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ATLANTIC CITY IS DOOMED — But It's Still A Fun Place To Visit!

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Atlantic City Boardwalk Entrance

These are hard times for Atlantic City, which recently recorded its sixth consecutive year of falling gambling revenues and saw an ambitious new casino prepare for bankruptcy.

You can blame the economic downturn as well as the rise of competing casinos in neighboring states.

Hurricane Sandy didn't help either. The casinos were ordered to remain closed for almost five full days, and lost an estimated $5 million in gambling revenue combined each day.

But you know what? The "World's Playground" is still an awesome place to visit, with plenty of exciting new attractions aimed at targeting leisure travelersinstead of gamblers, and revitalizing its boardwalk. Atlantic City is also getting buzz from HBO's hit show, Boardwalk Empire.

Atlantic City is huge, but most people only think about the boardwalk and pier.



It reached its boom period in the 1920s thanks to prohibition and illegal gambling — it even called itself the World's Playground.

Source: Press of Atlantic City



The '20s were so glamorous that they are even the subject of HBO's Boardwalk Empire, starring Steve Buscemi as the political boss and racketeer Enoch "Nucky" Thompson.

Source: HBO



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13 San Francisco Homes That Sold For Much More Than Their Asking Price

A Guy Raised More Than $3 Million On Kickstarter By Reinventing The Cooler

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Coolest Cooler

An Oregon man who set out to reinvent the familiar cooler you take to the beach or on camping trips has already raised $3 million for the project, and his fundraising effort is on track to possibly beat the Kickstarter record, The Oregonian reports.

Launched just four days ago, Ryan Grepper's "Coolest Cooler" has raised $3.2 million of his $50,000 goal, and he still has 48 days left.

Besides the aesthetically-pleasing design and it being able to keep drinks and food cool, it includes just about every possible feature you might want to have for a fun day out:

It has a built-in ice crushing blender, storage for plates and a knife, bottle opener, USB charger for your electronics, Bluetooth speaker to listen to some tunes, and even an LED light so you can fish out a drink in the dark.

"It solves a lot of needs," Grepper told The Oregonian.

The project is actually the second try for Grepper, who tried to raise money for his cooler but fell short of the goal last winter, according to The Oregonian. He was able to use that to his advantage this time by notifying his previous backers, thus giving him an early boost.

"I know firsthand how much fun it is to have a cooler with speakers, and a portable blender for beachside margaritas, because I built myself one of each around ten years ago," Grepper writes on his Kickstarter page. "Last year I reexamined these well-loved creations and realized just how much room for improvement there was."

The fundraising record on Kickstarter is the Pebble smartwatch, which raised more than $10 million in 2012. Kickstarter tracking site Kicktraq shows the Coolest Cooler with a very optimistic trend towards beating that, although it's very hard to project how much further it could go.

Backers who contributed at least $165 will get one of the coolers, with an estimated delivery time of Feb. 2015.

Here's video of the project:

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The Most Expensive Celebrity Homes In New York City

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hugh jackman house apartment nyc

For all of us normals, living in New York City isn't exactly easy on the wallet. But when the sky's the limit, as it is for many celebrities, you'd expect that they'd have the best homes money can buy.

Our friends at apartment data website AddressReport helped us hunt down the priciest places owned by celebs in the Big Apple.

From the Flatiron district to Williamsburg to the Village, these celebrities' homes will put your 500-square-foot studio to shame.

To estimate the approximate current value of the homes, we spoke to expert source AddressReport, which keeps data in these homes' markets.

30. Daniel Radcliffe's riverside apartment

Estimated value: $5.2 million

"Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe majorly upgraded from the cupboard under the stairs. He purchased the three-bedroom corner apartment at 1 Morton Square for $4.9 million in 2008.

"The boy who lived" lives in luxury, enjoying sunset views of New York Harbor from the curved windows, marble and granite counters, and a 500-bottle wine cellar.

Co-star Alan Rickman, who played Professor Snape, is rumored to live in the building as well.

To estimate the approximate current value of the homes, we spoke to expert source AddressReport, which keeps data in these homes' markets.



29. Nate Berkus' impeccably decorated West Village home

Estimated value: $5.25 million

When he's not buddying up to Oprah or making over homes across the country, Nate Berkus has a six-room co-op in Greenwich Village he can fix up over and over again, according to AddressReport. The celebrity design guru purchased the unit, down the street from his previous co-op, in 2013.

The duplex apartment has a wraparound rooftop terrace, a chef's kitchen with a custom-fabricated greenhouse, and wood-burning fireplaces in the living room and dining room.

To estimate the approximate current value of the homes, we spoke to expert source AddressReport, which keeps data in these homes' markets.



28. Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy's Greek revival townhouse

Estimated value: $6.9 million

This red carpet power couple owns a single famous townhouse in the West Village, decked out with 12-foot ceilings, antique floor boards, a courtyard, and tin ceilings throughout the house.

Built in the 1880s, the Greek revival unit was previously owned by David Shaffer, a famous psychiatrist and Anna Wintour's ex-husband.

To estimate the approximate current value of the homes, we spoke to expert source AddressReport, which keeps data in these homes' markets.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






Dramatic Photos Of Chaos And Looting During New York's Notorious Blackout 37 Years Ago Today

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AP7707140393

Sunday marks the 37th anniversary of the infamous blackout that led to looting and rioting all around New York City. That date, July 13, 1977, was a time of extreme strife and tension in America's largest metropolis.

3,800 arrests were made, according to the New York Times, and more than $1 billion in damage was recorded, with some of the worst coming in the Brooklyn's Bushwick neighborhood. The FDNY reported 1,037 fires throughout the city, with at least 50 being very serious, according to The Times. 

The root cause of the blackout was a series of lightning strikes occurring between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. that cut electricity off from two major power plants. The chaos would soon follow.

LaGuardia and JFK were closed, and the subways were evacuated.

''The looters were looting other looters, and the fists and the knives were coming out,'' Carl St. Martin, a neurologist in Forest Hills, Queens, recalled years later, according to the Times.

Here are some of the shocking photos of the eery darkness and mass chaos:

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Blackout of 1977

Blackout 1977 looting Brooklyn

Blackout 1977 aftermath looting

Looting 1977 blackout

Blackout 1977 looting Brooklyn

Looting 1977 blackout

brooklyn blackout 1977

SEE ALSO: New York City Used To Be A Terrifying Place [PHOTOS]

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There Are Now 50 Colleges That Charge More Than $60,000 Per Year

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New York University NYU Students Graduation Commencement


As the average cost of higher education in America continues to rise, at least 50 American colleges and universities are now charging students more than $60,000 per year.

We found these numbers by examining the average cost of tuition, fees, room, and board that an incoming student would face over the 2014-15 academic year. Check out a more in-depth breakdown of the 20 most expensive colleges here >>

While these direct costs are a significant portion of the total cost of college, they alone do not reveal the true financial burden of higher education — students are also responsible for paying for textbooks, travel costs, and, of course, any social expenses. These "indirect costs" can often add up to an extra $2,000.

The most expensive school in the country for the upcoming school year is Harvey Mudd College, charging $64,527 — $48,694 in tuition and fees, and $15,833 for room and board.

Last year, only nine colleges charged more than $60,000. New York University — then the most expensive school — cost $61,977.

Here are the 50 colleges and university that now charge more than $60,000 a year:

Colleges 60K List Graphic

Jill Comoletti contributed research to this article.

FOLLOW US! Check Out BI Colleges On Facebook

SEE ALSO: America's REAL Most Expensive Colleges

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These Gorgeous Postcards Are Some Of The First Color Photographs Of America

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In the late 1800s, the Detroit Photographic Company began printing a series of color postcards based off photographs of iconic places in America, such as New York City and San Francisco, and peoples such as the Seminole and Pueblo Indians. 

All produced between 1888 and 1924, the postcards were some of the very first color photographs of the United States ever. Though conventional color photography was not in widespread use until the introduction of Kodachrome in the 1930s, the Detroit Photographic Company used a process called Photochrom beginning in the late 1800s that added life-like colors in post-production. In the Photochrom process, trained technicians would transfer black and white photos onto numerous lithographic stones, each inked with a different color.

The postcards were wildly popular at the time, selling by the millions at tourist attractions and in mail-order albums.

Photographer and collector Marc Walter, who specializes in vintage travel photographs, has put together a massive collection of these postcards in a recently released book, An American Odyssey. Taschen Books and Walter have shared a few of the postcards here, but you can see all 600 in the book.

Mulberry Street in Manhattan was bustling at the turn of the century. It was (and is) the heart of Little Italy. The street was part of the infamous Five Points neighborhood, a disease-ridden slum that played host to numerous riots and gangs. The sidewalks were filled with street vendors.xl_american_odyssey_058 059The view from Battery Park, New York City in the early 1900s.xl_american_odyssey_030 031On "laundry day" in the late 1800s and early 1900s, New York City residents dried their clothes on clotheslines that stretched between buildings. When the weather was wet, residents had to string up lines inside their already crowded apartments. Washing was done by hand.xl_american_odyssey_062 063This panorama shows San Francisco when it was still a developing Gold Rush town. Around this time, San Francisco started becoming a major city, as new neighborhoods cropped up in every direction and famous artists and writers began to call the Bay Area their home.xl_american_odyssey_547 550The Mount Lowe railway was a scenic railway on Echo Mountain and Mount Lowe in California, built as a tourist attraction for those visiting the Los Angeles area.  It operated from 1893 to 1938, but it was never particularly successful. Here, the railway navigates the Circular Bridge, a feat of engineering at the time that allowed the train to rise 12 feet in elevation over 500 feet of track. You can see Los Angeles in the distance.xl_american_odyssey_588The Homestake Mine in South Dakota was the largest and deepest gold mine in the United States, producing over 40 million ounces of gold. It was owned and operated by George Hearst, the father of media mogul William Randolph Hearst. xl_american_odyssey_268 269The Georgetown loop in the Rocky Mountains was considered an engineering marvel at the time. It connected two mining boom towns and covered an elevation of 600 feet. It was integral in hauling silver and gold during the Gold Rush and later became a tourist attraction.xl_american_odyssey_390 391This is one of the first photographs of the Grand Canyon. The area became a popular tourist attraction in the late 1800s, after the Santa Fe Railroad was extended first to Flagstaff (the closest city to the Canyon) in 1882 and, finally, to the Grand Canyon Village in 1901.xl_american_odyssey_414 415This is a shipping dock in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Steamboats were integral in developing the Mississippi River in the 1800s because they facilitated large-scale transport of passengers and freight.xl_american_odyssey_296 297The magnolias are in full bloom on the Ashley River in South Carolina. xl_american_odyssey_276 277The Zuni Pueblo people have been farming and living in pueblos in New Mexico for the last 4,000 years. Here they perform a rain-dance.xl_american_odyssey_406 407The Seminole Indians dominated Florida up until the 1800s. A series of wars between the Seminoles and the United States in the mid-1800s established U.S. control in Florida. Most Seminoles were forced to move west of the Mississippi, while a small group refused to leave. xl_american_odyssey_322AMERICAN_ODYSSEY_XL_INT_3D_05772

SEE ALSO: 15 Vintage Pictures Of Los Angeles When It Was Still A Beachside Village

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These Uncanny Paintings Of The New York City Subway Will Give You Chills

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The best artists take something familiar and completely transform how a viewer sees it. 

Among the contemporary masters of this is Japanese artist Hisaya Tairawhose works were on display this weekend at the ArtHampton's Fine Arts Fair, through the Anthony Brunelli gallery.

Taira's best-known works are uncanny, photo-realistic paintings of New York City subway stations — scenes you'll instantly recognize, but which you won't believe were actually created with acrylic. 

We emailed Taira to ask how he views the scenes. The subway, he told us via email, is a place anyone can easily access, and therefore everyone takes for granted — "nobody usually notices that is a place which becomes a picture, but you can rediscover" it through drawing. It's also a place where "feelings like hope and anxiety [are] condensed."

Check it out:

Hisaya Taira Subway Paintings

Hisaya Taira Subway Paintings

Hisaya Taira Subway Paintings

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Hisaya Taira Subway PaintingsHisaya Taira Subway Paintings125entry mHisaya Taira Subway PaintingsHisaya Taira Subway Paintings

Hisaya Taira Subway Paintings133n exit7 L

(h/t Peteski)

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How To Fold Your T-Shirt In Seconds

Hike The 2,000-Mile Trail That Most People Never Finish

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Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail, or AT, stretches more than 2,000 miles along the U.S. East Coast.

Completed in 1937, the longest marked trail in the country runs from Georgia to Maine, connecting 14 states and passing through ridges and valleys of the Appalachian mountain range.

Stretches of the AT are within a couple hours drive for millions of Americans, but few have walked its full length. Each year, thousands of people attempt to hike the entire AT; only one in four succeeds. 

National Geographic explored the wooded footpath, traveling south to north, in a 50-minute documentary. You can take the adventure in our slideshow or watch the movie on Netflix.

The Appalachian Trail, better known as the AT, stretches about 2,175 miles along the eastern United States.



The AT runs from Georgia to Maine, making it the longest marked trail in the country, and one of the longest in the world.



The trail cuts through 14 states along the way, including New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






These Texas Maps Will Change The Way You See The Lone Star State

What To Do If You Forget Someone's Name Immediately After Meeting Them

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awkwardWe've all been in those situations where we've forgotten someone's name. It's even worse when it happens immediately after meeting them.

How do we deal with it without being awkward? Here's some helpful advice, gleaned from personal experience, online message boards, and advice columns:

Ask them to put their number in your phone. It's the best way to get their name without even asking for it. Typically, they will enter both their first and last names, along with their number. It's a great way to stay in touch with them in the future and also to assure you won't forget their name again.

Ask for their email address. Most people have their name within their email address, so it's an easy way to learn the information you need and gain a valuable connection. It will also show you care about reaching out to them in the future. If they don't have their name, they might at least have a reference to their college, workplace, or favorite hobby within their username, so it can serve as a great conversation starter.

 Introduce them to a friend.At a party or networking event, making introductions is expected. Find one of your friends and introduce them first, then wait for your conversation partner to do the same.

Wait until the conversation ends, and ask a friend. Oftentimes, you can go through an entire conversation simply using pronouns. There's always someone else at the party who must have either invited this person or who is in the same network — ask them afterwards.

Ask them how to spell their name or for their preferred nickname. It's not a weird question to ask, especially since names such as Jonathan or Alyssa can be adapted and spelled in so many ways.

Ask for their business card.They should be eager to share it with you, and it's a great way to keep them in mind in the future. You'll always know their name without having to ask again.

End the conversation by reminding them of your name. When you're finished speaking, you can talk about what a pleasure it was to meet them. For instance, you could say, "It was great meeting you. My name is so-and-so. And what was yours again?"

Ask about the meaning behind their name. It's always fun to learn about why your conversation partner's parents chose their name. Sometimes, their answers can lead to family histories or fun facts about the origins of words.

Get creative. You could compare ID and driver license photos, since they're fun to look at anyway. Or, if you're really desperate, you could say something along the lines of, "I heard it's almost impossible to pronounce your own name with a different accent because you've used it so much. Can you do it?"

Just be honest. They will appreciate your honesty, because everyone understands it's difficult to remember names. Just politely and apologetically admit that it slipped your mind or that it's on the tip of your tongue but you can't think of it now.

A gentler approach is the "I know your name, but I'm blocked" dodge, where you can say something along the lines of, "I keep wanting to call you David, but I know that's not right."

Either way, make sure you do this as quickly as possible — it gets more awkward the longer you wait to ask. 

SEE ALSO: 7 Body-Language Tricks To Make Anyone Instantly Like You

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An American Artist Shares 30 Years Of Life's Work In 30 Paintings

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Richard Reitz Smith grew up in the Appalachian foothills of rural Pennsylvania, where the changing seasons became a metaphor for where and how he lived.

“The hills simultaneously protected me from the outside world, yet kept me from it," Smith says. "The sky was a source of wonderment; a constant connection to the world beyond the crest of the hills, but ever-changing.”

Maine is currently home, but his path has been shaped by venues including the greater New York City area, Arizona, the Caribbean, and various regions of Italy as well as events of discovery, attainment, and loss.

Smith shared 30 images from his ongoing exhibition "Land Marks" with Business Insider, arranged in chronological order from 1984 to 2014.

"Sprankle Mills"

1SprankleMills

 

"Lone Tree"

2LoneTree

 

"Trinity"

5Trinity

 

"Dawn and Dusk"

6DawnandDusk

 

"Georgetown Lighthouse" 

7GeorgetownLighthouse

 

"Summer Meadow Frenetic" 

12SummerMeadowFrenetic

 

"Summer Meadow Milkweed"

9SummerMeadow_Milkweed

 

"Rockport"

15Rockport

 

"Red Kayak"

16RockportHarborRedKayak

 

"Rockport Harbor"

18RockportHarbor12

 

"Aldemere Farm"

19AldemereFarm_LoneBelted

 

"Toward Mt. Dessert"

20TowardMtDessertME

 

"Bleak Midwinter, Foxes by Ash Trees"

22BleakMidWinter_FoxesByAshTrees

 

"Meandering Stream"

24MeanderingStream001

 

"Stetson Ranch, Sebastian, Florida"

26StetsonRanchSebastianFL

 

"At The Crest"

28AtTheCrest

 

"A Wide Valley to Cross"

29AwideValleytoCross

 

"Cotuit Kayak"

30CotuitKayak

 

"Barren"

31Barren

 

"Dawn at the Crest"

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"Skirting at the Crest"

36SkirtingTheCoast

 

"Anchored on Shore"

37AnchoredOnShore

 

"Sunning Gulls, Dear Isle Bridge"

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"Standing Alone"

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"Edith and Rory at Storm Park"

42EdithAndRoryAtStormPark

 

"Egret's at Stetson Ranch Palm Hedge" 

43EgretsatStetsonRanchPalmHenge

 

"Winter Arrives"

45WinterArrives

 

"Winter Shroud"

46WinterShroud

 

"Autumn Arrives Along the Penobscot" 

48AutumnArrivesAlongthePenobscot

 

"Buttercups and Cloudy Skies"

50ButtercupsAndCloudySkies

Richard Reitz Smith studied fine art at Carnegie Mellon University with colorist Sam Gilliam, thematic and  figurative painter Mary Weidner and draftsman Herbert Olds. To that education, he brings inspirations of the Transcendentalist traditions, the Romantic painters, and brush work and color techniques of the Fauvists and Impressionists.

His show is on view the month of July at the Bangor Public Library’ s Lecture Hall Gallery. He can be reached at richardreitzsmith@gmail.com

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Swiss Chocolate Giant Lindt Reportedly Buying Russell Stover

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Packages of Diva chocolate truffles of Swiss chocolatier Lindt & Spruengli are displayed during the company's annual news conference in Kilchberg near Zurich March 11, 2014. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

(Reuters) - Swiss chocolate maker Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Spruengli is in advanced discussions to acquire family-owned U.S. candy business Russell Stover, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Russell Stover, known for its boxed chocolates, is the third-largest U.S. candy company by sales. Lindt is the maker of Lindor chocolate balls and gold foil-wrapped chocolate bunnies. Lindt said in March that its North American sales should top $1 billion this year.

The Ward family put privately held Russell Stover up for sale earlier this year and has been working with Goldman Sachs to find a buyer.

People familiar with the matter told Reuters previously that Russell Stover could be valued at around $1 billion.

Representatives for Russell Stover and Lindt did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Sunday.

Lindt is expected to announce its sales figures for the first half of the year on Tuesday.

Russell Stover also produces Whitman's brand chocolates and has its products in more than 70,000 drug stores, card and gift shops, grocery stores, department stores and retail stores throughout the United States and in more than 20 countries worldwide.

The Financial Times previously reported the talks with Lindt.

(Reporting by Olivia Oran; Additional reporting by Liana B. Baker; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

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If We Really Want To Save The World, We Have To Start Eating Bugs

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The world's population is projected to grow from 7.2 billion to 9.6 billion people by 2050. So, what needs to be done to feed an extra two billion mouths?

We need to eat more bugs

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations makes a compelling case that insects are key to our future food security. Insects are chock-full of protein, good fats, calcium, iron, and zinc — making them viable alternatives to chicken, pig, and cow meat. Bugs are also much easier on the environment. 

Much of the world has already discovered this. Eighty percent of nations, from Southeast Asia to Latin America, already consume more than 1,900 different insect species. Fried locusts and grasshoppers, for example, are extremely popular street foods in Thailand. The Western world has been the only holdout, but that is perhaps starting to change.

Restaurants in New York and other major cities are featuring items such as grasshopper tacos. Meanwhile, Tiny Farms, Bitty Foods, and Don Bugito are three startups in San Francisco betting on bugs. Tiny Farms offers open-source farm kits encouraging individuals and businesses to raise their own insects, Bitty Foods makes baked goods using flour made of ground-up crickets, and Don Bugito sells flavorful cooked insects in snack-size packages.

These startups are leading the way in putting insects on your plate.

Produced by Will Wei and Graham Flanagan. Edited by Sam Rega.

GAME CHANGERS: Check out more in this series.

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This Photographer Made Out With His Subjects Before Taking Their Photos, And The Results Are Mesmerizing

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27_year_old_me

For the last three years, photographer Jedediah Johnson has made a career out of putting on lipstick, making out with people, and taking photos of the often messy results.

The series, called The Makeout Project, attempts to change our preconceived notions about kissing. In American culture, Johnson says, kissing is inseparable from sex and intimacy. In many other cultures, it means something else entirely.

At the beginning of the project, Johnson made out with only friends and friends of friends. As his work has gained popularity due to his blog Makeoutville, he has started to get requests from random people on the internet. This year, he traveled to Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis on, what he has termed, “The Great Midwestern Makeout Tour.” He is currently planning a road trip to Toronto this August to scout out more potential makeout subjects.

Johnson shared a selection of his photos with us here, and you can check out the rest at his website. 

Johnson began The Makeout Project by putting on lipstick at parties, going up to random people, and kissing them. He says he didn't ask permission at the beginning because people's knee-jerk reaction is always no. ailsa_s_final_editionWhile he says the project worked in the beginning — and had far less negative reactions than one might think — he eventually decided it would be better if he set up appointments with people who knew what was coming. "I got tired of trying to kiss people without asking," he said. "You start to feel like a jerk after a while."natalie_m Editalicia_raw

When Johnson photographed friends and friends of friends at the beginning of the project, he said he was often more nervous than his subjects.

amber_2_raw"It's like a rollercoaster," Johnson says. "The worst part is the anticipation."anda_c_final_editionmakeout_with_my_babyJohnson doesn't warn his subjects about how he plans to kiss them. The makeouts range from shallow and closed-mouth kisses to full-on makeouts. bj_monthJohnson uses Cover Girl Hot Passion red lipstick. The messier the lipstick on the subject's face, the more intense the makeout. stephania_serioushilly_rawJohnson has made out with two women in front of their boyfriend or husband. He says that both kissed him with tightly closed mouths. erica_t_rawJohnson says he got the most nervous when he made out with a friend's boyfriend. jason_rawSince his blog Makeoutville has become popular, he has taken on requests from people all over the country. This man from Chicago asked Johnson to photograph him after reading an article about the project in DNAInfo. Johnson says the man was uncomfortable during the makeout and pulled away quickly, which Johnson found odd because he asked Johnson to come and photograph him.faby 2This is Karen, whom Johnson met at the Melody Inn, a nightclub in Indianapolis. They have the same birthday.karin_s_final_editionThis is Jesse Fox, who is a photographer in Cincinnati, Ohio. Johnson took this photo on his recent Great Midwest Makeout Tour.jesse_rawJohnson took this photo at Famous Neons Unplugged, a bar in Cincinnati, Ohio. This was also taken on Johnson's recent tour.sammie_rawJohnson met this woman while celebrating his birthday at a Veterans Of Foreign Wars Hall. since_her_birthdayHere's what Johnson looks like.selfp_6115

SEE ALSO: Gorgeous Photos Of Nomads Who Spend Nearly Their Entire Lives At Sea

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HAPPY BASTILLE DAY! Here Are The 7 Reasons You Should Teach Your Children To Speak French

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melissa theuriau

The New Republic's John McWhorter recently came out with an essay on why we should stop pretending French is an important language.

The piece comes in response to a New York Times article about a new initiative from the French government to increase the amount of French instruction in American schools.

To be sure, it's a little heavy handed for a foreign government to be attempting to quasi-infiltrate another country's education system.

But here's why McWhorter's wrong, and why everyone should learn French, even if this guy's the one telling you to do it: 

1)  For English speakers, French is the easiest language to learn.

You may have heard it's Spanish. That cannot possibly be true though, because English is actually the mutant stepchild of German and French, and it got most of its genes from its Gallic side. In fact for several centuries French was the official language of the English court. The list of English words with French roots is basically infinite.  

2)  And learning French makes learning Spanish way easier. 

If you're reading this, we probably don't need to spell out all the socioeconomic benefits that come with learning a second language. We again assume America's natural inclination is to learn Spanish (we'll exclude Chinese). Since French and Spanish are the mutant step children of Latin, you can practically cut out a step if you ever decide to take up Spanish. And If you already know Spanish, it requires very little effort to make the jump to French. 

3)  All over Europe, French is still the main second language taught in school.

Forget about the Nordic countries, who've consciously abandoned their own languages for English — their languages were never important to begin with. When I lived in France, I found it impossible to communicate with the kids from Italy, China, Japan, and Mexico in anything other than French. Nor was English an option when I traveled to Poland and the Czech Republic. 

Here is how the French government defines what it calls "the sphere of French language." It's much larger than you think:

francophonie

4)  If you want to understand modern China and Russia, you need to know French.

guillotine

For all the good stuff it led to, the French Revolution gave the world its first glimpse at totalitarianism. The Russian Revolution of 1917 was basically an attempt to reenact that part of the French Revolution. And Mao's Communist revolution in China was basically an attempt to reenact the Russian Revolution. This is why Alexis de Tocqueville's book on the tragedy recently became a best-seller. Yeah, you can get it in English. But translations suck — and who is going to do the translations in the first place if we run out of French speakers?

5)  Half of Africa speaks French.

To continue on the China point: As you've probably heard, Chinese corporations have begun flooding into Africa, where deals are cheap and resources are abundant. French speaking countries, Algeria top among them, comprise a significant chunk of that investment. Half of the top-10 fastest growing countries in Africa have French as an official language. We can thus expect Africa to be an increasing focus of global trade and international relations.

6)  Americans still hear French all the time.

jean dejuardin

If you live in New York or Washington, you probably catch snippets of French conversation on the subway all the time. Ever wanted to be treated like an American hero? Give out directions to a lost French tourist family in their own language.  

It also pops up in movies and TV shows. Knowing I spoke French, one of the first things my family asked me after seeing "Wolf of Wall Street" was what Jean DuJardin and Leo DiCaprio were saying to each other in the Geneva negotiation scene. 

7)  French politics is the greatest show in news.

Hollande

Regularly reading the news can get depressing. The best cure for this, which your child will come to appreciate, is reading news out of France. Nothing too terrible ever really happens there these days. As a result, the French end up putting themselves in absurd situations to make life more interesting. You may have heard French President Francois Hollande was recently caught leaving his attractive actress mistress' house wearing a ridiculous motorcycle helmet. In the U.S., this would have resulted in scandal. In France, this resulted in a resurgence in Hollande's popularity.

Bottom line: For relatively minimal effort, you can learn a second language that will allow you to access useful, important and entertaining stuff.


NOW: Learn Chinese In 10 Minutes

 

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Richard Branson Explains Why He Stopped Eating Beef

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richard branson

Virgin Group billionaire Richard Branson took to his blog last week to announce he's decided to cut out red meat from his diet. 

He explains that the choice was made out of a concern for the environment. 

"Meat consumption today contributes to global warming and environmental degradation," Branson wrote. "It’s estimated that 14.5% of global man-made greenhouse gas emissions come from livestock – which is more than the contribution from all forms of transport. Beef production makes up 41% of those emissions."

He goes on to explain that cattle farming can be a big drain on natural resources — for example, a 2010 study by UNESCO showed that it takes 1,799 gallons of water just to produce one pound of beef. Deforestation in the Amazon is increasing, and 80% of that deforested land is used for cattle farming.

Branson isn't the first public figure to encourage a move away from meat. 

Beyond Meat, a startup that creates synthetic meat out of a plant-based protein, has earned investments from Bill Gates and Twitter cofounders Biz Stone and Evan Williams. Some restaurants in New York City and other major cities are creating dishes with insects, which are believed to be a good source of protein.

Raising grass-fed cattle in a pasture instead of a warehouse could also help reduce the consumption of resources, according to Branson.

"Cattle and other livestock don’t have to be environmentally harmful. Cows, pigs, sheep and chickens did not evolve to be shoved in a large, dark warehouse and pumped full of feed. Grass-fed cattle raised on pasture need much smaller resource inputs," he wrote.

He said that the change has had a positive impact on his well-being.

"I feel healthier, more active and by making my diet more varied I never feel like I’m missing out on anything," he wrote. "Stopping eating beef has also had a knock-on effect on the rest of my diet, and I am eating less. "

SEE ALSO: The Fabulous Life Of Sir Richard Branson

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The Best Advice That College Students Never Hear

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collegeCollege students hear the same advice over and over, from the importance of going to office hours to the need for extracurriculars. 

Yet there are some useful pieces of unconventional advice that often go unsaid. On a recent Quora thread, users responded to the question, "What is some advice that most college students are not ever likely to hear?" 

We've summarized some of the best advice below.

If you have any interest in mathematics, engineering, or the hard sciences, now is the time to explore it. "Many subjects you can study in college — like history, literature, languages, business, law, or art — are also subjects you could learn later, through personal or professional experience, or through independent reading."

However, STEM subjects tend to be best mastered in college, where you have teachers and classmates to help you work through difficult problems. "If you don't tackle them now, the odds are strongly against you ever doing so in the future."

You can't just learn these hard skills through casual reading. They are much easier to learn in a classroom setting with specialized equipment and instruction. Also, these subjects are good to know whether you want a career in them or even if you just want the intellectual satisfaction. Mark Binfield

Adjust your schedule around when YOU are the most productive and creative. While most people would advise you to do your work first thing after class, in the end, you know what's best for you. "If you're nocturnal and do your best work late at night, embrace that. It may be the only time in your life when you can," writes former MIT admissions counselor Ben Jones in blog post, which is referenced in the Quora thread.

Even if you feel like you're most productive the hour before your assignment is due, embrace it. You don't need to listen to others when they tell you to be more organized or plan better. Different things work for different people. —Daniel Wetterstrom

Don't be afraid to take time off.Many students are ashamed of leaving for a year, because it implies they couldn't handle the rigors of school or had to take a break to discover themselves. Yet these days, gap years are becoming increasingly popular.

In fact, most students find their time off to be one of their best college experiences. They can use it to pursue internships, travel the world, live independently, and do what really matters to them. It can help you discover what you want to do after graduation and also provide you with some cool stories to share. —Edgar Wang

The Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns applies to your GPA, too.Of course, you should maintain a respectable GPA, but know that once you cross 3.5, it matters less and less. The difference between an A and an A- is not worth you endlessly poring over a textbook instead of spending valuable time with friends or working on extracurricular activities. The amount of energy needed to get perfect grades could be put to better use. —Marli Creese

Take advantage of this time to become the most amazing version of yourself.You can think of college as an incubation period, where you can develop your skills and character. You are likely never going to have as many resources, like-minded peers, free hours, and opportunities as you do in college again — so use them wisely. —Ching Ho

Leave your door open in the residence hall.It's one of the best ways to spontaneously meet people and show you are open to new friendships. "Better yet, walk into open doors you see on your hall. Everyone is just as scared as you are and will be excited to make new friends!" —Chelsea Hunersen

Focus on your relationships more than your studies.With the plethora of free information available online, you can always learn about something later. However, you will probably never again have the opportunity to be surrounded by so many like-minded people who you can stay connected with for years to come. College is a great opportunity to build lifetime relationships, so make the most of it. —Rob Edell

Make a new music playlist every month. "In college, more than ever before, songs will attach themselves to memories," says Jones. You should make a new mix CD or mp3 folder just to document whatever phase of life you are currently in. "Ten years out, they'll be as effective as a journal in taking you back to your favorite moments."

Another great piece of advice is to take a lot of pictures. They'll be fun to hold onto and look at in years to come. —Daniel Wetterstrom 

Recognize that it's OK to be sad. With all the pressure of college becoming the best four years of your life, it's hard to admit when you're not happy. However, college is also a major time of transition. For some people, it's the first time they are away from their friends and family and have to find themselves in a completely new environment.

You will probably be lonely at times, and sometimes feel overwhelmed, but it doesn't mean your college experience is any worse than anyone else's. In fact, these are growing experiences that will probably be most valuable to you later on. —Meredith Winn

Be intentional in your friendships.It's easy to just latch on to the first friends you make in the beginning of freshman year, but this isn't always the best idea. "Decide what you are looking for in a friend, and then find people with those qualities and seek out time with them. You won't magically find your best friend." Be nice to everyone, but when you find a friendship you truly want to pursue, do so unabashedly. —Meredith Winn

Don't watch TV. "When you're living on a college campus with 400 things going on every second of every day, watching TV is pretty much a waste of your time and a waste of your parents' money," says Jones. If you're going to watch, at least watch with friends, so you can create memories and make a valuable social experience out of it. —Daniel Wetterstrom

Understand that the biggest cause of roommate conflicts is a failure to communicate. If you don't start being honest with each other early, it only gets harder in the future. A great thing to do is to create a roommate contract in the beginning of the year, so you can be clear about your responsibilities and make sure you are on the same page about what is and isn't allowed in the room. Chelsea Hunersen

Don't be too quick to specialize. "The problem with specialization is that it makes you into a specialist. It cuts you off, not only from everything else in the world, but also from everything else in yourself," says William Deresiewicz ina talk he delivered at Stanford. —Arsène Hodali

Build yourself, not your resume.Many students will do extracurriculars or gain leadership positions just because they want to impress future employers. However, if they focus more on developing themselves as strong, well-rounded people, they will be far more memorable in interviews and in the working world. Vishal Agrawal

Don't wait to figure out your life after college — start now.Spend time thinking about who you are and what you eventually want out of life. Do something ambitious and difficult before you even feel ready — don't put it off just because the career world seems too far away.

"The only way you will find out what truly matters to you is by viewing your college experience as your opportunity to take risks, put yourself in uncomfortable situations, and diverge from your peers with the goal to identify the areas of life that you want your life to be about." At the same time, make sure you are embracing the present and not living entirely in the future.Michael W Ellison

Make time for yourself.While it is tempting to always surround yourself with people, alone time will become extremely important to you in college. Carve out some time to reflect and think about how you are doing. —Meredith Winn

Spend some time learning how to communicate. You're better off learning how to speak and write clearly and concisely than you are in learning a bit more about your major through an extra class. "Learning how to think critically, apply sound logic, and develop solid conclusions is the most valuable skill of all."Craig Humphreys

Don't be proud of your college — make your college proud to have you. Many students fail to go the extra mile, and a frequent regret is that they didn't contribute more to their college campus while they had the chance. Try to be one of those students that your professors and classmates will remember in years to come. Make an impact.Debarghya Das

SEE ALSO: How Procrastinating Can Make You More Productive

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The 10 Best Baby Strollers On The Market

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Safety, comfort, and convenience are all necessities when buying a baby stroller, but it can be difficult to find a stroller with all three of those things for a decent price.

With help from our friends at FindTheBest, we compiled a list of the best baby strollers on the market right now. To create this list, FindTheBest compiled a Smart Ranking based on four consumer review sites: Amazon, Strollers.com, Epinions, and Buzzillions. 

dream on me double stroller10. Dream On Me Side By Side Double ($94)

The Side by Side Double Stroller from Dream On Me has important features like a canopy, storage basket, hand break, and reclining seats to keep both you and your child comfortable. Keep in mind, however, that the double stroller is only built to carry 26.5 pounds total, which is slightly lower than average. 

9. BOB Sports Utility Duallie ($424)

The BOB Sports Utility Duallie is built for the active family, with stability designed for all terrain jogging. The stroller can support about 100 pounds, with plenty of space for your kids and baggage in the storage basket underneath. 

8. Baby Jogger City Select ($389)

The Baby Jogger City Select is special for its convertible seating which allows for a ton of different adjustments, and even expands to be a double or triple as your family grows. The stroller is all terrain with shock absorbers to ensure a smooth ride, but is not intended for jogging. 

7. BOB Strides Duallie ($552)

The BOB Strides Duallie is another double fitness stroller in the jogging and all-terrain category. Its one front wheel helps navigate so that the clunky stroller doesn't get in your way as you run, but it comes with a hefty price tag. 

Graco Lite-Rider

6. Chicco S3 All-Terrain ($430)

As a single jogging stroller, the Chicco S3 All-Terrain is built for durability and comfort. It has puncture resistant tires to maintain smooth rides, as well as a reversible insert with either fleece or a breezy knit to keep your baby happy no matter what the weather. 

5. Graco LiteRider ($70)

The Graco LiteRider is a bargain and the cheapest stroller on our list. It is lightweight, can be folded with one hand, and features both child and parent cupholders and trays. 

4. Graco Ipo ($84)

The Graco Ipo is lightweight at only 20 pounds, easily folds and compacts, and comes with a carrying strap so you aren't inconvenienced when your child doesn't feel like being in his or her stroller. This stroller can hold up to 50 pounds. 

3. Graco Alano Classic Connect Travel System ($125)

The Graco Alano Classic Connect Travel System comes with both a stroller and a car seat. Both items have five point harnesses to keep baby safe, whether driving in the car or walking on-the-go. 

2. BOB ST1001 ($325)

ironman stroller

If you're an adventurous parent who likes to take your baby with you on your journeys, the BOB ST1001 is a great stroller for hiking and jogging in all-terrain environments. Its strong tires and comfortably padded seating will keep the ride smooth. It also comes with a diaper bag as an added bonus. 

1. BOB Ironman ($300)

The BOB Ironman gets its name from being the official stroller of the Ironman Triathlon. As you can imagine, it's built to keep up with athletic parents, whether jogging lightly or really training hard.  

SEE ALSO: The Best Coffee Maker You Can Buy

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