worst bouts of illness-induced nausea or a marathon Netflix binge. It's often the consumption method of choice for people using marijuana for medicinal purposes (and those who just don't want to smoke).

Remember, it doesn't matter who you are or what size you are. Edibles will affect everyone differently. Enjoy with caution.

Here are three things to know before you try your first marijuana edible.

SEE ALSO: There are two main types of marijuana — here's the difference

1. Marijuana-infused foods are more potent than regular pot.

The body works in mysterious ways, as does marijuana.

Edibles offer a completely different experience than, say, a joint or a bong hit. When eaten, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in weed, undergoes a transformation in the liver that turns it into a different substance that's twice as strong and lasts twice as long as when inhaled.

It also takes our bodies much longer to process cannabis when we ingest rather than inhale.

"With smoking, the peak blood levels happen within 3-10 minutes, and with eating, it's 1-3 hours," Kari Franson, a clinical pharmacologist and an associate dean of the Department of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy, told Forbes.

Because it takes so long to process, people often overdo it. If you don't feel high after ingesting an edible, wait at least two hours before consuming a second dose.



2. You should always, always, always read the label.

Not everyone has the great fortune of being able to pick out an individually packaged edible from a bona fide retailer, especially in states where the prohibition on pot persists (though that's starting to change). But if you do, paying attention to the label on the packaging can be the difference between a Grade A night-in and a paranoia-wracked nightmare of an evening.

Any reputable edible maker will lab test their products for potency and will include on the label two important ingredients: THC, the psychoactive chemical compound in marijuana, and CBD, or cannabidiol, the chemical compound that has pain relief benefits. The total THC or "maximum THC" is the most clear-cut indicator of how high the product will make you.

Research shows these labels can be inaccurate, but it beats total ignorance.

Five milligrams of THC is a good place to start for novice users, according to the Oregon Responsible Edibles Council. It's a conservative dose for adults who don't know their tolerance or are consuming for recreational, rather than medical, purposes.



3. It will be okay if you get too high.

If your heart starts to race, your hands tremble, and anxiety strikes, it's helpful to remember there are no recorded cases of people fatally overdosing on marijuana. Zero.

"The good thing about [consuming too much] weed is it can't kill you," Kim Geraghty, cofounder of Madame Munchie, whose gourmet cannabis macarons recently took the award for best dessert at Hempcon, told Business Insider. "But it can make you very uncomfortable."

There are things you can do to mitigate an "Oh, no, what I have done?" high. First, relax.

"Remind yourself that you're in no danger and the state you're in is temporary," writes David Schmader in his excellent book, "Weed: The User's Guide." "Surround yourself with stuff that makes you feel safe. (If this means pajamas in bed, so be it.)"

Drink some water to stay hydrated and eat a snack — preferably one that is ready-to-eat and does not require operating a stove— to boost your blood sugar. Call up a trusted friend, Schmader recommends, or Google search "Maureen Dowd Colorado" to feel less alone.

 



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How this startup CEO made a bold move that inspired Ivanka Trump

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Rob Wiesenthal Blade 1795

Rob Wiesenthal, the cofounder and CEO of on-demand helicopter startup Blade, has never been one to do things traditionally.

His unconventional ways have gained admiration from the likes of legendary investment banker Bruce Wasserstein and even Ivanka Trump, daughter of Republican nominee Donald Trump and executive vice president of development and acquisitions for the Trump Organization.

Wiesenthal recently told Business Insider a story that Trump recounted in her book "The Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and Life."

The story is about how Wiesenthal was able to finance and build his very first home at the age of 22.

"One of my favorite 'cold-calling' stories was told to me by my friend Robert Wiesenthal," Trump wrote. "When Rob was just starting out as an investment banker, during the real estate recession of the early 1990s, he decided to pour a good chuck of his money into a property in the Hamptons. It was a good investment, he thought, even though it was a bit of a financial stretch for him at the time ... Rob started building, but eight weeks into construction he still had no formal commitment letter from Dime Savings Bank, the institution that had offered its initial approval on the loan."

Unfortunately, Wiesenthal soon learned that the bank was getting out of the construction loan business. The next day, Wiesenthal went straight past security to the office of the bank's CEO, who at that time was Dick Parsons, to demand an answer.

Parsons was so impressed by Wiesenthal's gumption that he agreed to personally serve as his loan officer — and on top of that, the two hit it off, becoming valuable professional contacts for each other for years to come. 

As Trump points out, going straight to the top to demand answers can sometimes work in your favor.

SEE ALSO: Meet the man behind the on-demand helicopter startup that the 1% use to get to the Hamptons

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What it's like to take the 'Uber of seaplanes' from NYC to the Hamptons

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The vast majority of Tinder users aren't using the app the way you might expect

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tinder profile

Everyone knows someone — even if it's your cousin's coworker's daughter — who met their spouse on Tinder.

Usually these stories are touted as evidence of the fact that Tinder is not, as is commonly believed, solely geared toward hookups and one-night stands.

Unfortunately, happy as your cousin's coworker's daughter may be, her experience seems more like a fluke than the norm. Because we all know multiple people who each met multiple matches on Tinder and never heard from any of them after the first date.

But a recent statistic gives relationship-oriented folks reason to be hopeful and to see those Tinder marriages as less a glitch in the app's normal programming and more a real possibility. According to a Tinder survey, 80% of its users are seeking a meaningful relationship.

Of course, it's possible that these users were simply responding how they thought they were supposed to respond. But assuming that most of them were answering honestly, that's some pretty surprising news.

The real question is: Is it a waste of time for long-term-relationship-minded users to spend their evenings swiping left and right? Even if most people on Tinder want a relationship, is there any chance of actually finding one?

Take a look at recent research and the answers that emerge are: no and probably.

Depending on who you ask, either 12% or 33% of people who got married in the last five years or so met through an online-dating service (including, but not limited to, Tinder).

Interestingly, couples who meet onlinetend to find themselves at the altar sooner than couples who meet in person.

As Stanford researcher Michael Rosenfeld told The Washington Post, one possible reason why is that online-dating services allow you to select beforehand the characteristics you know you prefer in a mate. On Tinder, that might mean swiping left on the profiles that say "football fan" and right on those that say "science nerd" or vice versa.

At the same time, Rosenfeld did say that people looking for longer-term relationships tend to use the dating websites where profiles are longer and more text-heavy. So presumably not Tinder.

What's more, one study found that marriages that started online tend to be more satisfying than marriages that started offline. Again, that's possibly because you can sift through potential matches based on important criteria before you actually fall for someone.

Ultimately, there's no guarantee that you won't meet 10 people interested in hookups only on Tinder. There's definitely no guarantee that you'll wind up exchanging rings with someone you met on Tinder.

But perhaps the greatest takeaway from these findings is that online-dating apps aren't so different from meeting in person. There will always be people looking for flings, marriage, or something in between. It's just a matter of learning to quickly suss out who's looking for what so that no one's heart gets broken.

SEE ALSO: The most active cities for Tinder users reveal something intriguing about who's using the app

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A woman who's gone on 150 Tinder dates reveals the worst mistakes men make


A sommelier shares 10 words to look for to find high-quality wines under $25

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choosing wine bottles

Affordable wine doesn't have to taste cheap.

But how can you tell you have a good bottle before pouring that first glass?

"Many wine consumers in the US are still challenged by the abundance of language on a wine label," says Jörn Kleinhans, owner of the The Sommelier Company. "It's difficult enough with an English label, but adding the other languages and countries, it becomes very difficult."

Kleinhans explains that certain words, often those regulated by local government in the region a wine is produced, are reliable indicators of high-quality wine at any price point.

Here are ten words he recommends looking for on wines under $25, to guarantee you're getting the best bottle on the shelf.

SEE ALSO: A sommelier chooses his 10 favorite wines for $16 or less

'CLASSICO' on a Chianti

Chianti is a popular wine in the US, Kleinhans explains, because it was the first wine commercially exported from Italy in large amounts.

However, he says, "Wine that is only labeled Chianti is usually not very good. If you see 'Chianti Classico,' that is always a good wine."

"The term 'Classico' describes the local best core-growing regions of this type of wine," he continues. "The core vineyards in the center of the region that have the best terroir and the best orientation to the sun."

Other vineyards may also produce a wine called Chianti, but they aren't permitted to add "Classico." Kleinhans explains that the distinction is an important one when looking to experience "classical notes of tomato paste and vanilla" typical of the wine. 



'GRAN RESERVA' on a Rioja

Rioja, Kleinhans says, is the most important wine of Spain.

It can be labeled as either "Reserva" or "Gran Reserva," but "you're always looking for, without exception, the Gran Reserva," says Kleinhans. "It means this wine has a strong oak flavor, the hallmark flavor of Rioja. It also guarantees this wine has been aged in oak for two years or more, and an additional three years in the bottle."

Kleinhans says Rioja Gran Reserva is "probably one of the greatest high-end wines in the world that you can get at tremendous value."



'CRU BOURGEOIS' on a Bordeaux

The "Cru Bourgeois" distinction has to do with the French region of Bordeaux, where these wines are produced.

The greatest wines of the region are classified as "Grand Cru Classé," which Kleinhans explains has been so successful that prices went through the roof and bottles are no longer available for under $40 or $50.

"For the value lovers, 'Cru Bourgeois' is the back door to get outstanding Bordeaux for under $25," he says. "Those are the chateaus not allowed into the Grand Cru classification 150 years ago. Several outstanding chateaus were left aside, and nowadays these wines not labeled Grand Cru, but Cru Bourgeois, you can get at a great value. It's the level right under the Grand Cru level people are paying thousands for."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

40 years ago, Led Zeppelin released its most difficult album — and it's still hard to listen to

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Zeppelin Presence

The surviving members of Led Zeppelin — Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones — recently won a court case in which they were accused of ripping off parts of a song called "Taurus" by the band Spirit to create their epic, "Stairway to Heaven."

"Stairway" is on Zep's fourth, unnamed album, from 1971. Fans usually refer to it as "Led Zeppelin IV," and it's the culmination of the band's early period, which began in 1969 with Led Zeppelin I.

Following Zep IV, the group released 1973's "Houses of the Holy," then 1975's double-album, "Physical Graffiti." The period from the early-to-mid-1970s was when the band's legend grew, as they set new concert attendance records, sold millions of records, dominated radio, and developed a reputation for unmatched rock 'n' roll excess.

Lost in much of the hoopla was Zep's impressive musical maturation. The first four records represent a cycle, with a hard-driving, post-Yardbirds blues quartet blended with a very heavy, progressive folk sensibility. Page was the band's all-purpose guitar hero and studio producer, and he was distinctive and skilled at both jobs. Plant's vocals were unique and versatile, and his stage presence was iconic. Jones could do anything, and drummer John Bonham was a force of nature.

After I-IV, Zep became far more progressive and eclectic, but 40 years ago this year, in 1976, they headed back to basics while created their most difficult album, under difficult circumstances.

It was 1976's "Presence," and it signaled a return, a departure, and the beginnings of Zep's disintegration. 

The end of alchemy

led zeppelin 02

Page started Led Zeppelin with two basic ideas: that it would be "dynamic" band, capable of traversing a broad spectrum of musical styles, tones, and moods; and that it would be four bandmates combining to form a fifth element, achieving an intangible alchemy that would give Zep a powerful legacy.

But with "Presence," the alchemy that had been so compelling up to that point began to fail. To edit a line from one of Zep's hits, "Ramble On" from Led Zeppelin II, magic no longer filled the air.

The main challenge was that while on vacation in Greece, Plant was involved in a car accident with his wife and wound up having to record "Presence" in a wheelchair. He didn't want to be there, but "Presence" would be the second album for the band under their own Swan Song label, so it was important.

For this reason, "Presence" became something of a Jimmy Page solo album, which makes sense, because the 1975-76 Page wasn't the introverted six-string geek and studio nerd of the band's early period, with a more than a passing interest in esoteric philosophy and art — he was Jimmy Page the mighty rock-star guitar god, shimmying on stage in his black dragon suit and beginning his flirtation with heavy drugs.

Zeppelin Presence

Epic sadness

The centerpiece of "Presence" is the epic, ten-and-half-minute guitar opera, "Achilles Last Stand," a tune into which Page put everything he knew about guitar playing and studio production. Zeppelin's lyrics, mostly composed by Plant, had often played with folk traditions in addition to messing with old-school blues motifs (and at times borrowing directly from them), but "Achilles" had a bold yet lamenting connection to classical themes, blended semi-autobiographically with Zep's own experience.

For example, "Oh to ride the wind/To tread the air above the din/Oh to laugh aloud/Dancing as we fought the crowd" is a lyric that comes off as timeless, but could just as easily be about a Led Zeppelin live performance in 1975.

There's always been a debate about what Led Zeppelin would have sounded like, if the band had endured into the 1980s and not folded after Bonham's death in 1980. Some folks come down on the side of "In Through the Out Door" from 1979, and specifically the track "All of My Love," a song that predicts the solo work that Plant would produce after the band's breakup, and that bears almost no stamp from Page.

Zeppelin Presence

For me, "Presence" has always been the Zep record that both looked like an eighties album, with its creepy yet not trippy cover art (four family members — the band? — contemplating a menacing black obelisk — their future?), and that had a "resetting" aspect: back to Led Zep I. But it's also a record that feels sort of angry and damaged, and I've typically read that as Page dialing into the impending punk revolution that would shake up pop music in 1977 and turn Zep into a dinosaur from another era, in the minds of all the newly minted Sex Pistols and Clash fans.

The first four Zep albums are a perfect listening experience — one long suite of songs, actually. "Houses of the Holy" and "Physical Graffiti" are a lot of fun — "The Song Remains the Same" from "Houses" is the most overtly joyful and uplifting tune in the entire Zep catalog and is glorious to watch the band play live (check it out here, it comes in at about 1:27:30). "Presence" is extremely fraught and hard to listen to.

Page's playing is astonishing — if you ever wondered why he's so revered as a genius of electric guitar, just put some headphones on an listen to the tonal textures he conjures on "Tea for One," an evolution from the similar "Since I've Been Loving You" from Zep III. Plant sings as if he might be about to collapse ("How come twenty four hours,/Baby sometimes slip into days?/A minute seems like a lifetime, baby when I feel this way"), Jones floats a weary groove, and Bonham lumbers behind it all. Tea for one, indeed.

Zeppelin Presence

Just listen

There remains a seemingly neverending interest in Led Zeppelin as the last great giant rock band of huge excess. But the band members themselves routinely dismiss all that stuff, in its sordid intricacy, and now in relatively advanced age ask that anyone who wants to understand Zep simply listen to the music and listen good. 

For me as a pretty thoroughgoing Zep fan — they were THE big rock band of my youth — "Presence" is a time machine, taking me back four decades and telling the story of Zep's overall frame of mind in the mid-1970s. It's the strangest and most challenging thing Zep ever did. But it was a strange and challenging period for the band and its members.

SEE ALSO: 'Stairway to Heaven' is an epic Led Zeppelin song, but there are 3 that outdo it

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Apple got rid of the headphone jack — here’s how you’ll listen to music on the iPhone 7

A look inside the New York office of Yelp, a $3 billion company that offers its 4,000 employees around the world some of the most incredible perks

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Yelp Offices NYC 24

When you think of an office, foosball tables, karaoke machines, beer kegs, and free snacks probably don't come to mind ... that is, unless you work at Yelp.

That's right — those are just a few of the enviable perks Yelp offers its 900 New York-based employees.

Founded in 2004 and headquartered in San Francisco, the $3 billion company that allows consumers to locate and review businesses on its mobile app and website now has seven offices around the US and Europe, including one in the heart of Manhattan that Business Insider recently visited.

We went inside the Madison Avenue office to get a clearer picture of what the Yelp culture is really like. Here's what we saw and learned:

SEE ALSO: This is the best restaurant in the US, according to Yelp

Upon arriving at Yelp's New York office on a Wednesday afternoon in August, we were greeted by Paul Reich, vice president of local sales, who would be our tour guide. Our first stop: the Yelp Café.



Reich said this is where Yelp's New York employees — most of whom work in sales — can enjoy a caffeine break Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.



The entire time we were there, loud, upbeat music was playing throughout the office. Reich told us that the playlists tend to be pretty eclectic: "We don't know whether we'll be hearing Brazilian or samba or even some heavy metal." When we arrived at the office, "Rock Lobster" by the B-52s was playing.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Teachers share 19 things they'd love to tell their students but can't

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english school teacher

To maintain order in the classroom — and to keep their jobs — there are some things teachers just can't tell their students, even if they want to.

But some of these things, while perhaps controversial, could end up being a service to young people, if only someone would just tell them.

So we asked teachers everywhere to weigh in on the one thing they'd love to tell their students but can't, and more than 50 teachers shared their insights.

We've (anonymously) included some of the most constructive thoughts here:

SEE ALSO: 23 teachers share the weirdest thing they've ever experienced on the job

SEE ALSO: 19 things teachers say parents should do at home to help their kids succeed

Really, all this stuff you learn is probably not that important

What is important is the life skills you learn while completing the tasks in class.

You learn how to argue effectively and communicate with different types of people. You learn how to listen to others and respond respectfully. You learn so much that you don't even realize because it seems disguised by homework and essays. But really, you are learning to be independent adults more than you know.



Don't waste this opportunity

Please just know that I love teaching and I sincerely want to help you. But I can't help you if you don't put in the effort. I chose this job because I'm passionate and hardworking and I know my s---, and I will help you get to where you need to be. But you need to meet me halfway.

You may not realize how important it is to do well in school. You grew up in a tiny apartment in a horrible neighborhood, your parents aren't educated, you're working 18 hour-days, and your neighbors are selling drugs — and maybe you think this is all normal, but it's not, and you have a chance to get out of this.

But you're not taking that chance. And I don't know what you think your life is going to be like if you don't graduate high school and go to college, but you're not going to get out of the South Bronx — you'll be surrounded in this unsafe, crime-ridden neighborhood, it'll be the same thing with your own kids.

It's so frustrating because education opens so many doors, and people around the world would kill to have this educational opportunity. Malala was shot in the freaking head for it. And you're just throwing it all away, and that makes me want to tear my hair out.



The world can be very harsh

You are more than what others judge you to be.



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We spent an afternoon at the Trump Winery in Virginia and it wasn't what we expected at all

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While on a recent trip to Virginia, I spent an afternoon at Trump Winery in Charlottesville. Donald Trump purchased the property in 2011, as well as the adjoining estate the following year. He subsequently handed over control of the enterprise to his son Eric. 

Even though the Republican presidential nominee said during a news conference in March that he owns it "a hundred percent," the winery's website states that it isn't officially affiliated with Donald Trump or his organization.

The winery itself provided a lovely environment for a Saturday afternoon over Labor Day weekend. Along with refreshing, reasonably-priced wines, we found a mix of Trump supporters as well as people who were simply there to enjoy the wine and the spectacular views of the Virginia countryside.

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The 25 most expensive housing markets in the US

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San Francisco

The most expensive housing markets in America are primarily packed into one state: California. 

The Golden State dominates Coldwell Banker's annual Home Listing Report, which ranks the most expensive places to purchase homes in America, claiming every spot in the top 10 and 18 total out of the top 25. 

To determine the most expensive cities, Coldwell Banker analyzed the average listing price of more than 50,000 four-bedroom, two-bathroom homes for the period between January 2016 and June 2016. The ranking covered 2,168 markets across the US, excluding any with fewer than 10 listings.

So what makes California so desirable?

"It all goes back to the old adage in real estate about location, location, location," Charlie Young, CEO of Coldwell Banker, told Business Insider. "In California, you've got a confluence of an amazing climate, strong economy with high-paying jobs, and a tech sector attracting a competitive environment." 

Looking even deeper, six cities within the top 10 can be found inside Silicon Valley, which makes sense given the multitude of growing tech companies that are paying top dollar to attract new employees — and homebuyers — to the area.

"In Silicon Valley, you’ve got Apple, you’ve got Google, you’ve got Facebook. You’ve got the big players in the new tech economy," Young said. "For the foreseeable future, they’re there, and that’s going to drive those markets."

And at the end of the day, "you can’t discount the fact that it’s California," Young noted. It's always been an aspirational place to live — and that isn't likely to change any time soon. 

Read on to check see which cities make up the 25 most expensive housing markets in America, where the average listing price is at least $1 million. 

SEE ALSO: The 10 most affordable places to buy a home in the US

DON'T MISS: The 30 most expensive colleges to live near

25. Walnut Creek, California

Population: 68,910

Average cost of a 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom house: $1,004,900

Median household income: $80,399



24. San Jose, California

Population: 1,026,908

Average cost of a 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom house: $1,011,871

Median household income: $83,787



23. Concord, Massachusetts

Population: 19,830

Average cost of a 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom house: $1,040,290

Median household income: $132,385



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20 haunting photos from the September 11 attacks that Americans will never forget

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9/11 September 11th Attacks

It's been 15 years since the attacks of September 11, 2001. But for millions of Americans, haunting memories of that day are still fresh, and many lives were changed forever. 

On 9/11, terrorists hijacked four planes and were able to crash two of them into the World Trade Center's twin towers in New York and one into the Pentagon.

The remaining jet crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers overpowered the hijackers.

A day that started out with clear blue skies ended with a mass of twisted, smoldering metal where the Twin Towers once stood, leaving 2,977 people dead in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, along with the 19 hijackers.

September 11 happened over a decade ago. The Washington Post's Aaron Blake tweeted that one-quarter of Americans are too young to remember it. I have three kids who have no memory of it at all — they weren't born yet.

But we certainly don't want to forget, even as we get on with our lives. So in memory of that day, here are 20 images that capture what no American should forget. And as someone living in New York City at the time, here's what it was like to witness the tragedy as it unfolded.

SEE ALSO: Photos show the moment President George W. Bush learned of the 9/11 attacks

The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were a familiar sight to New Yorkers. For decades, you looked up, and they were there. It was a reassuring sight. I visited the towers many times and gazed upon them many more.



On the morning of September 11, I had just finished voting in Brooklyn when I looked up and saw that one of the towers was on fire. Just a few minutes later, a second plane crashed into the other tower. Something was very wrong.



President George W. Bush was at a school event when he was informed. The expression on his face says it all. No one in the government knew how serious the threat was.



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27 movies you have to see this fall

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Snowden trailer final

Now that the summer of slumps is behind us, it's time to get into the more serious fall movies that will bring powerful performances and, perhaps, some Oscar gold. 

This fall includes anticipated movies like the all-star cast in the reboot of "The Magnificent Seven," Oliver Stone's "Snowden," and Tom Hanks playing the Miracle on the Hudson pilot in the Clint Eastwood movie "Sully."

There are also smaller films that should have your attention like the Sundance hit "The Birth of a Nation," the powerful "The Light Between Oceans," and the Amy Adams sci-fi trip "Arrival."

Here are 27 movies coming out in the coming months that you should not miss:

SEE ALSO: This startup wants to make sure you never wait in line at the movies again

"The Light Between Oceans" - out now

Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander prove they are two of the top actors working today as they play a couple whose lives crumble after rescuing a baby adrift in a rowboat. Based on the M.L. Stedman novel of the same name, the movie is a visually stunning look at sacrifice. 



"Max Rose" - out now

This is Jerry Lewis' first leading movie role since Martin Scorsese's "The King of Comedy" in the 80s. The now-90-year-old legend delivers an emotionally charged dramatic performance as a jazz musician who struggles with the death of his wife and the possibility that she was unfaithful to him. 



"Morgan" - out now

In this thriller Kate Mara ("Fantastic Four") plays a risk-management consultant who has to determine whether to terminate an artificial being who was created in a lab.



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The 10 cities in the US where buying a fixer-upper will save you the most money

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san francisco homes

Buying a home that needs extensive remodeling can fetch a handsome discount, but it depends a lot on where you're looking to buy.

In much of America the discount won't make up for significant renovation costs. The average fixer-upper in the US only nets a decrease of 7.6% from the median list price, which works out to just $11,000 in cash savings, according to analysis from real estate marketing firm Zillow

But in some cities, homes needing work offer savings of two to three times that much. Zillow analyzed 70,000 listings of fixer-uppers across the country — identified using key words like "fixer-upper," "TLC," and "good bones" — and compared list prices to estimated market values to determine which metro areas provide the best deals.

Expensive markets, where even a modest percentage discount amounts to significant savings, tended to provide the most value on the median fixer-upper home: Cash savings averaged $54,000 in San Francisco and $38,000 in San Jose, the two highest figures on Zillow's list.

Business Insider rounded up the top 10 metro markets from the study, ranked by the average amount of money saved.

SEE ALSO: The 50 best places to live in America

DON'T MISS: The 25 most expensive housing markets in the US

10. Portland, Oregon

 

Cash savings: $19,000

Fixer-upper discount: 7.3%

 



9. Virginia Beach, Virginia

 

Cash savings:$19,000

Fixer-upper discount: 13.1%

 



8. Chicago, Illinois

 

Cash savings: $19,000

Fixer-upper discount: 13.8%

 



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The Craigslist 'Missed Connections' for Burning Man are as ridiculous as you'd expect

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burning man

The legendary "Missed Connections" section on Craigslist is a beautiful mixture of absurdity, heartfelt longing, and wistfulness. And this is doubly true of those from Burning Man, the yearly festival in the middle of the desert whose very nature invites an intense nostalgia that keeps people coming back year after year.

And this year's Burning Man missed connections are delightful.

There are people who tossed pineapples back and forth only to have their blue-wigged potential soulmate melt into the desert. And there are those who just wanted to join in on the "snail crossing endeavors."

"You said how chill I was with my West Coast style ..."

Read on for this year's amazing Burning Man missed connections, and some of our favorites from last year as well:

Note: If you've never read a "Missed Connections" post before, Craigslist users often use tags like "m4w" (man looking for woman) to alert people to their own gender and the gender of the person they're looking for. Please also note some of the listings contain obscenities.

SEE ALSO: Here's what the inside of a 'fancy celebrity camp' at Burning Man looks like

'Tibetan Singing Bowls, Burning Man Temple — m4w'

"I gave you a Tibetan singing bowl session, you — girl from Palo Alto with beautiful eyes, at the Temple BM 2016 Saturday afernoon

"You said I 'put you under'

"I was distracted by so many things going on at the time and I could not remember your name, but you said you work with at risk youth and deliver energy healing in Palo Alto, you also mentioned you just bought your first bowl set. I just wanted to make friends.

— Patrick from San Diego"



'Burning Man: Freckled face — m4w'

"We met near 8:00 & G and your rode on my handle bars all the way to the restrooms at E. We sat and talked while I made you smile, you said how chill I was with my West Coast style. With freckles on your face and and my hair standing tall you gave me an address but I forgot to call. You kissed me once but I made you kiss me twice I was digging your body while my tattoos caught your eye. Hit me up when you get a chance I live in Denver now so I can be there in a flash."



'Burning Man: Rob w the voice from Boston via New Jersey via Greenpoint'

"You took care of me when I was sick and I never got to properly thank you. Your voice drew me in, with funny, sweet stories about your travels and your Polish parents. Even though I got sick it was an amazing trip because it brought me to you. You saved me and I wanted to explore the playa and you — but I was too out of it to articulate my true intentions. You're nonjudgmental, kind, with an open mind and hot...well you know — you're a SMF. I'll be in San Francisco next month or if you're still traveling come to Seattle and crash with me. I may have what you've been looking for and there is plenty of Metal in town.

Yours truly,
Oddy"



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