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Etihad Airways Is Hiring 500 Nannies To Take Care Of Your Kids In The Air

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Flying Nanny etihad kids

Traveling with kids is about to get a lot nicer for passengers on Etihad Airways: The classy airline is launching an in-flight nanny service on long haul trips. 

By the end of 2013, 500 "Flying Nannies" will be working on flights to take care of children, whether or not they are traveling with an adult.

The nannies will be trained by Norland College, a British training school for early years educators.

According to the school, it will help Etihad nannies identify children's developmental stages and how they are behaving, to best keep them happy and entertained.

Travelers who are disappointed that kids won't be banned from certain areas of the plane should be glad to know that there are professionals on board to keep the youngsters in line.

Activities for children will include arts and crafts, like making hats and origami from paper cups. According to the airline, making sock puppets will be "a key on-board highlight."

Nannies will teach simple magic tricks, give older children simple quizzes, and help parents refill milk bottles. 

Etihad, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, also has very strict rules for how many falcons passengers can bring into the cabin.

SEE ALSO: Flying On The WW2-Era Boeing Clipper Was Amazingly Luxurious

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How Audi Almost Convinced Me To Buy A Diesel Car

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2014 audi a6 diesel cropped

Diesel passenger cars are resurgent in the American market, to the point where some analysts say their presence on U.S. roads will double by 2018.

Germany’s Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz are all bringing new diesels to the U.S. Even GM is getting in on the action, with the 2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel.

Near the front of the pack is Audi, which brought me down to Washington, D.C. last month to test out the super fuel-efficient diesel versions of its 2014 A6, A7, and Q5 cars.

I’m too young to remember the dirty diesel Oldsmobiles from GM that turned off everyone but truck drivers in the 1980s. I’m not quite old or wealthy enough to fit into Audi’s demographics, but I’m not too far off, either. I like breathing good air, I like saving money. So I consider myself a decent example of someone who might buy a diesel from Audi or anyone else.

The Germans almost had me.

When I got back from DC, I quickly listed out ten reasons you should buy a diesel car, including fuel savings, more torque, and an unquestionable winning record at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Then there’s the fact that the Audi diesels were all a ton of fun to drive — they handle nicely, offer lots of torque, and come with the luxury quality you expect from the upper end of the brand’s range.

And over a few hours of driving around northern Virginia, we got 36.5 mpg from the A6. That an excellent number for a sedan that produces 240 horsepower and go from naught to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds. It’s well above the EPA estimate, unlike too many hybrids (ahem, Ford, Kia, Hyundai).

All of those things made me want a diesel. Here’s where they lost me: Diesels do their best driving on the open road. The A6 is rated for 24 mpg in the city, and a whopping 38 mpg on the highway.

I don’t live on the open road; I live in Brooklyn. And while I doubt I’ll buy a car while living here, I probably won’t end up living in the area where we drove these cars. I’m not going to be the guy who brings the population of Paris, Virginia up to 52. (Paris, it should be noted, seems like a lovely town.)

And because the days when I would regularly undertake mega road trips (college) are behind me, I’ll likely never test Audi’s claim that the A6 can go from Washington, D.C. to Chicago on a single tank.

Simply put, the biggest benefit of diesel — outrageous highway gas mileage — doesn’t help me very much. I am, and will remain, a city driver. Audi’s new crop offers nice fuel numbers in the concrete jungle, but they don’t compare well to today’s hybrids.

So if you’re looking for a car to haul you around the country, or even the outer suburbs, please consider a diesel. They’re great cars, and our roads and planet are better with them around. But I think I’ll buy a hybrid.

Full Disclosure: Audi paid for our travel and lodging expenses to drive the 2014 A6, A7, and Q5 TDI.

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Could This New Technology Destroy The Value Of All Famous Art?

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van gogh 3D relievos copy korenvelden

A new 3D printing technique in Europe could threaten the value of the world's most prized works of art.

The proprietary technique is being used by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which has partnered with Fujifilm to produce three-dimensional reproductions of Vincent Van Gogh's masterpieces.

Called "Relievos" by the museum, the replicas are of extremely high quality and will set you back £22,000, or just under $29,000. The museum is planning to sell 260 limited edition copies — all numbered and stamped — for both collectors and educational purposes.

The high-tech copies are created through a special 3D technique known as Reliefography, which combines a three-dimensional scan of the painting with a high-resolution print, according to The Guardian.

Basically, the finished product is an extremely realistic copy of the painting down to the brush strokes, frame, and artist's signature.

For art historians, the replicas are particularly exciting because they include the backs of the paintings. The stamps, dates, and signatures on the underside of fine works of art are rarely witnessed, except by experts and in photographs by scholars — and wholly ignored in most reproduction works.

van gogh 3D relievos copy korenvelden detailBut because these copies are so exact, it has people wondering if the Relievos could threaten the art market. Izabella Kaminska at FT Alphaville thinks it's entirely possible, though not as the technology currently exists (subscription required). She writes:

Some time soon it is highly likely that the naked eye will no longer be able to differentiate between reproductions and originals, and that the only way to know for sure which is which will be to carbon date or test the materials microscopically.

She goes on to imagine a world where replicas and original works are molecularly identical:

Value then becomes entirely an eye of the beholder thing. In logical terms the value of the Mona Lisa should collapse, especially so if the clue to authenticity is lost or diluted entirely. If the painting stays valued it’s because a narrative, myth of belief system has been attached to that particular version of the object — much as happens with sacred relics or superstitious charms.

After all, functionally speaking, an molecularly perfect substitute provides exactly the same utility. To believe an original is worth more than a perfect clone is to fall for hype and propaganda. What does it matter if you have an original Leonardo or not? You may believe yours is the original or superior version due to an intangible and undetectable attribute, but so can everyone else.

Her point is a valid one — if you can create molecularly perfect copies that can beat carbon dating tests, what would stop the price of famous works of art from dropping?

van gogh 3D relievos copy korenvelden vs detailBut let's not get ahead of ourselves. Given the current technology, a "Relievos" is about as big a threat to the art market as a really good counterfeit work — that is to say, not that big of a threat at all. 

Thanks to carbon dating, museums can tell which is the real work and which is the counterfeit.

And anyway, the people who are willing to pay the $29,000 for a very good copy are not going to be the same ones bidding on the original multi-million dollar Van Gogh piece. These are two very separate markets.

But let's say for the sake of argument that someday the technology is good enough to replicate art at the molecular level. Assuming the high-tech replicas would beat carbon dating, then the work's provenance or — history of ownership — would become the key factor in determining market cost.

A replica, even one that's molecularly perfect, would lose its value because it could not be confirmed it was created by the original artist. But works that can be proven authentic will retain their value.

Of course, it's highly preliminary to even be having this discussion. It took Fujifilm over seven years to develop the current technology, and it could take decades before it's possible to produce a perfect clone.

So far, the Vincent Van Gogh Museum has reproduced "Almond Blossom" (1890), "Sunflowers" (1889), "The Harvest" (1888), "Wheatfield under Thunderclouds" (1890), and "Boulevard de Clichy" (1887). Further copies are planned, with revenue raised going towards planned renovations and the preservation of the museum's collection, according to The Guardian.

If you're wondering who will be buying these $29,000 replicas, look no further than China. "There was enormous interest there. We had people there who bought on the spot," Axel Rüger, the museum's director, told The Guardian. "For someone interested in Van Gogh, this is the closest you can get to the original without it being the original. There is a certain fascination about that."

Ultimately, these Relievos are high-quality knockoffs, — not the end of the high-end art market.

DON'T MISS: 14 Incredibly Tiny Works Of Art

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Here's The Gorgeous Yacht Rupert Murdoch Is Selling For $29.7 Million

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This is the Rosehearty, she's almost 138 feet long.

When you're young, the hardest part of breaking up is getting back your stuff.

When you're older, the hardest part is giving up your stuff.

And so it goes at the end of the beautiful romance that was the marriage of Rupert and Wendi Deng Murdoch. The couple filed for divorce three months ago, and now Murdoch is selling his gorgeous yacht, Rosehearty, CNBC reports.

Apparently Wendi used it more than Rupert since he works a lot.

Rosehearty, for her part, boasts 5 cabins and some pretty amazing toys like water skis and full sets of diving gear. The vessel is being sold by Camper & Nicholsons.

This is the Rosehearty, she's almost 138 feet long.



This is one of the five guest cabins aboard.



The boat accommodates about 12 guests.



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Science Explains Why This Image Disgusts Some People

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Lotus fruit

Does the lotus fruit image above make your skin crawl?

Up to 16% of people (18% of females and 11% of males) become viscerally upset after looking at images of clustered holes, according to the first ever study on the condition known as trypophobia.  These clusters of holes are common in nature, also including honeycombs and clusters of soap bubbles.

One sufferer reports: "[I] can’t really face small, irregularly or asymmetrically placed holes, they make me like, throw up in my mouth, cry a little bit, and shake all over, deeply."

It turns out this strange revulsion could be rooted in biology, according to the study by researchers Geoff Cole and Arnold Wilkins, of the University of Essex, in the journal Psychological Science.

Honey comb

"There may be an ancient evolutionary part of the brain telling people that they are looking at a poisonous animal," Cole said in a press release. The disgust we feel is an evolutionary advantage, even if we don't know it consciously, because it sends people with trypophobia running as far as possible from the holey thing.

To identify this effect, the researchers analyzed images found on trypophobia websites and images of holes that don't trigger trypophobia, looking for differences.

Greater blue-ringed octopusThen, when one of the patients they interviewed mentioned that they also had a fear of the pattern on the poisonous blue-ringed octopus they had what Cole calls a "bit of a Eureka moment."

They collected 10 images of the top 10 poisonous species to run by their trypophobia patients. The species they selected were: the blue-ringed octopus, the box jellyfish, the Brazilian wandering spider, the deathstalker scorpion, the inland taipan snake, the king cobra snake, the marbled cone snail, the poison dart frog, the puffer fish, and the stonefish.

Here are a few images of these species:

Puffer fishYellow poison dart frogMarble Cone SnailBlue Poison dart frogAny of them give you the willies? The researchers found that these poisonous species sometimes have similar, creep-inducing patterns that revolt trypophobes.

"We think that everyone has trypophobic tendencies even though they may not be aware of it," says Cole. "We found that people who don’t have the phobia still rate trypophobic images as less comfortable to look at than other images."

Now, trypophobes, go rub your skin with sandpaper. 

SEE ALSO: 25 Things That Make You Happier

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BY THE NUMBERS: The 'Fifty Shades Of Grey' Phenomenon

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fifty shades of grey cast charlie hunnam dakota johnsonYesterday, the the lead actors in the anticipated "Fifty Shades of Grey" adaptation were revealed. 

Author E.L. James tweetedDakota Johnson and Charlie Hunnam will play the roles of naive college grad Anastasia Steele and handsome billionaire Christian Grey.

Given the amount of fantasy casting that followed the news of a film adaptation last year, the decisions didn't receive a lot of great feedback

Last year, James' naughty "Twilight" fan fiction quickly rose among best-selling lists, spiking sex toy sales across the nation.

The "50 Shades" craze transformed the way women were consuming porn with the book becoming the first to sell more than 1 million copies on the Amazon Kindle.

Since its debut, how big has the 50SoG phenomenon become? We crunched the numbers.

70 million copies of the "Fifty Shades of Grey" series have been sold so far in the U.S.

The first book in the series, "Fifty Shades of Grey" became the fastest-selling paperback book ever beating out J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series. 

(Source: USA Today)



$95 million: The amount of money E.L. James earned in the past year.

To put this number in perspecive, James was named the highest-paid author of the year by Forbes ahead of James Patterson ($91 million) and "Hunger Games" author Suzanne Collins ($55 million). "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling earned just $13 million in the past year.



$5 million: The amount Universal and Focus features paid for film rights.

In total, ten studios sparred over getting rights to the film adaptation of 50 Shades including Fox 2000, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. and Paramount.



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Vintage Travel Posters Show A Softer Side Of The Soviet Union

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In the 1920s and '30s, the Soviet Union wanted to attract wealthy European and American tourists to raise funds for its planned industrialization.

So it commissioned emerging artists to make a series of posters, magazine ads, and textile designs that portrayed the USSR as a country of leisure, comfort, and luxury.

Recently featured in an exhibition at London's Gallery for Russian Arts and Design (GRAD) called "See USSR," the vintage propaganda illustrates a different, softer side of the Soviet Union.

The posters and art were originally commissioned by a government organization known as Intourist, which was responsible for foreign tourism in the Soviet Union. They were modeled on the art deco style that was used at the time to advertise European destinations and were printed in English.

"Through Intourist's posters you really see this country that never existed," curator and director of the gallery Elena Sudakova told the Creative Review. "They used this European language, this very glamorous language. They are trying to attract European and American tourists, by means of the language that was familiar to them."

Check out some of the posters below.

What will you see on your visit to the USSR?

USSR posters for tourism 1930

Driving through the mountains has never been so fun and leisurely.

USSR posters for tourism 1939

Relax and get healthy at the Soviet Union's health resorts.

USSR posters for tourism 1930s

"This is more than a pleasure trip, this is a voyage into a new world!"

USSR propaganda poster 1935

SEE ALSO: 35 Gorgeous Color Photos Of Russia 100 Years Ago

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IT'S NATIONAL CHEESE PIZZA DAY: The 10 Best Pizza Joints In The US

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Pizza Barbone

When it comes to pointless national holidays, National Cheese Pizza Day is one of the finest.

So to celebrate, we found a list of the 10 Pies Worth A Road Trip from the editors at Zagat.

To make it onto the list, the pizza parlors had to inspire their customers to trek hundreds or even thousands of miles just to order a slice.

From Phoenix to Brooklyn, these pizza meccas offer the freshest ingredients, crispiest crusts, and tastiest sauces around.

Pizzeria Bianco: Phoenix, AZ

623 E. Adams St.

The Neapolitan wood-fired pizzas at Pizzeria Bianco keep its cult following coming back for more.

The staff only uses the freshest local ingredients for their simple salads and charred pies in this brick-lined restaurant.



In Riva: Philadelphia, PA

4116 Ridge Ave.

In Riva is a little piece of Italy in Philadelphia. It specializes in Neapolitan-style pizza prepared in a wood fire oven, and offers the clientele an assortment of Italian wines and beers.

It also has fantastic view of the Schuylkill River.



Salvatore's Coal Oven Pizza: Port Washington, NY

124 Shore Rd.

Salvatore's makes its pizza in coal-fired brick ovens. The coal-stoked crust is worth a visit in and of itself, but just remember — no slices, no credit cards. Full pies and cash only.



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Life Turned 'Surreal' When This Young Man Realized How Good He Is At Poker

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Andrew Seidman Poker

It was the beginning of the summer of 2006, when then-Dartmouth College freshman Andrew Seidman realized how good he was at poker.

"I applied for a summer job at a pizza parlor in my home town. In the week while I waited to hear a response, I made $7,000 playing online poker.  So I pretty much gave up the idea of normal employment at that time," he told us over email.

For Seidman, known online as BalugaWhale, that summer was the beginning of a wild ride into professional poker, leading to "a surreal lifestyle — traveling all over the world, skipping class, seriously considering dropping out of college, clubs and bottles and Cirque du Soleil," followed by big losses, recovery, and a head-on collision with the Black Friday gambling crackdown of 2011. He still plays today, though new regulations and gambling fatigue have pushed him toward new things.

We asked Seidman, a college friend, to share some of his experiences over email.

The beginning:

I started playing recreationally with my friends in high school.  I was the worst player at the table, and it frustrated me.  In 2005 I read an article in Sports Illustrated about some Ivy League students (Jason Strasser & Vanessa Selbst among a couple of others) who were making boatloads playing online poker and who were practicing at a website called TwoPlusTwo Publishing.  So, I visited twoplustwo and quickly became immersed in learning the game. 

Making money:

Over the course of a few years I went from playing in $25 games to playing in $5,000 games. I realized somewhat gradually how much money I could win. Each time I moved up in stakes I was ecstatic about winning that amount, but I didn't really project into the future (i.e. "I'll be making a million dollars in 3 years at this pace!" never really happened). Instead, it happened in jumps. Summer 2007 I went on the first rush where I made more than $10,000. Spring of 2008 was when things got really insane and I started winning 40k+ per month. Basically, as I moved up in stakes I became more and more numb to the fact that the money was significant. I knew intuitively that when I won or lost 20k that that was the equivalent of a pretty good car, but I never processed it emotionally or thought about the money as anything other than a way to keep score of the game.

High times:

In 2008 I couldn't lose a hand and experienced a surreal lifestyle — traveling all over the world, skipping class, seriously considering dropping out of college, clubs and bottles and Cirque du Soleil.

One time, I was feeling claustrophobic in Hanover (it was one of the worst winters ever that year) and I impromptu bought a ticket to go to the Caribbean (and skip the last 2-3 weeks of classes; all of my finals were essays and I realized I could complete them from the beach).  So, I went to Boston Logan Airport and played poker on my laptop while waiting to board.  I made probably about $5,000. So, I thought to myself, "Trip's paid for."  Then, I landed in Grand Cayman and played another pro online and booked what looked like my biggest all-time win; he quit playing me at around 5AM and I was up around $40,000.  Then, as I was about to go to sleep, a famous weaker player sat to play me for $10,000.  I got pretty unlucky and lost the $40,000 right back to that guy, then I went to sleep.  

Another time, I met up with a poker player in Boston as I was in transit en route to Costa Rica.  We hung out for the night (I had a 4AM flight the next morning).  He offered to drive me to the airport.  While on the road, he said, "Costa Rica sounds pretty cool.  I wish I could go," to which I responded, "Do you want to come?"  Suddenly we U-turned, went back to his apartment, he packed specifically one (1) t-shirt, one (1) board shorts, one (1) laptop, bought an $800 ticket leaving at 5:30AM that morning, and we went back to the airport. When I left him to go through security, he was lying down resting his head on his bag in the terminal. I arrived in Costa Rica to a voicemail from him saying that he'd slept through his flight and that he probably wasn't going to make it after all.  

There are lots of stories like that; one guy I know played blackjack for $100,000 for his 20th birthday (he had to use a proxy player since they wouldn't let a 20 year old play); another friend asked me while I was at a club if I wanted to play blackjack and showed me 90k in chips (I declined, a great regret to this day).  Another guy bought a brand-new Lexus with duffel bags filled with cash.  We played credit-card-roulette for unbelievably expensive meals, paid in cash and never worried about it.  I could honestly tell these stories indefinitely (I have begun working on a book that is actually a compilation of all of these insane experiences).

Low times:

In 2009 I had a massive losing streak and seriously considered quitting poker.

Primarily my own ego took control of my decision making processes.  I started playing against some very good players in games where I was probably a losing player; I got extremely unlucky for a long period of time; I published my book and had been creating lots of poker videos online so it's also possible my opposition was learning a lot about how I was playing.  Also, the quality of opposition was improving rapidly and I'd become less focused on improving my game while I was comfortably winning the previous year.

 I took a lot of time off in 2010 before rebounding at the end of year and starting to make a lot of money again.

Black Friday:

On the Black Friday legal shutdown [April 15th, 2011] altogether I lost about $65k, though about $20k of that has been reclaimed.

Quick cliffnotes on Black Friday:

1) In 2007 the Congress passed the UIGEA which made it illegal for banks to process transactions related to illegal gambling (it was unclear whether or not poker constituted illegal gambling under the law).  

2) Behind the scenes, banks started refusing to process poker transactions for fear of prosecution.  So, the sites couldn't get money online.  So, they started lying to the banks: "We're not a poker site, we're a golf supplies store!  That $100k is for golf supplies."

3) Despite the lying, the noose was still tightening.  Of the three major US-facing sites — PokerStars (PS), Full Tilt Poker (FTP), and Ultimate Bet/Absolute Poker (UB/AP) — ONLY PokerStars [did not allegedly mix player funds with corporate funds].  So, despite the fact that FTP and UB/AP couldn't move money, they [allegedly] continued to use player funds for business expenses (read: executive salaries). [While FTP has admitted wrongdoing, UB/AP litigation is ongoing.]

4) When players tried to deposit money onto FTP, most banks wouldn't let the deposits go through.  However, FTP granted these players "real money" deposits under the expectation that they'd later be able to reclaim the funds.  They never were able; these became "phantom deposits" and were a primary reason why FTP ended up $330m in debt. 

5)  FTP executives are on record instructing their customer service representatives to lie to customers and tell them that everything was fine and that their money was safe.

6)  PokerStars was the only [company that] repaid their customers immediately (I had only about $5k on PS).  In their settlement with the DOJ, they bought FTP assets for an additional couple hundred million with the extra money expected to be returned to the players.  PS was in charge of non-US players repayment; the DOJ was in charge of US players repayment.  Non-US players received their money shortly after the deal (I received $16k or so as a recently relocated "Canadian" player); US players are still waiting for a remissions process that is supposed to begin this September.  In theory, we'll be allowed to apply to get funds from the DOJ.

So yeah, I feel pretty strongly that our money was stolen by FTP and UB/AP.

The new era:

Online poker in the USA (outside of Nevada & New Jersey who have legalized and regulated it) has essentially been pushed to the shadows.  There are a few active online poker networks still operational stateside, but they are small and under constant fear of federal prosecution.  So, basically every serious player has either opted to play poker live at the casino, or, as in the apparent majority of cases, leave the country (generally to Canada or Mexico).  I only play online poker when I leave the USA (in fact, I have earning potential outside the USA such that it's probably a mistake to stay here).  I occasionally play live poker, but in general, federal action has caused me to move away from poker and search for other non-poker opportunities.

He can still make money:

It depends on the stakes I'd be playing and the hours I'd be playing.  I imagine that at a $5/10 game (usually buy-ins running between $1000-$4000) a good regular in Las Vegas could make $100/hour; online a good 5/10 player could make $300/hour; 10/20 players may make $500/hour, etc. etc.  Those are extremely rough approximations, though.

Again, there is always significant risk though it's mitigated by skill advantages and bankroll considerations.  If I was a favorite in a game and had an unlimited bankroll I could play forever and withstand any variance.  However, it doesn't usually work that way.  Usually people play with 20-40 times the buyin, well within a risk-of-ruin scenario in which a person could just get crushed by luck and bust out.  Also, sample size matters. Can I go to Vegas and be assured of a winning weekend?  No.  Can I move to Vegas and be assured of a winning year?  Probably.  

 Throughout this whole experience (from when I first started making real money around 2007 to present) I've done poker instructional videos, 1-on-1 poker coaching, and written and sold books.

Here's how:

There are a lot of elements of playing poker well — first, you have to psychologically profile your opponent (everyone fits into one of three general profiles); second, you have to understand basic probabilities (e.g. if I have two pair and my opponent has a flush draw, I win 65% vs his 35% and these are relatively easy to memorize); third, you have to predict your opponents likely holdings (this is called a range; a range is all possible hands your opponent might play in exactly the same way. To explain slightly further, you can imagine that your opponent would definitely raise with pocket aces, and they'd also definitely raise with pocket kings, which means that those two hands are played exactly the same way--therefore, that player's "range" would definitely include both AA and KK when he raises). Once you know roughly who somebody is, what they're likely to be holding, how often your hand wins against what they're likely to be holding, and what they're likely to do with what they're holding, you can start to make predictions and exploit your opponents' likely behaviors. In rock-paper-scissors, you may guess that your opponent is going to throw "scissors" so you'd throw "rock"; you'd be following essentially the exact same process.

Good poker players go through all of that process and are really mentally engaged trying to determine those things. Weaker players really don't do any of that and make purely emotional decisions (conservative players never really bluff, crazy gamblers basically always bluff, etc.).

In general, there are strategic breakthroughs and emotional ones.  The strategic ones are complicated; the emotional ones come with personal development.  I remember exactly where I was the first time I lost $50 (I was working at the News Desk at Dartmouth's Baker Library as a freshman), but I have no idea where I was the first time I lost $5000.  Getting over the money is a huge part of breaking through as a poker player.

Why not play poker full-time?

Two reasons: first, I love living in the USA and I don't really want to live the Las Vegas lifestyle full-time. Secondly, I've been playing poker for a really long time and I'm generally more interested in entrepreneurship and developing new businesses. I've been working on a couple of different businesses (non-poker related). Also, while poker is still pretty entertaining and is a great hourly, there isn't a ton of room for growth (there are a lot of very smart people competing for the highest stakes at this point). However, if online poker returned in full force to the United States I'd probably resume playing at least 15-20 hours per week.

SEE ALSO: 13 poker concepts that every investor needs to know

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The 10 Best Cheese Shops In New York City

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Barnyard Cheese

There are few things in this world better than cheese, and New Yorkers are pretty discerning when it comes to their favorite fromage.

Our friends at Yelp helped us put together a list of the best cheese shops in New York. The winner, Murray's Cheese, was so lauded by customers that Yelpers actually voted both shop locations in the top 10.

From a "stinky" cheese shop in Brooklyn to an East Village gem that delivers, here are the 10 best in New York.

#10 East Village Cheese

40 Third Avenue
East Village 

Customers note how amazing the sales and specials are at EVC, but just the quality and value of the cheeses in general are worth a trip downtown to this place.

A one-stop shop before a dinner party,” Yelp user Melissabeth K. says. “I especially love the goat cheese feta, dirt cheap wheels of brie, and imported pastas.”

Note: Yelp's search results are based on an algorithm that is designed to provide the best results based on a number of different factors including review text, ratings, and number of reviews. Because several factors are taken into account, this is why you may see a 3.5-star restaurant with 500 reviews showing above a 4-star one with 15 reviews.



#9 Buonitalia

75 Ninth Avenue
Chelsea/Meatpacking District

Buonitalia is easy to find when you walk into Chelsea Market. You can shop all things Italian by type of food—including a vast expanse of cheeses—or by region of Italy.

This is mine and my husband’s favorite Italian store this side of Manhattan,” Jaimee A. writes. “They have Vacche Rosse parmigiana reggiano—the ultimate cheese experience.”

Note: Yelp's search results are based on an algorithm that is designed to provide the best results based on a number of different factors including review text, ratings, and number of reviews. Because several factors are taken into account, this is why you may see a 3.5-star restaurant with 500 reviews showing above a 4-star one with 15 reviews.



#8 Vintner Wine Market

671 Ninth Avenue
Hell's Kitchen/Midtown West/Theater District

Sure it’s a wine market, but what’s wine without cheese? Order up a number of artisanal or reserve cheeses that perfectly complement all their wines from the sweet to the dry.

Amazing,” says Cynthia D. “ I'm not a big fan of cheese but I now have a newfound respect thanks to Vinter.”

Note: Yelp's search results are based on an algorithm that is designed to provide the best results based on a number of different factors including review text, ratings, and number of reviews. Because several factors are taken into account, this is why you may see a 3.5-star restaurant with 500 reviews showing above a 4-star one with 15 reviews.



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These Are The World's 12 Ugliest Animals

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Pig nosed turtle (Carettochelys insculpta)

Not all animals are cute and fuzzy. Some are downright ugly, but they deserve love too. To that end, the Ugly Animal Preservation Society is looking to the public to help it pick a new mascot. Here are the 12 contenders. 

They have teamed with the National Science + Engineering Competition and comedians like Stephen Fry and Simon Pegg to find the ugliest creature on Earth. The celebrity presenters have made campaign videos for their ugly animals of choice, which you can see on YouTube.

The Society aims to convince you that these "ugly" animals are just as important to our ecosystems as the cute and cuddly ones. They even have their own type of charm.

The winners will be announced on September 12, so vote now by liking the ugliest animal's film on YouTube.

This ugly glob of life is called the blobfish, which is actually well suited to its environment up to 4,000 feet below the surface of the ocean. Its jelly body keeps it floating in the high-pressure waters.

(Vote now)



The proboscis monkey is known for its nasty nose. It uses the appendage to increase the volume of its mating calls — necessary when living with such an ugly face. It lives in Borneo.

(Vote now)



The long nose on the pig-nosed turtle is used as a snorkel so it can hide under water. It's actually the only surviving member of an ancient family of turtles. It lives in Australia and New Guinea.

(Vote now)



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Here's Where You Can Get Free Pizza On National Cheese Pizza Day

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Pizza sliceSavvy drinkers have long known that certain bars across the U.S. give away free pizza with a drink purchase.

That's right — free pizza.

So in honor of National Cheese Pizza Day, we're listing some of the best deals in the country to help you celebrate.

Happy eating!

Did we miss one? Let us know in the comments.

New York City

  • Crocodile Lounge, 325 E 14th St. (free personal pizza with every drink purchase)
  • Lulu's, 113 Franklin Ave., Brooklyn (free personal pizza with every drink purchase)
  • Charleston, 174 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn (free personal pizza with every drink between 12 and 8 p.m.)

Chicago

  • Crocodile, 1540 N. Milwaukee Ave. (free pizza with any beverage)

Los Angeles

DON'T MISS: The 10 Best Pizza Joints In The US

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If World #1 Magnus Carlsen Gets Bored Of Chess, He'll Try To Master Something Else

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magnus carlsen

Magnus Carlsen is the highest-rated chess player in history, and he's only 22 years old.

As with all young prodigies, especially chess players, there's a question hanging over "the Mozart of Chess" of whether he will burn out.

In his case, it doesn't seem likely, thanks to the Norwegian's apparently laid-back attitude and balanced lifestyle, including modeling, sponsorships, and chess coaching.

Still, he acknowledged the possibility when we interviewed him last year in New York.

"For me, it’s about playing as long as I’m motivated, as long as it’s fun, as long as it’s interesting. And as long as that happens, I’m going to continue playing. Whether that’s till I’m 30, till I’m 40, or 50 I don’t know. But as long as I feel I have something to give, as long as it’s fun, I’ll keep on going," Carlsen said.

What would he do if he quit?

"I would probably start by studying something that interests me. But I don’t know what ... Maybe if I didn’t have the talent in chess, I’d find the talent in something else," he said.

Whatever he ends up doing, he's going to devote himself to mastering it. With that attitude, it no wonder that he's so successful.

In November, Carlsen will take on Viswanathan Anand for the World Chess Championship, the one title that has eluded him so far. He seems excited.

"It has been a while since I went into a game with losing as an option," Carlsen told The Times of India last month.

DON'T MISS: 27 tips for mastering your destiny

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12 Famous Quotes That People Always Get Wrong

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shakespeare

Wordsmiths like Shakespeare and Robert Frost loved their sarcasm. But when you take comments like that out of context, they can mean the exact opposite of the author's intention.

That hasn't stopped us from spouting famous lines, many from classic literature, however we see fit.

We created a list of some frequently used quotes that people just don't understand. Some came from this Quora post. Others, we added from bits and pieces of our high school lit classes.

1. "I took the road less traveled." In Robert Frost's culturally omnipresent poem, "The Road Not Taken," he tries to decide which of two paths he should take. He looks down one but chooses the second, "just as fair" and "worn really about the same."

If you read the entire poem, the last stanza regales how he'll say "with a sigh" that his decision "made all the difference."

In reality, Frost arbitrarily chose his path, which didn't matter in the long run. He just wants to hide his pessimism.

Of course everyone today uses the quote as evidence of "forging your own path," "going your own way" and all those other tautologies about fate and individualism.

2. "Money is the root of all evil." Not really. The love of money is the root of all evil, according to Timothy 6:10 from the King James Bible. 

3."Nice guys finish last." Nice guys actually finish seventh. Leo Durocher, nicknamed Leo the Lip, served as the field manager for the Brooklyn Dodgers during the height of the Giants-Dodgers rivalry. He made some comment about Mel Ott, right-fielder for the Giants, being too nice, which made the team finish in seventh place. "Baseball Digest" later reprinted the column in which his quote appeared but changed "seventh" to "last place," according to Freakonomics blog.

Leo's misquoted words soon became a credo for over-aggressive coaches and guys with no romantic game everywhere.

4. Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo? In most high school adaptations of Shakespeare's well-known play, Juliet raises a hand to her furrowed brow, searching for her lover from a balcony. But "wherefore art" doesn't mean "where." It means "why." Juliet questions why fate made Romeo a Montague, her family's sworn enemy.

5. “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Most attribute this insight to Voltaire. In reality, Evelyn Beatrice Hall, a writer born two hundred years later, paraphrased a quote from Voltaire's "Treatise on Tolerance," which begged for understanding between religions.

Still, some report the original reads, "Think for yourselves and let other enjoy the privilege to do so too." But those words never appear in Voltaire's essay either.

6. "Love makes the world go 'round." The Duchess, a hideous character in Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland," makes this comment in passing right after she advocates beating her baby for sneezing. In context, the author meant the sweet quip sarcastically. But that didn't stop Ashlee Simpson from making a terrible song. 

7. "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em." In Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," Maria writes a letter to Malvolio, trying to convince him that another character, Olivia, loves him — dramatic, right? Maria uses the quote to appeal to Malvolio's ego, that Olivia (the false author) cannot deny his greatness. Thanks, Sparknotes.

8. "Oh East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet.” Talking heads in foreign policy sometimes use this quote as evidence that opposite sides of the globe will never see eye-to-eye. But if they read just a little farther in Rudyard Kipling's ballad, the next lines read, "But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth/When two strong men stand face to face, tho' they come from the ends of the earth."

Essentially, world colonization will happen regardless of geo-political borders, and we should all just get along.

9. "The Devil is in the details." Lazy people somehow bastardized a brilliant German architect's words to mean the exact opposite. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe really said, "God is in the details." He's also credited with another famous aphorism: "Less is more." 

10. "Good fences make good neighbors." Once again, Bobby Frost wrote a widely misunderstood poem. In "Mending Wall," a fence separates two neighbors' yards. Every spring, they collaborate and fix it. But in the process, they disagree on whether they need a barrier at all. Frost makes the last line of the poem ironic. These two curmudgeons simply keep their fence out of tradition, even though it means more work for them.

11. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" More than one slick love letter has included this phrase. But arguably Shakespeare's most famous sonnet praised a man, not a woman. He actually wrote hundreds of sonnets about this guy, his dearest friend.

12. "Blood is thicker than water." This gets uttered around awkward family photos on the mantel of nearly every home in the country. The original phrase, however, meant the opposite. An earlier proverb preached, "The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb." In this case, "water of the womb" refers to family while "blood of the covenant" means blood shed by soldiers. So really, military bonds trump your siblings and parents.

SEE ALSO: 18 Obsolete Words That Should Have Never Gone Out Of Style

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The Lewis Model Explains Every Culture In The World

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A world traveler who speaks ten languages, British linguist Richard Lewis decided he was qualified to plot the world's cultures on a chart.

Many people think he nailed it, as his book "When Cultures Collide," now in its third edition, has sold more than one million copies since it was first published in 1996 and was called "an authoritative roadmap to navigating the world's economy," by the Wall Street Journal.

Lewis plots countries in relation to three categories:

Linear-actives — those who plan, schedule, organize, pursue action chains, do one thing at a time. Germans and Swiss are in this group.

Multi-actives — those lively, loquacious peoples who do many things at once, planning their priorities not according to a time schedule, but according to the relative thrill or importance that each appointment brings with it. Italians, Latin Americans and Arabs are members of this group.

Reactives — those cultures that prioritize courtesy and respect, listening quietly and calmly to their interlocutors and reacting carefully to the other side's proposals. Chinese, Japanese and Finns are in this group.

He says that this categorization of national norms does not change significantly over time:

The behavior of people of different cultures is not something willy-nilly. There exist clear trends, sequences and traditions. Reactions of Americans, Europeans, and Asians alike can be forecasted, usually justified and in the majority of cases managed. Even in countries where political and economic change is currently rapid or sweeping (Russia, China, Hungary, Poland, Korea, Malaysia, etc.) deeply rooted attitudes and beliefs will resist a sudden transformation of values when pressured by reformists, governments or multinational conglomerates. 

Here's the chart that explains the world:

richard lewis model

Some more details on the categories:

lewis model

The point of all of this analysis is to understand how to interact with people from different cultures, a subject in which Richard Lewis Communications provides coaching and consultation.

"By focusing on the cultural roots of national behavior, both in society and business, we can foresee and calculate with a surprising degree of accuracy how others will react to our plans for them, and we can make certain assumptions as to how they will approach us," Lewis writes. 

SEE ALSO: The weirdest things about Americans, according to an Indian international student

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These Rare And Gorgeous Photos Of Kate Moss Are Up For Auction In London

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Kate Moss Christie's auction

Forget newcomers Cara Delevingne and Kate Upton— Kate Moss is still the world's most famous supermodel.

The 5'7'' British beauty has been photographed by a bevvy of talented photographers, dated her fair share of rockstars, and even married The Kills guitarist Jamie Hince in 2011.

Through it all, the gorgeous party girl hasn't seemed to age a day.

Now, Christie's is auctioning some of the most iconic photographs of Moss, as well as paintings and sculptures inspired by fashion's favorite muse.

With the blessing of Moss herself, there are over 58 different works for sale at the upcoming Christie's auction in London on September 25.

The entire collection could be worth between $2.145 million and almost $3.25 million, according to Christie's estimates. One of the paintings by Allen Jones called "Kate in Red" could be worth $389,000 alone.

This image of Kate Moss on a bike for the December 1995 issue of Italian Vogue could sell for $31,120 to $46,680.

Source: Christie's



Inspired by erotic Polaroids by Carlo Mollino, this Stella McCartney 2003 campaign shot could be worth more than $30,000.

Source: Christie's



Vintage Kate on a couch in the December 1995 issue of Italian Vogue could reach upwards of $46,000.

Source: Christie's



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Architect Behind London's 'Fryscraper' Blames Outside Consultants For Building's Car-Melting Deathray

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walkie scorchie fryscraper london on fenchurch street

Rafael Viñoly, the architect who designed the  skyscraper currently frying eggs and melting cars on a London street, says the building's glitch is not his fault.

Architecture magazine BDOnline's Andrea Klettner reports that Viñoly is instead blaming an army of consultants that he says have invaded the architecture profession, needlessly complicating the design process:

One of the problems that happens in this town [London] is the superabundance of consultants and sub consultants that dilute the responsibility of the designers until you don’t know where you are.

...

Architects aren’t architects anymore...You need consultants for everything. In this country there’s a specialist to tell you if something reflects. It’s the fault of the architectural discipline which has cast itself into a completely secondary thing.

He also said the design flaw had in fact been spotted, by that the extent of the effect was underestimated:

...the calculations said it was only going to be 36 degrees, but in fact it’s 72”.

It's not clear whether Viñoly addressed the fact that he already designed a fryscraper in Las Vegas four years ago.

In the meantime, the London structure's developers say they are erecting temporary scaffolding to shield pedestrians from the glare. 

SEE ALSO: The Other Famous Architect Who Accidentally Erected A Fryscraper

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China's Inspirational 'Basketball Girl' Gets New Legs

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This is Qian Hongyan, an 18-year-old girl who lives in China. She may seem like your average teenager, but she has a pretty unique backstory.

Qian Hongyan China

Qian lost both her legs in a car accident in 2000 when she was just four years old. Growing up in rural Luliang county, southwestern China's Yunnan province, her family had to improvise.

Qian Hongyan China

These pictures, taken in 2005 when Qian was just ten, show how. Qian learned to walk on her hands, using a basketball cut in half to steady herself. According to Xinhua news agency, she was dubbed "basketball girl" by locals.

Qian Hongyan China

In 2005, after attention in the Chinese press, Qian traveled to Beijing to receive free artificial limbs at the China Rehabilitation Research Center, a center that has been providing help to the disabled in China for over 20 years. This photo, from 2007, shows her receiving a larger set of limbs after she had grown.

Qian Hongyan China

Xinhua reports that Qian was born to an impoverished family, and that she had to accept that when her medical treatment ended in 2007, she would not be able to continue her education with her peers. She was 11-years-old.

Qian Hongyan China

However, Qian found other opportunities. She joined a local swimming club for the disabled, the first of its kind in the country, sponsored by the Yunnan Provincial Federation of the Disabled.

At first, she found it difficult.

"I had to give much more than other kids when I learned to swim," Qian told China Daily in 2011. "It seemed there was no way I could float in the water. I was choked."

Qian Hongyan China

However, she went on to become a successful athlete, training for four hours every day. She hopes to one day win medals for her country in the Paralympic Games.

Qian Hongyan China

This week, she returned to the China Rehabilitation Research Center in Beijing. Now 18 years old, she is ready for her adult prosthetics.

Qian Hongyan China

Qian Hongyan, the so-called "basketball girl," has become something of a celebrity in China. Reports on the progress of her artificial limbs make national news. Her fame has even spread abroad, with photographs of her becoming viral sensations on Facebook.

Her success may mark the changing fortunes of China's disabled. "In the past," Her coach, Li Ke-qiang, told the BBC in 2008, "people despised the disabled. They thought they were all beggars, just asking for money."

"But now, when they see disabled swimmers like these, they can see how hard they're driving themselves. And that's a start."

Qian Hongyan China

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A Poll Asked People In 24 Different Countries To Pick The Best City In The World

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new york tourists statue of libertyIpsos, a market research organization, recently conducted a poll to find The World's Favorite City.

The company polled more than 18,000 people in 24 countries to find out the best cities to do business in, live in, and visit.

Ipsos then tallied the responses to determine which global cities ranked the highest across all three categories.

The overall winner this year was New York, followed by London, Paris, Abu Dhabi, and Sydney. Zurich was named the world's best city to live, while New York was voted the top city for business. Paris was the best city to visit, Ipsos found. 

The most interesting part of the Ipsos study, however, was that it looked at what individual countries thought were the best cities. Some countries had a lot of national pride — Japan, for instance, ranked Tokyo as number one in all three categories.

On the other hand, Madrid failed to even make the top 10 list in Spain. The Spanish public was much more eager to live in either Stockholm, Zurich, or Berlin.

Check out the full list of each country's favorite overall city below, and explore the entire interactive study here.

  • Argentina's favorite city is New York

  • Australia loves its native Sydney

  • Belgium rated New York as its favorite city

  • Brazil chose New York as the best, too

  • Canada hearts Toronto

  • China thinks Hong Kong is the greatest city

  • France loves Paris

  • Germany chose Berlin as its favorite city

  • Great Britain thinks New York is the best world city

  • Hungary rated Zurich the highest

  • India's favorite city is Singapore

  • Italy rated New York as its favorite city

  • Japan really, really loves Tokyo

  • Mexico chose Paris as its favorite city

  • Poland also chose Paris as the best

  • Russia picked Paris, too

  • Saudi Arabia loves Abu Dhabi

  • South Africa's favorite world city is New York

  • South Korea is very proud of Seoul

  • Spain voted New York as the best city

  • Sweden also chose New York

  • Turkey loves its Istanbul

  • And the United States hearts New York

SEE ALSO: The 10 Most Expensive Cities In The World

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Gorgeous Aerial Photos Show Paris Like You've Never Seen It Before

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Sacre Couer in Paris

When you're on the ground, Paris's monuments sparkle in their classic glory, but even from above, these sites still awe.

Take a tour of Paris's best attractions from a view you probably haven't seen before: the air.

The 12 streets radiating out from the Arc de Triomphe on the Place Charles de Gaulle look a whole lot more peaceful from above. (Try crossing them on foot and you take your life into your own hands.)



Even from above, it's clear that the Hotel des Invalides is a fittingly grand setting for Napoleon's tomb.



The line for the Louvre wraps around the iconic pyramid, which marks the entrance to the famed art museum.



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