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Here's How Far In Advance You Should Book A Flight

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The airfare shopping site CheapAir.com monitored more than 4 million fares in 2013 to answer the age-old question: How far in advance should you book your plane ticket?

For the average domestic flight, booking 54 days in advance will offer the cheapest fare.

But CheapAir's CEO Jeff Klee told Business Insider that travelers should worry more about a window of time than an exact number of days. When the site studied the cost of a flight everywhere from 320 days to one day before departure, it found the prime window for purchasing a ticket sits between 29 and 104 days before takeoff. CheapAir 2013 Domestic Flights

"You should monitor prices actively in that period to get a sense of the market," Klee said. "When you see a good fare, grab it that day."

If the airfare drops even further in that prime window, CheapAir maintains a policy to refund travelers up to $100. He said airlines have designated between 15 and 20 different fares for the same seat on a flight, based on a variety of factors. 

"The single biggest factor in a price increase is how full a flight is. You should also consider how many flights travel the route you're looking for," Klee added. "People are surprised how little mileage has to do with the calculation of airfare."

"The worst thing is to book a ticket too late, but the next worst thing is to book too early when multiple routes have yet to be planned, and you have fewer options to fly somewhere," he said.

At some points in the year, flying from Los Angeles to San Francisco costs more than flying from Los Angeles to London because fewer flights are offered on the first route. The fewer available options to fly to a certain place, the more expensive it will be to take that flight. Also, the fuller a plane gets, the more expensive the seats will become, Klee said. 

For international flights, you'll want to purchase tickets even farther in advance. Travelers going to Africa should book the earliest, at 166 days in advance, while those heading to the South Pacific can book much closer to their departure, at an average of 70 days in advance.

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SEE ALSO: Airline Employee Explains How Fares Are Really Decided

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25 Books That Will Blow Your Mind

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JK Rowling Reading Harry Potter

Sometimes a book is so good, it not only sticks with you long after you put it down, but it alters the way you view the world going forward.

On a recent Reddit thread, readers commented on this very phenomenon.

Asked about the most mind-blowing books they'd ever read, users brought up dystopian novels like "1984" and "The Handmaid's Tale." But books that engender hope for the human spirit like "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "The Kite Runner" also made the list. 

Here are 25 of the most gripping books based on Reddit responses. 

"The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry" by Jon Ronson

Jon Ronson's "Psychopath Test" digs into the history of of psychopathy diagnosis and treatments, including drug-fueled therapy sessions in prison and attempts to understand serial killers.

An influential psychologist shares his theory with Ronson that many important business leaders and politicians are actually high-functioning psychopaths, which leads the author to turn the tables on the readers and make them question their own mental health. 

While the style of the book garnered praise, it got mixed reviews for its lack of scientific depth. The Society for the Scientific Study of Psychopathy made a statement saying some interviews in the book appeared exaggerated or fictionalized. 

Buy the book here >

Submitted by Reddit user Anitsisqua.



"1984" by George Orwell

George Orwell predicts a totalitarian future in "1984." Big Brother originated in this dystopian novel with ever-present government security and Thought Police, who prosecute citizens for subversive thoughts. 

It follows Winston Smith through Airstrip One, formerly Great Britain. He engages in an intellectual rebellion against the Party, and undergoes torture and attempted re-education. The book critiques nationalism, censorship and surveillance. It also makes much of regulating language in order to regulate behavior.  

Buy the book here >

Submitted by Reddit user NewbornMuse.



"Cat's Cradle" by Kurt Vonnegut

"Cat's Cradle" is a book about writing. It follows John on his mission to write a book about the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. But quickly, the tale turns into a high-stakes adventure that revolves around stealing, selling and bartering a newly discovered isotope.

Vonnegut said he was inspired to write the book after working as a PR representative for General Electric, where he met scientists who were indifferent to the consequences of their discoveries.  

Buy the book here >

Submitted by Reddit user kelvinkkc.



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Business Insider Is Hiring A Graphic Designer For BI Studios

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happy excited jumping

We’re looking for a highly motivated full-time Graphic Designer to join the BI Studios group, which which works with marketers on custom components of their advertising campaigns. The designer will concept, build, and execute advertising creative, landing pages, website graphics, galleries, and infographics as part of branded content and native advertising programs.

The designer will also work with the sales development team to assist with the development of sales collateral. The designer will be the primary creative contact for all branded content campaigns and will work closely with the Studios team, sales development, ad operations, content producers, and product development.

We are looking for an individual who’s passionate about the creative process and is capable of handling the entire creative process, including ideation, development and revisions. And you'll ensure that you maintain client and BI branding as appropriate.

You'll have at least 5 years of graphic and web design. Experience working across multiple devices (web, mobile, and tablet) is key.

Now for all the mad skills we know you have:

  • Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign skills (Adobe CS6)
  • Some programming experience (HTML5, flash, CSS, Javascript)
  • Some video/animation and proficiency in photo editing
  • Familiarity with digital advertising standards
  • Rich media experience a plus (agency or publisher side)
  • Some experience with project management tools

This position is based in our New York City office. To apply, email studiojobs@businessinsider.com with a link to your portfolio and the reasons you'd be perfect for this job. Thanks in advance for your interest.

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A City In The Philippines Is Officially The Selfie Capital Of The World

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A selfie capital of the world has officially been named.  

After extensive analysis by TIME, Makati City, a part of the Manila metropolitan area that's generally known as the financial center of Manila, ended up on top. 

To compile the rankings, TIME created a database of more than 400,000 Instagram photos that were tagged with the hashtag "#selfie" and included geographic coordinates. 459 worldwide cities were ranked according to how many selfies were taken there between Jan. 28 and Feb. 2 or between March 3 and 7. 

Makati City and Pasig, another part of Manila,  had 258 selfie-takers per 100,000 people, according to TIME's analysis.  New York City — including Manhattan, Queens, northern Brooklyn, and the southern part of the Bronx — came in second with 202 selfie-takers. Miami, Anaheim and Santa Ana, and Petaling Jaya in Malysia rounded out the top five. 

Here are some selfies from the Makati City, the newly crowned selfie capital of the world.  

Here's the top 10 cities for selfies:

 1. Makati City and Pasig, Philippines

2. New York City

3. Miami

4. Anaheim and Santa Ana, Calif. 

5. Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

6. Tel Aviv, Israel

7. Manchester, England

8. Milan, Italy

9. Cebu City, Philippines

10. George Town, Malaysia

Head on over to TIME for the top 100 »


SEE ALSO: We Ranked YouTube's Biggest Stars By How Much Money They Make

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Here's What It's Like To Dine At The Most Remarkable Restaurant In Las Vegas

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joel robuchon las vegas

As far as foodie towns go, Las Vegas is near the top of the list. Nearly every major chef, from Nobu to Guy Savoy, has an outpost there.

But Joël Robuchon's restaurant in the Mansion at MGM Grand (the resort's exclusive boutique property), is undoubtedly the city's best restaurant. Run by executive chef Claude Le Tohic and pastry chef Salvatore Martone, it's the only one to have earned three Michelin stars, and is ranked #1 by Zagat.

As a reporter who often writes about food and restaurants, I've long heard tales of "chef of the century" Robuchon.

The French chef made a name for himself at Paris' Jamin, regarded as one of the best restaurants in history. Jamin showcased Robuchon's fresh take on fine dining for 15 years, earning ample praise and three Michelin stars. Andy Hayler, the man who has eaten at every Michelin three-starred restaurant, even said, "I've not had better food than the food at Jamin."

After retiring from Jamin, Robuchon helped his protégées open a series of restaurants bearing his name (he has also mentored celebrity chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and Eric Ripert).

Now with 22 locations in eight countries around the world — and more on the way — Robuchon travels from city to city, updating the menus alongside his executive chefs with seasonal, fresh ingredients.

I was lucky enough to try Robuchon's famed restaurant, where the tasting menu costs $425 per person, on a recent trip to Las Vegas. I knew the food would obviously be spectacular: Robuchon and his team are famous for accentuating only two or three ingredients, making the food intensely flavorful.

Yet even with these high expectations, I was still blown away.

Disclosure: Our trip to Las Vegas, including travel, food, and lodging expenses, was sponsored by MGM Resorts International.

Located far away from the gaming and sounds of the casino, Joël Robuchon's Las Vegas restaurant looks like a Parisian townhouse nestled into the swanky Mansion at MGM Grand.



After being greeted at the host stand, guests will pass the Joël Robuchon bar on their left.



Red velvet curtains and plush seating make the lounge look comfortable and inviting.



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Yelp's Best Reviewer Is Chronicling His Love Life Through His Posts And It's Completely Compelling

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Chase Compton

In December 2013, Chase Compton wrote his first Yelp review about Cafe Mogador in New York City's East Village. 

His post includes the types of things you'd expect to read in an online restaurant review. He writes about the waitstaff (the waitress is the kind who "seems genuinely happy to bring you more hot sauce") and he describes his food (he got the halloumi eggs, za'atar pita, halloumi cheese, and roasted tomatoes). But that's where the similarities to a normal Yelp review stop.

His post isn't really about Mogador's brunch selection; it's about Compton's broken heart. 

For the last four months, Compton has been using Yelp to write a digital memoir, detailing the collapse of a relationship through the reviews of different bars and cafes that he visited with his ex. His posts are each several paragraphs long, written in a narrative voice, jam-packing his poetic musings alongside details about his Chinese food or pierogies. 

Compton, 31, and his boyfriend met on OKCupid and stayed together for about nine months before the relationship fell apart. Readers don't get every detail of what went wrong by reading Compton's intentionally vague posts, but Compton makes it clear that he was the one who got dumped. 

"The project has become a topographical map of my love story," Compton told Business Insider. "It’s like dropping a pin on a subway map of New York City."

Compton, who considers himself a "guerrilla blogger," chose to tell his story through Yelp because it was therapeutic, but also because he wanted to surprise people and catch them off guard.  

Since he started his elaborate reviewing, he's recieved an "overwhelming response," getting emails and messages from people who have stumbled upon them while looking, for example, for the best juice bar in Greenwich Village

People go to Yelp to find out whether the cafe on the corner has a good cheeseburger or whether the waitresses there are rude, Compton says. "And yet I have people writing me saying, ‘You’ve changed my day completely.'"

He wants readers to find beauty in a place where they'd least expect it. By exploring the slow healing of a broken heart, Compton is tackling a topic that most people can relate to. He wants to entertain, but also provide a glimmer of hope to anyone else suffering from the same aches and pangs. 

On the one hand, Compton's reviews aren't that helpful because they don't provide too many specifics about the food he eats, and every place he's reviewed has earned five stars ("It’s not the French Roast’s fault that I got dumped on Thanksgiving and ended up there," he says).

On the other hand, he's one of the best reviewers on Yelp. His posts provide an atmospheric element that you don't see in other reviews. They tell stories. Each establishment he writes about becomes imbued with an emotion that makes visiting more meaningful for his readers. 

So far, Yelp hasn't contacted Compton, and he admits he's a little nervous about what the company would say.  

"My  intention was to be kind of like a literary Banksy," he says. "And I don't want to lose this. I’d be crushed if Yelp were to find out and not like what I was doing and shut me down." 

Business Insider reached out to Yelp for comment and, far from shutting down his project, a Yelp representative suggested that he nominate himself for its Elite Squad of reviewers. 

You can read all of Chase Compton's 18 reviews here

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The Simple Science Behind Weight Loss

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There are thousands of diet plans out there with lots of different approaches to achieving the same goal: trim the fat.

With hundreds of thousands of people dying from obesity every year, the secrets behind weight loss are being probed at every corner. But are there universal truths about weight loss that we can all learn?

The answer is yes. There is an undeniable science behind the process of losing weight, and it all boils down to a simple equation.

ALSO WATCH: Here Are All The Awful Things That Happen To Your Body In Space

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Business Insider Is Hiring Summer Interns!

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Business Insider Office Photo 4

Business Insider is looking for paid interns to join our editorial team this summer!

As an intern at Business Insider, there's no getting coffee, filing, or making copies.

Our interns are an integral part of our team. Many of our current writers and editors started as interns.

BI Interns spend their time doing meaningful work: researching, writing, pitching and producing features -- even breaking news if the timing's right.

Interns are encouraged to work full-time (40 hours a week) if their schedule allows.

Other perks? We have tons of free snacks and drinks, a great office environment, and a ping-pong table where we hold quarterly tournaments.

When it comes to qualifications, a journalism background and experience writing for a news site always helps, as do copy-editing skills and light HTML and Photoshop experience. Knowledge of social media and previous writing experience are both useful, too.

Please send your resume and three journalism clips to internship@businessinsider.com. Please briefly describe which BI section(s) interest you most and why. (Don't know what our sections are? Check out the nav bar on the home page and our masthead.)

And, please note: this internship requires that you work in our Manhattan office. The internship term runs from May - September, with some flexibility on start and end dates.

Interested in a journalism internship but have never heard of Business Insider? Here's some reading on our company and where we're headed.

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Here's The Only Way To Get Your Passport Renewed In 24 Hours

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Realizing your passport has expired days or even hours before a flight can be costly, and it potentially can ruin your travel plans. 

Most people make the mistake of paying expeditors who charge up to $500.  The New York Passport Agency, with an average 4.5 star rating on Yelp, can turn your paperwork around in the same day for $170.

NOW WATCH: Prosthetic Legs, Surfboards And Other Strange Things People Leave On The Train

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This Map Shows The Most Educated States In America

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New data from comparison shopping platform FindTheBest shows the states with the highest percentage of college-educated residents. Unsurprisingly, the nation's capital ranked highest with approximately 50% of locals holding a four year degree.

As for an actual state, Massachusetts reigned supreme with close to 40% college grads -- no big surprise, considering it's home to a wealth of institutions, including Harvard, Tufts, Boston University, Boston College, UMass, and Northeastern.  FindTheBest used data from the U.S. Census Bureau to compile its ranking.

Here are the top 5 states by % of residents holding a four-year degree:

  1. Washington D.C. (50.5%)
  2. Massachusetts (38.7%)
  3. Colorado (36.3%)
  4. Maryland (36.1%)
  5. Connecticut (35.7%)
See all the states on this map:
map of most educated states

FindTheBest also provided us with a list of the five wealthiest states and — perhaps unsurprisingly again  four of the top five coincided with the education list, with New Jersey as the only outlier. The company compiled the data using its Neighborhoods comparison, which is also based on U.S. Census data. 

The top 5 states with households earning over $150k:

  1. Washington D.C. (20%)
  2. Maryland (17%)
  3. New Jersey (17%)
  4. Connecticut (16%)
  5. Massachusetts (15%)

As you can see, the wealth map is similar to the education map:wealthiest states

SEE ALSO: The 20 Most Powerful Harvard Graduates

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16 Amazing Pictures From The Storage Basement Of A Natural History Museum

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Austrian photographer Klaus Pichler insists he did not rearrange the stuffed animals, fossils, and models stored in the labyrinthine basement of Vienna’s Museum of Natural History, so apparently one of the curators has a sense of humor.

"It all started when I happened to catch a glimpse through a basement window of the museum one night and saw an office desk, computer, shelves and a stuffed antelope," Pichler wrote.

As captured in Pichler's series, "Skeletons in the Closet," the retired exhibits have a strange second life in the basement, with a stuffed fox snarling at a stuffed fawn, cavemen sitting on sofas, and more.

Below are some photos from the series (see more in his book): 

skeletons in the closet

skeletons in closet

skeletons in the closet

skeletons in the closetskeletons in the closetskeletons in the closetskeletons in the closetskeletons in the closetskeletons in the closetskeletons in the closetskeletons in the closetskeletons in the closetskeletons in the closetskeletons in the closetskeletons in the closet

skeletons in the closet

TO SEE MORE OF PICHLER'S WORK: Photographer Captures Intimate Moments Of Cosplayers In Their Homes

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Atlanta's Underground Sex Trade Is Booming

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Atlanta

Atlanta, Ga.'s underground commercial sex economy is unusually large, with a lucrative market for street prostitution, according to a new study on sex trafficking and sex work in U.S. cities.

Of 7 major cities profiled by The Urban Institute, only Atlanta and Seattle saw their illegal sex trade grow between 2003 and 2007. The study estimated Atlanta's market was $290 million by 2007, compared to just $103 million for Washington, D.C.

Since 2005, Atlanta's pimps have been pulling in an average of $33,000 a week, compared to about $12,000 a week in Dallas and about $11,000 in San Diego.

Here's a breakdown of income for various cities from the report:

Chart.PNG

Even though more people are posting online prostitution ads these days, the report found Atlanta still has a "very high and extremely profitable" demand for street prostitution. This demand could come from out of town or the suburbs, as Atlanta has major highways running through it, including I-75, I-85, and I-285. 

The problem seems to be particularly bad along "densely urban areas" like Fulton Industrial Boulevard, the study found.

"You’ve got your major rappers from Atlanta come down to Fulton Industrial and shoot videos in the neighborhoods, on the streets, with the girls, and with the pimps and then pay $1,000 for the girls to come in and have sex with them," one unnamed law enforcement was quoted in the study as saying.

Not everybody pays as much as "rappers from Atlanta," though. Here's more information from the study on pricing structures for street-level and online prostitution:

The typical pricing structure on the street is $50 to $100 for oral sex and $75 to $150 for “full service.” However, drug-addicted sex workers charge as little as $10 for oral sex and $50 for “full service.” Online, sex workers charge from $60 to $100 for 15 minutes and from $250 to $300 per hour for dates.

One law enforcement officer noted, “The younger the girl, the higher the price—so you could have a girl at 18 that’s going to charge $450 an hour or $350 an hour and that’s kind of funny, as you see them get older into their 30s, unless they have a specialty, you’re going to see them at maybe $150 an hour or something like that.”

 In Dallas, by contrast, prostitutes start at roughly $60 for oral sex, even though their pimps don't bring in nearly as much money as Atlanta pimps do. This raises the possibility that Atlanta pimps have more prostitutes working for them so they can make a high weekly wage.

SEE ALSO: The 6 Different Prostitutes And Where They Work

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Here's How Much 7 US Cities Spend On Illegal Sex, Drugs, And Guns

3 Reasons Why New York City's Restaurant Grading System Is In Need Of A Major Overhaul

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restaurant grade

Three-star Michelin restaurant Per Se's recent "grade pending" rating shocked the restaurant community.

After racking up enough points to earn it a "C" from the Department of Health (DOH), many called for New York City's restaurant rating system to be revamped, and not for the first time.

To put Per Se's "C" grade in perspective, that would mean the well-regarded restaurant had to rack up 28 or more violation points (it actually earned 42). Restaurants with a "B" rating have 14 to 27 violation points, and "A"s are typically between 0 and 13 health code violation points.

A "violation point" is not the same thing as a violation. A public heath hazard (like not keeping food at the right temperature) will earn a restaurant a minimum of seven points. A critical violation (like serving unwashed raw food) carries a minimum of five points, and general violations, for small things like not properly sanitizing cooking utensils, usually receive at least two points.

The purpose of the grades — to help diners make informed choices and create an incentive for restaurants to stay clean — do seem to be working. In the 18 months after their implementation in July 2010, salmonella rates fell 14%, and many customers say they take a restaurant's grade into account before eating there.

But there are three major reasons why health inspections are flawed and need to be fixed.

1. Grades Are Dependent On The Individual Health Inspector

A restaurant's grade is not wholly based on the quality of its food and the cleanliness of its kitchen. There are hundreds of points that can be taken away from a restaurant for issues like having a "non-food contact surface improperly constructed" (huh?) to "food not labeled in accordance with HACCP plan." More importantly, how strictly these specific rules are enforced (or noticed) on any given inspection varies by each individual health inspector.

per se kitchen thomas kellerPer Se employees were shocked to learn they had been knocked down 42 points. Speaking with CNN, one employee said, "It seems very strange that something would change that drastically [from the last inspection]."

In all likelihood, not much had changed. It may have just been a more vigorous inspector visiting Per Se than the one who had overseen its last inspection. Different health inspectors notice different things, and with hundreds of points at stake, it's not difficult to find enough violations (arbitrary or not) to knock a pristine restaurant down a few pegs. As Grub Street's Hugh Merwin points out:

It's difficult to glean...what's really "wrong" in Per Se's kitchen. Someone was eating or smoking or drinking or possibly chewing tobacco somewhere in the kitchen? Was it the presence of a drink, or a drink without a lid that was the issue? Were the kitchen towels soiled, or were they just not being stored in sanitizing solution?

2. Some Food Storage Rules Are Culturally Biased

Undercooked or under-refrigerated food is the number one violation NYC restaurants typically receive. In the past, officials have claimed this as "a serious issue," linked to cases of salmonella and hospitalizations for food-borne illnesses.

But the temperatures enforced by the DOH do not account for all types of food. Certain French foods  — such as certain soft cheeses or terrine, a type of pâté— are meant to be served closer to room temperature for optimal flavor and texture. But going by DOH guidelines, this could cost a restaurant 7 points — just 5 points away from a "B" grade." Does a restaurant follow the rules, or do they try to skirt the guidelines to please customers?

chinatown hanging ducks in windowA similar problem occurred in Chinatown back when the grades went into effect. Neighborhood restaurants were continually cited for hanging ducks in the windows at the "wrong" temperature. The routine was always the same: DOH officials would test the meat and determine it was below 140 degrees, the cooks would refuse to raise the temperature, saying it would dry out the meat, and the ducks would be thrown out, writes Eveline Chao at Open City Magazine.

In 2011, the rules changed once a study showed that cooking and preparing the ducks this way was perfectly safe. Chinatown, however, continues to be disproportionally affected by the grading system, as are ethnic restaurants including Indian, Korean, Latin American, and African eateries. According to a Huffington Post analysis, 30% of these restaurants received "B" or "C" ratings. That number only gets worse for Pakistani cuisine (54% below an "A") and Bangladeshi food (58% of restaurants scored below an "A"). It should be also noted that the Health Department FAQ sheets are only in English, Spanish, Korean, and Chinese.

Traditional Japanese sushi restaurants, where chefs commonly use their bare hands to prepare fish, are also susceptible. At a city council meeting in March 2012, a sushi restaurant owner described a health department inspection that led the inspector "to dump a slab of 'maguro' tuna costing about $10,000 (about 800,000 yen) into the garbage can and cover it with bleach," according to to The Asahi Shimbun.

Chefs across the city are being forced to choose between their culture, their customers, and their "A" rating.

3. The High Fines Unduly Hurt Smaller Restaurants

Revenues generated from restaurant fines climbed from $31.2 million in 2008 to $45.6 million in 2011, just as the average number of annual restaurant inspections has risen from 1.4 in 2009 to 3.8 in 2013.

As Josh Grukin wrote for CNN's Eatocracy blog:

If one of the city’s stated objectives behind the grades is to provide an incentive for restaurants to clean it up, then the strategy has failed...However, if this is simply a new way to raise more revenue at the expense of one of the city’s premier industries, then the city is doing very well indeed.

B is for Brunch health inspection rating84% of the city's restaurants currently have an "A" rating, but that does not mean they earned it immediately. A recent analysis published by City and State found that while most restaurants ultimately receive an “A,” most of the inspections generated an average “B” grade. It was only after requesting re-inspections from the DOH that restaurants boosted their scores to a coveted “A.”

In the meantime, they must pay hefty fines for their violations: an "A" rated restaurant can pay up to $800 annually, "B" graded eateries typically pay between $2,800-$4,200 in fines and additional inspections, and a restaurant with a "C" will pay a staggering $6,000-10,000 per year, according to Open City Magazine.

This hurts smaller mom and pop restaurants that may not be able to afford the cost of the fines, the loss in customers from their lower grade, or the necessary architectural adjustments — such as a new bathroom or a new work station — that may be necessary to transform their establishment into an "A" rated restaurant.

Ultimately, Per Se will not be hurt by its current "grade pending" (or the $5,000 it owes the DOH) as it waits to battle its violations in the Oath Tribunal. Customers will continue to visit the restaurant, and trust its reputation.

But for other restaurants in the city, these grades and fines will continue to penalize smaller, ethnic restaurants on an arbitrary basis, and are in need of a major overhaul.

SEE ALSO: Here's What It's Like To Dine At The Most Remarkable Restaurant In Las Vegas

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The Preppy Guy's Guide To Spring Style

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Winter is finally loosening its hold, so it's time to start thinking about spring fashion.

Spring is typically a preppier season: think  Hamptons rentals, sail boats, and pastel colors.

Elijah Clark Ginsberg of the Chesterfield Report— a website devoted to a preppy lifestyle — was kind enough to share a helpful graphic of some of the shirts, shoes, belts, outerwear, and more that will take guys into the new season.

Check it out below.

chester field report men's style spring chart

SEE ALSO: The Right Men's Shoes For Every Type Of Pants [CHART]

FOLLOW US:  We're On Pinterest

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18 Award-Winning Pictures From World Press Photo's 2014 Contest

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01_John Stanmeyer

American John Stanmeyer's "dignified" photograph of African migrants in Djibouti attempting to catch a cellphone signal from Somalia was named the best press photo of the year by the World Press Photo contest.

The preeminent photojournalist contest, now in its 57th year, reviewed more than 98,000 images from nearly 6,000 photographers, representing 132 nationalities. 

Photographers compete in one of nine categories, including general news, spot news, contemporary issues, daily life, people (observed portraits, staged portraits), nature, and sports (sports action, sports feature).

We are featuring a selection of the winners with the prizes noted below each pictures. You can see the rest at World Press Photo's website.

Be warned that some of the pictures show disturbing images, including dead bodies and violence.

Last November, Typhoon Haiyan destroyed large parts of the Philippines, leaving more than 4 million homeless and killing more than 8,000 people. Here, survivors march during a religious procession.



On September 21st, gunmen opened fire at the upscale Westgate mall in Nairobi, Kenya. A woman and her children hide in the mall. It took four days to end the attack.



Syrian rebel fighters take cover amid flying debris after being hit by a tank shell fired by the Syrian Army in Damascus.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
    






The 12 Biggest Art Collectors In Tech

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cezanne eric schmidt art

Some billionaires choose to spend their money on huge mansions and swanky cars. Others use their disposable income in a less flashy way. 

As tech entrepreneurs have seen their companies grow and become financially successful, many have turned to art collection as a pastime and form of self expression.

"An engineer will look at a photograph or video art in a way a banker couldn't — we think in ones and zeros, we think in terms of screens," tech entrepreneur and collector Trevor Traina said to the Wall Street Journal last year. 

We've come up with a list of the biggest art aficionados in the tech world. These executives all have their own unique sensibilities — Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, for example, owns a huge collection of Japanese art, while Yahoo chief Marissa Mayer prefers quirky pop art like Jeff Koons' balloon dogs. 

With a collection that reportedly contains as many as 500 pieces, Oracle founder Larry Ellison is a big fan of Japanese art.

According to SF Gate, the Oracle billionaire first became interested in the art of Japan when he worked there in the 1970s, and he "personally studies and approves every proposed acquisition." Pieces from his collection were on display at San Francisco's Asian Art Museum last June. 

Ellison's preference for the Eastern style is also apparent in his home in Woodside, Calif., which was modeled after a 16th-century Japanese emperor's residence. He reportedly rotates the artwork in his home every other week, in keeping with traditional Japanese practices.



Famed VC Marc Andreessen favors contemporary art.

Midcentury artists Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns are among the famed Silicon Valley investor's favorites, according to Businessweek

Andreessen's wife, Laura Arrilaga-Andreessen, holds two degrees in art history and reportedly carries a lot of weight in the process of deciding what pieces they buy for their home. 

The offices at Andreessen Horowitz are also filled with abstract art pieces, including Roy Lichtenstein's "Reclining Nude, 1980."



Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer prefers "happy art."

Mayer is known for having a sophisticated sense of style, regularly wearing glamorous pieces by Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrara.

She also has a taste for quirky pop art — according to Vogue's August 2013 profile on Mayer, the Yahoo executive has several balloon dog sculptures by Jeff Koons in her kitchen, in addition to works by Roy Lichtenstein. She also reportedly owns several glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly, which sell for an average of $15,000 each. 

Mayer serves on the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's board of trustees



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How Billionaire Mark Cuban Is Raising His Kids So They Don't Turn Into Spoiled Brats

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mark cuban

Mark Cuban is a billionaire, but he and his wife Tiffany want to make sure their children don't become spoiled.

At South by Southwest, Cuban explained what he and Tiffany Cuban are trying to teach their children:

"I’m not the dad that comes home with a ton of presents. I am the dad that says, ‘Pick that up. Take that; put it in the sink. No, you have to earn that.’ I want them to recognize that the only thing special about themselves is what they make for themselves.

"They have to be themselves. They can’t be Mark Cuban’s or Tiffany Cuban’s son or daughter. They have to be adults and they have to carry their own weight. I literally battled with my wife (she always wins) about public schools versus private schools. I didn’t want them to have a sense of entitlement.”

"I want them to be like themselves. My daughter is 10. She’s just your basic drama queen. And that’s a good thing. It’s not about stuff. I just don’t want it to ever be about stuff. If I treat them with respect hopefully they’ll treat their peers with respect. That’s what we pay attention to more than anything else, how they treat other people."

While Cuban tries hard to make sure his kids don't care about "stuff," it's not always easy. The interviewer mentioned hearing that Cuban's 10-year-old daughter doesn't like to fly commercial. Cuban laughed and replied:

"She just didn’t understand it! But I know, that’s just brutal. I didn’t fly on an airplane until I was 16. They’ve been on more flights by the age of four than I had been my entire life. We try to put it in context. But they do fly commercial now…with my wife not me!"

Cuban says they have a nanny who helps oversee the kids while he and his wife are working. But beyond that, the Cubans try to maintain a normal household:

"No butlers. We have a nanny. Unless it’s the night of a Mavs game and Tiff and I are going to a game, then they’re out by 6 or 7 and then it’s real world. On the weekends we have someone in the morning so Tiff and I go workout Saturday mornings. Then the rest of the weekend it’s just us. It’s us putting them to bed. It’s us at dinner. We try to be as normal as possible. The whole idea of someone serving you, this and that, that’s not us."


NOW WATCH: Here's What Successful People Eat For Breakfast

 

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20 Depressing Pictures Of Homeless Shantytowns Near Baltimore

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04 Baltimore Hobo Camp Ben Marcin

When Social Security Administration software engineer Ben Marcin gets off work, he heads back out into the streets to photograph people who have fallen through America’s safety net. 

In the spring of 2011, Marcin stumbled on a phenomenon that was spreading across the city of Baltimore. Homeless people were leaving the streets and the shelters and setting up camp in the woods in and around the city.

Over the course of the year, Marcin stalked through the metropolitan area to photograph the makeshift homes of Baltimore’s homeless. When he returned a year later, he found all of the homes gone.

“This was their last stand,” Marcin told Business Insider in a recent interview. “Many of them were on their way out. If they had anywhere else to go, they’d be there.”

While Marcin's project ended in 2011, homelessness and the makeshift camps have remained a chronic issue in the Baltimore area, leading to the establishment of The Journey Home, a 10-year program seeking to end the problem in Baltimore.

Marcin shared some photos of the homes with us here, but you can see the rest at his website. Marcin is running a new project on America’s new urban high-rises at the Detroit Center of Contemporary Photography.

Marcin came across the first homeless settlement he encountered while hiking in the wilderness surrounding and in Baltimore.



The more he explored, the more camps he found. Because Baltimore's numerous green spaces are rarely used, area homeless people found them an ideal place to set up camp.



Most of the homeless people live in tents or under tarps, which they buy from Walmart or Target.



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Check Out The Blingy Lounge Snoop Dogg Designed For SXSW

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snoop dogg airbnb

When you think of Snoop Dogg, interior design probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. 

But this week at SXSW, Snoop presented a one-of-a-kind room he designed in collaboration with HGTV's Emily Henderson, sponsored by Airbnb

The pop-up lodging included a furnished living room and an adjoining covered deck. 

Snoop hosted a picnic and tour of the space during an event appropriately titled "the Wake + Bake Brunch" on Tuesday morning. Attendees feasted on breakfast sandwiches and coffee. 

The bedazzled design seems very Snoop-like. 

snoop dogg airbnb

Inside, he went for gold wallpaper with marijuana leaf details, a not-so-subtle "BO$$" sign, and luxurious leather and velvet furniture. 

snoop dogg airbnb

Here's Snoop himself, posing on the couch. snoop dogg airbnb

These gold throne-like chairs sit on the covered deck, located just outside the living room. snoop dogg airbnbAirbnb Park also features pop-ups designed by Capital Cities and Allen Stone. 

snoop dogg airbnb

SEE ALSO: The 10 Coolest Airbnb Rentals In Austin, Texas

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