The holiday shopping season is upon us with Black Friday just around the corner.

For those shoppers planning to hit the stores over the holiday, we have compiled a complete list of opening times on Thanksgiving and Black Friday that have been announced to date.

Thanksgiving Day:

• 6 a.m.: Kmart
• 7 a.m.: Big Lots, Dollar General
• 8 a.m.: Family Dollar, RadioShack
• 4 p.m.: Michael's, Old Navy, hhgregg
• 5 p.m.: Toys R Us, JCPenney, Best Buy, Dick's Sporting Goods
  
• 6 p.m.: Walmart, Macy's, Sears, Kohl's, Target, Belk, Staples, Sports Authority, Victoria's Secret, Office Depot/OfficeMax

Black Friday:

• 12 a.m.: GameStop,
  
• 5 a.m. Home Depot, Lowe's
• 6 a.m.: Big Lots, Staples, Sports Authority, Victoria's Secret
• 7 a.m.: PetSmart, Michaels, T.J. Maxx, Sam's Club, Marshalls, hhgregg
• 8 a.m.: RadioShack, Best Buy, Banana Republic, Office Depot/OfficeMax
• 9 a.m.: Costco

Most retailers that are opening on Thanksgiving will remain open overnight. Here's some more information on the schedules for each retailer:

• Belk: Open 6 p.m. Thanksgiving to 10 p.m. Black Friday
• Big Lots: Open 7 a.m. to midnight on Thanksgiving. 10 p.m. Will reopen 6 a.m. on Black Friday.
• Best Buy: Open 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Thanksgiving. Will reopen 8 a.m. on Black Friday and close at 10 p.m.
• Costco: Open 9 a.m. Black Friday
• Dick's Sporting Goods: Open 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day
• Dollar General: Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Will reopen on Black Friday.
• GameStop: Open 12 a.m. Black Friday
• hhgregg: Open 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Thanksgiving. Will reopen 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Black Friday.
• Home Depot: Open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Black Friday 
• JCPenney: Open 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day to 11 p.m. Black Friday
• Kmart: Open 6 a.m. Thanksgiving Day and will remain open for 42 straight hours 
• Kohl's: Open 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Day to midnight Black Friday
• Lowe's: Open 5 a.m. Black Friday 
• Macy's: Open 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Day to 10 p.m. Black Friday 
• Marshalls: Open 7 a.m. Black Friday
• Michael's: Open 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Thanksgiving into Black Friday. Will reopen at 7 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. on Black Friday.
• Office Depot/OfficeMax: Open 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Will reopen at 8 a.m. on Black Friday.
• Old Navy: Open 4 p.m. Thanksgiving Day to 11 p.m. Black Friday.
• PetSmart: Open 7 a.m. Black Friday
• RadioShack: Open 8 a.m. to noon on Thanksgiving. Will reopen 8 a.m. om Black Friday.
• Sam's Club: Open 7 a.m. Black Friday
• Sears: Open 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Day to 10 p.m. Black Friday 
• Sports Authority: Open 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. Thanksgiving. Will reopen 6 a.m. Black Friday.
• Staples: Open 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Will reopen 6 a.m. on Black Friday.
• Target: Open 6 p.m. Thanksgiving to midnight Black Friday
• T.J. Maxx: Open 7 a.m. Black Friday
• Toys R Us: Open 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day to 11 p.m. Black Friday
• Victoria's Secret: Open 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Thanksgiving. Will reopen 6 a.m. on Black Friday.
• Walmart: Open 6 p.m. Thanksgiving through Black Friday

SEE ALSO: 25 Items That Are Cheaper At Whole Foods

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America's newest health trend is really an ancient one: Bone broth.

Proponents of the savory solution say it does everything from draw out toxins to sooth digestion and erase wrinkles. New Yorkers are shelling out up to $9 for to-go cups of the stuff.

In reality, the seemingly magical elixir is really just plain old broth with one added detail: the bones used to make it are slow-roasted, a process that is supposed to draw out nutrients.

But do a few extra hours of cooking and fresh ingredients make this stuff worth $9? We took a look at all of the purported benefits of bone broth so you can decide before you sip.

1. Detoxing

Bone broth fans say it helps rid the body of harmful toxins, the type that supposedly build up over a night of drinking or months of eating too much processed food.

Thankfully for us, our bodies come pre-equipped with their own natural detox system. While our kidneys filter our blood and remove any wastes from our diet, our liver processes medications and detoxifies any chemicals we ingest. Paired together, our bodies are natural cleansing powerhouses.

"Unless there's a blockage in one of these organs that do it day and night, there's absolutely no need to help the body get rid of toxins,” family physician Ranit Mishori of the Georgetown University School of Medicine, who has spent years reviewing the medical literature on cleanses, told NPR.

2. Getting Back To Our Roots 

As with advocates of the paleo diet — which excludes dairy, grains, and processed foods — bone broth fans say our cave-dwelling ancestors used the elixir to get all the nutrients they needed without any of the processed junk we eat today. Unfortunately for them, there's almost no archaeological evidence to support this idea. While there is limited evidence that early humans cooked food in containers— either inside holes in the ground or early versions of pots — there's no proof that they used them even to make soup, let alone as specific a concoction as bone broth.

Our paleolithic predecessors probably did cook bones, but the broth wasn't their main goal. "I was not aware that 'bone broths' became recently popular," Claire St-Germain, who manages the bone library at the Université de Montréal and studied bone broths for her anthropology master's, told us in an email. "Their main goal was the grease production."

Indeed, researchers have found evidence that cave-dwelling humans, who dined primarily on animal meat and needed fat to supplement their diets, heated bones to squeeze out their greasy, fatty innards.

3. Delivering Key Nutrients

One of the main ingredients in bone broth that makes it a “superfood,” according to its fans, is proline, an amino acid that helps repair tissues and maintain blood pressure. However, as long as you eat enough protein (and most Americans are actually eating too much), you don't need any additional proline.

That's why it's classified as "non-essential" — because the body makes it on its own.

Another one of bone broth's "power nutrients" is glycine, an amino acid that is a building block of collagen, the connective tissue that makes up your skin and tendons, and creatine, which helps you build muscle. Again, your body makes glycine all by itself. Any extra glycine, as with anything you eat that you don't use, just ends up in your urine.

4. Soothing Tummy Troubles

The gelatin in bone broths is believed to coat the small intestine, preventing toxins from leaking out into the body and re-establishing a colony of healthy gut microbes. There is some limited evidence that this actually works, at least in animals.

A recent study in mice with acute colitis, for example, found that rodents given a gelatin powder for seven days stopped losing weight. The lining of their intestine, which had been depleted by the disease, also appeared to regenerate enough to be seen under a microscope. When the researchers examined the mice given a placebo instead of the gelatin, they didn't see any alleviation of their symptoms.

Because no equivalent studies have been done in people, it's probably wise to hold off on jumping on the gelatin bandwagon for now, especially because powder is a much more concentrated form of the stuff than broth.

In the meantime, eating foods containing probiotics — like yogurt, miso soup, and some soft cheeses — might help soothe the stomach by re-establishing the balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut. Even then, it's unlikely that a one-size-fits-all bacterial mix like those found in yogurt would be equally helpful to our wide variety of microbiomes.

5. Erasing Wrinkles

Collagen is a component of bone that also keeps our skin looking soft and supple. Many of the foods we eat, from dark leafy vegetables to nuts, fish, and beans, contain ingredients that help the body produce collagen naturally.

Because our bodies produce it on their own, eating it directly probably won't have much of an impact. As with glycine, too much collagen is simply excreted by the body.

NOW WATCH: Here's How To Cook The Perfect Turkey In 90 Minutes Flat

SEE ALSO: New Yorkers Are Dropping $9 On Paper Cups Of 'Bone Broth'

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Last year, Business Insider surveyed local readers to find out how they felt about other New Yorkers. Staten Island took a beating in the polls.

Named New Yorkers' least favorite part of the city (despite being the third-largest borough), it scored big in the following categories: worst food, least attractive people, and most aggravating to travel to for a party. Thirty-four percent of participants said they would sell Staten Island to New Jersey.

Needless to say, Staten Island gets a bad rap. 

And yet, families have chosen to live in New York's "forgotten borough" for generations and generations. Rent.com named it the second-best area in America for couples. If Staten Islanders love Staten Island, why shouldn't any other New Yorker?

We recently spent the day there to uncover the borough's hidden gems. While we weren't quite convinced to pack up and move there, it's a fantastic place to spend a day.

Staten Island has a less-than-stellar reputation, especially among its cosmopolitan neighbors. From the garbage dumps to the lack of public transportation, it's easy to forget all the great things the Island has to offer. Even New Jerseyans wouldn't take the borough if it were offered to them.

The white dotted line indicates the New York/New Jersey border. 

But on a recent day trip to the island, I was blown away by the variety of activities located within a 20-minute drive of the ferry station. Any outdoorsperson, sports fan, pizza lover, or history buff will find something worthwhile.

For starters, the Staten Island Ferry runs for free between lower Manhattan and Staten Island's North Shore, sells beer on board, and offers excellent views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and at least three bridges on a clear day.

With the traveling, planning, and making small talk with your mother-in-law, we're sure you forgot a thing or two this Thanksgiving.

But don't stress. 

Insider Picks has put together a list of all the utensils you'll need this holiday. Whether its basting brushes or a good carving board, we've got what you need here.

Stainless Steel Roasting Pan With Rack

Cuisinart 7117-16UR Chef's Classic Stainless 16-Inch Rectangular Roaster

Price: $110.00 $50.99

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Turkey Brining Bag

Norpro 276 Brining Bag

Price: $8.46

Rating: 4 Stars

2 Jumbo Roasting Oven Bags

Turkey Baster Set

Norpro 5898 Stainless Steel Baster

Price: $9.20 

Rating: 4.5 Stars

HIC Baster Set

Twine

Leigh Group 530X Jute Twine

Price: $4.35

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Rope King ST-300 Sisal Twine

Basting Brush

Set of 3 Silicone Basting Brushes

Price: $6.42 

Rating: 4.5 Stars

GrillPro 41090 2-Piece Silicone Basting Brush

Carving Knife

Wusthof Classic 2-Piece Hollow Ground Carving Set

Price: $275.00$99.95

Rating: 5 Stars

Ginsu 2-Piece Bakelite Carving Knife Set

Gravy Boat

HIC 24-Ounce Porcelain Hotel Gravy Boat

Price: $20.29

Rating: 4.5 Stars

2 Jumbo Roasting Oven Bags

Trivets

Old Dutch Red Oblong Trivet, 9 3/4 by 6 inch.

Price: $10.32

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Oggi Stainless Steel Expandable Trivet (up to 28-inch)

Turkey Lifters

Norpro 2-Piece Stainless Steel Turkey Lifter

Price: $9.73

Rating: 4 Stars

RSVP Endurance Stainless Steel

Meat Thermometer

Epica Ultra Fast Digital Meat Thermometer

Price:$29.95$18.95

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Weber 6492 Original Instant-Read Thermometer

Price: $13.32$12.74

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Kitchen Timer

Wrenwane Digital Timer

Price: $19.99$12.97

Rating: 4 Stars

West Bend Digital Timer

Pie Server

Farberware Professional Stainless Steel Pie Server

Price: $13.99$6.76

Rating: 4.5 Stars

OXO Steel Pie Server

Good Carving Board

Madiera Mario Batali M-04 Edge Grain Carving Board

Price: $46.49

Rating: 4.5 Stars

J.K. Adams Maple Wood Double Sided Carving Board

Over Roasters (for sides)

CorningWare French White 2 Piece 4-Quart Covered Oval Roaster

Price: $34.99$30.35

Rating: 4 Stars

Pyrex Bakeware 2-Quart Oval Roaster

Gravy Separator

OXO Good Grips 4-Cup Fat Separator

Price: $14.99 $14.95

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Trudeau 0991105 Gravy/Fat Separator

Potato Peeler

UberChef Ultra Sharp Stainless Steel Peeler

Price: $19.95 $10.95

Rating: 5 Stars

OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler

Pie Crust Shield

R&M Non-Stick Pie Crust Shield

Price: $7.68

Rating: 4 Stars

Norpro Silicone Pie Crust Shield

Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments

SEE ALSO: This Smartphone Breathalyzer Will Keep You From Embarrassing Yourself At The Company Party [14% Off]

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If you've decided on a new Xbox One console as a holiday gift, next up, you'll want games, and maybe other stuff like controllers.

Microsoft has launched a Black Friday web page with a round up of deals from its own online store and others like these:

• Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag, $35
• Forza Motorsport 5 Game of the Year Edition: $30
• NBA LIVE 15: $33
• Xbox One Wireless Controller: $39 (Walmart, Best Buy, Target).

Plus the page lists Xbox deals from stores like Target (like getting a "Halo: Master Chief Collection" $15 Gift Card for $60),  Toys R Us (buy a game, get another fpr 40% off), Best Buy, Gamestop, and others.

And, if you haven't decided between an Xbox and a Sony Playstation (or maybe a Wii U?), retailers are offering Black Friday bargains on those consoles, and games for them, too, including Target, Game Stop, Best Buy, and Toys R Us.

Here's the Xbox Black Friday web page for your shopping pleasure.

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Chip Conley, head of hospitality for Airbnb, has high hopes for the short-term rental site. 

According to Fortune, at a recent executive retreat he told Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky his 10-year goal was for the company to eventually win the Nobel Peace Prize.

By staying in someone's home instead of a hotel, travelers are learning more about other cultures than would otherwise be possible, he says.  

"A lot of times, we tend to villainize the other," Conley told Fortune. "But when people are traveling, getting to know others, and turning strangers into friends, we create a world where there are a lot fewer people who seem alien to us."

It's an interesting goal for a company that has seen problems like illegal squatters, orgies, and thousands of dollars in property damage. 

Conley, who previously founded the Joie de Vivre hotel group and still owns 18 hotels, defended Airbnb from the controversy.

"Will there occasionally be activities that are abhorrent on the site? Yeah, but I’m really proud of our trust and safety team," he said. 

NOW WATCH: Your Facebook App Is Quietly Clogging Up Your iPhone

SEE ALSO: The Best Airbnb Rentals In 18 Big Cities Around The US

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Applying hair product isn't that difficult — we promise.

Though each product requires a different application method, that shouldn't worry you.

We're here to take the mystery out of applying our recommended products of hair wax, pomade, and styling cream so you can style your own hair just like a pro.

1. Hair Wax — for effortlessly styled hair with the least amount of shine

Applying hair wax is probably the most difficult of all the recommended products since it has the least amount of water. For that reason, it's recommended that you apply the product to damp, towel-dried hair so it's easier to massage in.

First, scoop out a dime-sized amount with your index finger and spread it through your fingers by rubbing your hands together. Then massage it into your hair by running your fingers through it.

Finally, manipulate your hair into the your desired style and allow your hair to dry.

The freedom that hair wax allows is one of its best attributes. If a strong gust of wind puts your hair out of place, simply wet your fingers again and restyle at any point during the day. 

2. Pomade — for hairstyles requiring a lot of hold and a lot of shine

Pomade is a different animal than hair wax and works better on dry hair. Applying pomade instead of hair wax will give you a shiny finish and superior hold for a classic "Mad Men"-style.

Scoop a marble-sized amount of pomade and run it through your hands. Massage the pomade into your hair from root to tip. This is very important since you don't want the pomade to sit "on top" of your hair, but instead be equally distributed.

Then, use a fine-toothed comb to style your hair into its desired position.

3. Styling Cream — for a natural look and hydrated locks

Styling cream is the easiest product to use since it's very manageable in most hair types (and is especially useful for men with curly and/or longer hair). Applying it to damp hair works best, but dry hair can work well, too.

Just dab a dime-sized drop of product onto your palms and rub them together. Then run your hands through your hair from back to front, making sure to cover your stands as evenly as possible.

Use your fingers or a comb to style as desired.

Find out which of these three hair products is best for you here.

SEE ALSO: 15 Things Every Modern Gentleman Should Have In His Bathroom

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Keurig's newest coffee brewer was expected to be a top-selling item this holiday season, but it might end up alienating the company's loyal customers.

The new $189 machine, called Keurig 2.0, launched in August and it has already racked up hundreds of scathing online reviews from unhappy customers.

"This machine is a total waste of money and I will not be a party to lining Keurig's greedy pockets by keeping it," one customer wrote on Amazon. "I've been happy with Keurig in the past, but this model is going back and I will find another manufacturer to purchase from."

Unlike Keurig's single-serve machine, Keurig 2.0 can make up to 30 ounces of coffee at once using a K-Cup that's about twice the size of its traditional coffee pods. 

Many customers are upset that unlike other Keurig brewers, the new machine doesn't accept non-Keurig brand K-Cups. A box of eight carafe-size Keurig K-Cups costs about $15.

"If you don't mind zip-tying your hands behind your back when browsing your grocery store for K-Cups, then the 2.0 is for you," one reviewer wrote. "Feel like supporting Keurig's tactical attempt to increase the price of these little coffee pods? Or maybe you just need Keurig to lighten your wallet every week? Enjoy your new and unimproved brewer that does less for more of your money."

Others complained that the machine doesn't work well. 

"Heats up slowly. Brews slowly. Doesn't make good coffee," wrote on reviewer. "This new system has effectively undone all the great benefits of the old machines."

Out of 533 Amazon reviews, more than half gave the machine a 1-star rating. Overall, the machine's average rating is 2.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Retailers were hoping that the new machine would boost holiday sales.

"There are countless retail legends about the [holiday] season being saved by a Salad Shooter, Fry Baby or similar item that was must-have in December and can’t-find by the following March," Warren Shoulberg wrote earlier this year in the industry newsletter The Robin Report. "And certainly, big-box stores [such as Target and Wal-Mart] still nostalgically recall the heyday of the single greatest selling small electrics product of all time: The George Foreman Lean Mean Grilling Machine."

More than 100 million George Foreman grills have sold since 1994, according to Foreman's book, Knockout Entrepreneur, which was published in 2009. A 2002 New York Times article called the grill "the largest-selling household appliance in the history of the world. Ever."

"Retailers would kill for another Foreman Grill," Shoulberg writes. "They are hoping Keurig 2.0 is it."

Keurig Green Mountain has also put a lot of stock in the success of its new machine. 

"Retailers are very excited about the launch of Keurig 2.0, and have been very supportive by highlighting the product with advertising, promotion, and merchandising, as we move through the holiday season," Keurig CEO Brian Kelley said during an earnings call Wednesday. 

The brewer is "by far the largest and most significant product launch we’ve ever accomplished," he said.

Two years ago, the company launched another machine that made larger servings called The Vue, and it never caught on.

Shoulberg blames The Vue's failure on the fact that "It was expensive [and] it didn’t have the endless choice of flavors and blends the single-serve machines offer."

The Keurig 2.0 has some new customizable options that allow users to adjust the temperature and strength of each batch of coffee. The machine also remembers preferences with the touch of a "favorite" button and it still has the capacity to brew smaller batches using regular-sized K-Cups.

SEE ALSO: How To Get Free Refills At Starbucks

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This stunning footage was captured on a daredevil's helmet-mounted camera as he flies the famous 'Bispen line', down the 1462m mountain of the same name.

Produced by Devan Joseph. Video courtesy of Associated Press.

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Thousands of North Koreans gathered in Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on Tuesday to show their support for their government's rejection of a recent UN resolution on human rights in North Korea.

Kim Ki Nam, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Worker's Party of Korea told the assembled crowd: "Our army and people will launch their fiercest and most intense battle on record to crush mercilessly the heinous and frenzied human rights racket against Korea."

Last week North Korea threatened to bolster its war capability and conduct a fourth nuclear test to cope with what it calls US hostility that led to the approval of the landmark UN resolution on its human rights violations.

A UN committee adopted the resolution last Tuesday - which was drafted by the European Union and Japan - urging the Security Council to refer the North's human rights situation to the International Criminal Court.

It's the first time a UN resolution included the idea that Pyongyang's absolute leader Kim Jong Un could be targeted by prosecutors.

Produced by Devan Joseph. Video courtesy of Associated Press.

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From cronuts to ramen burgers, New Yorkers are no strangers to food crazes. But the latest — a much-hyped, artisanal "bone broth" that's said to have some health benefits — is stranger than most.

To be clear, what we're talking about is standard broth, like the kind found in any soup. But the savory liquid is having a moment: high-priced, locally sourced, organic versions are now available for purchase, and it's even a staple of the Lakers' diet.

Broth is also the star menu item at Brodo, a new East Village takeout window from "Next Iron Chef" alum and Hearth owner Marco Canora, who has taken the ancient food and made it trendy, offering it in a various flavors and slow-roasting the bones. He's selling it in cardboard coffee cups, which cost $4 for a small and up to $9 for a large.

Canora has also made some steep claims about the benefits bone broth, writing a column for Vice titled "I Was an Insane Chef Until I Started Drinking Broth." While there are no proven effects from drinking it, proponents say broth does everything from drawing out toxins to soothing digestion and erasing wrinkles.

Billed as winter's answer to the legendary "green juice," we knew we had to try it as soon as possible.

The Brodo Window

Despite the ample media coverage of Brodo's broths, there was only one mother and child ordering in front of us at lunch time on a recent weekday. (The child had no interest in his own cup of broth.)

We ordered at the door where Canora himself was doling out his broths in takeaway cups that look exactly like to-go coffee cups. There are just three flavors of broth on the menu, beef, chicken, and a blend of beef, chicken, and turkey broths called "hearth broth."

Broth all by itself sounded a little too plain, so we asked Canora to add the mix-ins he thought went best with the various flavors. We ended up with organic chicken broth with beet kvass (fermented beet juice), hearth broth with ginger juice, and beef broth with turmeric.

Since we ordered three broths, we were offered a coffee carrier for easy transport. It seemed clear Brodo was aiming to supplant coffee in New Yorkers' winter weekday routine.

Other add-ins we could have chosen included calabrian chili oil, shiitake mushroom tea, and Keith's organic garlic. Each of the add-ins cost an extra 75 cents. 

Organic Chicken Broth With Beet Kvass

The chicken broth with beet kvass didn't look like broth — it had a deep red beet color instead of the usual pale brown. This broth had a nice, delicate chicken-y flavor that mixed well with the beet kvass.

The taste was reminiscent of a good chicken soup, which was very comforting on a cold day.

Beef Broth With Turmeric 

The beef broth was by far our least favorite — even the balance of turmeric wasn't enough to fix it. It had an unpleasant taste that was reminiscent of meat, but not in a good way, and was hard to sip on.

We ended up throwing this one away almost completely unfinished, as neither of us could stomach it.

Hearth Broth With Ginger Juice

Hearth was probably the most flavorful broth on its own, but the ginger add-in was completely overwhelming. Too much ginger left the broth a bit hard to drink, and we struggled to get more than half of it down between the two of us.

Still, aside from the heaviness of the ginger, hearth ended up it had a great overall taste.

The Verdict

We did feel invigorated after drinking the broth, but it was probably just from the warmth of the liquid. 

Though bone broth is touted as a health food that can detox, soothe stomachs, stop wrinkles, and deliver key nutrients, there's so far very little scientific evidence to back up these claims. We'll admit that bone broth is more substantial than a cup of coffee; however, it still didn't taste like much more than meat-flavored water with fancy add-ins.

After trying all three, we both felt a little queasy. It did nothing to placate our before-lunch hunger and actually had the opposite effect. After the queasiness wore off, we immediately went out for cheeseburgers. 

Still, if we were looking for a warm pick-me-up while on the go, we could see ourselves grabbing a cup. Just not the beef flavor.

SEE ALSO: The Best New York City Restaurant For Every Kind Of Cuisine

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Increasingly known as the hipster capital of Germany, Berlin is home to its fair share of trendy bars, concept restaurants, and contemporary street art.

We rounded up 24 of the coolest new places the city has to offer, from a latex-only boutique to a swimming pool-turned-nightclub to a restaurant that doubles as a tattoo parlor.

For this list, we focused on Berlin-based businesses that opened within the past five years or so. Know a cool business we missed? Let us know in the comments.

25 Hours Hotel Bikini

Budapester Straße 40, 10787

What it is: A boutique hotel with a playful vibe.

Why it's cool: Despite the name, bikinis really have nothing to do with this quirky hotel, which has bicycles hanging from the ceiling. Guests who stay at this hotel can rent Mini Coopers (for free!), sample locally-distilled vodka in the lobby, and dine in the hotel's Neni Berlin restaurant, where you'll find standard items as well as unique offerings like currywurst, kombucha, smoothies, and a DIY coffee and tea station.

Basement 8 Salon

Spreewaldplatz 8, 10999

What it is: An underground barber shop.

Why it's cool: If you're looking for a hip place to change up your look, step into this converted basement, which serves as both a barber shop and an exhibition space, complete with a bar. Mirroring the vibe of the trendy Kreuzberg neighborhood, concrete walls contrast stylists' shiny equipment, and no hairstyle is too offbeat to try. We'd recommend deciding on a hairstyle before hitting the bar, though. 

Buck and Breck

Brunnenstrasse 177, 10119

What it is: A speakeasy with handcrafted cocktails.

Why it's cool: If you're in the mood for a low-key night, stop by this dark, intimate bar where the owners craft exquisite, historically-inspired cocktails. However, the tiny space has only 14 seats, so you better get there early — that is, if you can find the hidden door, disguised inside an art gallery.

Tons of people hate their jobs.

In America, job satisfaction hovers around 45%. In Europe, 60% of workers say they would choose a different career if they could start all over again. A recent global survey found that only 13% of people are actively excited about going to work in the morning. 

With this problem in mind, we put together a list of the best investigations into what makes work work by a range of psychologists, philosophers, venture capitalists, and other deep thinkers. 

We think it will help.

'Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work As A Pilgrimage Of Identity' by David Whyte

David Whyte is a poet turned consultant turned poet-consultant. His book "Crossing the Unknown Sea" is a gorgeously written inquiry into what role our jobs, careers, and overall work should have in our lives. 

The center of Whyte's argument is that your career is in fact a conversation — one that you have with yourself and with society. 

The book is full of sentence-long gems that immediately burrow themselves into your brain.

Such as: 

• "Good work, done well for the right reasons and with an end in mind, has always been a sign … of an inner and outer maturity."
• "Without some kind of fire at the center of the conversation, a sense of journey through work, life becomes just another strategic game plan, a way of pulling wool over the eyes of reality while we get our own way."
• "The genius of an individual lies in the inhabitation of their peculiar and particular spirit in conversation with the world."

Buy it here >

'Give And Take' by Adam Grant

We tend to think that you have to "take" what you need in order to thrive in the workplace. 

But that Darwinian outlook is totally misguided, if the decades of organizational psych research that Wharton professor Adam Grant synthesizes in "Give and Take" are to be trusted. 

It's an intuitive argument: opportunities flow through relationships, and people who genuinely want to benefit others will see the most opportunities over the long run. 

"If you're a giver, then you build quality relationships, and with those relationships you're exposed to opportunity over the long term," he told Business Insider. "You actually increase your own luck so far as you contribute things to other people." 

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'Daring Greatly' by Brené Brown

In "Daring Greatly," University of Houston sociologist Brené Brown detangles one of the most frowned-upon notions in our culture: vulnerability. 

And if you're in business, Brown says that you're exposed to vulnerability on an hourly basis.  

"Vulnerability is not weakness, and the uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure we face every day are not optional," she writes.

"Our only choice is a question of engagement," she says. "Our willingness to own and engage with our vulnerability determines the depth of our courage and the clarity of our purpose; the level to which we protect ourselves from being vulnerable is a measure of our fear and disconnection." 

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YouTube creators have become celebrities in their own right, accumulating millions of views and hordes of fans who follow them wherever they go.

According to a recent survey by Variety, teens worship YouTube stars even more than they love mainstream celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence or Selena Gomez.

We got a glimpse into the world of YouTube fandom when we attended Playlist Live, a three-day convention-style event for online video creators and fans.  

The event was insane, with thousands of teens waiting in crowded lines to get autographs and selfies with their favorite YouTube stars.

Plenty of high-pitched screaming was involved.

We arrived to the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, N.J. in the early afternoon on Saturday. The line to get in stretched down the block.

Playlist started in Orlando in 2011 as a three-day gathering for fans and creators of online video. This was the first Playlist event to be held in the Tri-State Area, so we weren't sure what to expect.

Thousands of teens had shown up to meet their favorite YouTube stars. The vast majority were girls who had come with friends or their moms.

It's flu season, and you're starting to feel under the weather — hopefully it's just a cold.

You may not feel particularly hungry, but could maybe get some chicken soup down.

But will it make you feel better? There's an old saying about this, but how does it go again, is it starve a fever and feed a cold, or the other way around?

There are plenty of folk sayings and "tips" about everything from staying healthy to avoiding a hangover. 

The only problem is that a lot of folk wisdom about health and nutrition is totally — or at least mostly — wrong.

Here's the truth behind some of the health claims you might hear someone make over the holidays.

Bundle up or you’ll catch a cold.

Sorry mom, but being physically cold isn't what gets you sick. There's no evidence that going outside with wet hair when it's freezing will make you sick — provided you avoid hypothermia.

There is a scientifically sound explanation for why people catch more colds in winter, though. Because we spend more time in close quarters indoors, it is more likely that we'll cross paths with a cold-causing virus spread from another person during the winter. 

The chemical tryptophan in turkey makes you sleepy.

Who doesn't love the post-Thanksgiving nap? Turkey contains tryptophan after all, an amino acid that is a component of some of the brain chemicals that help you relax.

But plenty of foods contain tryptophan. Cheddar cheese has even more than turkey — and cheddar is never pointed out as a sleep inducing food. Experts say that instead, the carbs, alcohol, and general size of the Turkey-day feast are the cause of those delicious holiday siestas. 

Taking your vitamins will keep you healthy.

Vitamins sound like a great idea. One pill that can provide you everything you need to be healthy!

If only they worked. Decades of research on vitamins reviews don't find any justification for our multivitamin habit, and in some cases, vitamins have actually been associated with an increased risk of various cancers.

A recent Quora post prompted the question, "What are some of the most mind-blowing facts that sound like 'BS', but are actually true?"

They might be hard to believe, but these facts about geography, people and events are in fact true. 

Produced by Justin Gmoser

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These days, flying commercially can sometimes be described as nothing more than a series of inconvenient events. According to a new study conducted by Bloomberg Businessweek, some airports are far more frustrating than others. 

Based on the Bloomberg study, it's clear that airports in America's major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago have a lot of work to do to improve their user experience. Flyers complained about the difficult commutes to the airport, mismanaged security lines, and a lack of amenities in the terminal.

Using a combination of data from a 39-question survey of 3000 frequent flyers, on-time arrival and departure data, along with a calculation of how easy or difficult it is to reach the facility, Bloomberg created what it calls "The Airport Frustration Index." Measured out of a maximum of 100, airports with with highest frustration index are the most...well, frustrating, while those with the lowest are the least. 

Of the 36 major North American airports included in Bloomberg's report, here are the 15 most frustrating for travelers.  As much as folks would be wise to avoid these airports, their presence on this list — in many respects — is due to their role as major regional or international hubs. Which makes them all but impossible to avoid for most travelers.

With that in mind, check out the list so you may have a better idea for what to expect when you arrive.

15. Kansas City International Airport (MCI)

Frustration Index: 54/100

Why it's frustrating: Kansas City International Airport makes Bloomberg's list at number 15 for two main reasons — airport amenities and poor on-time performance. MCI finished second to last in the survey in availability of retail (including food) and 12th from the bottom in on-time performance. In fact, only New York's LaGuardia finished with a poorer rating for its lacking retail options.

14. Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)

Frustration Index: 59.4

Why it's frustrating: Houston's George Bush Intercontinental airport cracks the list at number 14.  IAH finished the 15th worst for on-time performance, with only 75% of flights leaving on time. Although there were not any particularly glaring weaknesses in the overall airport experiences, none of IAH's attributes were rated particularly well, either. At only 38 minutes on average from Houston's city center, the airport actually has one of the easiest commutes on the list. 

13. Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)

Frustration Index: 62.1

Why it's frustrating: Ft. Lauderdale's International airport makes the list at number 13 due to its poor on-time performance and lack of airport amenities. FLL finished with the 5th worst on-time performance of the 36 airports in the study. It's airport food and shopping facilities was rated as the 4th worst by Bloomberg's survey.

As we all tuck into turkey, mashed potatoes, and delicious desserts this Thanksgiving, it's important to remember not to overdo it.

You might be surprised how many calories are lurking in your grandma's stuffing or that last slice of pecan pie.

In fact, the Calorie Control Council says that on Thanksgiving, many American will consume 3,000 calories for dinner and 1,500 in snacks and drinks — that's a whopping 4,500 calories in a single day, 45% of which is from fat, according to the council.

See how many calories are in your favorite Thanksgiving dishes.

SEE ALSO: 17 Thanksgiving Hacks For The Best Meal Of Your Life

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When you go through a breakup, it can be agonizing. You're often left wondering: 

What is he doing?

How is she feeling? 

Does he want me back?

You can sort of see what that person is doing if you follow their activity on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. At least, you can see what they want you to see.

Thanks to Spotify, you can get more honest insight into your ex's true emotional turmoil post-breakup.

A friend recently called it quits with a guy she's been dating for a  few months. He gave her some lame excuse, the whole, "It's not you, it's me," thing.

"I just got out of a long relationship and I'm not ready for another one right now. You're great, I just need some time," he told her.

Blah, blah, blah.

They follow each other's Spotify accounts though, and the friend noticed that her ex turned "emo." Every song he listened to seemed directed at her. He played the entire soundtrack of a concert they'd attended together, for example. Later, he listened to songs titled, "Wait for me," "Too Late," "Leave Me Alone," "Tough Love," and "World Restart."

"He always listens to one type of music and today it's all different," the friend said of her ex's recent music selections. She says he's aware she follows him on Spotify. "I think he's doing it on purpose."

Here's how to follow (and unfollow) someone on Spotify:

Spotify has a follow tab. Click it, and you'll have the option to find your Facebook friends who are on Spotify that you can follow.

Or, you can search for their name, and users will populate.

Once you click on the right person's name/profile, you'll see a "Follow" button. Click it and voila! You're following them on Spotify and you'll be able to see what they're listening to in real time.To unfollow someone, just right click on their name in your stream and select "Unfollow."

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I've learned the hard way — much to my mother's delight — that not washing dirty laundry for three months is a terrible idea.

But perhaps more importantly, I've learned that while losing luggage is a HUGE pain, there is potential for a happy ending.

My sister Katherine and I went on a 15-day vacation to Malta this August. It was one of the most amazing trips of my life. But what matters for this tale is that we had no access to laundry machines during our trip, so we stuffed our dirty clothing into garbage bags inside our suitcases. To be economical (and have the chance to explore some other cities), we elected to take day-long layovers in Catania, Sicily and Munich, Germany. We didn't want to lug around our suitcases so we jumped at the chance when the attendant at the Malta airport told us it was possible for our bags to meet us at Newark Airport when we arrived home two days later.

We came to really regret this decision. We arrived home. Our bags did not. And thus began my odyssey.

At first, we assumed that it would be a short delay. And that, it turns out, is often the case. According to one industry source, airlines mishandle (delay, damage or lose) 7 bags per 1,000 passengers. Here are a few other statistics that might interest travelers over the holiday:

• 81% of mishandled bags are delayed and are returned to owners undamaged within 36 hours
• 16% arrive at their destinations damaged
• 3% are declared lost or stolen
• Amazing things happen to unclaimed bags (see later in my story)
• The average compensation per mishandled bag is reportedly $100.00

As I learned, airlines don't make the compensation process easy. Does the name Dave Carroll ring a bell? He wrote a hugely popular (we're talking over 14 million YouTube views) song called "United Breaks Guitars" after his nearly year-long experience. The hilarious song significantly damaged the airline's reputation and eventually spurred United's customer relations department into action:

And just a few weeks ago, World Wrestling Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler had a similarly stressful luggage experience. United mistakenly sent his bag, which contained his WWE Heavyweight Champion Belt, to Canada. Dolph tweeted prolifically about the situation for 5 days. He jokingly described his relationship with United as being "complicated" and he even wrote some song lyrics about the debacle to accompany Taylor Swift's 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.'

I understand Dave and Dolph's frustrations. In the month following Lufthansa's loss of our two bags, we phoned the Lufthansa Baggage Call Center daily to see if there were any updates. Each time we were told that there was no further information and that the bags remained "missing without a trace." When we inquired about compensation, we were informed that we could only file a claim after the bags had been lost for 30 days. At that point, the airline would declare the bags irretrievably lost.  

In the meantime, we desperately scavenged for clothes in our significantly depleted wardrobes. The underwear situation was particularly desperate. We refused to purchase new items because we didn't want to pay out of pocket for replacements. We elected to wait for compensation, which we hoped wouldn't take too long.

As soon as the 30-day mark rolled around, we sent an email to Lufthansa Customer Relations to file our claim, as instructed. There was no operator to deal with this process so all correspondence was done via email. Moments after I sent our initial claim email, I received an automated message from Lufthansa: "We apologize that we are currently unable to get back to you as quickly as we would like to. We kindly ask you for your patience and thank you for your understanding."

Our patience and understanding were thoroughly tested in the following couple months when Lufthansa didn't get back to us. Although we sent several more emails (increasingly irate in tone) and called the Baggage Claim Center many more times (each time we were told that "the Baggage Claim Center has no involvement in customer compensation"), we received no further communications.

During this time, I created a family email thread entitled "Council of War" in which we exchanged messages proposing strategies for fighting our "battle against Lufthansa."

During this time, I created a family email thread entitled "Council of War" in which we exchanged messages proposing strategies for fighting our "battle against Lufthansa."

Tactics included threatening legal action, leaving never-ending messages on their voicemail machine, and writing a letter to the New York Times to publicize Lufthansa's infamy and inquire about potential next steps. Growing battle-weary, we never actually did any of these things.

As the seasons changed, our frustration stemmed less from the lack of clothing (the underwear supply remained desperate) and more from Lufthansa's silence. We felt like we were being punished for Lufthansa's error. We had made detailed lists of the contents in our bags in readiness for filing our claim and we estimated that we had each lost at least $1,500.00. With sufficient compensation, we knew almost everything could be replaced. There were a few items — a souvenir Maltese cross cookie cutter and my journal of 3 years in which I had recorded the major dramas of my young life — that were irreplaceable, and we particularly lamented the loss of these.

As we approached the 3-month anniversary of the incident, we had basically given up hope. We had accepted that our belongings were lost forever and we were starting to believe that Lufthansa would never give us the money we were owed.

It was around this time of hopeless resignation, however, that Newark Airport randomly called us one evening. They said one of our bags had been discovered. It arrived soon thereafter. To my delight, the rediscovered bag was mine! 

Oddly enough, an hour later, the second suitcase arrived at our door. No explanation.

Where had the suitcases been hiding for 3 months? Why had they arrived on the same day but at different times? "They must've been on an extended vacation to Paris or Hawaii," my dad speculated, overcome by the absurdity of the situation.

Upon opening the aforementioned dirty-clothes bags for the first time in three months, we were overwhelmed by the emanating odors. While my mother lamented that these gross items were entering her house, we celebrated the safe return of all of our belongings (especially the cookie cutter and my diary). We also rediscovered 2 packages of Maltese nougat that we had purchased for our mother, a self proclaimed "nougat snob." We opened the nougat that very night and had to throw it away. Apparently even the finest nougat shouldn't be stored in suitcases with dirty clothes for several months.

My mom wanted us to just throw everything away, but when we stubbornly (and sensibly) refused, she insisted that we put everything out on the deck. "There's no way that gross stuff is staying in this house!" It took us a couple weeks to finish the laundry because she required that we wash each load no fewer than 3 times.

Within that time, however, one of our cats had discovered my odorous suitcase. Understandably confusing it for his cat box (he is cross-eyed so the visual differences might have been unclear but it smelled powerfully of "toilet"), he proceeded to use it as his bathroom. The clothing was spared this soiling, but the already malodorous suitcase was, at last, relegated to the garbage.

The return of our summer wardrobes wasn't as useful as it might've been since it was the end of October at that point. However, the wide selection of underwear and socks to choose from each day was positively luxurious. Life couldn't be better!

Except somehow the situation got even better (and more ridiculous). Lufthansa once again threw us for a loop. Just 2 days after the return of the bags, they finally responded to our email: 

"Lufthansa strives to provide worry-free travel and like you, we are disappointed when this goal is not achieved. Please accept our sincere apologies for this experience. Our employees immediately did everything they could in order to find your baggage and forward it to you as quickly as possible. We regret this did not happen. In order to prevent you from experiencing any further inconvenience relating to this matter, even though it shows the bags have since been located, we will settle your claim for compensation within the scope of our liability." 

We were each promised a check for $1,741.00 in the next 21 days. This seemingly random sum, as we were informed in the email, is determined by Special Drawing Rights, a form of money created by the International Monetary Fund that is used to settle international disputes. Somehow, we were being awarded maximum compensation for Lufthansa's peculiar handling of our luggage. In fact, this seems just, given the months of frustration and ultimate demise of several items, including the luggage itself.

I'm debating whether to use this money for a new winter wardrobe or a plane ticket to Greece this summer. (I'll be sure to carry on my luggage.)

Or maybe we should use the money to take road trip to Alabama for a shopping spree at the Unclaimed Baggage Center. This, I discovered, is where bags end up when they go missing. The store occupies an entire block in Scottsboro, AL and is one of the state's top tourist attractions. It draws visitors from all 50 states and another 40 foreign countries. As one can imagine, there is a wide range of merchandise to choose from (everything from fine jewels to someone else's ashes). And there's no need to fret about bedbugs - all items are professionally cleaned! 

I'm considering writing a song about my experience so I can become a YouTube sensation like Dave Carroll. I'm not very musically talented, but my song (unlike Carroll's) would feature an appealingly happy ending. 'Lufthansa Returns Soiled Laundry' does have a catchy ring to it.

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