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Here's the favorite drink of every US president

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No one knows more about political drinking than author Mark Will-Weber, whose book "Mint Juleps with Teddy Roosevelt: The Complete History of Presidential Drinking" explores the stories behind each president's favorite alcoholic beverage.

"Presidents drink for the same reasons we all drink," Will-Weber recently told Business Insider. "Sometimes because it's part of the job, sometimes it's because they're lonely or depressed — there's a whole gamut of reasons of why people drink."

For Will-Weber, knowing what the former presidents like to drink brings a "human side" to those who we "normally hold on a pedestal."

Ahead, take a look at the president's favorite alcoholic beverages, rounded up from Will-Weber's book and The New York Post.

SEE ALSO: Stunning vintage photos show how Americans in every state spend their downtime

Our first president, George Washington, was a whiskey drinker, as were Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, Zachary Taylor, and Andrew Johnson. According to Will-Weber, Johnson was so inebriated when he arrived at the 1865 inauguration as Lincoln's vice president that he had to be pulled off the stage.



John Adams reportedly started every morning with a hard cider. William Henry Harrison was also a big fan.



According to Will-Weber, Thomas Jefferson purchased so much wine it put him on the brink of financial ruin.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 17 weirdest jobs of US presidents

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Ronald Reagan actor

• Many US presidents ascended to the White House with a background in law or politics, or a record of military service.

• But, over the course of history, some presidents have held down rather unusual jobs.

• From bartenders to Hollywood actors, here's a look at some of the weirdest roles presidents had on their résumés.



Picture the résumé of an average US president.

It likely starts off with a degree from a top school, and includes a stint working in law or Congress. It might even feature some military service.

But the presidents on this list have a few unconventional gigs to add to their experience. At some point in their lives, these 17 presidents tended bars, crafted toys, and even personally hung criminals. Whether or not these odd jobs helped prepare them to take on the White House remains to be seen.

Here are the 17 weirdest jobs of US presidents:

SEE ALSO: 29 American presidents who served in the military

Andrew Jackson was a 13-year-old militia courier during the Revolutionary War

The turbulent, controversial seventh president of the US was actually the last head of state to serve in the Revolutionary War, in some capacity. Andrew Jackson joined the fighting at the age of thirteen and served as a courier, according to a report from CNN.

His position with the local militia was informal, but that didn't stop the British from imprisoning the teenager, along with his brother Robert. Some accounts say that when Jackson refused to clean an officer's boots, the enemy soldier slashed his face with a sword, leaving a permanent scar.



Abraham Lincoln owned a bar

Did you know that Lincoln was the only licensed bartender to rise to the position of chief executive?

According to Amy Cavanaugh's article in the Chicagoist, the future president launched a business in New Salem, Illinois. The joint, known as Berry and Lincoln and co-owned by an old militia friend named William F. Berry, functioned as both a store and a drinking establishment. In 1833, Berry and Lincoln received a liquor license and began selling brandy, wine, and whiskey. Later on, the future president would leave the business to become the postmaster of New Salem.

Unfortunately, Berry's alcoholism caused the duo to fall into debt — which Lincoln wouldn't fully pay off until he became a congressman.



Andrew Johnson worked for his mom as an apprentice tailor

Johnson — who was vice president at the time of Abraham Lincoln's assassination, and became the country's 17th president as a result — started off as an apprentice tailor for his mother while he was still a teen, according to CNN. Later, he moved up to a tailoring position in South Carolina and Tennessee.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

We went to Manhattan's most luxurious department store to see how the 1% shops — and it revealed no one's immune to the retail apocalypse

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Department stores across the country are doubling down on discount options to offset slowing sales, but not Barneys New York.

Established in 1923, Barneys is an exclusive department store known for having some of the sharpest and most expensive clothing items from the world's top luxury brands. 

The retailer rarely releases earnings reports, so it's hard to tell how the company is doing. 

We visited the Barneys Madison Avenue location in New York City to see how the luxury brand is doing.

 

We visited Barneys NY's flagship store on a Sunday morning and found all 8 floors strangely quiet.



The women's section was particularly empty, but offered a very cathartic shopping experience.



Despite the serene atmosphere, a quick look at the registers proved that a lack of customers didn't necessarily mean poor sales for the luxury retailer.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

6 things successful people do when they return from a long weekend

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couple winter romance fun happy relationship love

• Some people across the US received some extra time off thanks to Presidents' Day.

• Business Insider spoke with several productivity and work experts to get tips on how to bounce back from a long weekend.

• They recommended hitting the ground running on your first day back.



An extra day off makes snapping out of weekend mode that much harder.

Some people around the US receive an extra day off for Presidents' Day to commemorate the individuals who have served in the White House over the centuries.

There's a lot to be said about how you shouldor shouldn't— spend long weekends. But it's equally important to plan out the days that follow a long weekend.

When you're coming back from some time off and you have a shorter week to get everything done, it usually helps to hit the ground running.

With that in mind, here are six things that successful people do first when they return from long weekend:

DON'T MISS: 11 things unsuccessful people do over long weekends

SEE ALSO: 8 things successful people do after getting back from vacation

They get to work early

When it comes to some holidays, almost everyone has time off. So you won't be falling behind by showing up to work at your usual time.

But coming in early is a good idea if you want to be as productive as possible after a holiday weekend.

"That will mitigate the workload avalanche and give you a head start, sans distraction," Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job," tells Business Insider.



They scrutinize their to-do lists

Productive people know that long, unwieldy to-do lists are essentially useless. There's no better time to start cutting items from your list than the day you get back from long weekend.

"Now that you've spent a good bit away from your desk, you have tangible proof that those tasks you're always putting off aren't holding up your ceiling," freelance reporter Kevin Purdy writes in Fast Company.



They double check their schedules

Don't forget to double check your schedule. Remember, you'll likely be dealing with a shortened work week. Don't try to cram too many items onto your weekly schedule, or you might wind up burning yourself out.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

14 of the craziest knockoff fast-food chains from around the world

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BurgerFriends

  • There are many knockoffs of fast-food chains like McDonald's and Burger King around the world.
  • They often have funny names, like "McDoner" and "Burger Friends," and their menus are often similar to the stores they're copying. 
  • Sometimes the stores open because the countries don't allow franchises of the traditional chain. Other times, the reason why they exist is less clear.  


In many countries across the globe, you'll often see copycat fast-food restaurants named things like "Mash Donald's" or "McDoner" with the same font, logo, and colors as McDonald's. They aren't the only imposters: knockoff versions of Burger King, Starbucks, 7-Eleven, KFC, and more exist all over the world.

The names might be funny, but some of them were born out of deeper political issues. Mash Donald's, for example, opened because the Iranian government's anti-American sentiments make it impossible for the chain to open McDonald's franchises in the country, according to The New York Times. This is also the case for Pizza Hat (Pizza Hut), Burger House (Burger King), and other knockoff restaurants in Iran. 

China has imitated everything from individual products to world-famous landmarks, and fast food is certainly no exception. You'll find many knockoffs of McDonald's, KFC, and Starbucks throughout major cities in China.

Here are some of the craziest fast-food knockoffs from around the world:

SEE ALSO: 13 popular fast-food menu items that are surprisingly perfect for vegans

Iran: Mash Donalds

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Mash Donald's in Iran sells its own version of classic McDonald's meals, like the "Mash Donald's baguette burger," its "big mac" made with meat, cheese, and turkey ham.

 

 



China: Michael Alone

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China has a lot of interesting knockoffs, like Michael Alone, whose logo clearly is just an upside-down McDonald's logo. The restaurant uses the classic red-and-yellow color scheme as well. 



Kazakhstan: McDoner

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McDoner is another clear spin on the McDonald's brand.



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10 private and luxurious vacation rentals for the ultra rich

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Matugama, Sri Lanka (1)

  • Vacation rentals offer a level of privacy and intimacy that hotels cannot match.
  • When money is no object, renting a vacation home can be the ultimate in luxury.
  • A new book features photos of some of the most beautiful vacation rentals around the world. 


Some people stay in hotels while traveling abroad, but the ultra rich sometimes opt for private home vacation rentals with sweeping views, ultimate privacy, and on-site chefs.

In a new book out by Lannoo Publishers, "Mountain View The Perfect Holiday Homes; Nature Retreats Vol. I," a collection of these homes are hand-picked and featured by travel journalist Sebastiaan Bedaux.

With prime locations in the woods, on waterfronts, and atop mountain peaks, these homes are all available to rent — but come with a hefty price tag.

From inside a luxurious mountain dug-out in Switzerland, to a mirror house in Bolzano, Italy, these are one-of-a-kind homes that make any travel experience unique. 

Below, a selection of some of the most expensive homes featured in the book. 

SEE ALSO: Tour the mysterious members-only island where America's millionaires pay $250,000 just to participate

DON'T MISS: 10 luxury hotels around the world that are frequented by the ultra rich

Banks Peninsula, New Zealand — up to $5,147 per night.

The "Scrubby Bay House" in Banks Peninsula, New Zealand sits in a secluded private bay. Visitors can enjoy the views while sitting in a jacuzzi or swimming pool — or from inside through the large glass partitions while dining on a meal prepared by a private chef. This home is only accessible by SUV  — a 40-minute drive — or by helicopter from Christchurch.



Wanaka, New Zealand — up to $2,536 per night.

This home has sweeping views of Lake Wanaka and access to a New Zealand national park, Mount Aspiring. Cost for rental is $2,536 per night with up to six guests, and $145 per night for extra people.



Leti, Uttarakhand, India — up to $1,916 per night, per guest.

This home in a remote location — a two-day journey from New Delhi — offers panoramic views of the Himalayan mountains.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This is the full schedule for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang

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Winter Olympics PyeongChang

  • The 2018 Winter Olympics are in full swing and end on Sunday, February 25.
  • The Olympic Games are being hosted in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
  • Winter Olympic sports include ice hockey, cross-country skiing, and bobsled.
  • You can see the full schedule of events below.

 

The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony kicked off at the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium in South Korea on Friday February 9 — and audiences have been capitvated ever since.

With ice hockey, cross-country skiing, and bobsled among the Winter Olympic sports, there's something for everyone.

Scroll through each day below to find out when each event takes place.

Wednesday, February 7

Alpine Skiing — Training

Curling — Mixed doubles

Thursday, February 8

Curling — Mixed doubles round robin

Ski Jumping — Qualification

Friday, February 9

Opening ceremony — 11.00 a.m GMT / 6.00 a.m ET

2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony

Curling — Mixed doubles round robin

Figure Skating — Men's and pairs

Freestyle Skiing — Qualifying, men's and women's moguls

Saturday, February 10

Biathlon — Women's 7.5km sprint

Cross-Country Skiing — Women's 7.5km skiathlon 

Curling — Mixed doubles round robin

Women's Hockey — Preliminary round

Luge — Men's heat races

Short Track — Qualification: women's 3000m and 500m relay, men's 1500m

Ski Jumping — Normal hill

Snowboarding — Men's slopestyle qualifying

Speed Skating — Women's 3000m

Sunday, February 11

Alpine Skiing — Men's downhill

Biathlon — Men's 10km sprint

Cross-Country Skiing — Men's 15km skiathlon

Curling — Mixed doubles round robin

Figure Skating — Short dance, ladies short program, pairs free skate

Freestyle Skiing — Women's moguls

Women's Hockey — Preliminary matches

Luge — Men's heat races

Snowboarding — Men's slopestyle final, women's slopestyle

Speed Skating — Men's 5000m

Monday, February 12

Alpine Skiing — Women's giant slalom

Alpine skiing

Biathlon — Men's and women's pursuit events

Curling — Mixed doubles semifinals

Figure Skating — Men's and ladies free skate, ice dance free dance

Freestyle Skiing — Men's moguls

Women's Hockey — Preliminary matches

Luge — Women's heat races

Ski Jumping — Women's competition

Snowboarding — Women's slopestyle final, women's halfpipe qualifying

Speed Skating — Women's 1500m

Tuesday, February 13

Alpine Skiing — Men's alpine combined

Cross-Country Skiing — Men's and women's individual sprint finals

Curling — Mixed doubles bronze and gold medal matches

Women's Hockey — Preliminary matches

Luge — Women's heat races

Short Track — Women's 500m final, men's 1000m qualifying, men's 5000m relay qualifying

Snowboarding — Women's halfpipe final, men's halfpipe

Speed Skating — Men's 1500m

Wednesday, February 14

Alpine Skiing — Women's slalom

Biathlon — Women's 15km individual

Curling — Men's and women's round robin

Figure Skating — Pairs short program

Men's Hockey — Preliminary round

Snowboarding — Men's halfpipe final

Snowboard halfpipe

Speed Skating — Women's 1000m

Thursday, February 15

Alpine Skiing — Men's super-G

Biathlon — Men's 20km individual

Cross-Country Skiing — Women's 10km individual

Curling — Men's and women's round robin

Figure Skating — Pairs free skate

Freestyle skiing — Women's aerials qualifying

Women's hockey — Preliminary matches

Men's hockey — Preliminary matches

Luge — Team relay competition

Skeleton — Men's competition: heat races

Snowboarding — Men's cross

Speed Skating — Men's 10,000m

Friday, February 16

Cross-Country Skiing — Men's 15km individual

Curling — Men's and women's round robin

Figure Skating — Men's short programs

Freestyle Skiing — Women's aerials final

Men's Hockey — Preliminary matches

Ice hockey

Ski Jumping — Men's large hill qualifying

Snowboarding — Women's cross

Speed Skating — Women's 5000m

Saturday, February 17

Alpine Skiing — Women's super-G

Biathlon — Women's 12.5km mass start

Cross-Country Skiing — Women's 4x5km relay

Curling — Men's and women's round robin

Figure Skating — Men's short program final

Freestyle Skiing — Women's slopestyle qualifying, final; men's aerials qualifying

Men's Hockey — Preliminary matches

Women's Hockey — Two knockout round matches

Short Track — Men's 1500m, women's 1000m

Skeleton — Women's heat races

Ski Jumping — Men's large hill

Sunday, February 18

Alpine Skiing — Men's giant slalom

Biathlon — Men's 15km mass start

Bobsled — Two-man sled heat races

Cross-Country Skiing — Men's 4x10km relay

Curling — Men's and women's round robin

Freestyle Skiing — Men's slopestyle qualifying, final; men's aerials final

Men's Hockey — Preliminary matches

Women's Hockey — Classification matches

Speed Skating — Women's 500m, men's team pursuit qualifying

Monday, February 19

Bobsled — Two-man heat races

Curling — Men's and women's round robin

Figure Skating — Ice dancers

Freestyle Skiing — Women's halfpipe qualifying

Women's Hockey — Semifinals

Ski Jumping — Team competition

Snowboarding — Women's big air qualifying

Speed Skating — Women's team pursuit qualifying

Tuesday, February 20

Biathlon — Mixed relay

Bobsled — Women's heat races

Bobsled

Curling — Men's and women's round robin

Figure Skating — Ice dance, free dance

Freestyle Skiing — Women's halfpipe final, men's halfpipe qualifying

Men's Hockey — Knockout rounds

Women's Hockey — Classification matches

Nordic Combined — Large hill competition

Short Track — Women's 1000m qualifying, men's 500m qualifying, women's 3000m relay final

Wednesday, February 21

Alpine Skiing — Women's downhill

Bobsled — Women's heat races

Cross-Country Skiing — Men's and women's sprint semifinals

Curling — Men's and women's round robin

Figure Skating — Ladies short program

Freestyle Skiing — Men's cross

Men's Hockey — Quarterfinals

Snowboarding — Men's big air qualifying

Speed Skating — Men's and women's team pursuit finals

Thursday, February 22

Alpine Skiing — Men's slalom

Biathlon — Women's 4x6km relay

Curling — Men's semifinals

Freestyle Skiing — Men's halfpipe final

Women's Hockey — Bronze and gold medal matches

Nordic Combined — Team competition

Short Track — Men's 500m finals, women's 1000m finals, men's 5000m relay

Snowboarding — Men's and women's parallel giant slalom qualifying

Friday, February 23

Alpine Skiing — Women's alpine combined

Biathlon — Men's 4x7.7km relay

Curling — Men's and women's semifinals

Figure Skating — Ladies free skate

Freestyle Skiing — Women's cross

Men's Hockey — Semifinal matches

Snowboarding — Women's big air final

Speed Skating — Men's 1000m final

Saturday, February 24

Alpine Skiing — Team event

Bobsled — Four-man competition heat races

Cross-Country Skiing — Men's 50km mass start

Curling — Men's gold and silver match, women's bronze match

Men's Hockey — Bronze medal match

Snowboarding — Men's big air final, men's and women's giant parallel slalom finals

Speed Skating — Men's and women's mass start

Sunday, February 25

Bobsled — Four-man heat races

Cross-Country Skiing — Women's 30km mass start

Curling — Women's gold medal match

Figure Skating — Exhibition gala

Men's Hockey — Gold medal match

Closing ceremonies

SEE ALSO: The Olympic Village will be stocked with 37 condoms per athlete — and it could be because of Tinder

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: No one wants to host the Olympics anymore — will they go away?

2 formerly obese economists who lost a combined 120 pounds in 18 months relied on a controversial weight-loss strategy

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Rob before after

  • Christopher Payne and Rob Barnett are the authors of "The Economists' Diet."
  • In the book, they argue that, if you're trying to lose weight, you need to step on the scale every day. Their argument is supported by some recent research.
  • But some experts say weighing yourself daily can be confusing and demotivating.


The way Christopher Payne sees it, when you're trying to lose weight, "You're basically a scientist of your own body."

Payne is the author, along with Rob Barnett, of the book "The Economists' Diet: The Surprising Formula for Losing Weight and Keeping It Off," in which they teach readers how to use fundamental economic principles to shed pounds, just like they did.

At different points in their lives, Payne and Barnett were both overweight and successfully got themselves to a healthier place. Payne lost 45 pounds in 18 months; Barnett lost 75 pounds in 18 months.

Payne made the comment about being a scientist of your own body to defend one of the more controversial weight-loss strategies in the book: weighing yourself every day. The idea is that you weigh yourself in the morning, see whether the number has gone up or down, reflect on what you ate the day before, and tweak as necessary.

In the book, the authors cite research that links weighing yourself every day with losing weight.

In one 2015 study, published in the Journal of Obesity, researchers tracked 162 overweight adults over the course of two years.

Results showed that participants who weighed themselves daily and received visual feedback about their weight trajectories lost more weight than participants who didn't weight themselves as frequently.

The first group was also better able to maintain the weight loss. And it didn't matter how exactly the participants went about trying to lose weight.

Interestingly, men in the study lost significantly more weight than women did — though the researchers can't explain why.

To be sure, as The Washington Post pointed out, participants might have felt greater pressure to keep the weight off knowing the researchers would be keeping tabs on them. Meaning you might not see the same success as they did.

Another study, published 2016 in the International Journal of Obesity, yielded similar findings in women who weighed themselves frequently.

It's unclear exactly why weighing yourself every day may help with weight loss. In a statement, a co-author of the 2015 study said, "We think the scale also acts as a priming mechanism, making you conscious of food and enabling you to make choices that are consistent with your weight."

Some experts take issue with the idea that you should weigh yourself so often

Still, other experts advise against weighing yourself every day.

Moran Cerf, a professor of business and neuroscience at Northwestern University who has been studying decision-making for over a decade, told Business Insider's Chris Weller that people should weigh themselves just once a week. Your weight can fluctuate by a few pounds every day, Cerf said, and stepping on the scale so often can cause confusion.

One dietitian told USA Today she didn't recommend daily weigh-ins for most clients.

"You can get lost in those numbers and start to identify your self-worth with what's on the scale," she said.

I mentioned to Payne and Barnett that weighing yourself daily sounded like a version of the Quantified Self Movement, which focuses partly on learning more about your body through self-tracking.

Payne said it's similar, but "much more simplistic." In this case, all you're tracking is your weight — not how many steps you take, or how many calories you ingest, or anything else.

Barnett argued that if your weight is what you're trying to control, that's the only thing you should keep tabs on.

He also addressed the emotional piece of weighing yourself so often. When he was at his peak weight — about 250 pounds — he said, "I didn't want to know the number."

Ultimately, Barnett put it in very frank terms.

"Your obesity — or lack thereof — it's not a secret to anyone," he said. "You should get acquainted with that number."

He added: "It really is a life-changing thing to add this to your daily routine."

SEE ALSO: 2 formerly obese economists lost a combined 120 pounds in 18 months — here are the best tricks they used

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why you shouldn't rely on counting calories to lose weight


Michael B. Jordan added 15 pounds of muscle after 'Creed' to play the villain in 'Black Panther' — here's how he did it

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Black Panther Disney Marvel Studios final

  • Celebrity trainer Corey Calliet put Michael B. Jordan through a grueling weightlifting regimen to make him look like a convincing superhero bad guy in "Black Panther."
  • The two worked out for six days a week in the months leading up to production. Jordan would also eat six meals a day.
  • Jordan gained 15 pounds of muscle for the role.
  • Calliet also worked with Jordan to get him into incredible shape for the movie "Creed."


Michael B. Jordan was in the best shape of his life when he played the title character in the hit movie “Creed,” but to play a superhero villain in “Black Panther,” he knew he had to be superhero big. And there was only one guy who could get him there.

Celebrity trainer Corey Calliet has been working consistently with Jordan since they connected on the set of 2015’s “Fantastic Four.” At that time Calliet said Jordan could barely lift 25 pounds, but by the end of filming one of the movie’s producers asked Calliet to slow down the training because Jordan could barely fit into his Johnny Storm suit.

Calliet said when Jordan contacted him about playing Erik Killmonger in “Black Panther” the actor only sent him a picture of the character from the comic book.

“He told me, 'I need to look like this,' and it's a picture of Killmonger fighting Black Panther,” Calliet told Business Insider. “He was very big, so I knew I had to make Mike look like a free safety or a Marine. If you want to be a villain you have to have that savage type of demeanor. “

To get Jordan to that kind of body type, Calliet would put him through a very different kind of regimen compared to “Creed.”

As Calliet did a lot of cardio work to get Jordan into a boxer look to play Adonis Creed, for Killmonger he needed the actor to put on muscle. That meant doing a weightlifting program to give him intense muscle training.

It was nothing fancy, just basic weight training: bench press, lat pull downs, dead lifts. While also eating six meals a day. They went on for six days a week for a few months leading up to production.

The work then intensified to interval training closer to shooting.

Dumbbell curls to lat pull downs; dips to pull ups to push ups; incline bench press to fly presses.

At one point, Jordan was lifting with 115-pound dumbbells.

Still working...

A post shared by Michael B. Jordan (@michaelbjordan) on Jan 23, 2017 at 10:53am PST on

Calliet said Jordan added 15 pounds of muscle from “Creed” to “Black Panther.” But the trainer admitted none of it was fun for Jordan, and that’s just what Calliet intended.

“The way I train, the person never gets used to it,” Calliet said. “I would have him do squats and then move right to burpees — that’s not a good feeling. It was nothing that was enjoyable.”

But it’s the finished product that both men strived for, and they can’t be happier with the result. Calliet said he got chills seeing Jordan on screen.

Black Panther 3 Marvel“When I was bodybuilding competing the saying always was, ‘Shows are won from the back,’ so that scene where Killmonger and Black Panther fight, you can see Mike’s back and the definition and the lat spread, all the work we put in is highlighted in that one scene.”

However, the work continues today. With shooting for “Creed 2” beginning in April, Calliet and Jordan have been training getting the actor back to looking like a boxer.

“We were in New York City working out at 3 a.m. the other day,” Calliet said. “I promise you, the body I’m bringing to the screen for ‘Creed 2’ is going to be better than any of the work I’ve ever done.”

"Black Panther" is currently playing in theaters.

SEE ALSO: "Black Panther" is the rare Marvel movie that makes you care about the villain — and Michael B. Jordan delivers an incredible performance

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why North Korea sent hundreds of cheerleaders to the Olympics

Churros, pranks, and hallway bobsleds: Here's what Winter Olympic athletes get up to when they're not competing

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A German skeleton racer, Anna Fernstaedt, jumps for joy on her bed

Athletes at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang have all had to work hard.

Qualification for the Olympic games requires years of dedication, training, and skill.

So it might be easy to assume that while competitors are preparing for an event they adhere to a strict diet, work out in the gym, and go to bed early.

But some athletes like to let loose.

This involves eating churros, playing elaborate pranks on each other, and riding makeshift bobsleds down hallways inside the Olympic village.

Business Insider has collected photographs from Getty, Instagram, and Twitter to shine a light on how some competitors at the Winter Olympics have been spending their downtime.

Scroll down to find out.

SEE ALSO: The world's first ski tournament for robots was held near the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics — and the pictures are incredible

DON'T MISS: A pair of gold medal winning Canadian figure skaters toned down their 'raunchy' routine because it was like a 'porno'

UP NEXT: North Korean Olympians have a 24/7 surveillance team who will tackle them if they try to run away

Athletes tend to hang out at the Olympic village in Pyeongchang. Some nations send delegations so large they take up multiple floors within the high-rise apartment blocks. North Korea, for instance, has three floors reserved but the competitors are "separated from other nations."

Sources:CNN.



Before athletes check-in, they might sign this "Truce Wall." One of the themes of every Olympics is peace — and that is not lost on athletes. Here, three American lugers (Emily Sweeney, Erin Hamlin, and Summer Britcher) pose in front of peace symbols that were originally designated for the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.



Once inside, athletes can get together and hang out in the apartments, much like members of the Australian Olympic team are doing right here.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

We drove a $53,000 Alfa Romeo Stelvio — and the new luxury SUV is far from perfect

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Alfa Romeo Stelvia

  • The Stelvio is Alfa Romeo's first crack at an SUV since returning to the US market.
  • Luxury SUVs are a mission-critical segment for the Italian brand.
  • We enjoyed the crossover's styling and driving dynamics, but it fell short on infotainment and interior quality.


Alfa Romeo exited the US market back in the mid-1990s, and if you had told me prior to the financial crisis that the legendary Italian brand would be back, I'd have scoffed.

By the bailout and bankruptcy of Chrysler in 2009 set the stage for an unlikely return, as Fiat — Alfa's owner — acquired Chrysler and formed Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. CEO Sergio Marchionne was keen to restore Alfa in the lucrative US luxury market. So first we got the offbeat 4C sports car, followed by the marvelous Giulia sedan.

Now the most unlikely Alfa of all has arrived, the Stelvio SUV. Luxury SUVs are a big segment in SUV-mad America, with pretty much every major brand supporting a lineup. Alfa had to be in on the action.

The Stelvio landed in 2017, and we recently got our hands on a $53,000 Sport-trim example (the base model is $42,000). The car was mega-sharp, with its quintessentially Italian styling. A Range Rover this definitely isn't. But what was it like to live with?

Photos by Hollis Johnson.

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Our Stelvio tester arrived in a Rosso Red paint job with an all-black interior.

The Alfa front end is utterly distinctive. You can't mistake it for anything else, with that dashing shield grille, those saber-like headlights, and the gorgeous Alfa badge. As front fascias go, it's amazing.

The Rosso Red exterior was luminous. We seen Alfas in black and we've seen them in red. And red is better.



Of course, because the design is so Alfa, it's bound to be polarizing.

The obvious question is whether you want your rugged SUV to look like something that's dressed for men's fashion week in Milan. From my perspective, SUVs have exuded rough-and-tumble cred for so long that the arrival of panache with the Stelvio and the Maserati Levante is a good thing.



The Stelvio is symmetrical and sleek.

To be honest, apart from the glorious color, we weren't 100% convinced by the Stelvio's beauty. 

The rest of the world didn't share our skepticism. There was no shortage of admiring glances, rapt stares, thumbs up, and questions from total strangers for the week that we spent driving the SUV around New York and New Jersey.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Radiohead announced a run of US tour dates for the summer — here's where you can see the band

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  • Radiohead has announced a US summer tour in support of its 2016 album "A Moon Shaped Pool."
  • The tour stars July 7 in Chicago and wraps up August 1 in Philadelphia.
  • Tickets go on sale February 23.
  • Find the dates below. 

 

Radiohead has announced a run of US summer tour dates in support of the group's most recent album, 2016's critically acclaimed "A Moon Shaped Pool." 

The English rock band's brief tour starts July 7 at Chicago's United Center and ends August 1 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. 

"A Moon Shaped Pool," Radiohead's ninth studio album, ranked as the seventh most critically acclaimed album of 2016, according to the reviews aggregator Metacritic. 

Tickets will go on sale February 23 on the band's website.

Here are the tour dates:

July 07 - Chicago at United Center
July 10 - New York at Madison Square Garden
July 11 - New York at Madison Square Garden
July 13 - New York at Madison Square Garden
July 16 - Montreal at Bell Centre
July 17 - Montreal at Bell Centre
July 19 - Toronto at Air Canada Centre
July 20 - Toronto at Air Canada Centre
July 22 - Detroit at Little Caesars Arena
July 23 - Columbus at Schottenstein Center
July 25 - Cincinnati at US Bank Arena
July 26 - Pittsburgh at PPG Paints Arena
July 28 - Boston at TD Garden
July 29 - Boston at TD Garden
July 31 - Philadelphia at Wells Fargo Center
August 1 - Philadelphia at Wells Fargo Center

SEE ALSO: The best-selling album the year you were born

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: You can connect all 9 Best Picture Oscar nominees with actors they have in common — here's how

3,500 litres of non-alcoholic beer has been delivered to the Olympic village — and it could be the secret to Germany's medal success

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  • German athletes have been drinking isotonic beer at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
  • This beer is non-alcoholic and apparently "extremely healthy," according to alpine ski racer Linus Strasser.
  • The Krombacher brewery delivered 3,500 litres of it to the athletes' village in Pyeongchang, so there is more than enough to go around.
  • But you may have to fight the Germans for it.

 

German athletes have been drinking beer at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Yes, you read that right — but no, it's probably not what you think. This beer is actually non-alcoholic, isotonic, and apparently reduces inflammation.

Alpine ski racer Linus Strasser is one of the athletes drinking it "It tastes good and it's good for the body," he told the New York Times. "Alcohol-free wheat beer is extremely healthy. That's why it's good for us sports guys."

And it's no joke. According to The New York Times, the discovery was made in 2009 by Johannes Scherr, a sports medicine teacher at the Technical University of Munich who now happens to be the doctor of the German Olympic ski team.

Scherr found that athletes who drank non-alcoholic beer suffered "fewer upper respiratory infections" than those who had been given a placebo. Additionally, Scherr discovered that the beer significantly reduced inflammation. This means that those who drink it recover faster than those who don't.

Linus Strasser

Now, Scherr says many of his athletes are like Strasser and enjoy the beer — and, luckily, there is more than enough to go around after a shipment of 3,500 litres worth of non-alcoholic Krombacher beer was delivered to the athletes' village in Pyeongchang.

And it might not just be the booze-free stuff that Strasser samples. "Sometimes an alcoholic beer can also be good," he added.

Germany is currently second in the Winter Olympics medal table with 23 medals, so it clearly can't be doing any harm.

SEE ALSO: The Olympic Village will be stocked with 37 condoms per athlete — and it could be because of Tinder

DON'T MISS: The Norwegian Winter Olympics team ordered 15,000 eggs by mistake thanks to a Google Translate error

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NOW WATCH: Why North Korea sent hundreds of cheerleaders to the Olympics

The 10 worst movies to win the best picture Oscar — and what should have won

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Winning the best picture Oscar doesn't just signal that a movie is regarded by Hollywood as the top achievement in the medium for the year; it can help cement a movie's status, with past winners that have gone on to become classics like "The Godfather," "Lawrence of Arabia," and "On the Waterfront."

But the Academy voters don't always get it right. Tucked away in the 89 years of Oscar ceremonies are best picture winners that quickly vanished from the zeitgeist, never to be heard from again. That's often because they weren't as good as originally thought.

It's probably too early to say which of the nine best picture nominees in 2018 — including odds-on favorites to win like "The Shape of Water" and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" — will live on in our memories, but here's hoping the Academy doesn't screw this one up when the Oscars air March 4.

Here we look back on the 10 most disappointing best picture winners and choose the nominees that should have won:

SEE ALSO: 26 stars who shockingly still don't have Oscars

10. "Around the World in 80 Days" (1956)

Based on the Jules Verne novel, this film used all of Hollywood's resources (a $6 million budget in the 1950s was far from cheap) to create a sprawling look at the world, but the story of a super-rich English gentleman Phileas Fogg (David Niven) who attempts to win his wager to navigate the globe is silly and far from memorable. 



SHOULD HAVE WON: "The Ten Commandments"

Cecil B. DeMille's final directing effort still holds strong today. With its all-star cast, particularly the incredible performance by Charlton Heston as Moses (he didn't even get an Oscar nomination for the role), and its remarkable effects for that era, it's a movie that should have been recognized with the top prize.  



9. "Ordinary People" (1980)

The late 1970s and early 1980s were when the melodrama was at its zenith in movie theaters, and "Ordinary People" came around at the perfect time. The film didn't just win best picture — it also achieved best director for Robert Redford and best actor for Timothy Hutton. Granted, the film has explosive performances in it, but there needs to be more than great acting to win best picture.



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Courtney Love shares emotional birthday message to Kurt Cobain: 'God I miss you'

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  • Courtney Love shared an emotional Instagram post for what would have been her late husband Kurt Cobain's 51st birthday on Tuesday morning.
  • The Nirvana singer committed suicide in 1994.

 

Courtney Love shared an emotional message on Instagram in honor of what would have been her late husband Kurt Cobain's 51st birthday.

Love posted a black-and-white photo of her and Cobain on Tuesday morning with a caption that reads, "happy birthday baby god I miss you."

happy birthday baby god I miss you

A post shared by Courtney Love Cobain (@courtneylove) on Feb 19, 2018 at 10:52pm PST on

Cobain, the lead singer of the alt-rock band Nirvana, shot and killed himself in 1994. 

Last year, Love discussed with "Good Morning America" the difficulties of raising her daughter, Francis Bean, into a "normal childhood, as normal as possible for living in Beverly Hills," without Cobain.

"She's enigmatic like he was," Love said. "She's got a very dry, kind of, sick sense of humor that he had. I mean he had a really sick sense of humor, but dry."

SEE ALSO: The 50 best-selling music artists of all time

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: You can connect all 9 Best Picture Oscar nominees with actors they have in common — here's how


The New York Times published an op-ed slamming yoga pants — and people are furious

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  • A New York Times senior opinion editor published an op-ed arguing that yoga pants are bad for women. 
  • Women overwhelmingly did not agree. 

 

The New York Times published an op-ed slamming yoga pants — and people aren't too pleased with the publication. 

On Sunday, The Times published an op-ed written by senior opinion editor Honor Jones with the headline: "Why Yoga Pants Are Bad for Women." 

"We may be able to conquer the world wearing spandex," Jones wrote. "But wouldn’t it be easier to do so in pants that don't threaten to show every dimple and roll in every woman over 30?" 

Overwhelmingly readers responded saying, no, in fact, life without yoga pants would not be easier. In fact, most people — especially women — saw the argument as simply absurd, and they took to social media to say just that. 

The crux of Jones' argument is that women wear yoga pants to be sexy, something that should not be expected of anyone while they're working out. 

But women provided many other reasons to wear yoga pants and leggings — namely, that they're comfortable and practical. 

"Somehow you are missing the point of how much easier it is to run, to contort, to move in any way, with pants that are streamlined," reads the top comment on The New York Times' Facebook post about the article. 

While Jones frames her argument as a pro-women, feminist take, many saw the anti-yoga-pants op-ed as part of a larger trend of demonizing anything feminine. 

"Yoga pants, skin care, makeup, wine, romance novels, fashion — if it's *culturally coded* as something that brings relaxation and pleasure to women, somebody is out there writing about how it's secretly insidious," NPR's Linda Holmes tweeted. 

Many criticized the publication for publishing something about yoga pants instead of focusing on more pressing issues, such as gun control.

Some were simply left begging people to read something else.

As is often the case on Twitter, the yoga pants debate began to spiral in unanticipated directions — including a (debunked) conspiracy that Honor Jones wasn't even a real person. 

Combing through responses on social media doesn't turn up many people willing to support Jones's argument.

Instead, people seem to agree with another Facebook comment on The Times' post: "So, how about we all just wear whatever appeals to us, and don't worry about what anyone else is wearing."

SEE ALSO: Applebee's and IHOP are closing hundreds of restaurants as millennials ditch the struggling chains

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NOW WATCH: Take a look inside Amazon's grocery store of the future — there are no cashiers, registers or lines

Business Insider UK is hiring a paid international editorial content fellow

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Business Insider is hiring a paid fellow to assist with translating content into English from our foreign-language sites.

If you are a news junkie with a passion for optimizing how stories are consumed online, this fellowship is for you.

This fellowship is based in our London office and last 6 months from the start date. Fellows are encouraged to work 40 hours a week.

In this position, you will be responsible for selecting stories from our foreign-language editions, including Germany, Italy, Spain, France, and Poland, and translating them into English using translation tools.

This person will edit content once it is translated and format the stories in our CMS. 

This fellow will also suggest English content to our international editions to help get our stories in front of a larger audience.

The ideal candidate has:

  • excellent copy-editing skills
  • can work quickly and independently
  • has a good instinct for what Business Insider readers find interesting
  • knows how to package stories in an exciting and smart way
  • familiarity with popular translation tools

Multi-lingual fluency is preferred, especially French, German, Italian, or Spanish. A background in journalism and light HTML and photo-editing skills are also a huge plus.

As a fellow at Business Insider, there is no getting coffee, filing, or making copies.

If this sounds like your dream job, APPLY HERE with a cover letter that explains why you are the right fit for this position. Please list the languages you know at the beginning of your cover letter.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Jim Chanos on the return of choppy markets, Tesla, and the 'rent-seeking behavior' that's hurting our economy

A day in the life of a United Airlines flight attendant, who woke up before 3 a.m. and ran circles around me for 9 hours

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  • Robert "Bingo" Bingochea is a Denver-based flight attendant for United Airlines who commutes to work from his home in Phoenix.
  • Bingochea has been a flight attendant with United for seven years and previously worked in the airline industry in other capacities.
  • Though he says every day on the job is different, we joined him on a trip from Denver to Houston and back to capture what a day in the life of a flight attendant may look like.


It's 3 a.m., and I'm jolted awake by the ring of the hotel phone.

The bright red numbers on the clock next to me are the only thing illuminating my pitch-black hotel room, and I groan as I roll over and steal another five minutes of sleep.

When I checked in to the hotel at 10:30 the night before and asked for my wake-up call, the front-desk clerk was horrified to hear how little sleep I'd be getting.

"At least I'm getting the 'true' experience," I tell myself. "Flight attendants probably do this all the time."

As it turns out, Robert "Bingo" Bingochea, a 63-year-old who has worked with United Airlines as a flight attendant for seven years, went to bed early that night, and he has already been awake for more than an hour by the time I finally bolt out of bed. He's had his morning coffee, watched some TV news, and checked the weather from his hotel room before I even clicked the lights on in my room.

Like me, Bingochea has also flown in the day before the 5:24 a.m. flight from Denver to Houston.

He's what you call a "commuter" in the airline industry. He's a flight attendant based out of Denver, but he lives in Phoenix with his wife and commutes to Denver for each trip he works.

Bingochea got the first flight into Denver the day before our flight, which isn't uncommon for commuters, since flying standby means you aren't guaranteed a seat on the flight you want, and it can sometimes take a full day to get a flight on standby.

I'm shadowing him for the day, and we're to meet at Denver International Airport to begin our journey together.

SEE ALSO: Here's what it's REALLY like to be a Delta Air Lines flight attendant, one of the most competitive jobs out there

DON'T MISS: Flight attendants share the 25 things they wish passengers would stop doing — and one thing you can get away with

SEE ALSO: 11 insider facts most flight attendants know — and you probably don't

As our flight will begin boarding at 4:50 a.m., I arrive at the airport at 4 a.m. I'm scheduled to meet Bingochea at United's In Flight area, but before that, we both need to go through airport security.

Just my luck, getting through the Transportation Security Administration's security takes me longer than anticipated. I must remove my shoes, take all electronics out of my bag, and place them, exposed, in the screening bin. And, since I wear some medical devices, I'm treated to a full pat-down and tested for bomb residue.

Bingochea, on the other hand — and other flight attendants flying through Denver International — goes through an expedited TSA screening, a process that usually takes less than a minute.



Bingochea has packed enough clothes — rolled, of course — and supplies to last at least four days. "You want to be ready for everything," he tells me. "Anything can happen."

Apart from the essentials like extra underwear and T-shirts, medication, and clothing, he also takes a couple of trinkets with him: a pink, rubber frog that was his daughter's when she was younger always goes around the world with him, as does his Vietnam Veteran cap, which commemorates his time as a medic in the US Army during the Vietnam War.

In general, Bingochea doesn't pack a lunch. He'll bring some snacks with him, but he opts not to eat while he's working — it makes him sluggish — and instead budgets enough money to try the different cuisines where he's traveling.



As a passenger, you won't ever see United's operations station. With the swipe of my handler's United Airlines ID badge, we take an elevator up to the fourth floor, home of United's conference rooms, HR and IT departments, and Inflight Services.



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The official numbers are in, and 'Black Panther' soared past the latest 'Star Wars' for a historic $242 million opening weekend (DIS)

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  • The official box office numbers are in and "Black Panther" had the second-best four-day opening weekend of all time with $242 million domestically.
  • That beats the opening by "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" ($241.5 million).


The official box office numbers are in, and "Black Panther" performed well beyond any industry projections.

The final numbers for the Presidents' Day holiday weekend came out Tuesday and the latest Marvel movie took in $242 million over the four days at the domestic box office, according to The Hollywood Reporter.  

That puts the movie in second place for best-ever four-day openings at the box office, passing "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" ($241.5 million).

"Black Panther" also dethroned "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" to claim the biggest Monday earner on record with $40.2 million, surpassing the $40.1 million mark from "The Force Awakens."

The movie's three-day gross of $201.7 million places it as the fifth best all time, beating out "Avengers: Age of Ultron" ($191.2 million).

Director Ryan Coogler's long-awaited adaptation of the legendary Marvel character is shattering box office records in a time of year when it's thought nobody goes to the movies. Industry insiders tell Business Insider that's all going to change now, as the success of this movie and "Deadpool" in 2016 proves that the early months of the year are fertile ground for big business.

But the success of "Black Panther" also proves that diverse audiences have a hunger to see stories told by them for them. According to comScore (via THR), 37 percent "Black Panther" ticket buyers were African-American. They made up on average 15% of the audience for superhero movies.

The movie also broke the record for biggest February opening of all-time (beating "Deadpool") and is the biggest opening ever for a black filmmaker (F. Gary Gray, "The Fate of the Furious"). 

SEE ALSO: Michael B. Jordan added 15 pounds of muscle after "Creed" to play the villain in "Black Panther" — here's how he did it

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: You can connect all 9 Best Picture Oscar nominees with actors they have in common — here's how

We took a scientific look at whether weed or alcohol is worse for you — and there appears to be a winner

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Which is worse for you: weed or whiskey?

It's a tough call, but based on the science, there appears to be a clear answer.

Keep in mind that there are dozens of factors to account for, including how the substances affect your heart, brain, and behavior, and how likely you are to get hooked.

Time is important, too — while some effects are noticeable immediately, others only begin to crop up after months or years of use.

The comparison is slightly unfair for another reason: While scientists have been researching the effects of alcohol for decades, the science of cannabis is a lot murkier because of its mostly illegal status.

SEE ALSO: The nation's top cancer doctors are asking people to drink less in an unprecedented warning

DON'T MISS: What marijuana really does to your body and brain

More than 30,700 Americans died from alcohol-induced causes in 2014. There have been zero documented deaths from marijuana use alone.

In 2014, 30,722 people died from alcohol-induced causes in the US — and that does not count drinking-related accidents or homicides. If those deaths were included, the number would be closer to 90,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Meanwhile, no deaths from marijuana overdoses have been reported, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. A 16-year study of more than 65,000 Americans, published in the American Journal of Public Health, found that healthy marijuana users were not more likely to die earlier than healthy people who did not use cannabis.



Marijuana appears to be significantly less addictive than alcohol.

Close to half of all adults have tried marijuana at least once, making it one of the most widely used illegal drugs — yet research suggests that a relatively small percentage of people become addicted.

For a 1994 survey, epidemiologists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse asked more than 8,000 people from ages 15 to 64 about their drug use. Of those who had tried marijuana at least once, roughly 9% eventually fit a diagnosis of addiction. For alcohol, the figure was about 15%. To put that in perspective, the addiction rate for cocaine was 17%, while heroin was 23% and nicotine was 32%.



Marijuana may be harder on your heart, while moderate drinking could be beneficial.

Unlike alcohol, which slows your heart rate, marijuana speeds it up, which could negatively affect the heart in the short term. Still, the largest-ever report on cannabis from the National Academies of Sciences, released in January, found insufficient evidence to support or refute the idea that cannabis may increase the overall risk of a heart attack.

On the other hand, low to moderate drinking — about one drink a day — has been linked with a lower risk of heart attack and stroke compared with abstention. James Nicholls, a director at Alcohol Research UK, told The Guardian that those findings should be taken with a grain of salt since "any protective effects tend to be canceled out by even occasional bouts of heavier drinking."



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