When her daughter Emma turned five years old, Texas-based photographer Jaime Moore wanted to capture her portrait in honor of the occasion and began searching for inspiration online.

"I noticed quite a pattern of so many young girls dressing up as beautiful Disney Princesses," Moore said on her website. "No matter where I looked 95% of the 'ideas' were how to's on how to dress your little girl like a Disney Princess."

So instead of turning to fictional characters, Moore focused her project instead on real historical role models. She chose five women in honor of her daughter's fifth birthday, and recreated the famous portraits of Susan B. Anthony, Coco Chanel, Amelia Earhart, Helen Keller, and Jane Goodall.

"I wanted her to know the value of these amazing women who had gone against everything so she can now have everything," Moore explained.

See the awesome portraits below.

And here's Emma posing as herself.

DON'T MISS: See What Modern New Yorkers Look Like Through The Lens Of A 100-Year-Old Camera

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

McDonald's is ready to cut menu items to improve customer service. 

The fast food chain needs to streamline its menu, which has grown 70% since 2007, reports Leslie Patton at Bloomberg News. 

Some items potentially on the chopping block are the Southern Style Biscuit, McSkillet Burrito, Caesar salad, and steak bagel, according to Patton. 

“It’s gotten to the point where the operation has kind of broken down and that’s all a symptom of the complication of the menu,” said Richard Adams, a consultant and former McDonald’s store owner, told Patton. “They can’t make the food fast enough.”

McDonald's rapidly-expanding menu has confused employees and resulted in customer service issues, according to Bloomberg. 

The restaurant chain has cut several items this year, including the Angus Third Pounder, Apple Walnut Salad, and Chicken Selects. 

But at the same time, it added items including the McWrap, Egg White Delight, and Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothie. 

SEE ALSO: 13 Bizarre McDonald's Locations Around The World >

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

A bit over a month ago we polled Business Insider's Wall Street readers to find out where bankers, traders, and the like really enjoy grabbing a meal.

After letting the survey marinate for a bit, a winner began to emerge — Del Frisco's Restaurant.

To be honest, we were a little shocked. Del Frisco's is a Texas-based a chain, and it's not the most expensive or flashy (Remember: this is Wall Street) restaurant in NYC.

So why, in a town chock-full of the newest this and the most expensive that, was Del Frisco's selected? Business Insider decided to head over to the restaurant to find out why.

The main reason is this — Del Frisco's is a service driven restaurant. Unlike a lot of NYC spots, the chef is not in charge, you are. Anything you want, just ask manager Scott Gould and he'll make sure you walk out happy.

Of course, that means management makes a lot of tweaks to ensure that every diner's experience is completely enjoyable. We've narrowed in on some of the Wall Street specific measures, but we're fairly sure that these are things anyone can appreciate.

Because it's in the lobby of a bank.

15 years ago, Del Frisco's moved into what used to be the lobby of Chemical Bank (until it merged in Chase in 1995).

That's why when you walk in the first thing you'll notice are the high ceilings and the massive windows.

Because General Manager Scott Gould was a bond trader.

Del Frisco's is managed by Scott Gould, a former bond trader. He traded EM debt and worked for a few firms and before landing in mutual fund services at Oppenheimer when 9/11 happened. He was on the 36th floor of 1 World Financial and his boss, who had lived through the WTC bombing of '93, told everyone to run to the street.

They reached the ground floor a little before the 2nd plane hit.

A few months later Gould decided to quit Wall Street and go back to the restaurant world. He called Del Frisco's, where he'd taken clients many times before, and asked to start wherever they could fit him in — that was at the bottom, but he worked his way to the top.

Because there are power tables, and you know where they are.

Gould can show you where the power tables are, but if you walk in, you already know.

It all depends on whether or not you want to be seen or if you want to see. Some power tables are the ones that patrons see right-smack-dab as they walk into the restaurant, the other ones are private and make it possible for diners to see what's going on all around them.

Either way, Gould has copious notes on how to accommodate heavy hitters. Gotta stay organized.

Please follow Clusterstock on Twitter and Facebook.

Swimsuit season is right around the corner, which means the pressure to get the "perfect" bod is on — however you define it.

Of course, the combo of a healthy diet and exercise is the best way to go, but that knowledge wasn't always common back in the day — which is why we have such a long and storied history of completely bonkers fad diets.

Looking back at these eating regimens through the ages, we were struck by one indelible fact: People have done some really crazy stuff in the name of weight loss.

How crazy? Well, there was a diet consisting completely of cabbage soup (bet those participants smelled quite fragrant), and don't even get us started on the cigarette diet. 

So, while we may know better now, let's take a walk down memory lane and sneak a peek at some of the most popular diet crazes from days of yore.

We think it goes without saying that, barring a few notable exceptions, you probably shouldn't try these at home, mmkay?

1087: The Liquid Diet

Historians credit William the Conqueror as the inventor of the first fad diet.

Legend has it that the English king became too heavy to ride his horse, so he went on an all-liquid diet.

His liquid of choice?

Liquor.

The diet didn’t exactly work, and he actually died later that year after falling off the poor, probably exhausted horse.

1820: The Vinegar Diet

“Roses are red, violets are blue. Drink lots of vinegar and you’ll feel ew.”

That could've been prose by English poet Lord Byron. He regularly cleansed his body by drinking lots of vinegar and water.

It’s no wonder he felt lighter after this practice; side effects include vomiting and diarrhea.

These days, dieters use apple cider vinegar as a weight loss tool. It reportedly works if you take a couple of tablespoons of the stuff 30 minutes before a meal.

Devotees say you’ll feel full and will eat less.

We say fine — as long as it's not your entire meal.

1863: The Banting Diet

We all think of Dr. Atkins as the inventor of the low-carb diet, but that title actually belongs to Englishman William Banting.

He lost 50 pounds (we’re talking weight, not British currency here) by cutting bread, butter, milk, and potatoes out of his diet and adding more meat.

He wrote a pamphlet, “Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public,” about the experience.

It became so popular that “banting” became a new term for dieting.

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Rehan Choudhry had a great job managing events for Las Vegas' hottest new hotel, the Cosmopolitan, when he decided to tour Zappos' corporate headquarters in January 2012.

It happened to be the same day the e-commerce company was massively hacked, affecting 24 million customers, and keeping its employees working around the clock.

It also happened to be "Pajama Day" at Zappos.

"I went there because I was trying to do an office re-model — which my team was pushing back on — with large, communal, creative spaces," Choudhry tells Business Insider. "They happened to be in the middle of a security breach. It was the worst day in the company’s history, and everyone is wearing their pajamas, working 72 hours straight, but they could only focus on the culture, on pajama day. The best day at any other company usually feels pretty bad, with someone trying to overtake you for a promotion. But at Zappos, on their worst day they focused on how it was pajama day."

And that made all the difference. "The event pushed me off the cliff," says Choudhry, who quit his job just a few days later. "I couldn’t be happier. The happiest day of my career was my last day of work, but I had no idea what I was going to do. Nobody was telling me what I could do."

A friend, Ryan Doherty, recommended The Beat Coffeehouse in downtown Las Vegas as a place to "find inspiration," so that's where Choudhry ended up spending a lot of his time. "I tried coffee shops on the Strip, but it's like trying to find peace in the middle of Times Square. I needed the intimacy and energy that only a neighborhood coffee shop can provide."

During those months, he started a marketing strategy company, Aurelian Marketing Group, "what I know best," he says. "I have a passion for human interaction and bringing large groups together. It could be an intimate or large festival; figuring out our how brands integrate into larger social cultures."

"The brand is meant to inspire people to take bigger risks with their lives and pursue careers and life passions that they had when they were six years old. I challenge a six-year-old to say they want to be a car dealer or cocktail waitress when they grow up."

One of his ongoing side projects was planning a huge festival for Las Vegas, called "Life Is Beautiful," along with partners Planet Entertainment and MAKTUB Marketing. Through a mutual friend, he met Tony Hsieh, who's investing $350 million to transform downtown Las Vegas, and the Zappos CEO came on board as a partner. 

The "Life Is Beautiful" festival is happening in October, and Choudhry is expecting 70,000 guests — 50 % Las Vegans — making it competitive with any large festival, like Coachella or Burning Man. 

But Life Is Beautiful is essentially four independent festivals — food, learning, wine, and music — in one. "Each festival could stand up on its own," he explains.

They'll have 60 to 65 bands and DJs, street art, and a TED-inspired learning series, where there will be everyone from social entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 CEOs talking about how they found success and happiness.

"With the learning series, the brand is meant to inspire people to take bigger risks with their lives and pursue careers and life passions that they had when they were six years old. I challenge a six-year-old to say they want to be a car dealer or cocktail waitress when they grow up. It’s a mantra that will inspire them back to their roots. We're specifically focusing on the arts, and the learning series is really driving that home."

And Choudhry knows all about taking big risks to succeed. His own career path has been zig-zagged. A few years before he started working at the Cosmopolitan, Choudhry was an IT consultant for the Department of Homeland Security.

"The work I did there was specifically around developing emergency response tools, designing and maintaining a system that prevented failure during 9/11. I realized I didn't like IT. So I went to [Vanderbilt] Business School in Nashville, then got recruited by Caesars in Atlantic City to help stop the bleeding in Atlantic City. There I found a passion for doing large-scale events.

"Then I got a call from the CMO from the Cosmopolitan in Vegas, and I moved there and opened an entertainment program there for two years. I left my job in April of last year."

Now he's pouring everything into making his new venture, and Life Is Beautiful, work.

"It's 99.9 percent of my life right now," he says. "It’s every minute, every dinner, social interaction, everything is all around the festival, so many people are catching onto the idea and are inspired by the idea."

What's his best advice for success? "Increase your risk tolerance. Embrace fear and uncertainty. Know that you’ll be in that state, knowing it’ll exist regardless. Now I find myself coming to work hours earlier than I used to, and staying hours later than I used to."

As for what's happening in downtown Vegas, he says, "You’ve got one of the most well-known cities in the world. There's a huge gap between what the world knows is Las Vegas and what we’re living in (downtown). We’re coming from a raw place, which is exciting. The amount of incredibly intelligent and experienced people has created a once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunity."

Please follow War Room on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

This is the Travel HoodiePillow.

Why We Love It: The Travel HoodiePillow is a neck pillow, sleep mask, and ear warmer all in one. The neck pillow will keep you from falling onto your neighbor's shoulder on a long bus ride or flight, and when you need some shut-eye, just pull the drawstrings so that the hood tightens and shuts out the light.

This patent-pending life saver is made from soft sweatshirt material and is hand washable. It comes in black, red, and heather gray.

Where To Buy: Available through the HoodiePillow website.

Cost: $19.95.

Want to nominate a cool product for Stuff We Love? Send an email to Megan Willett at mwillett@businessinsider.com with "Stuff We Love" in the subject line.

DON'T MISS: Prada Made A Special Driving Moccasin For Lamborghini's 50th Anniversary

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Last week, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie confirmed that he had lap band stomach surgery in February to lose weight.

Christie is not alone in his struggle to lose weight through diet and exercise.

So he, and many others, have turned to surgical options. The lap band is one of the fastest-growing weight-loss surgeries, in large part because it is one of the least invasive.

Lap band involves placing a plastic band around the upper part of the stomach to make it smaller, which both reduces appetite and limits the amount of food you can eat.

As with any medical procedure, patients should be aware of the risks associated with lap band surgery before getting on the operating table.

Lap Band Talk forum gives patients who have undergone the life-changing surgery a way to connect and share their stories.

A section devoted to before-and-after pictures allows men and women to post their progress. According to the manufacturer of LAP-BAND, after surgery patients can lose 1.5 to 2 pounds per week and drop about half of their excess weight within the first year.

Many forum users have lost more than 100 pounds in the years after surgery.

Weight lost: 135 pounds

Weight lost: 147

Weight lost: 92 pounds

Please follow Science on Twitter and Facebook.

I landed in Philly about four hours ago, fresh off a short (and cheap!) two-hour bus ride from Manhattan, courtesy of Bolt Bus. 

I already love it. 

It has nothing to do with the flawless weather –– though I can't deny it doesn't help –– or the fact that I've gotten dozens of emails from Philly fans imploring me to write amazing things about their city. 

Here are a few reasons why: 

I can walk downtown without having to dodge tourists like landmines. 

There was a big food truck rally outside the bus station and I wouldn't have had to wait two hours for a gourmet taco if I wanted one. 

I could have even had a SEAT. To myself.  (You try finding more than one open seat at a public watering hole in Manhattan or Brooklyn. I dare you.)

I feel like I could bike here and not fear for my life. (Look ma, no helmet!)

I saw ZERO people (yes, zero) in line at Trader Joe's. I was so confused without the usual team of crowd wranglers to shepherd me along that the manager had to point me toward an open register himself.

I could have gotten a Halal Philly cheesesteak if I wanted.

Their city hall looks like THIS: 

The mix of modern and colonial architecture is stunning. 

There's a guy making blue crabs dance at the Reading Terminal Market. 

I got an incredible Amish meal for $8 (and they didn't charge extra for the drink and fries).

Told you. 

There are incredible murals just about everywhere you look. 

So pretty. 

And I'm just getting started! I've barely scratched the surface of this town and I'm on my way out to do some more exploring this evening. Let's see if the nightlife really does live up to the hype. 

---

Follow me on my $100 travel adventure in Philly @Mandiwoodruff. 

Have tips on where I should go next? Email me at mwoodruff@businessinsider.com or shoot me a Tweet!

Please follow Your Money on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

When you travel the world, like it or not, you are a representative of your country, and your behavior—good or bad—can reflect on your nation as a whole.

That’s why, while we’re all for spontaneity, sometimes it’s a good idea to stop and think before you chug that eighth beer and start dancing in the streets.

Recently, we at Triposoconducted a survey to learn more about bad tourist behavior abroad. We asked respondents to confess to their own travel sins—which included everything from stealing to public urination—and also to report on the misbehavior of others.

We also asked them which countries they thought behaved the worst while traveling. The answers might surprise you...

10. Brazil: A significant percentage of respondents felt that Brazilians were the most naughty of all world travelers. We’re betting that number spikes come World Cup season...

9. Italy: At number nine, Italy demonstrated a solid reputation for exporting tourists who are among the rudest and lewdest of all world travelers.

8. France: France tied Italy, with several respondents declaring their tourists the most likely to engage in rude or scandalous behaviors. Well, c’est la vie!

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

I'm in Philly for the weekend, determined to prove I can have a great time for less than $100. 

So far, I'm having a blast and I've still got 80 bucks to play around with.

One of my biggest concerns in planning this trip was figuring out how to get around in the cheapest way possible. Luckily, Philly is very pedestrian-friendly, so I've been getting away with walking just about everywhere.

But last night, I really needed a ride. It was after midnight, train service had stopped, and I didn't want to fool with buses without knowing which line to take or how to get back to my host's apartment. 

It didn't help that everyone at the downtown bar where I was hanging out gave me those big "Oh, girl, NO!" eyes when I told them I was thinking about legging it home. 

So I decided to take a gamble on a free ride-share service called SideCar I heard about. It's supposed to be the anti-taxi. Launched in San Francisco less than a year ago, the SideCar app hooks up willing drivers with people who need a cheap ride, kind of like Uber. But the difference is that SideCar lets ordinary car owners sign up to drive passengers—whether or not they're licensed.

It's an awesome concept, but there's just one problem –– city governments hate them.

SideCar has expaned to eight cities, and Philly was its first location on the East Coast. They've been battling the city's Parking Authority (PPA) ever since launching earlier this year. The PPA, which regulates taxis, thinks they're a rogue service passing themselves off as a cheap cab service. In fact, after a "sting" operation in February, the PPA impounded three vehicles driven by SideCar drivers and shut the whole operation down. 

Or so they thought. 

SideCar is still going strong in Philly, operating its service for free to riders until it convinces the PPA that it's legal. 

It's faced similar kick back elsewhere, but the company has been sending fleets of drivers into cities like Philly, Boston and even New York anyway, offering free rides on Friday and Saturday nights from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m..

Apart from the legal troubles, my guess is that by offering free rides, SideCar is hoping to get enough people hooked on the service to kick up public support and help them pass muster with local governments. 

Is it safe? 

SideCar maintains that they're simply a "technology-based platform that enables peer-to-peer ridesharing." The drivers own their cars and SideCar vets them individually, running "more checks on our drivers than taxi or limo services," it says, "Plus, all matched rides are recorded and GPS tracked for safety."

This all brings us back to last night, when at 12:30 a.m. I logged into the SideCar app and punched in my location. A driver was nearby, luckily, and once he confirmed his availability, I sat back and waited.

Within 10 minutes, I got a phone call from the cordial driver, who even offered to drive a couple of blocks further to pick me up when we realized I'd given him the wrong address. I didn't have to wonder where he was or when he'd arrive. I could watch his car inch along via the SideCar app's GPS tracker, which also gave me his ETA. 

From there, it was like hitching a ride with a friend. I hopped in, he drove along to my destination, and we shot the breeze for the 15-minute drive. I don't want to get him in trouble, so I won't describe his car, but it felt brand new, very clean, and didn't have a meter. 

According to my driver, SideCar has indeed been paying its drivers –– though, according to its website, they don't consider drivers "employees" –– an hourly wage to pick up passengers until they can start officially charging for rides. 

My driver, who has worked for SideCar about two months, said he gives about 25 to 30 rides per night on the weekend, and he works at a bakery during the day to earn extra cash. 

When he dropped me off, I offered to tip him and he turned me down. I felt that familiar pang of doubt whenever someone offers something for free, a little voice in my head that whispers, 'This is weird! Why are you being nice?'

But I just shrugged it off, scooped up my bags, and headed home –– safe and sound. 

Please follow Your Money on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

While it is not the tallest building in New York, the Empire State Building is one of the most recognizable in the city's skyline, and its nightly light show can be spotted around the city and even in New Jersey.

We used this 360º building capture photo technique to create a timelapse video of what it would be like to spin around the most iconic building in NYC. Watch below.

Produced by Daniel Goodman

SEE ALSO: LinkedIn Finished Renovating Its Empire State Building Offices And Gave Us A Tour

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

One out of every six women in the U.S. has been the victim of a sexual assault. Elsewhere in the world, the statistics are even more appalling.

Yet advertisers often make light of sexual violence towards women. They disguise it as innuendo, humor, or artistic expression, and hope the shock factor will work promotional magic for their product.

Back in the "Mad Men" era it was unsurprising to see women treated poorly in ads.

But we've found some modern day promotions that glorify sexual violence. Some of the brands are repeat offenders; some are merely one-time gaffes.

Often, clients and agencies defend them as "edgy" fantasy scenarios.

Fair enough. But there sure are a lot of them. And so few involving violence against men ...

The context: This is a famously bad old ad from the 1960s. Surely, nothing like this would be approved for paid media today?

Wrong! Dolce & Gabbana consistently tries to market itself as an "edgy" brand. This ad ran in Esquire. The company retracted it after people complained that it glamorized gang rape.

Calvin Klein is another brand that strives to be "daring" and is often chastised for its suggestive ads. This ad ran in Australia.

Please follow Advertising on Twitter and Facebook.

At the Mio Buenos Aires hotel, the bathtubs are works of art: Argentine Mario Dasso personally selects only the most beautiful pieces of calden wood (naturally felled by fire) and carves them into luxurious, oversize soaking tubs.

The coolest bathtubs give guests a sense of their own private in-room spa and look nothing like that old shower-tub combo you may have left back home. Nothing screams “I got away from it all” quite like slipping into a bubble bath—in a basin polished to a sparkle by anyone but you—and admiring a gorgeous view.

See the world's coolest bathtubs >

The glass-bottomed bathtubs at Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives treat you to an intimate look at hawksbill turtles, lolly fish, and—if you’re lucky—dolphins. In California, savvy road-trippers pull over from Highway 1 at Big Sur Cabin, a one-bedroom with a private outdoor courtyard. Twin claw-foot tubs await, surrounded by a wood-burning fire pit, Adirondack chairs, and a redwood picket fence fringed by cacti, ferns, and forget-me-nots.

Some hoteliers have gotten increasingly creative, embracing the trend of bathtubs exposed to the room and even introducing cool bathtubs that appear to levitate above the ground. Yet at the same time, some brands, especially those focused on business travelers, are avoiding the tub altogether. The percentage of tubs planned for new builds in the pipeline for Holiday Inn, part of the InterContinental Hotels group, is between 45 and 55 percent, down from 95 percent 10 years ago.

Even if hotel bathtubs become the exception rather than the rule, the appeal remains deeply and culturally rooted. Tubs date back more than 5,000 years and are historically steeped in ritual—the act of bathing is not only healthy for the body but is considered spiritual by many religions and cultures. If anything, travelers may come to value the hotel bathtub as even more of a coveted amenity than it is today.

Want to make a splash? These high-design tubs are ready for you.

See the world's coolest bathtubs >

GoldenEye Hotel & Resort, Jamaica

Once the home of Ian Fleming, who wrote all 14 James Bond novels here, the GoldenEye draws celebrities like Jay-Z and Beyoncé. The three-bedroom Fleming Villa is the one to book, for its outdoor bathing pavilion. The claw-foot, cast-iron tub (with a single-touch pop-up drain) sits on a raised wooden platform surrounded by an Indonesian-inspired garden of edible plants and trees: almond, pomegranate, naseberry, and June plum. Your private butler will draw a rosemary- and mint-scented bubble bath upon request.

Mio Buenos Aires, Argentina

Argentine artist Mario Dasso hand-carved each bathtub from a single piece of native calden wood, using trees already felled by natural occurrence, like a fire. The hotel shows off his handiwork by making the tubs a central fixture of the Deluxe rooms, Junior Suites, and Mio Suites. Each rests on a marbled platform, completely open to the rest of the guest room. Miobuenosaires.com.

Glen Oaks, Big Sur, California

At Glen Oaks, a collection of refined-meets-rustic accommodations, our vote goes to Big Sur Cabin for its private outdoor courtyard off the bedroom. You’ll find twin claw-foot tubs by San Francisco designer Steve Justrich, a wood-burning fire pit, Adirondack chairs, and a redwood picket fence fringed by cacti, ferns, and forget-me-nots. Lather up with handmade Vermont soap, and listen to the Big Sur River rushing nearby.

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Orb, who won the Kentucky Derby, is the favorite to win the 138th Preakness Stakes on Saturday. The morning line odds have him at evens — which means there's absolutely no point in betting on him. (Why bet $10 just to win $10?)

Orb ran such a good race — coming from behind, and going the long way around the pack on the outside — that everyone just wants him to win tomorrow so he can have a shot at the triple crown at Belmont.

Plus, people seem to love owner Shug McGaughey, an old school gent who doesn't dope his horses.

But there's an obvious problem for Orb. He's got the No.1 inside track position. If he runs from behind again, he might get boxed in by the other horses and not be able to find a way through to the front. The Preakness (9.5 furlongs) is shorter than the derby (10 furlongs) so Orb has less time to repeat his round-the-outside trick from the last race.

So we have turned to our trusty horse-racing Excel spreadsheet for some non-Orb "investment" ideas on the race. Horse racing is, after all, really boring unless you have money riding on it.

Here's how it works.

There are 9 horses in the running Saturday. So at the outset, assuming you know nothing about horses (guilty), you have a 1 in 9 chance of picking the winner.

Those are NOT good odds.

Some horses have better chances than others at winning — some might not like longer races, for instance — and the odds adjust on each horse bettors place their bets.

But the bottom line is that in theory, any horse can win.

So a person approaching the Preakness as if it were a probability problem might want to ask, how many horses can I bet on and still come out ahead if any one horse wins? Put another way, can I spread my bets among as many horses as possible and still come out ahead?

The formulas in my spreadsheet ask, for a $10 bet on each horse, how many horses can I bet on and still be able to win more than the total amount of money I've wagered?

This year, you can bet on five of the 9 horses at the current odds, and if any of them win you'll come out nicely ahead. That reduces your overall odds to something better than a 50/50 coin flip.

Now that's an interesting bet.

Of course, your portfolio will contain NONE of the favorites. In other words, you're betting on all the horses the bookies think will most likely lose, because they have the longest odds. But you're covering as much of the field as possible. Remember, you only need ONE horse to come in good, and horses have a funny way of defying expectations.

The horses you must bet on are these: Titletown Five, Oxbow, Will Take Charge, Governor Charlie and ItsMyLuckyDay.

A $10 bet on each one to win will cost you $50. If any of them come first you will win at least $120 and as much as $300. (I've built in a margin to give the betting a purpose.)

Personally, I use the spreadsheet as an advisor, not a decider. Remember the Edwards Quant Fallacy: There's a difference between having good data and applying judgment to good data.

So at post time consider picking only three or four horses, some at good odds and some at long odds. That limits your losses but makes your gains interesting. The worst thing that can happen is that you'll add some genuine excitement to a race that is, otherwise, two minutes of chaos.

Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Raha Moharrak has broken not one, but two records with her summiting of Mount Everest. 

The 25-year-old Saudi Arabian made it to the top of Everest — along with 34 other climbers from around the world and their 29 Nepalese Sherpa guides — Saturday morning. 

Moharrak is both the first Saudi Arabian woman and the youngest Arab to reach the summit, which at 8,850 meters or 29,035 feet is the highest in the world. 

She was part of a four-person expedition that also included the first Qatari man and the first Palestinian man to reach the summit. The group is aiming to raise $1 million to help fund education projects in Nepal. 

They climbed from the Nepal side, leaving from the highest camp on South Col. The mountain can also be scaled from Tibet.

May is the most popular month for climbers to attempt Mount Everest because of the favorable weather conditions.  

Originally from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, where women are heavily restricted by the conservative Islamic society, Moharrak said she had to surpass many hurdles to be able to make the climb. 

“I really don’t care about being the first," Moharrak said. "So long as it inspires someone else to be second."

The university graduate is currently based in Dubai.

Please follow Business Insider on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

While dining out for Japanese food in NYC doesn't often require grilling up a whole cow like at West Village trailblazer Takashi, there's no shortage of solid options offering some adventurous takes on sushi and more.

Check out NYC's 12 best Japanese restaurants.

No. 12: Blue Ribbon Sushi

119 Sullivan St.

Food: 26
Decor: 20
Service: 23
Cost: $59

Long a “standard bearer of cool” in SoHo, this Bromberg brothers Japanese slices “top-flight”, “work-of-art” sushi along with a “wonderful array” of cooked items; “proactive service” and “cozy”, “denlike” digs offset “pretty-penny” price tags and that “frustrating” no-rez thing.

No. 11: Morimoto

88 10th Ave.

Food: 26
Decor: 27
Service: 24
Cost: $86

Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s “phenomenal” Japanese cuisine at this Chelsea destination is as “beautiful and creative” as the “must-see” “modern” duplex space; “excellent”, “almost-psychic” service is part of the “unforgettable” experience, as are “eye-popping prices” – especially for the “oh my” omakase; P.S. don’t miss the “cool” downstairs bar and “ultra-high-tech bathrooms.”

No. 10: Sushi Zen

108 W. 44th St.

Food: 26
Decor: 21
Service: 23
Cost: $68

It’s “less touted” than some, but supporters say this Japanese “island of calm” is “one of the Theater District’s best” thanks to its “pristine”, “beautifully presented” sushi; “excellent” service and “small” but “Zen”-like digs help justify the tab.

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

WICHITA, Kansas (Reuters) - Sometime on Sunday morning, a Pennsylvania high school student will be presented with the keys to a black Honda Civic just for going to a party after the school's annual prom dance.

In Roanoke, Virginia, one student will drive away next month with a new car and two others will get iPads.

At a high school outside Dallas, two students received $500 college scholarships.

Around the country parents, schools and civic organizations are using extravagant door prizes to encourage high school students to attend supervised, alcohol-free events after their annual high school proms in a bid to keep them away from wild private parties.

"Proms are a lot like a rite of passage in America," said Sherry Hamby, research professor of psychology at Sewanee: The University of the South in Tennessee. "It signals your maturity as a sexual person. Often it's the first time that they might go out to dinner independently."

Supervised after-prom events have been around for years, but they are becoming more elaborate, and organizers are offering expensive goodies to get teenagers' attention. Some are organized by parents, others by non-profit groups. The prizes are sometimes provided by local businesses, as with the car in Pennsylvania. Others are purchased through parent-led fundraising.

Derby High School in Derby, Kansas, outside Wichita, booked an entire amusement park for its after-prom party. The committee hired bus drivers to shuttle students back and forth, organized fundraisers and gathered prizes.

"This is so great. It gives kids something to do besides bad stuff. It gives them a place to go," said Victoria Balevre, 17, a junior at Derby High School who attended the amusement park party on April 20.

TOUGH SELL

The high school prom isn't just a rite of passage, it's an expensive rite of passage. According to a survey by credit-card company Visa, the average teenager spends more than $1,000 on prom for things such as a dress or tuxedo, shoes, jewelry, hair styling, manicures, tickets to the event, dinner out and renting a limousine.

Organizers of the supervised after-prom parties concede it can be tough to impress kids already spending big dollars on proms.

The Roanoke Area Youth Substance Abuse Coalition in Roanoke, Virginia, holds a "grand finale party" on June 1. Each of the area's high schools can send four students who have attended an after-prom party to this special after-after-prom party." Two students will win an iPad, and one will drive away in a 2013 Nissan Juke.

"Research shows that if they stay to the end of the after-prom party, they are more likely to be alcohol- and drug-free," said Kathy Sullivan, the director of the Roanoke group.

In addition to the $500 scholarships, Allen High School in Allen, Texas, outside Dallas, gave away eight $250 dollar scholarships, several computers, a party for 20 at a local barbecue restaurant and tickets to a Texas Rangers baseball game.

For the past six years, Unionville High School in Unionville, Pennsylvania, has given away a high-quality used car donated by a local dealership.

"The prizes definitely are a draw for people to come," said Trish Hawkins, a volunteer organizer for Allen High School's after-prom event.

The number of students who attend the Heights High School After Prom Party in Wichita, Kansas, has gradually increased in the last few years. More than 400 attended this year, said Lisa Bahner, a parent volunteer who worked at this year's prom.

At the Johnson City, New York, High School after prom-party, organizers will give away microwaves, laptops and television sets. Each attendee is given a suitcase with $100 worth of merchandise. Ninety percent of eligible students attend, said Kathleen Neiss, a parent and volunteer organizer.

"We try to fill each suitcase with a T-shirt and other items they might need in college," Neiss said.

Parents and organizers point to anecdotal evidence that the supervised after-prom events have reduced the number of traffic accidents on prom nights.

"Ever since we started these nine years ago, there have been no reported accidents on prom night," said Candy Gaff, an after-prom organizer at the Coalition for a Drug Free Dale County in Alabama.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data shows the number of people killed in teen-related car crashes during the months of April and May, when most proms take place, has steadily decreased to 589 in 2011, the latest year available, from 1,017 in 2007.

'TOO CONTROLLED'

While the number of supervised after-parties has expanded, many communities do not organize such events. And even in towns with supervised after-parties, some students prefer private parties.

Shelby Harmon, 17, of Orange, California, picked out a purple dress with diamond sparkles, had her hair styled and got a manicure and pedicure before her May 11 prom. She and 49 friends rode to the party on a party bus.

"We took the bus to dinner and then the dance and then we drove around," Shelby said. "It was a lot of fun."

Her community does not offer a supervised after-prom event. Instead, her group went to a beach house after the prom to continue partying.

Derrick Woulard, 19, of Hinesville, Georgia, who last year attended school near the American military base in Vilseck, Germany, went to a private party after prom and said if there had been a parent-run party he would not have attended.

"I feel like it would be too controlled," Woulard said. "My party was probably more fun."

Controlling is exactly what parents are trying to do wit the after-parties. For some, prom brings back scary thoughts of their own rite of passage in high school.

"I know what I did after my prom, and I certainly don't want my kids doing that," New York parent Neiss said. "This party keeps them off the streets and out of trouble."

(Reporting By Alice Mannette; Editing by Greg McCune and Douglas Royalty)

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

American households are under stress again, according to the latest consumer distress index by CredAbility.

“Despite the growth in jobs and an improved housing market, our index shows that the average U.S. household has seen little improvement in the past year and took a step back in 2013’s first quarter,” according to Phil Baldwin, CEO of CredAbility.

Baldwin is referring to the rise in payroll taxes at the start of the year, which has forced people to save more.

CredAbility adds that 49 million people are still on food stamps, and nearly 12 million are still unemployed.

American households on average scored 70.73% in the Q1 Consumer Distress Index, down from 71.77% in Q4. A reading below 70% indicates a state of financial distress.

The report measures financial distress in households in metro areas with a population of over 2 million, measuring employment, housing, credit, household budgets, and net worth.

Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, California

Total: 66.06%

Employment: 44.30%

Housing: 73.29%

Credit: 83.11%

Net worth: 64.51%

A score below 70% indicates distress, according toCredAbility.

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pennsylvania

Total: 65.95%

Employment: 53.60%

Housing: 69.09%

Credit: 84.55%

Net worth: 59.82%

A score below 70% indicates distress, according to CredAbility.

Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, South Carolina

Total: 65.90%

Employment: 65.54%

Housing: 67.03%

Credit: 84.91%

Net worth: 59.30%

A score below 70% indicates distress, according to CredAbility.

Please follow Money Game on Twitter and Facebook.

Two US holidaymakers found themselves a long way from their intended destination after an airline confused two airport codes.

Sandy Valdiviseo and her husband Triet Vo were intending to fly from Los Angeles to Dakar in Senegal with Turkish Airlines.

However, instead they ended up almost 7,000 miles away – on an entirely different continent – in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, after the airport codes were mixed up, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The airport code for Dakar, the capital of Senegal, is DKR, while the code for the airport in Dhaka, which is the capital of Bangladesh, is DAC.

After arriving in Istanbul, the couple had boarded a connecting flight. It was only after seeing the route map of the flight’s progress, which showed the plane over the Middle East, that they realised the error.

“When the flight attendant said we were heading to Dhaka, we believed that this was how you pronounced 'Dakar' with a Turkish accent," Ms Valdivieso said.

When they arrived in Bangladesh, the pair informed Turkish Airlines about the mistake, and tried to arrange a transfer to Senegal.

According to reports, the airline insisted on tracking down the recording of the initial booking before acknowledging the error and installing the couple on flights to West Africa, 12 hours after their arrival in Bangladesh. Their baggage arrived in Senegal two days after they did.

The incident happened in December last year, but has only just been reported after the couple’s long battle to obtain compensation.

"I have called them [Turkish Airlines] every Friday for the past four months," said Ms Valdivieso. "They told me each time that they will review my case and get back to me. But they never do."

"We are very, very sorry that this happened," a Turkish Airlines spokeswoman said. The couple have since been offered two free economy-class tickets to anywhere on the airline’s flight network.

Read more

Wrong flights and booking blunders

SEE ALSO: Why Some Airports Wind Up With Code Names That Make No Sense

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Russian dashboard cameras capture life at its most terrifying.

The latest clip shows a car careening off the road, hitting an embankment and flipping about 15 feet in the air. One passenger died, according to this Google-translated description:

The accident occurred May 19 in Dyatkovo area of 26 km of the road" Bryansk-Dyatkovo - the border with the Kaluga region. 

The car, an "Opel Zafira," drove into oncoming traffic off the road, crashed into a fence where the roadway and concrete stele, and then toppled into the left ditch.

Regionally, the management of traffic police suggest that the 30-year-old driver is not steering when he lost control due to sudden rupture of the left front wheel tires.

From injuries he died on the spot...[another] man is in intensive care with a closed head injury, cut wounds of the left forearm. 

It happened near the city of Bryansk by the Belorussian border.

You can hear a woman gasp, and then it happens. 

It starts about 30 seconds in:

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »