The 2013 Paris Air Show is now going full steam, and one of the stars on day one was Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.

Back after battery problems kept it on the ground for several months, the fuel-efficient jet is in town to prove it's a game changer.

There are two Dreamliners in Paris this week. An Air India 787 will be doing flying displays, while a Qatar Airways jet, just delivered this past weekend, is on the ground to show show-goers how it looks inside.

We toured it today, and it looks amazing.

That's not surprising, given that Qatar Airways regularly does well on airline rankings. 

But we didn't expect the little touches, like 10.6-inch screens, power outlets, huge overhead compartments, and adjustable headrests.

All of that, by the way, is for economy passengers. You should see business class.

Qatar Airways has been flying the Dreamliner since November 2012, and it has 30 on order, so expect to see more of these in the sky.

There are two Dreamliners at the Paris Air Show this week. One is an Air India jet, which will be doing the flying displays, and the other was just delivered to Qatar Airways a few days ago.

The entrance of the Qatar 787 leads to business class (there's no first class on this plane).

There's room under the seat for passengers to stretch and prop up their legs.

Audi has managed to earn itself quite a reputation in the U.K.

While many people formerly believed that BMW owners were the most obnoxious drivers on the roads (a view still popular in the U.S.), Audi is fast taking over as the preferred brand for jerks.

Prepare to not have that view challenged when you learn that the U.K. dating site Illicit Encounters, which caters to married people who cheat, has revealed that a massive 22.21% of their users drive Audis. 

That puts Audi in first place for the first time, with a commanding lead over the former long-time #1, BMW. Third place went to Mercedes and fourth to Volkswagen.

This is by no means the most empirical evidence in existence, but it does suggest that those who cheat on their spouses also love German cars.

We won’t pretend to understand the psychology here. Besides, we’ve got to get the A4 down to the car wash and then delete some emails. 

SEE ALSO: Cheaters Love Chain Steakhouses

Join the conversation about this story »

New skyscrapers are being built all the time. But it's still pretty cool to look back and compare New York's tallest building in 1913 to New York's tallest building in 2013.

Below are two pictures: One shows the Woolworth building from 1928, and one of One World Trade Center shot by Delta Airlines Captain Jerry Walsh last week. (via Reddit user etterstosnapdragon on /r/nyc)

The Woolworth was the world's tallest building from 1913 until 1930, when it was ousted by both 40 Wall Street and the Chrysler Building.

Check out the pictures below.

SEE ALSO: The 9 Tallest Skyscrapers That Are Being Built Right Now

Join the conversation about this story »

French photographer Leo Caillard put a neat twist on classic sculptures at the Louvre in his native Paris.

In his series "Hipsters in Stone," he worked with digital artist Alexis Persani to reimagine centuries-old art in modern attire.

Caillard did not physically dress the statues. Instead they were clothed using digital technology.

The series was recently on display at Art Basel; prints are available from Victory Contemporary, an art gallery in New York City.

'Michel de Montaigne' by Jean-Baptist Stouf sports a plaid shirt and Ray-Bans.

'Le Faune Barberini' by Edme is wearing tight green pants rolled up at the bottom and a button-up jacket.

'Titan Struck' by François Dumont has only a lightweight jacket.

Three former Purdue University students have been accused of hacking into professors' accounts to change their grades, allegedly running a complicated scheme that lasted years, the Lafayette Journal & Courier reports.

They face a total of 58 charges, some felonies and some misdemeanors. All three are now 24 years old, and recently unsealed court documents allege the scheme lasted from 2008 until about 2012.

Roy Chaoran Sun (currently a grad student at Boston University) was an electrical engineering major who earned his bachelor's degree in 2010, Mitsutoshi Shirasaki was an aeronautics and astronautics major, and Sujay Sharma was a nuclear engineering major.

Sun is suspected of changing nine F's and one incomplete, the Lafayette Journal & Courier reports. Shirasaki has been accused of changing 24 grades in two years. Some of those grades went from F's to A's and B's.

Shirasaki and Sharma aren't enrolled in the school anymore, and Sun has already graduated. Sun's degree is now being reviewed, and there will be a hearing to give him a chance to respond to the allegations, a Purdue spokesperson told the Lafayette Journal & Courier.

The alleged scheme was found out when a professor noticed that his password had been changed multiple times by an unknown party.

To orchestrate the scheme, the suspects allegedly broke into professors' offices to switch their computer keyboards with identical ones. The suspects then allegedly installed key logging devices onto the professors' original keyboards, broke into the offices again, and put the original keyboards back. Once the key logging devices were in place, the students could figure out the passwords for the professors' computers, prosecutors claim.

Join the conversation about this story »

When it comes to home sweet home, sometimes TV gets it just right.

And other times, the small screen is oh-so-wrong.

Face it: The titular "2 Broke Girls" couldn't afford the rent on their apartment in a trendy neighborhood of Brooklyn (if they paid the rent, that is).

So what would it cost to snag some of today's popular TV homes? And how practical are the settings for the characters who live there?

From sitcoms to dramas, check out the real-world price tags for the fictional dwellings six hot TV shows call "home."

SEE ALSO: 6 Money Habits Of The Rich That The Rest Of Us Can Copy

The Big Bang Theory

Seven years (at least), and that elevator still doesn't work.

Other than that, the downtown Pasadena, Calif., apartment is a fairly realistic -- and affordable -- choice for a couple of university scientists, says Bill Podley, president of Podley Properties, a Pasadena-based firm.

What it would cost in real life: That two-bedroom one-bath in an older, no-frills building with a simple lobby and communal laundry room would likely rent from $1,800 to $2,200 a month, says Podley.

Who really lives in the area: Students, young singles, young married couples, elderly singles and some new-to-the-area transplants waiting to buy in the area, he says.

The one thing that might be a bit off: That basement laundry room, says Podley. In a 1950s or '60s building -- the most likely vintage -- that space "would be subterranean parking," and the communal laundry room would be located elsewhere, he says.

In Pasadena, a basement laundry room would be more common in a 1920s building, says Podley. But a building of that era would likely be a bit more upscale (think fancier lobby and more luxurious apartments) and more expensive, he says.

Castle

Where would you live if money were no object?

For the best-selling author Richard Castle, the answer is: a supercool, mega-bucks loft in Manhattan.

And while the inside of that home sweet home is actually a soundstage, the creators have gotten the details right, says Siim Hanja, senior vice president and director for Brown Harris Stevens in New York. "It reminds me of places I've seen."

What it would cost in real life: Anywhere from $6 million to $10 million, Hanja says. Typically, loft-dwellers gut the inside and create their own, very personal spaces, he says. And, with the circular staircase, the exposed brick and beams, and the skylight, "This one has some really interesting details in it," he says.

Fifteen years ago, Castle "could have bought it for $1.5 million, put another $700,000 into it, and that's why he's got a place like he's got today," says Hanja.

Who really lives in the area: In neighborhoods such as SoHo and Tribeca, some loft-dwellers are "the really lucky ones who got there 30 years ago and got it for nothing," Hanja says. Today's buyers include tech wizards, financial industry and Wall Street types, Europeans enjoying a second home, trust-fund kids, and successful people in the arts, says Hanja. "So a successful author? Absolutely."

Mike And Molly

This sitcom love story is also a love note to the Windy City.

And it gets the real estate right, says Matt Laricy, managing partner with Americorp Real Estate in Chicago.

The Flynn family home -- in an unidentified Chicago neighborhood -- is "like the typical bungalow that we have," he says.

"In Chicago, most of our housing was built in the late '50s," says Laricy. "Brick ranch, Georgian, bungalow and Cape Cod -- those are the basic ones." For the most part, Laricy says, you walk down the street, you're going to see these types of houses. It's pretty realistic that you could move right in and find one of those.

What it would cost in real life: "Each neighborhood is different," he says. "Depending on condition," figure $225,000 to $300,000, he says.

And now that that Mike and Molly finished off the basement as a studio apartment, add about $25,000, he says.

Who really lives in the area: Chicago's in-town neighborhoods are home to a lot of city and county employees, such as cops, city workers and teachers.

In the show, Molly's parents bought the house years ago to raise their family. And, "20 to 30 years ago, those houses were pretty cheap," says Laricy. "I'd say it's pretty realistic -- absolutely."

Private jet charter company VistaJet has placed an order for 40 Bombardier planes, it announced this morning at the Paris Air Show.

The transaction consists of 20 firm orders and 20 options for the Challenger 350, a super midsize jet that can fly eight passengers more than 3,600 miles on a full tank. 

VistaJet buys its own planes and offers seats to its customers for hourly rates, then sells the jets before their warranties are up.

The Challenger order comes on the heels of a much larger purchase in November, when VistaJet placed a firm demand for 56 Bombardier Global jets, worth $3.1 billion. That was the largest single transaction in business aviation history. 

Of the 20 (or 40) new Challengers, 40% will be used to replace older jets VistaJet plans to sell. The rest represent a growth of its fleet, which is currently at 37 planes. Business is very good for VistaJet, founder and chairman Thomas Flohr said in an interview in Paris today.

The private jet market has been weak since 2008, but the fact that fewer people are buying their own planes works to VistaJet's advantage. 

"A lot of people learned the lesson that owning is an airplane is not like owning a car," Flohr said. For people who fly under 400 hours a year, "it makes absolutely no financial sense to own an airplane." That kind of traveler is the ideal VistaJet client.

The company does not disclose many price figures, but a representative told us, "A flight between London and Moscow is roughly equivalent to burning through four Hermes handbags."

According to the Wall Street Journal, a flight costs $15,000 per hour.

The interiors of the VistaJet Challenger 350s will be modeled after the company's Global jets, on a smaller scale. There is a jump seat for the Cabin Hostess, so passengers can enjoy privacy, and the jets will be equipped with Wi-Fi.

SEE ALSO: Here's What A VistaJet Flight Is Like

Join the conversation about this story »

As if architects in Spain weren’t struggling enough – what with the Crisis closing half the country’s studios and putting over 25% of Spanish architects out of work - a new law could now render Spanish architects effectively unnecessary.

A preliminary document reveals that, if passed, The Law of Professional Services (LSP) will modify labor regulations in order to allow engineers, or really any one “competent” in construction, to take on the work of architects:

“Exclusivity is eliminated. Architects or engineers with competency in construction will be able to design and direct projects, including residential, cultural, academic or religious buildings. [...] If a professional is competent enough to execute one building’s construction, it is understood that he/she will also be capable of executing other kinds of buildings, regardless of its intended use.”

 A council meeting of Government Ministers in April, which promised to shed light on the status of the law, left many Spaniards dissatisfied, as the LSP was only tangentially mentioned. The council members are expected to meet again later this month; the law will be approved or dismissed by the end of this year.

Unsurprisingly, Spanish architects have risen up against the law.

Not only have physical protests been sparked across the country, but numerous Twitter (#noalaLSP) and Facebook campaigns have helped to call the architecture community to action (for a full list of social media pages/hashtags see here).

Even Pritzker Laureate Rafael Moneo has, along with his famous colleagues Ricardo Aroca and Fuensanta Nieto, spoken out against the law, which will supposedly “liberalize” the definition of the architect:

“I don’t think ‘liberalizing’ everything is the cure-all solution. [This law] should mirror a real state of affairs, where construction professionals produce change in a way that’s efficient, without it becoming a competition between professionals,” Moneo told El Mundo.

His sentiment is echoed by many architects, who note that their grievance is not against engineers, but rather against the government that has failed to recognize the important role architects play. As blogger Rafael Gomez-Moriana put it in his blog:

“I have nothing against engineers. The only airplane I will set foot in is one designed by an engineer. But by the same token, I don’t want my child attending a school designed by an engineer. There are good reasons for specialists in a technologically complex society. Why the current government of Spain wants to change this is beyond any comprehension whatsoever. The argument is that it will make Spanish professionals “more competitive”. But judging by the record of Spanish architects who have won international architectural competitions, this argument is ridiculous. C’mon: what’s the real reason?”

Beyond raising the question of the government’s motivation for the law (which is supposedly economical), the law also raises a more important question. As ArchDaily reader Irene Garrido Villalobos pointed out to us, the real question is: ”Is it possible to have Architecture without architects?”

Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Story via El Mundo and Plataforma Arquitectura

Join the conversation about this story »

At least five and perhaps as many as eight of the nine members of the U.S. Supreme Court are millionaires according to recently released financial disclosures, and only two hold any consumer debt.

Assets on the forms are reported in a range making it impossible to say precisely how much each justice is worth, but suffice it to say, none of them are hurting financially.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg boasts the highest potential net worth at $18.1 million, with Stephen Breyer a close second at $17.1 million. Both were appointed by former President Bill Clinton.

However, Ginsburg’s actual net worth may be as low as $4.4 million and Breyer’s as low as $5 million. Federal officials are also exempt from disclosing the value of their homes, making an accurate calculation even more difficult.

After collecting nearly $2 million in book advances, Justice Sonia Sotomayor's assets rose to between $1.7 and $10.3 million, ranking her No. 3 in terms of highest potential net worth. Sotomayor is an appointee of President Barack Obama.

Chief Justice John Roberts, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, possesses one of the court’s most complex financial portfolios. His net worth is valued between $2.8 million and $6.6 million, ranking him No. 4.

As for the rest:

• Antonin Scalia, appointed by former President Ronald Reagan, reported a net worth between $1.9 and $4.2 million, ranking him No. 5.

• Obama appointee Elena Kagan's assets total between $815,000 and $2.1 million, according to the Center’s analysis, putting her at No. 6.

• Clarence Thomas, an appointee of President George H.W. Bush reported between $1.8 million and $715,000, ranking him seventh.

• Samuel Alito has not yet filed his 2012 report and sought an extension, but in 2011 the George W. Bush appointee reported between $380,000 and $1.1 million in wealth, putting him at No. 8 for maximum potential wealth.

• Anthony Kennedy, appointed by Reagan, reported assets of between $330,000 and $700,000, placing him at No. 9.

Salaries plus perks

Justices make good money, though with their backgrounds they could easily earn much more in the private sector. Roberts, as chief justice, earns $223,500 per year, while the eight associate justices make $213,900.

But there are perks. Judges rake in tens of thousands of dollars from speaking fees, professorships and book deals.

Most of Ginsburg’s assets are held in mutual funds and retirement accounts. In 2012, Ginsburg earned nearly $26,000 for taking part in two separate university-sponsored events, including a two-week Wake Forest School of Law summer seminar held in Venice, Italy, and in Vienna, Austria.

The bulk of Breyer’s holdings are in mutual funds, retirement accounts and bonds. But one of Breyer’s two largest reported assets is a $1 million to $5 million stake in Pearson, the publishing company that owns the Penguin Group and The Financial Times. The justice collected between $15,000 and $50,000 last year in dividends thanks to his stock holdings in that company.

Breyer enjoyed a windfall last summer when he sold his stock in Amgen, Inc., the pharmaceutical company that was party in a case that came before the Supreme Court in its most recent term. In late September, just a month after he realized between $15,000 and $50,000 in gains by selling his Amgen holdings, the court docket noted that Breyer was no longer recused from proceedings related to the case.

Investing in China

Also notable is Breyer’s holdings in Tai Shan Fund which invests in tech companies in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan and is part of a Boston-based capital management firm led by investor Thomas Clafflin, according to a Bloomberg report.

Roberts has invested heavily in technology and telecommunications companies — some of which have had business before the high court. He also owns a mix of bonds, retirement accounts, mutual funds and shared ownership of a cottage in County Limerick, Ireland.

The top justice owns up to a total of $750,000 in shares of Time Warner, Microsoft, and Texas Instruments and up to $200,000 in T-Mobile and Sirius XM Radio stock, according to his report.

Roberts recused himself from a patent dispute involving Microsoft, which the software giant lost in a unanimous 8-0 decision in 2011.

As the Center for Public Integrity reported last week, Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s disclosure is notable for the nearly $2 million she received in book advances and promotion for her memoir, "My Beloved World," published by Knopf Doubleday.

One of Sotomayor’s most valuable assets is her former New York City residence, now a rental property valued between $1 million and $5 million, though she carries a mortgage on the property. Unlike most of her colleagues on the bench, Sotomayor reported a handful of liabilities in her disclosure, including between $250,000 and $500,000 for the rental. Her debts for four credit cards were each less than $15,000.

Scalia reported a debt of less than $15,000 for a loan on a life insurance policy.

Scalia also reported receiving between $5,000 and $15,000 in rent for a property he owns in Charlottesville, Va. His report also shows that he has investments in gold-related securities totaling between $80,000 and $215,000.

Scalia reported earning $26,500 in 2012 for teaching at five different universities, including John Marshall Law School and the University of Southern California. Scalia also reported receiving nearly $64,000 in book royalties. Last year, the justice co-authored "Reading Law: The Interpretation of Legal Texts" with legal scholar Bryan Gardner.

Well-traveled justices

Scalia traveled frequently in 2012. In the “Reimbursement” section of his financial disclosure, he reports 28 trips to various schools and organizations to deliver speeches and lectures.

In most cases, the justice was provided or reimbursed for transportation, food and lodging. (Federal officials are not required to report how much they were reimbursed, either in exact amounts or in dollar ranges.) In September and October, Scalia gave speeches and lectures at five events hosted by the Federalist Society, a conservative nonprofit that advocates reform of the legal system.

Scalia reported giving a speech at an Aug. 25 event hosted by “Friends of Abe,” a low-profile conservative group organized by actor Gary Sinise and whose members reportedly include singer Pat Boone and actor Jon Voight.

Scalia also reported receiving one gift in 2012. According to his disclosure report, the justice accepted a $1,000 shotgun from the National Wild Turkey Federation.

The bulk of Kagan’s assets were invested in mutual funds and retirement accounts, including some from the University of Chicago, where she was a law professor in the 1990s.

Thomas reported investments in gold- and silver-related securities valued at somewhere between $60,000 and $200,000, according to his report.

Though Kennedy was the high court’s least wealthy justice for the third consecutive year, his report indicates that 2012 was a year of jet setting for the moderate judge. Between January and November of last year, Kennedy traveled to Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Aspen, Maui, London and Paris for various speaking and teaching arrangements.

The Center for Public Integrity is a non-profit, independent investigative news outlet. For more of its stories on this topic go to publicintegrity.org.

Join the conversation about this story »

The Wall Street Journal reports that real estate developer Michael Sonnenfeldt is selling his Southport, Connecticut waterfront mansion for $11.9 million. 

Sonnenfeldt is the founder of TIGER 21— an elite and private investment group whose annual membership dues are $30,000.  

Sonnenfeldt purchased the Connecticut estate back in 2002 for $7.5 million, the report said.

Since then, he had the home renovated.  It's an absolutely gorgeous home. 

This New England style shingle and stone residence was originally seaside cottage built in 1908. It was renovated in 2008.

Source: ColdwellBankerMoves

The 10,000 square-foot waterfront home sits on 1.37 acres.

Source: ColdwellBankerMoves

There's 200 feet of private beach.

Source: ColdwellBankerMoves

Cooking doesn't have to be complicated.

We stumbled on a /r/AskReddit thread that asked the genius question: What is the best recipe you know that uses 5 ingredients or less? 

Inspired, we put together a list of the five best suggestions and ranked them in order of ingredients. Keep scrolling down to see the super easy courses that we're going to try for ourselves this weekend.

"GREAT BREAKFAST": 4 Ingredients

• 1 bread slice
• Egg
• Bacon
• Cheese (grated)

Grease a muffin tray, and line each hole with a piece of bread. Crack an egg into it, add some bacon and cheese, and put it in the oven until the egg is cooked. (via Pianoangel420 on /r/AskReddit)

"Butterfinger Pie": 4 Ingredients 

• Brick of cream cheese (room temperature)
• 12 oz tub of Cool Whip
• 6 standard Butterfinger bars, crushed
• Graham cracker pie crust

Mix first three ingredients together, reserving one crushed candy bar to sprinkle on top of the pie. Put mixture in crust and chill for a few hours. (via randomfemale on /r/Cooking)

"Best Tomato Sauce EVER": 3 Ingredients 

• 28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes from a can (San Marzano, if you can find them)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved

Put all ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon.

Remove from heat, discard the onion, and keep warm while you prepare your pasta.

Serve with spaghetti, with or without grated Parmesan cheese. (submitted via SmittenKitchen.com)

"Amazing Pizza Dough": 2 Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup of self-rising flour
• 1 cup of natural Greek yogurt

Mix together, put on a pizza tin, and cook at 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden brown. You can also add olive oil and spices on top before cooking. (via miraclerandy on /r/AskReddit)

"Ice Cream Strawberry Bread": 2 Ingredients

• 3 cups melted strawberry ice cream
• 2 1/4 cups self-rising flour

Combine ingredients and pour into greased bread pan. Bake in oven for about 60 minutes at 350 degrees. (via airforcehusband on /r/food)

You can do this with any flavor of ice cream, like pumpkin ice cream for ice cream pumpkin bread.

SEE ALSO: Mario Batali Teaches Us How To Cook Three Types Of Spaghetti Dishes

Join the conversation about this story »

New York University loaned its school president John Sexton $1,000,000 to finance his lavish vacation home on Fire Island, according to a report from The New York Times. 

The Times describes the beach house as a "composition in bold, unadorned planes" that occupies three lots. Alternet.org points out a 2009 profile of Sexton in The Times, in which the NYU president calls his Fire Island residence a "rather large, wonderful house" where he spends most summer and fall weekends. Sexton currently receives an annual salary of nearly $1.5 million and stands to receive a $2.5 million bonus in 2015.

According to Alternet, NYU has acknowledged 168 real estate loans to its faculty and administrators, totaling an estimated $72 million to $96 million in outstanding funding. Sexton himself has access to two apartments in New York City funded by the university — one from his current position as president and one from his former position as dean of NYU's law school, which he retains as his primary residence.

While it is common for colleges in expensive areas to attract top talent with loans for housing, funding for vacation homes is "all but unheard-of in higher education," the Times says.

Former George Washington University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, a supporter of high salaries for professors, told the Times that vacation homes are "a little too sexy even for me":

"I don’t mind paying someone a robust salary, but I think you have to be able to pass a red-face test,” Trachtenberg told the Times.

NYU has previously drawn attention for their massive building expansion plan, NYU 2031, which will likely cost the school billions. Critics argue that NYU's spending on faculty and facilities is excessive, and ignores a major problem at the university — student debt. NYU alumni are consistently ranked among the graduates with the highest student loan debt in the country.

Join the conversation about this story »

It may be possible to spend an entire lifetime discovering Italy and still many stones would be left unturned. It is a place where authentic experiences are abound, so we asked our friends at Luxury Italian Tours if they could share some of their favorites. This guide holds some of the coolest tips on what to see, eat, admire and embrace in an Italy that most travelers never experience.  

1. Eat sea urchins in Puglia on the shores of San Vito.  Throughout April and May sea urchins are in season. During this time, visitors can join locals at eateries, parties and festivals in indulging in this unique delicacy.

2. Treat your inner history buff to the Greek influences abundant in Siracusa.

3. Stroll through the cobblestone streets of Dozza and admire the outdoor art gallery. Once a year, the Emilia Romagna invites artists from all over the world to come to their quaint hillside town and decorate the houses and facades of buildings with contemporary-style murals.

4. Make and taste delicious Italian pastries like cannoli and casata with Maria Gramatico, affectionately known as “Mama”, at her cake shop in Erice, Sicily.

5. Roam the cliff-side gardens in Ravello as you admire the breathtaking Amalfi Coast.

6. Marvel at the artistic riches in San Rocco, Venice, home of the largest collection of Titian art.

7. Stop in a Venetian cafe or bar in any city for Cicchetti – plates of snacks for one euro each — and feel like a local. They pair perfectly with a glass of prosecco!

8. Bring your bathing suit and take a swim around the tiny islands off the coast of Venice. Burano and Mazzorbo are perfect for enjoying a lazy Sunday lunch. Sant’Erasmo is known as the market garden of Italy famous for its asparagus and artichokes. And for a truly local experience, sail to the tiny fisherman’s village of Pellestrina where you can enjoy the slow pace and pristine nature reserves.

9. Explore Umbria and go truffle harvesting; savor these black diamonds of the earth.

10. Sip Sagrantino at Tenuta Castelbuono winery – Umbria’s newest vineyard in Bevagna — under an architectural masterpiece designed by Pomodoro.

11. Hit Milan during Fashion Week and don’t miss an evening of glamour at La Scala, one of the largest opera houses in Italy.

12. Take a walk to admire the pastel homes of fairytale Ponza, a beautiful island just south of Rome and a favorite respite for Romans.

13. Stay over night in the masserie or trulli, two ancient architectural wonders of Puglia.

14. Admire the Giotto’s Scrovegni Chapel in Padova, otherwise known as the “miniature Sistine Chapel”.

15. Drink apricot grappa at an organic wine farm in Sorrento with Mt. Vesuvius in the backdrop.

16. Ride a helicopter over Mt. Etna’s crater.

17. Go to Perugia to the Perugina chocolate factory and learn how to make (and taste!) decadent Italian treats.

18. Catch a whiff of the butcher shops as you weave along Cisternino’s cobblestone streets, an experience unique to this little city.

19. Get ready for Carnevale and learn how to make a Venetian mask.

20. Walk through the Vasari Corridor in Florence and admire the artwork that Cosimo Medici spent years collecting to adorn this secret passageway between his palace and the church.

21. Visit Le Velette winery and sip Oriveto Classico, a famous wine that owes its quality to the Orvieto underground. Fun fact: the Orvieto is an underground water network that was built by the Etruscans and has consecutively helped to produce some of the highest quality grape harvests in Italy.

22. Discover Ascoli Piceno, the region considered to be the jewel of Le Marche, and experience the fusion of ancient history with modern design.

23. Stop by Café Meletti, an elegant Art Deco café in Abruzzo where anisette liquor was first made in 1870 by the café’s founder. Even Ernest Hemingway stopped by and sipped this house specialty.

24. Ride bikes through the breathtaking hills of Ferrara in Emiglio Romagna and admire the castles and palaces that dot the countryside.

25. Let the melodies of Verdi at the opera in Parma sweep you away during the Verdi festival, which occurs every October and is a highlight for this sleepy little town.

SEE ALSO: Where The Locals Eat In Florence

Join the conversation about this story »

The offspring of British royals Will and Kate is expected to give a $380 million boost to the British economy, according to a report from the Centre for Retail Research released Monday.

That's a huge amount of money to spend considering the report only covers a nine-week period in July and August (Kate's due date is July 13). The $380 million figure takes into account alcohol for celebrations, souvenirs, toys, books and baby products.

Here's some photos of Royal Baby merchandise that hit the Internet after Kate's pregnancy announcement several months ago:

Commemorative mug from British pottery maker Emma Bridgewater (not yet on sale):

A Royal Baby pacifier from Zazzle ($18.71):

"Born To Rule" pajamas for "the royal baby in your life" from Cafe Press ($44.50):

Royal Baby Christmas ornament from Zazzle ($18.95):

"The Little Duchess" cot from Dragons of Walton Street (price not disclosed):

Mask-arade is rushing to produce more Will and Kate masks for street parties after the birth. They can also be found on Amazon ($8.00):

There will certainly be more to come once the baby is born next month.

Join the conversation about this story »

Every guy deserves a dedicated space at home to be himself, relax alone by practicing his chords, entertain his buddies with billiards or TV, or pursuing some other passion.

With my husband's help I have put together a list of great examples and 8 top essentials. Take a look and tell me what you think. Did I miss anything?

Click to see 8 things any good man cave should have >

More From Houzz:

• Collect photos of living spaces to create your perfect home decorating style
• Discover inspiring landscaping ideas and find a top local landscape contractor
• Select a sofa bed to match your design style

Essential 1: A sense of fantasy. So you don't have to go all out and recreate the bat cave, but infusing your man cave with a sense of fantasy and sharing your passion for the sports legends or comic book heroes that excite you is a nice way to bond with your bros.

Essential 2: The home theater experience. Viewing a big screen television surrounded by wood paneling from the comfort of a leather recliner — with a cup holder — is the ultimate version.

Essential 3: A small, concise, and well executed wet bar.

While the extremely well-off have their own mansions in The Hamptons to motor helicopter out to every weekend this summer, the rest of us will have to make do with some temporary lodgings.

If you don't feel like sharing a house with eight randoms or if you think you will only make it out for a couple of weekends, then hotels are the way to go. And fortunately, the Hamptons have been making some headway in the hotel scene, mainly in Montauk.

Here are 6 hotels you may want to check into to check out the Hamptons scene. 

Warning: They are expensive, even during the week.

Surf Lodge: $495

The Surf Lodge in Montauk is known more for its nightlife, which includes stellar concert performances every weekend (Willie Nelson!), and its restaurant, Byron, rather than its hotel rooms but should you lay your weary but well-coiffed head here you won't be disappointed by the breezy light colors and the beachy, if minimalist, decor. 

Rates start at $495 a night for a room with a queen bed in mid-June. But rooms seem to be going fast.

The Crow's Nest Inn and Restaurant, Lake Montauk: $500

Run by hotelier Sean MacPherson, the Crow's Nest is a very intimate hotel about a mile and a half miles east of Montauk with just 14 rooms, each with a king bed and a private deck.

If you love the Bowery and the Maritime Hotels, then Crow's Nest is right up your Hamptons getaway alley.

The property also has a two bedroom cottage available for rent and Guest of a Guest reports that two more cottages named The David Pharaoh Cottages (named after the last Native American king of Montauk), will be available for rent soon as well.

These will have access to a private beach, along with kitchenettes and a private lakefront patio. 

Rooms start at $500 a night for a weekend in mid-June. The cottages will, of course, be much higher.

Montauk Yacht Club Resort and Marina: $499

This is a full-service resort with four restaurants and bars, a spa, two outdoor pools, family and kids programs and as promised, boats. Lots of boats.

Real Housewives love this place too since Kelly Bensimon will be hosting a book signing party there on Saturday, June 1 from 3 to 5pm.

Her book? "In the Spirit of The Hamptons." Fitting! 

Rates start at $499 a night for an Admiral room with two double beds or a Villa room with a king bed.

In the 1970s, New York City's Metropolitan Transit Authority did a huge transportation overhaul. Buses, subways, and stations were updated and modernized, bringing the city's subway system closer to what we have today.

But one eagle-eyed Reddit user spotted an old map from the 1970s that shows what NY's subway system could have looked like, had the MTA gone with a different plan. (via m101m102m103 on /r/nyc)

Truthfully, it's not that different. The M train starts and stops in Brooklyn and isn't affiliated with the B, D, or F, and there are more midtown cross trains, including the Q, X, and E.

There's also a K line, a U line that runs through Brooklyn all the way up to the Bronx, as well as a bizarre O line that seems to do a loop de loop at 14th street.

Spot all the differences for yourself below (click to enlarge).

Here's what the New York City subway could have looked like:

And here's what the subway looks like today:

SEE ALSO: Take A Tour Of The Abandoned Subway Tunnels Beneath Los Angeles

Join the conversation about this story »

Milk & cookies . . . how do you eat them?

If you grew up in my household, you likely had your fair share of cookies out of a package, because let’s face it, your mom wasn’t Paula Deen, she was a sweet Lebanese lady who bought enough packages of Chips Ahoy and Oreos to fill the minivan (oh, your mom wasn’t Lebanese?).

Regardless, the years of pulling cookies out of plastic packages and dunking them into a variety of ill-fitting glasses led to a revolutionary finding. While I was pouring milk into a nearby cup during a Saturday morning marathon of Boy Meets World, some of my milk splashed into the cookie tray. My irritation quickly grew to euphoria, as I came to the realization . . . the tray was the milk cup.

All the years of wasting glasses for milk and the solution was sitting in the very same package I was eating out of.

Most cookie packages come segmented into catch-all compartments that just happen to make the perfect container for your milk.

Gone are the days of dirtying piles of cups, crying over spilled milk, and failed attempts to fit your cookie into an uncooperative glass. And before people start throwing a fit and saying, “Well, now I’ve dirtied my cookie container,” I have one of two solutions for you:

• Finish your damn cookies, there’s only an average of 24 per package. No big.
• You can use any pair of mediocrely-crafted scissors to cut the compartment you filled with milk away from the others

In the past couple months, we’ve learned How to Eat Chinese Food, Cupcakes, Apples,Strawberries and Corn. Now, we can add Milk & Cookies to the list of things we can say we’re doing just that much better. Foodbeast, changing lives every day.

Thanks cookies . . . thanks for nothing, mom.

Join the conversation about this story »

Starbucks announced Tuesday it will begin posting calorie information on its menus at stores nationwide next week.

The company made the move ahead of a proposed Food and Drug Administration food labeling requirement that's expected to go into effect next year.

Starbucks locations in New York and a few other cities already post calorie information on their menus. But to the rest of the country, these calorie counts could come as a shock.

The White Chocolate Crème Frappuccino has 510 calories.

For the beverage items in this slideshow, we looked at calorie counts for a 20-ounce Venti (large) with whole milk and whipped cream.

The Double Chocolatey Chip Frappuccino has 520 calories.

For the beverage items in this slideshow, we looked at calorie counts for a 20-ounce Venti (large) with whole milk and whipped cream.

The Caffé Vanilla Frappuccino has 530 calories.

For the beverage items in this slideshow, we looked at calorie counts for a 20-ounce Venti (large) with whole milk and whipped cream.

Turning a drink that people associate with 7-11 into a trendy product is impressive. Growing a single food truck into a national wholesale business in three years is a masterpiece.

We talked to the ex-lawyers behind Kelvin Natural Slush Co. to find out how it started and how they're doing so well.

After meeting on their first day at a law firm, Zack Silverman and Alex Rein hit it off and soon began bouncing business ideas off each other. 

Silverman told Business Insider that the original idea for Kelvin Natural Slush came from the two friends going out for drinks. After yet another mediocre frozen cocktail and the realization that they liked slushies better than Frappuccinos, “we said, ‘why can’t we make a better, more grown-up, all-natural slush?'”

They didn't leap right in. But eventually, the world gave them the push to get started.

“We were working on securitization loans, which evaporated overnight. Because of the recession, Alex ended up getting laid off, and then we decided to take a chance on this idea,” Silverman said.

Silverman joined full time last year after six years at his firm, despite having the potential to make partner. “People were definitely pretty surprised ... we’re both super happy. we both work super hard — in some ways harder than we used to,” Silverman said.

That's paid off in a big way. Their mixture of “base flavors” like tangy citrus and black tea with fresh fruit purees (a favorite combo is a citrus/tea “Arnold Palmer” with white peach mix-in) built them a growing fanbase and hours-long lines at Brooklyn Flea's Smorgasburg.

But the big break for the business came from moving beyond the truck. Food trucks aren't an easy business. They're ideal to get started, “a cheaper, lean startup way” to get going.

But they have their limits. 

Silverman described the food truck industry in New York as a bureaucratic “nightmare,” a sentiment echoed by a recent New York Times article on the city’s plateaued industry.

“We’ve had lots of parking tickets, we try to pay the meter but it’s really hard. Last year, on the food truck, our engine blew up right in the middle of the season, Silverman said.” Of course, in the middle of a heat wave. “We would have made a lot of money. Basically, a $40,000 swing, with lost revenue, and a huge expense on the truck to replace the engine.”

And people aren't terribly into slushes when it's cold out, making a store a difficult option too.  “Our retail business, the truck, all the outdoor stuff, completely shuts down by October. For a few years, we made zero dollars between October and the beginning of April,” Silverman said.

Those difficulties, and the fact that the slush is a natural fit for alcohol, had the pair thinking about wholesale. “Along the way, people would always bring alcohol to the truck and the cart, Silverman told us. “We would always joke about it, but then people would literally show up with a flask or a mini-bottle, and we’d be like ‘whatever you do, we can’t stop you.’”

That trend, and the abundance of mediocre frozen margaritas in the world, led the pair to start reaching out to wholesale partners, bars, and restaurants. Then a massive partner reached out to them. A representative for Whole Foods, the Austin-based organic supermarket chain, offered them the opportunity to be featured in their stores. 

“We’ll definitely take some luck on that one,” Silverman said. 

Not just luck, but a smart business shift. In 2012, wholesale revenue only accounted for a small fraction of the company’s growth, according to Silverman. Since shifting the brand’s focus from mobile to wholesale, however, profits have increased dramatically.

“Year-to-date, wholesale has grown so much, so from a revenue perspective, [wholesale and mobile sales] are about even,” Silverman said. “We expect that by the end of the year, the wholesale will have grown to outdo the truck.”

They're available in eight states at Whole Foods, and bars and restaurants around New York. 

Talking about the company’s future, Silverman said that plans included growth in the wholesale sector, targeting “three top markets”: Las Vegas, Miami, and Southern California.

“We’re not exactly sure when we’ll enter those markets, and if we’re going to expand the trucks, but for now, that’s where we hope the evolution of the business will take us.” 

Join the conversation about this story »