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These Are The Most Expensive Things You Can Buy Online (AMZN, EBAY)

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Mastercard credit cardIf you're willing to pay for it, there's probably someone willing to ship it to you.

Shopping is obviously a big deal on the Internet with companies like Amazon and eBay making it possible to order nearly anything your heart desires and have it show up on your doorstep a few days later.

E-commerce sales ended up tipping the scales, generating over $1 trillion last year.

And if you're the high-roller type who's willing to shell out a little more than usual for your for your luxury goods or unusual items, the Internet has your back.

Barry Bonds's 715th home run ball – $220,100

Sports memorabilia can obviously command quite a price. Barry Bonds's 715th home run ball sold on eBay for just over $220,000.



Honus Wagner baseball card – $1.265 million

It's not all memorabilia, though – collectors are still nuts for baseball cards.

Honus Wagner is one of the most famous baseball players in major league history. A 1909 trading card bearing the famous ballplayer's face sold for $1.265 million on eBay in 2010.

The card was a promotional item for a cigarette company, but it was pulled from circulation when Wagner objected to the use of his image without permission. This made it so rare as to command such a high sale price.



Carving of James Dean and Elvis Presley – $1.5 million

How much do you love "King Creole"? How about "Rebel Without A Cause?"

Show your fanhood for Elivs Presley and James Dean with this $1.5 million woodcarving. It's still for sale at the time of this writing!



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The 13 Best Bourbons In America

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scotch

We brought you the world's best scotches. Then you cooled down with some gin. But this is America — here's the bourbon.

In the "Whiskey - USA" category at last month's International Wine and Spirit Competition, great bottles of bourbon won a "Gold," but the very best took home a "Gold Outstanding" for setting the industry standard for excellence.

These bottles all went through the gauntlet. Wines and liquors are subject to professional blind tasting and chemical and microbiological analysis at the competition. Only the strong spirits survive.

From recognizable names like Jim Beam and Knob Creek to smaller distilleries that — if you can believe it — do not call Kentucky home, here are the best bourbons.

Jim Beam Signature Craft Bourbon Whiskey 12 YO

Comment: "Very expressive nose with ripe cherries, fruit cake and liquorice leading followed by vanilla and cinnamon. Great intensity in the mouth with slow deliberate movement across the palate depositing flavors of dried dates, dark brown sugar and treacle. Great texture and super balance. Concentration of flavors lead into everlasting finish."

Award: Gold 

Source: IWSC



Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Bourbon Whiskey 6 YO

Comment: "Unusual notes of spearmint on the nose then some hickory, treacle and spicy surround. Soft entry into the mouth with silky flow yet firm texture. Hints of rye with great dark sugar statement with a scatter of vanilla with some cinnamon. Some soft fruit and more honey come in at the finish. A great individual expression of Bourbon."

Award: Gold

Source: IWSC 



Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 9 YO

Comment: "The family resemblance is there but all in much higher gear. Enticing nose of nuttiness, honeycomb and vanilla in tight focus. Impactful entry into the mouth with the extra alcohol highlighting all the flavors. Rye and barley stand out with charred orange peel, rich honey and some treacle. Full flow across the palate and all in perfect balance. After the sweet sensations there is a decidedly dry but gorgeous finish."

Award: Gold

Source: IWSC



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Surreal Photos From The Day New York Went Dark

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Ten years ago today, a few overgrown tree branches and a faulty, aging power grid led to the biggest blackout in North American history

The blackout hit numerous big cities in the Northeast and Midwest, including Cleveland, Detroit, and Toronto. But none of the images were as striking and iconic as those emanating from blacked-out New York City. 

The blackout struck the city just after the stock exchange had closed and the evening was about to begin in New York.

Some traders watched as their monitors blinked off at their desks as they were about to leave the floor. Thousands of passengers had to be evacuated from subway tunnels, and others were evacuated from large buildings. Gov. George E. Pataki said that 600 trains were left stranded, and crowds of stranded passengers piled up in both Grand Central and Penn Stations.

It came just fewer than two years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in New York City. But New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and others quickly moved to dispel any notion that the blackout had anything to do with terrorism. 

Do you remember where you were when the blackout first hit? Here's a look back at the New York City scene 10 years ago:

NYC blackout 2003

This was the scene looking at the New York City skyline that night.

NYC blackout 2003

Another picture of the skyline

NYC blackout 2003

Commuters were stranded outside of Penn Station. NYC blackout 2003

This college student, Shmuel Aziza of France, got innovative in Brooklyn, charging his laptop via a car battery.

NYC blackout 2003

Here's a view of a bodega during the blackout.

NYC blackout 2003

The crowd of stranded passengers outside Grand Central station at rush hour.

NYC blackout 2003

No one lost their sense of humor during the fracas. Indeed, New York became known for "coming together" during the outage.

NYC blackout 2003

Inside Grand Central, the station's floodlights helped passengers navigate.

NYC blackout 2003

An iconic shot of New York City, almost completely dark, as the sun sets.

NYC blackout 2003

People walk down Brooklyn Bridge during the massive blackout.

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Hong Kong Women Are Using Their Purses As Loan Collateral

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women luis vuitton

Women in Hong Kong are using their designer bags as loan collateral, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Residents prefer pawning their Pradas to nonbank lenders who have more versatility in terms of loan size and type of collateral than regulated banks.

One company, "Yes Lady," can get you a loan in 30 minutes at 80% of the bag's value, "as long as it is from Gucci, Chanel, Hermès or Louis Vuitton," according to the Journal.

Here's how it's done:

A customer gets her bag back by repaying the loan at 4% monthly interest within four months. Yes Lady says almost all its clients quickly pay off their loans and reclaim their bags.

The company recently lent about US$20,600 in exchange for a Hermès Birkin bag, but Yes Lady's purse-backed loans start at about US$200.

One client brought in 40 to 50 Gucci purses at one time and received a $38,000 loan, according to the report.

Yes Lady brings in assessors to check purses' authenticity, and if it's a fake, "We don't tell them we know," the company's manager told the Journal. "We just say we can't approve the loan."

Read the full report at the Wall Street Journal>

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The 15 Most Famous Kids In College This Semester

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Emma Watson

The summer is coming to an all too speedy end, which means college students will soon make the mass exodus from their hometowns, vacations, and internships to return for a new school year in the fall.  

For some students, however, picking classes and meeting new people are just part of the already jam-packed celebrity lifestyle. 

We've found the 15 most famous kids in college this semester. These celebrities are pursuing their college degrees, juggling class and exams with the responsibilities of public life.

They're musicians, actors, models and athletes who somehow find a way to balance their college careers with their professional ones—an impressive feat for such young people. They go to school all over America, from New York University to California's University of Southern California.

We've listed them here in alphabetical order. Let us know who we missed!

Callie Bost and Jennifer Polland contributed to this feature.

Justine Bateman

College: University of California, Los Angeles

Year: Sophomore

Though she's not exactly a kid anymore, the 47-year-old Bateman did get famous playing one on TV — the notoriously ditzy Mallory Keaton on "Family Ties."

Now, she's pursuing a degree in computer science at UCLA and even has a blog called "College Life" about the ins and outs of being an undergraduate in her 40s.  



Corinne Bishop

College: University of Southern California

Year: Sophomore 

Jamie Foxx's daughter shares both his original last name and his red carpet spotlight, appearing on her father's arm at multiple premiers, awards shows, and after parties since she was seven. 

Bishop, now 19, is a cheerleader and Public Relations major at USC. 



Justin Combs

College: University of California Los Angeles

Year: Sophomore

The son of Sean "P. Diddy" or "Puff Daddy" Combs, Justin Combs is attending UCLA —on a $54,000 football scholarship.

The son of a multi-millionaire, Combs faced a lot of criticism for accepting the scholarship, but the 5-foot-9, 170-pound defensive back defended his decision to accept the scholarship, tweeting that he "put that work in" and earned the scholarship.

Combs was red-shirted for the 2012 season and didn't see game time, but he has four remaining years of eligibility. 



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Starbucks Wants Customers To Pay More For Coffee

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Venti Starbucks

Starbucks is expanding its Reserve line to 500 stores. 

The upscale line is described as "rare and exotic small batch single-origin," reports Rachel Tepper at The Huffington Post. Starbucks already offers the coffee in about 500 stores. 

Tepper writes that Starbucks is trying to capitalize on the trend of upscale coffee. There are more than 40 Reserve varieties offered at various stores. 

But the upscale coffee experience comes at a price. 

The average Reserve brewed cup costs $2.65, compared with $1.85 for regular, Tepper writes.

One strain of coffee, the Costa Rica Finca Palmilera, costs $7 per cup. 

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Take A Tour Of The Hamptons Mansion The Clintons Are Renting This Summer

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bill and hillary sagaponack rental home hamptons 2013The New York Times is reporting that Bill and Hillary Clinton will be enjoying their Hamptons downtime in a different mansion than the one they usually rent this month.

For the past two years, the Clintons have stayed at the East Hampton home of real estate developer Elie Hirschfeld.

This year, however, they're renting the $200,000-a-month Sagaponack mansion of Republican donor Michael Saperstein, according to The New York Post.

Hirschfeld says the reason the Clintons aren't returning to his oceanfront house this year was because he didn't rent it out, but the Times counters that Bill and Hillary didn't want to return anyway since they lost a large chunk of their deposit from landscaping and utility costs last year.

"There was an issue with the security deposit last summer," a source told The Post. "The Clintons were dissatisfied with how much money they got back.”

The political power couple will instead be moving into Saperstein's Sagaponack home this weekend. Their new rental is a 6-bedroom mansion with beach access, a heated pool, and a gym.

This is the summer home in Sagaponack that the Clintons are renting from Republican donor Michael Saperstein.

Source: Corcoran Group Real Estate




The home was built in 2003 for $3.25 million, and the Clintons are renting it for $200,000 a month.

Source: Corcoran Group Real Estate



It has a swimming pool and pool house in the backyard.

Source: Corcoran Group Real Estate



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The Definitive Answer To 20 Of Your Biggest Health Questions

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eating

Nothing changes faster these days than science and medical advice.

That's why, when it comes to your general health, it's hard to know what information is right, wrong, and somewhere in between.

To find some of the most common health questions that people have, we turned to a book called "Your Health: What Works, What Doesn't" published by Reader's Digest in June 2010.

The book consulted dozens of experts and culled through hundreds of studies to bring readers a definitive answer to controversial questions about diet, fitness, disease, and medicine.

We've supplemented these answers with our own research to present a bottom line.

Keep in mind that new research continuously changes our understanding of "good and bad" health advice. We've done our best to provide answers based on the most current scientific evidence.

Does olive oil prevent heart disease?

Short answer: Yes

The health benefits of olive oil come from the presence of polyphenols, antioxidants that reduce the risk of heart diseases and cancers.

But to get these healthy compounds, consumers should buy good-quality, fresh "extra-virgin" olive oil, which has the highest polyphenol content. Most commercially available olive oils have low levels of polyphenols associated with poor harvesting methods, improper storage, and heavy processing. 



Do cough syrups work?

Short answer: No

In 2006, the nation's chest physicians agreed that the majority of over-the-counter cough medicines don't actually work. These colorful syrups typically contain doses of codeine and dextromethorphan that are too small to be effective.

Only cough suppressants that contain older antihistamines seem to relieve coughs. That includes brompheniramine, an active ingredient in Dimetapp.



Does sugar cause hyperactivity?

Short answer: No

Following a review of 23 studies, a 1996 report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that sugar "does not affect the behavior or cognitive performance of children."

The age-old myth that kids misbehave when they eat large amounts of candy, cookies, and other junk food, could be related to the type of events where these foods are typically served. For example, kids are more wound-up at birthday parties and during Halloween when sweet treats tend to flow freely.



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Take A Quick Mental Break With These 5 Relaxing Websites

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Technology stresses people out. Sitting in an uncomfortable desk chair in a windowless cubicle for hours can cause back tension, headaches, and overall nuttiness. Everyone needs a break.

Brief moments of personal time throughout the workday vastly improve productivity and concentration, according to Science Daily. So you don't even need to feel guilty about spending a few minutes on each of the websites below.

1.) Calm.com plays ambient tunes and shows pretty pictures. Simple. You choose the background and music by using the navigation bar in the lower right hand corner.

The site also offers guided meditation — if you enjoy a British woman whispering about your posture and breathing.

Calm.com

2.) The Thoughts Room essentially provides an online diary, one sentence at a time, that explodes into stardust. Anything you put online stays there for a terrifyingly long time. But whatever stressful, evil, self-deprecating, etc. words you type into the "thoughts box" (shown below) just melt away, while listening to ambient music. Putting your feelings into words really does help.

The Thoughts Room

3.) Babyanimalcams.com doesn't require a lot of explanation. Choose from live video feeds of kittens, birds, puppies, and even sea otters, posted by zoos, animal shelters, and regular people. Look at that little guy chewing on his friend!

Live puppy cam

4.) Weavesilk.com requires some user interaction, but the result will blow your mind. Anywhere you click on the screen a hybrid lightning-smoke design will appear. Options in the top right hand corner allow you to change the color and level of symmetry. You'll feel like an artistic scientist while also giving your mind a break. There's more ambient music, too.

weavesilk.com

5.) On sharkbreak.com, your choice of sea creature — like a puffer fish, shark, or whale — follows your mouse around the screen. Traffic to the site also helps raise funds for marine life conservation and ocean preservation. (Spoiler alert: the puffer fish puffs at random times!)

Shark break

SEE ALSO: 10 Scientifically Proven Ways To Relax

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TEST DRIVE: Lexus's $50,000 Luxury SUV Isn't Fun To Drive, But It May Be The Perfect Ride For A Road Trip

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Lexus RX 350 F-Sport SUV

We took the 2013 Lexus RX 350 F-Sport for a 300-mile drive from our Manhattan office, to the Jersey Shore, and back, and had a great time, even in ghastly, leaving-Manhattan-on-Friday-afternoon traffic.

The RX 350 F-Sport starts at $47,000. The model we tested cost $53,924, which isn't a huge jump. But the F-Sport performance package, to our disappointment, didn't actually make the SUV fun to drive. It provided enough power, but the steering response was "meh."

That said, the RX is excellent in just about every other way. The original luxury SUV has been on the road for 15 years, and time has been good to it.

The interior is well thought out and perfectly comfortable. The ride quality is sublime: You barely feel the road, even at over-the-limit speeds.

If only Lexus would get rid of that mouse-like control for its infotainment system.

The RX hit the road in 1998, establishing the luxury SUV segment.

[Source: Edmunds]



Now there's plenty of competition (including the Mercedes-Benz GLK, BMW X3, and Audi Q5), but the RX is still ahead in the sales department.



This year, the RX topped J.D. Power's Dependability Study results, the first crossover or SUV to take first place.

[Source: JD Power]



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11 Great Accessories For Running Outdoors In The Summer

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Nathan waitpack speed water bottles for running

As America bakes in the August sun, outdoor runners are opting to stay in their air-conditioned homes.

But with a new report showing that exercise can change the way our bodies store fat, it's more important than ever to keep up our fitness regimens.

So to get you excited to go running in the sun, here are 11 cool accessories — both literally and figuratively — that will help you stay on track until fall.

Finding the perfect earbuds or headphones is one of the biggest challenges a runner can face. Sennheiser's Sports Headphones with an around-the-head band are guaranteed to stay on despite wind and sweat.

Buy them here for $36



It's hard to take your keys and phone along while running outside. The FlipBelt Fitness Storage Belt has multi-openings that fit everything you need. Plus, it's odor resistant, machine washable, and designed to not ride up.

Buy it through OpenSky for $25



The most trusted sunglasses for athletes, Oakley's Radarlock Path Sunglasses will stay on throughout your run thanks to its three-point fit. The lenses also curve to protect you from the summer sun on all sides.

Buy them here for $220



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Science Proves That Watermelon Juice Helps Sore Muscles After Exercise

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watermelon juice

Your sore post-exercise muscles just got a new best buddy: Watermelon.

A new study suggests that an amino acid contained in watermelons — and therefore in their juice — reduces muscle soreness after exercise.

The study was published July 17 in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry. Watermelon's ability to help ease muscle soreness after exercise is attributed to the amino acid L-citrulline.

An hour before an exercise session, the researchers gave study participants watermelon juice,  watermelon juice with added L-citrulline, or a juice without L-citrulline. In both watermelon juice tests, the participants had less muscle soreness 24 hours after exercising.

There was no difference between plain watermelon juice and watermelon juice with added L-citrulline. That means the L-citrulline naturally present in the watermelon seemed to work better than the added amino acid.

They were also able to determine how much of the amino acid would have made it into the athletes' blood stream using a test on cells in the lab and found that the compound seems to be more readily available to the body in its natural form, which could explain why the spiked watermelon juice didn't work any better.

Previous studies have shown that watermelon juice also contains antioxidants, and seems to increase muscle protein and enhance athletic performance, the researchers note.

SEE ALSO: Scientists Say That In 5 Years There May Be No Florida Orange Juice

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Forget 'Grass Fed' Vs. 'Grain Fed' — Here's The Only Debate That Matters To Your Steak

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Marc and George at DeBragga

There's been a lot of debate about the benefits of a lean, 'grass fed' cut of meat vs. your 'grain fed' meat — and it's gotten a lot of steak aficionados and butchers, like superstar Pat Alfreda, pretty riled up.

But one of New York's most prominent butchers, George Faison, says the grass fed vs. grain fed debate on beef is just semantics. The real, and more dangerous issue is about how meat is labeled, and how Americans are led to believe it's raised.

Faison is the Chief Operating Officer of DeBragga, "New York's Butcher." You can find his meat in some of New York City's hottest restaurants, like The Mercer Kitchen, Tao, and Tom Colicchio's Craft. Business Insider caught up with him over the phone while he was in Upstate New York checking out the farms where DeBragga sources its meat.

The debate on "grass fed" beef is really about how the meat is "finished" Faison explained, it's about the last few months of an animal's life — maybe the last year and a half if it's Wagyu beef.

And when you're talking about such a short amount of time, you can't just think about the grass that's being eaten, he argued, you have to think about the environmental impact of the petroleum that's used to power farming equipment (like tractors and turbines) and the cost of shipping grain around the country.

"The (grass fed v. grain fed) debate is ongoing," he said, "but it's very obvious we can't be unmindful of the true cost of grass fed beef."

What's worse about the argument, though, is that it takes away from the most important debate about meat in our country — naturally raised (grain or grass fed) meat versus "commodity produced" proteins of any kind.

We're talking about big farming here.

To Faison, it all starts in the labeling — the information that's getting to the public. For example, chicken and pork can be slapped with 'no hormone added' labels even if the animals have been fed anti-biotics their entire lives in order to survive the cramped conditions of industrial production.

That's a practice called "sub-therapeutic administration." Farmers administer these anti-biotics as they know animals will get sick because of how they're raised.

That is how it has come to be that 70 percent of all antibiotics in this country are given to animals, according to NYT Food writer, Mark Bittman. You can imagine the pharmaceutical industry is happy with that one.

Then there's the fact that the word "natural" appears on most beef or poultry labels, but according to regulation, the only stipulation for slapping that word on a package of meat is that the animal was not given any chemicals at the time of slaughter.

Anything before that is a non-issue.

"I consider that government sanctioned fraud," said Faison. "People aren't getting the information they need to make the decisions they want to make."

And that's bigger than a little bit of grass.

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Genius Maps Show How Manhattan Has Become A Garish Center Of Wealth

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Manhattan After new york city income inequality

Nickolay Lamm of MyDeals.com has unleashed a brilliantly executed visualization of income quality on the island of Manhattan. 

Lamm grabbed an ArcGIS map of net worth in New York City and made a 3-dimensional representation of how wealthy some areas are. 

Lamm's goal is to show the profound extent of income inequality in Manhattan, and it couldn't get more jarring.

Harlem After new york city income inequality

The height of the green buildings corresponds to the net worth in the area.

Some neighborhoods literally loom over the rest of the city, while others sit low in their literal shadows. 

It's a jarring look and a startling effective visualization. 

Each image, for reference, has a before and after look at certain perspectives of Manhattan. 

Here's a look at the whole island from the north west.



This stunning shot shows poverty and the wealth of Manhattan in one look. Let's take a close look at some areas.



Here's a look over Central Park.



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Mercedes-Benz Just Unveiled A Teeny SUV Made For Urban Driving

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Mercedes-Benz GLA compact SUV mountain road

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the GLA, a compact SUV that will compete with cars like the Audi Q3 and BMW X1.

After showing off a flashy concept version of the ride at the Shanghai Motor Show in April, Mercedes will officially debut the GLA at the Frankfurt Auto Show next month.

It hasn't released pricing yet, but it did reveal some impressive figures, including a 0 to 62 mph time of 7.1 seconds and a remarkable 54 miles per gallon on the most efficient, diesel-powered version.

The German automaker says the little SUV will be capable in moderate off-road conditions, but be especially practical for "day-to-day urban lifestyle" driving.

And of course, it's filled with the little luxury features and trims that set Mercedes-Benz cars apart from the rest of the pack.

Here's the GLA concept car Mercedes showed off at the Shanghai Motor Show in April.



Mercedes-Benz bills the GLA as a compact SUV that's both capable off-road and practical for everyday driving.



Perhaps to emphasize the tiny quality of the GLA, Mercedes gives its dimensions in millimeters: 4,417 long by 1,804 wide by 1,494 high. In feet, that's a compact 14.5 by 5.9 by 4.9.



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The 'Shooter Sandwich' Is All The Rage And The Sandwich Of Your Dreams

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chicken parm shooter sandwich smashed

August is National Sandwich Month. Rejoice.

And while all sandwiches are awesome in their own special way, there's one sandwich that rules them all: 

The Shooter Sandwich.

Also known as a "smashed sandwich," the Shooter Sandwich is a layered masterpiece that has been gaining traction on Reddit.

All that needs doing is to cut the top off a loaf of bread and hollow out the inside. Then add layers of meat, cheese, and veggies into the loaf until it's ready to burst.

Wrap it up in butcher's paper and/or tinfoil, and place a cutting board on top weighed down with your heaviest household objects.

After a few hours, the result is a sandwich pie of sorts. Stick it in the oven to let the cheese melt, and cut it into slices for a dense, glorious meal.

There's some great smashed sandwich recipes on /r/food, but keep reading to see our favorites.

Have a shooter sandwich recipe we should include? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Let's start with a classic Steak Shooter Sandwich. Get a loaf of Italian bread, some rib eye steaks, a pound of mushrooms, an onion, and some bacon ready.

See more on the making of this Shooter Steak Sandwich here



After cooking up the steak and bacon and sautéing the mushrooms and onions, load everything into your hollowed-out Italian loaf. Add the sauces of your choice throughout.

See more on the making of this Shooter Steak Sandwich here



Wrap it up in butcher's paper and some tinfoil and place a cutting board with weights on top.

See more on the making of this Shooter Steak Sandwich here



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The Best Hotel Decks On Cape Cod

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The Red Inn, Provincetown Cape CodCape Cod is a quintessential New England summer destination, with miles of pristine beaches, beautiful old lighthouses, and quaint villages.

It’s the type of place to kick your feet up on a porch or deck (with ocean views, of course) and laze away the day.

Luckily, plenty of the Cape’s charming hotels offer excellent spots to do just that.

The Red Inn - Provincetown

This historic, luxurious inn is a local hot spot, thanks to its extremely popular restaurant. But it's still plenty relaxing, with beautiful water views from the restaurant and all eight of the attractive, beach-chic rooms.



Riviera Beach Resort - South Yarmouth

This family-oriented resort offers a laid-back atmosphere and plenty of features, including beautiful views from its oceanfront rooms with private seating.



Brass Key Guesthouse - Provincetown

This elegant, centrally located Provincetown inn has 43 rooms and suites decorated in a variety of styles -- from contemporary chic to classic Victorian. The Brass Key Guesthouse offers more amenities than you might expect from a Cape Cod inn, including an outdoor heated infinity pool, up-to-date technology, a free nightly wine and cheese reception, the ocean view from the rooftop deck.



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HOUSE OF THE DAY: The Narrowest Home In New York City Just Sold For $3.25 Million

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attached image

The skinniest house in New York City just sold for $3.25 million, according to The New York Post.

The historic home — known as The Millay House— at 75 1/2 Bedford Street, has spent nearly two years on the market.

It's only 9 feet and 6 inches wide on the outside.

Inside, the widest room is a measly 8 feet by 4 inches.

It was originally built in 1873, and has housed famous residents such as children's book author Anna McGovern, anthropologist Margaret Meade, and most famously Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, who coined the phrase, "My candle burns at both ends."

Even though the home is only 990 square feet, it has three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a custom-designed kitchen, and four wood-burning fireplaces.

There's even a sizable backyard.

This is 75 1/2 Bedford Street in New York City. Outside, the home only stretches 9 feet and 6 inches.

Source: TOWN Residential Real Estate



Inside, the widest room is only 8 feet and 4 inches wide. The home has been remodeled with big, open doors, windows, and a skylight on the third floor. Here, the kitchen looks out towards the backyard.

Source: TOWN Residential Real Estate



This tiny living room has the original wood-beamed ceiling as well as a small book shelf.

Source: TOWN Residential Real Estate



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10 Interesting Personal Facts We Learned About Marissa Mayer From Her Vogue Profile (YHOO)

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Marissa Mayer

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is the "it" business leader of the moment. 

Mayer recently sat down with Vogue Magazine's Jacob Weisberg, where she detailed what it's like being a young female leader of a major tech company. Weisberg not only gives us a glimpse into Mayer's work life, but also an interesting peek into her personal life.

Mayer, a self-described "geek," actually seems more human than we thought. Despite the fact that she is incredibly wealthy and has a ton of resources she comes off as humble, grateful, and even a bit naive. 

We sifted through the 3,000-word article and pulled out 10 interesting facts about Yahoo's popular CEO.

  1. Mayer really likes numbers. Weisberg writes that, "Mayer talks about numbers as if they were people, she refers casually to x- and y-axes, and drops terms like stochastic factor." Mayer, a nerd at heart tells Vogue when she turned 37 she put on a strong face, but she was not looking forward to 37. She says, "37 turned out to be a pretty amazing year. Especially considering that 36 is divisible by twelve!”
  2. Mayer is a fan of high fashion. In fact, she has a Oscar de la Renta cashmere cardigan collection; it's her work uniform. She has the sweater in ivory, navy, black, hot pink, teal, red, and royal blue. Mayer adds new colors every season. The sweater retails for about $900.
  3. Mayer suffers from shyness. She tells Vogue, "she has had to discipline herself to deal with the shyness." Whenever Mayer arrives at a party, for the first fifteen minutes she wants to leave. This includes parties at her own home. Mayer says, “I will literally look at my watch and say, ‘You can’t leave until time x.'" Over the years Mayer has learned that if she makes herself stay at a party for a fixed period, she often gets over her social awkwardness and ends up having fun.
  4. Mayer is a fan of the "Irish Exit." Weisberg was attending a party at Mayer's home and he noticed that the other party guests noticed that Mayer had vanished. She tells Weisberg this is called her “CEO exit." Mayer typically disappears without goodbyes while the party carries on.
  5. Mayer's love of science comes from her father. Mayer's father was an environmental engineer who worked for water companies. 
  6. Mayer is a multitasker by design. Mayer says that growing up she always had multiple after-school activities such as ballet, ice skating, piano, swimming, debate team, and Brownie scouts. She says her mom set out to overstimulate her. 
  7. Mayer has a hard time seeing gender.As employee number 20 at Google, Mayer was often asked how it felt to be the only woman on engineering teams. Weisberg says Mayer would answer truthfully: that she hadn’t noticed.
  8. Mayer is naive. Mayer's naivety is self-described. Weisberg writes that this naivety, "only fuels the fascination surrounding her fourteen-year rise. Did she pile up a reported $300 million in wealth and become a CEO of one of the world’s top digital brands by accident?" Mayer says she didn’t set out to be at the top of technology companies. She insists that she's just a geek who likes to code.
  9. Mayer has made history. Weisberg says she helped to invent arguably one of the most successful products in the history of advertising, Google AdWords.
  10. Mayer is a perfectionist. A former Google colleague told Weisberg that Mayer will "spot a lot of little details other people might not notice." The colleague continued, “when you add them up in aggregate, it’s the difference between a beautiful, polished product and one that feels more awkward.”

SEE ALSO: Marissa Mayer Is So Glammed Up In This Gorgeous Vogue Photoshoot You Won't Recognize Her

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America Is The Second Most Expensive Country In The World For International Students

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grad school graduate in philly philadelphia collegeThe U.S. is the world’s second most expensive country for international students, according to new research from HSBC Group.

Between university fees and living expenses, foreigners wind up shelling out more than $35,000 per year for an American degree. That price tag nearly doubles for students enrolling at Ivy League schools, where they'll spend more than $58,000. 

We beat out both the U.K. ($30,000/year) and the United Arab Emirates ($27,000). 

The only country more expensive than the U.S. is Australia, where, according to HSBC, international students will spend $38,515 per year thanks to the growing strength of the Australian Dollar. 

So, where can international students get the most bang for their buck? 

Unsurprisingly, Germany is a steal for out-of-towners, costing just $6,285 USD per year. Germany is a rare case, given that most of its 16 states offer free tuition and those that don't barely charge more than $1,000 USD per semester. 

Check out the table below to see how other countries ranked.

Table: Average annual cost of Studying Abroad for International Students

Country

Annual Fees

Annual Cost of living

Annual Total

Australia

$25,375

$13,140

$38,516

United States

$25,226

$10,479

$35,705

United Kingdom

$19,291

$11,034

$30,325

United Arab Emirates

$21,371

$6,004

$27,375

Canada

$18,474

$7,537

$26,011

Singapore

$14,885

$9,363

$24,248

Hong Kong

$13,182

$9,261

$22,443

Japan

$6,522

$12,642

$19,164

Russia

$3,131

$6,310

$9,441

China

$3,983

$4,783

$8,766

Taiwan

$3,270

$4,987

$8,257

Spain

$1,002

$6,004

$7,006

Germany

$635

$5,650

$6,285

In US$ per year

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