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18 Gifts Every Young Professional Guy Would Love

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Young Professional_Gift Guide

It's hard easing into the real world, whether you're working for a big corporation or a small startup.

That's why the young men in your life need a bit of guidance, as well as the accessories, gadgets, and tools to help them not only transition, but transition with style.

From a keychain breathalyzer (don't get drunk at the office holiday party!) to a deluxe shaving kit, here are 18 gifts every young professional will thank you for.

Salt shot glasses will kill the taste of tequila — fast.

These fun, unique shot glasses are a huge hit at parties. They're made of salt, but last for awhile (as long as you don't soak them) and instantly kill the taste of tequila with a lick.

Just be warned — they aren't permanent.

Buy it:$30



Buy him a nice gym bag for his workouts.

For hitting the gym, every guy needs a durable and good-looking duffel.

This weekender-style bag from Herschel Supply Co. Tough has a polyester shell and leather straps. It looks nice enough for the office while still being low key enough for all of his dirty, sweaty gym stuff. 

Buy it: $79



Birchbox delivers high-quality grooming samples and accessories.

When it comes to hair and skincare products, some men just don't know what to buy or how to use it.

A subscription to Birchbox will fix that. The subscription service delivers high-end beauty, grooming, and lifestyle samples to the recipient's doorstep every month.

Buy it:starting at $60/3 month subscription



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Here's How To Escape New York City During A Doomsday Scenario

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prepper (27 of 30)

As the head of the NYC Preppers Network, New York City firefighter Jason Charles spends his spare time thinking about what would happen in the event of a catastrophe, planning for everything from the weather-related, like a hurricane, to the more sinister, like a mass chemical attack.

It isn’t necessarily fun, but Charles believes it's incredibly important to prepare for every contingency possible. This is the type of “game” that all preppers, a subculture made famous by National Geographic’s TV show Doomsday Preppers, take part in. A game of chess, says Charles, where winning or losing means life or death.

Unlike other preppers, many of whom live in less populated areas, Charles has to contend with one major obstacle to surviving any apocalypse: living on the island of Manhattan. 

“The biggest problem is getting off this rock,” Charles told Business Insider from his Harlem apartment. “People in a town or a landlocked city can just walk out. We can’t. And you can’t swim off the island unless you are an Olympic swimmer.”

NewYorkCloverfieldThe predicament has led Charles and his fellow preppers in the NYC Preppers Network to troubleshoot potential ways of getting out of New York City, which Charles feels is paramount to surviving a disaster. Charles laid out his plan for us.

In the event of a catastrophe, Charles' first move is to grab his wife, kids, and dog, as well as their respective “bug-out bags,” a prepping term for a bag loaded with everything needed to survive for a week or more. Charles keeps these bags stocked at all times and in an accessible area in his apartment.

prepper (18 of 30)He would move quickly to his truck, which he parks no more than a couple of blocks from his apartment. If the streets are navigable by car, he will take them in it for as long as possible. His assumption is that he will have to leave it at some point and hike possibly tens of miles. 

“If we can take the car even five or ten blocks, we will take it. On a long haul, you want to save as much energy as you can.” prepper (29 of 30)In the event that the streets are congested to the point that driving is impossible, Charles will ditch the car and continue on foot. He and his wife each will carry their own bug-out bag, while their two children will sit in their double stroller and hold their own bags. The dog would carry his own bug-out bag strapped to his back.

The family will then make the hike to the West Side of Manhattan with the intention of crossing on foot over the George Washington Bridge or through the Holland or Lincoln Tunnel.PlanA

Charles has a solar and handcrank-powered radio to hear any reports over the airwaves. He also has a solar-panel charger for his cell phone, in case cell reception is still active.

If they hear reports that the bridges and tunnels are already closed, they will head to the water. Charles has two heavy-duty rafts in his pack which they will use to cross the Hudson River.

“We have two rafts that attach: one for us and one for our gear. Our goal is to get across the Hudson River at high tide,” explains Charles. 

planb

Once they land across the river, hopefully as north as possible, Charles and his family will continue hiking as far and as fast as they can into a wilderness area, where they can set up a protected camp for the night to rest. In the following days, they will continue hiking north, with the intention of getting as far from population centers as possible. step2

While Charles has thought out this plan a hundred different times, he recognizes that in the heat of the moment, it's unlikely anything will go according to plan. 

“There are so many variables to a ‘bug-out’ situation. You expect things to go from A to B, but instead they go A to Z. It’s a crappy game that you have to play. You have to be smart and resourceful,” says Charles.

To test those different variables, Charles and the NYC Preppers will frequently go on bug-out weekends in the wilderness to test their gear and survival skills, as well doing bug-out walks to test evacuation scenarios. It’s during these tests that Charles has realized a few extra wrinkles to his plan:

1. If you are traveling in a large group, break up into groups of three and space out your evacuation by thirty minutes or so. “Having twenty or thirty people traveling clumped together is dangerous. For looters or marauders, it would be like shooting crabs in a barrel,” says Charles. Instead, if one smaller group is attacked, the others a couple miles behind will be able to see it in the distance and react with a plan.

 2. Test your equipment.“People find out all the time that a backpack didn’t hold up, a sleeping bag wasn’t warm enough, or a pack was too heavy. You’ve got to test to get a feel for what you need,” says Charles.

3. Worry about crime.“We have high crime rates in New York. That rate will go up when society breaks down. All the people who thought about doing crime will start doing crime and that’s on top of the criminals already here,” says Charles.

SEE ALSO: Former CIA Director: 'Two Thirds Of The US' Could Die From An Attack On The Country's Power Grid

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You Can Now Buy Girl Scout Cookies Online

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girl scout cookies trefoils shortbreadGetting a box of your favorite Girl Scout Cookies just got a whole lot easier.  

The Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. have announced their own digital platform, called "Digital Cookie," that will allow girls to set up a web site for their cookie businesses.

According to the New York Times, customers can gain access to online stores through an exclusive email invitation. Parents must approve anything posted to a girl scout's page, and anyone under 13 years old must be anonymous on the platform. 

There will also be an app that can process credit card information, track orders, and deliver them directly to your doorstep. 

This is the first time the Girl Scouts have embraced a digital business model. It took the organization three years of testing to come up with a platform they say will teach the young girls valuable entrepreneurial skills. 

"Girls across the country now can use modern tools to expand the size and scope of their cookie business and learn vital entrepreneurial lessons in online marketing, application use and e-commerce,"  chief digital cookie executive Sarah Angel-Johnson said to the New York Times

Digital Cookie launches in select markets this month and nationally in January, though some troops will stick to more traditional methods, like order forms and door-to-door selling. The organization hopes to increase cookie sales from an average of $800 million each year.

"I’ve been selling cookies since I joined scouting when I was 6, including setting up a booth at our local Stop & Shop," 13-year-old Bria Vainqueur told the Times. "But the digital option is going to make it easier to reach a lot more people and to take and keep track of their orders."

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The Most Popular Girl Scout Cookies

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40 Experiences You Should Have Before You Turn 40

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cyclist in ironman biking

Turning 40 is a major milestone. 

You're getting older, but you're still young enough to do something crazy, like bungee jump or take a trip on a whim. There's a good chance that you probably have more money to spend, too.

We've come up with a bucket list of 40 things everyone should do before they turn 40.

Celebrate New Year’s Eve in a foreign city.



Challenge yourself to complete something that seems impossible: compete in the Ironman Triathlon, climb Mt. Everest, or finish a 100 Mile Race.



Splurge on a meal at The French Laundry in California, or another 3-star Michelin restaurant.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






The 10 Tallest Skyscrapers Of The Future

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Tallest Buildings

We have entered the age of the “megatall” skyscraper. 

The first megatall tower — a building that soars over 2,000 feet into the air — opened ten years ago, according to Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). It was the Burj Khalifa, and it set astounding records at 2,722 feet tall or over half a mile high. 

But come 2018, a new building will rise more than 550 feet taller than the Khalifa. 

And the CTBUH predicts that buildings will just keep getting taller. There may even be a kilometer-tall building (that's 3,280 feet) by the end of the next decade.

We rounded up a list of some of the tallest buildings that are currently under construction, according to CTBUH. All of them will be finished by 2020, and four of them are more than 2,000 feet tall. 

Needless to say, the skylines of the future will look a lot different. 

10. Zhongguo Zun, Beijing, China 

China Zun

Height: 1,732 feet, Floors: 108

Completion: 2018

The name comes from the zun, an ancient Chinese wine vessel that inspired the building design. After completion, the so-called "China Zun" will be Northern China’s second tallest building. 

9. CTF Finance Center, Guangzhou, China

CTF Guangzhou

Height: 1,739 feet, Floors: 111

Completion: 2016

CTF Finance Center, is a mixed-use tower under construction in Guangzhou, China. The CTF building will have the fastest elevators in the world at 45 miles per hour. It will take take 43 seconds to go from the first to the 95th floor, according to the BBC

8. Nordstrom Tower, New York, New York 

Nordstrom Tower

Height1,775 feet, Floors: 92

Completion: 2018

225 West 57th Street is a residential project by Extell Development Company. The building will be the second tallest skyscraper in New York City as well as the US when it's finished.

7. Lotte World Tower, Seoul, South Korea 

Lotte World Tower

Height: 1,819 ft, Floors: 123

Completion: 2016

 The Lotte World Tower is estimated to cost $1.25 billion, and will tower over the skyline of Seoul. The skyscraper took 13 years of planning and site preparation before it was approved in 2010 to begin construction.

6. Pearl of the North, Shenyang, China

Pearl Of The North

Height: 1,863 Feet, Floors: 113

Completion: 2018 

The Pearl of the North will cost an estimated $1.6 billion and will be a mixed-used building in Shenyang, China. It will have 34 floors of offices as well as a 320-room five star luxury hotel, according to Architects Journal.

5. Goldin Finance 117, Tianjin, China

Goldin Finance 117

Height: 1,957 feet, Floors: 128

Completion: 2016

The Goldin Finance 117, also known as the China 117 Tower, is a skyscraper under construction in Tianjin, China. The building is estimated to cost over $820 million and will (of course) have 117 storeys.

4. Wuhan Greenland Centre, Wuhan, China

Wuhan Greenland Center

Height: 2,087 ft, Floors: 125

Completion: 2017

Wuhan Greenland Centre is an under-construction tower in Wuhan, China. The building is expected to cost around $4.5 billion and has energy-saving features.

3.Ping An Finance Center, Shenzhen, China 

Ping An Finance Centre

Height: 2,165 feet, Floors: 115

Completion: 2016

Ping An Finance Center is under construction in Shenzhen, China. The tower will cost an estimated $678 million and will be one of the tallest building in the world when it's finished in 2016. 

2. Suzhou Zhongnan Center, Suzhou, China 

Suzhou Zhongnan Center

Height: 2,392 ft, Floors: 138 

Completion: 2020 

The Suzhous Zhongnan Center is a skyscraper under construction in Suzhou, China. The project will cost an estimated $4.5 billion, and it will be the tallest building in China when it's completed.  

1. Kingdom Tower, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Kingdom Tower

Height:3,281 feet, Floors: 167

Completion: 2018

Expected to cost $1.2 billion to construct, Kingdom Tower will be a mixed-use building with a luxury hotel, office space, serviced apartments, luxury condos, and the world’s highest observatory. 

The Tower will be built in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and will soar over 550 feet taller than the  United Arab Emirates’ Burj Khalifa. The height of the Kingdom Tower will require the world’s most sophisticated elevator system, and the building will have a total of 59 elevators. 

When finished, it will become the tallest building in the world — but who knows for how long.

SEE ALSO: See The View From The Tops Of The World's Tallest Skyscrapers

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How To Eat Seafood In The Winter

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winter seafood

Right about now, there's not much for chefs in most parts of the country to get excited about (how thrilling are turnips, really?).

But lower temperatures do get cooks geeking out on seafood—shellfish, in particular, some varieties of which are at their prime in colder waters because of where they are in their life cycle.

Take oysters from the Gulf of Mexico. They spawn in summer, which makes them milky and flabby before they turn clear and firm as winter approaches, says Ryan Prewitt, chef at Peche Seafood Grill in New Orleans. "In October, they get a lot better, in November they start to pick up steam, and by January and February, we're getting our best."

Diners, ever more attuned to what's in season, are savvy enough to pick up on these nuances, which is why restaurants are changing their dishes and planning farther in advance to highlight local gems. Here's how four chefs will make the most of their short time together with the seaworthiest.

Gulf oysters
PEAK SEASON: Late fall through winter
"Oysters from the Gulf have this distinctive creamy flavor, leaning toward umami—they're meaty," says John Currence, chef and owner of City Grocery restaurant group in Oxford, Mississippi. "They have a much greater spectrum of preparations" than smaller, minerally East Coast oysters. At Snackbar, Currence serves Gulf oysters on the half shell with spicy pork-belly mignonette and pickled beech mushrooms.

fishermanscoveseafood.com; $6 a dozen, in the shell, $36.95 for a shucked half gallon, plus overnight shipping (always buy local when possible)

Nantucket Bay scallops
PEAK SEASON: November through early winter
"Nantucket Bay scallops are especially good," says Eric Korsh, chef at New York City's North End Grill. "When you get them less than a day old, they're like sugar drops." Korsh is preparing the scallops as a raw appetizer with pickled aji dulce peppers—light smokiness, moderate heat—that he started growing in the restaurant's roof garden last summer specifically for this dish.

gliddensislandseafood.com; $25 to $29 a pound, plus overnight shipping

Maine uni
PEAK SEASON: December through February
Chef Tony Messina, of the Boston sashimi bar Uni, respects sea urchin from California, which is on his menu much of the year. "But when the Maine uni comes in, I'm working with it whenever possible," he says. "It has a lot of funk, in a good way—I equate it to gaminess." The restaurant's signature dish is the creamy, briny Smoked Uni Spoon: a dollop of the roe topped with a quail-egg yolk and osetra caviar.

brownetrading.com; $40 for two four-ounce trays, plus overnight shipping

Northern California Dungeness crab
PEAK SEASON: Mid-November through winter
Dungeness can withstand a high-heat roast. "The body is sweet, the legs meaty, the claws salty," says Ray Tang, chef-owner at Presidio Social Club in San Francisco. Tang's chile-garlic-roasted crab accompanies buttery spaghetti with bread crumbs and grilled lemon; he leaves the shells on, and the pasta soaks up the chile-garlic crab juice that seeps out.

pikeplacefish.com; $40 for a two-and-a-half-pound whole crab, plus overnight shipping

More From Details

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14 Things You Didn't Know About Whole Foods

Business Insider's Law School Ranking: 2014

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At the end of the day, success in the legal industry still depends heavily on where you go to law school.

SurveyMonkey helped us survey more than 300 American legal professionals to determine the best law school, and this year Yale University replaced Harvard as the No. 1 school.

Click here to read our methodology.

For more on each school, read the full feature of the 50 Best Law Schools In America »

Best Law Schools Graphic 2014

SEE ALSO: The 50 Best Law Schools In America

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New York Times Architecture Critic Thrashes The Design Of One World Trade Center

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one world trade center

On Saturday, New York Times writer Michael Kimmelman made it known that he doesn’t like the design of the new 1 World Trade Center.

Not even a little bit.

In his story “A Soaring Emblem of New York, and Its Upside-Down Priorities,” Kimmelman writes that the David Childs-designed building is “what happens when a commercial developer is pretty much handed the keys to the castle.”

Kimmelman’s major problem with the Financial District’s shiny new tower is that it lacks any soul. Even the symbolic height can’t sway the architecture critic (emphasis ours):

It abruptly stops at 1,368 feet, the height of the former twin towers, achieving its symbolic target number — 1,776 feet — by virtue of a skinny antenna. Counting the antenna is like counting relish at a hot dog eating contest. But it sufficed for the arbitrating Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. So, the building is the tallest in the Western Hemisphere, as if that ever meant anything.

He goes on to say that the building doesn’t draw anyone’s eye the way the twin towers once did. “Most New Yorkers hated the twin towers,” Kimmelman says, but at least they “changed, depending on where you stood…as you moved around the city.”

world trade centerIn contrast, the One World Trade center is too symmetrical, too heavy, and too ordinary since it looks the same from every direction. “There’s no mystery, no unraveling of light, no metamorphosis over time, nothing to hold your gaze,” Kimmedlman opines.

One World Trade CenterOf course, he does acknowledges how hard it must have been to build a skyscraper that not only strived to be the tallest in the Western Hemisphere, but also took on an immense amount of responsibility and symbolism after 9/11. 

And Kimmelman does say that he likes the building’s supersonic elevators and the vaulted, white-washed lobby. He even admits that the architect Childs had a lot of other ideas for the tower, but many of those were vetoed and the final product was not his original vision.

one world trade conde nastBut the good intentions and modern interior are not enough to save the design, which Kimmelman calls a “cautionary tale” as well as “the last thing a young generation of New Yorkers wanted.”

Ouch.

SEE ALSO: The Best New Skyscrapers On The Planet

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10 Great Gifts For The Amateur Chef Who Has Everything

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Chefs_Gift GuideAnother holiday season, another impossible hunt for that amateur cook in your life who already has all the salt shakers and cook wear they need.

Amateur chefs aren't easy to buy for, especially if you don't know much about the fine art of cooking yourself. Luckily for you, did the hard work for you.

We've rounded up 10 gifts for the food enthusiast in your life that they probably wouldn't buy for themselves. Each item is designed to make a cook's life a little bit easier.

The Vitamix is still one of the best blenders on the market.

It still wows with its double strength motor and specially designed blades that ensure your meal is thoroughly blended.

Buy it here for $480.



A great chef's knife is a must for any serious cook.

Chances are your cook has a chef's knife, but it's probably not as good as this one.

Spoil them with this VMatter knife made out fo a special alloy that doesn't impart a metallic taste, will never rust, and only rarely needs to be sharpened (if ever).

Buy the it here for $250.



The wifikettle by iKettle is a revolution in water heating technology.

No longer must you walk over to your stove and put the kettle on, or even walk over and flip a switch.

Instead, the wifikettle comes with an app on your smartphone so you can boil your kettle from anywhere in the house.

It will alert you when your water is hot and when the water needs to be refilled. It can even be set up to boil on your schedule, saving you precious minutes in the morning.

Buy it here for $157. (Note: It is only available to be imported from the UK, and you must buy a special transformer for it to work with US outlets.)



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






3 Tips For Looking Good In A Winter Coat

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stylish man wearing a coat

We talked to three experts who know a thing or two about how a coat should fit.

Brunello Cucinelli, fashion designer:
"The easiest fix a tailor can make to a coat is to take in the waist—it will instantly give it more shape. The length is also very important. A coat should hit right above the knee."

Brian Trunzo, co-owner of Carson Street Clothiers:
"The traditional rule of sleeve length is that it should hit at the base of the thumb, but I like to have it a little higher—a centimeter and a half or two—so you can see the cuff. I don't mind if it's a little shorter than what the old guard says is right. But know that the shoulder is the death knell: If it doesn't fit you in the shoulders, you're in trouble. It's possible to trim down a shoulder, but it's labor-intensive and expensive, and so few tailors are going to be able to do it, it's just not worth your time."

Joseph Ting, Details' New York City tailor:
"The only thing that can't be fixed is if the coat is small—you won't have enough seam allowance to open it up. Also, I often taper the sleeves. When you look at a coat from the side, the whole thing looks better if the sleeve is slimmer."

More From Details:

The Complete Guide to Men's Suits

The Secret Benefits of Beards

10 Rules of Style When Dressing For Work

Top 7 Colognes Women Want You to Wear in 2014



SEE ALSO: 11 Head-Turning Coats For Fall

Join the conversation about this story »








CYBER MONDAY: Drones For Every Budget [Up To 55% Off]

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pantherdroneThis year is going to be dominated by personal drones. Why? Because they’re incredibly fun to fly, and becoming increasingly affordable.

Cyber Monday is bringing prices down even further — here’s a roundup of deals not to miss. We and our friends at Stack Commerce put together the ultimate guide for getting a drone, and we've got one for every budget. 

Don't forget to use the code HAPPYCM10 for an extra 10% off. 

UNDER $75: Extreme Microdrone 2.0 [46% Off]

Despite weighing just over an ounce, the Extreme Micro Drone 2.0 (46% off) is impressively equipped with gyro-based stabilization and a camera — in fact, this is the only micro drone in the world with a swiveling lens.

Being so compact means it can fly indoors and out, and it can pull 360º flips. A really nice all-rounder that is forgiving on newbies and ships globally for free.

Get 46% off the Extreme Micro Drone 2.0 ($74.99 incl. global shipping)

Don't forget to use the code HAPPYCM10 for an extra 10% off. 



UNDER $100: Code Black Drone [55% Off]

The Code Black (55% off pre-orders) looks like it emerged from the Batcave, and it has the kind of features the Dark Knight would demand. It is a great out-of-the-box flyer, with a HD camera on board, and it is small enough to fly anywhere.

Plus, it can perform the all-important flips. If you order by Dec. 1, the Code Black will ship in time for Christmas, but the price will rise come mid December.

Get 55% off the Limited Edition Code Black drone + HD Camera ($89 incl. shipping; pre-order)

Don't forget to use the code HAPPYCM10 for an extra 10% off. 



UNDER $125: Panther Spy Drone [55% Off]

At the other end of the scale is the giant Panther Spy drone (55% off), which uses its size for durability. The rotors are surrounded by protective foam, but given that it has gyro stabilization, those guards shouldn’t be needed all that often. It also has a 720p camera, 2.4GHz transmission for good range, and 360º flips in its tricks locker.

Get 55% off the Panther Spy drone with HD camera ($110 incl. shipping)

Don't forget to use the code HAPPYCM10 for an extra 10% off. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






Insiders Reveal The Hottest New York Restaurants For 2015

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momofuku ramen

New York's restaurant scene is constantly changing: Even the most hardcore foodies have a hard time keeping up with openings and closings.

We turned to the city's industry insiders to find out what restaurants, chefs, and projects they're most excited about for the coming year.

You may want to mark your calendars with these opening dates: It'll be hard to get a table once they open.

Megan Willett contributed to this post.

The world's most Michelin-starred chef will return to New York.

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

In October, world-renowned chef Joël Robuchon announced he would reopen his famous L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in New York’s Battery Park City.

The new iteration of NYC's L’Atelier — the more affordable version of Robuchon’s series of eponymous restaurants — will open in March 2015 at Brookfield Place. The new establishment will be 11,000 square feet with both counter and table seating, as well as a bar, lounge, and waterside outdoor area.

"[Famed sushi chef] Jiro Ono himself said that Joël Robuchon has the best palette in the world," said Rachel Sackheim, director of sales at Brooklyn Winery.  "I'm so excited that he'll be re-opening his namesake restaurant in an area that could use the boost.”



A popular Greek spot will open in Williamsburg, along with a beer hall.

MP Taverna

Chef Michael Psilakis serves some of the most inventive and fresh Greek food in the city. He'll open the fourth iteration of his classic Greek taverna, MP Taverna, in a 10,000-square-foot space in Williamsburg in late December 2014 or early 2015.

The space will also house a beer hall and performance art space, set to open in April 2015.

"Top of my NYC hit list right now is the soon-to-be-opened, latest iteration of Michael Psilakis' MP Taverna," said Curtis Stone, celebrity chef and owner of Maude in Los Angeles. "I love the fresh, zippy flavors of Greek food and Psilakis certainly serves up some of the finest in the country; and now in the ultra hip and convenient location of Brooklyn. I can not wait to try this new Greek gem next time I'm out there." 



Gowanus, Brooklyn, will get a Korean barbecue palace/karaoke den.

(No name)

The duo behind popular Red Hook restaurant the Good Fork are expanding their Korean food empire with a Korean barbecue restaurant and karaoke joint in Gowanus, Brooklyn. The still-unnamed project will open in late 2015, according to Eater

"It sounds like it's going to be a really fun place to eat great food, get drunk, and embarrass yourself," said Aaron Israel, chef and owner of Shalom Japan.



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Dramatic Video Shows A Skydiver Spinning Out Of Control At 13,000 Feet

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A dramatic video captures the moment a skydiving student spun out of control during a jump. The footage, shot on a fellow skydiver's helmet-mounted camera earlier this year, shows the man jumping out of a plane at 13,000 feet with two instructors.

Then the student went into shock...


Produced by Devan Joseph. Video courtesy of Associated Press.

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HOUSE OF THE DAY: Massive Beachfront Villa On A Tropical Island In Thailand Is Selling For $22 Million

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10665757_374723922674796_2994658171826795542_n

A luxury villa located on the tip of the Yamu Peninsula on the island of Phuket, Thailand, is on the market for $22.5 million.

The villa was designed by renowned architects Jean-Michel Gathy and Phillipe Starck.

The massive 42,894-square-foot-property has a 10 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms spread across two wings, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The four-level home has sweeping views of the Phang Nga Bay below and all the amenities of a luxury resort: a 24 hour concierge to arrange any excursions, a gourmet chef, a private golf course, a private spa, and gym.

Welcome to Villa Sawarin. The four-level villa sits atop three acres on the on the North Eastern coast of the island of Phuket.



The gorgeous beachfront villa was specifically designed for travelers looking for an escape.



It features a nearly 80-foot infinity swimming pool that overlooks Phang Nga Bay.



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Former Bank Of America CEO Ken Lewis Sells His South Carolina Beach House At A Loss

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ken lewis house

After five years on and off the market, former Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis has finally sold a beach house he owns in a private community in Spring Island, South Carolina, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The home sold at a loss: Lewis had purchased it in 2002 for $3 million, and wound up selling for "close to" its current asking price of $2.495 million, the listing agent told the Journal.

Lewis, who left the bank at the end of 2009, had slashed the price on the vacation home several times. He co-owned the home along with Dennis Thompson, the founder and CEO of Charlotte, N.C.-based restaurant operator Firebirds International.

The pad has three bedrooms, marsh views, and was once featured in Architectural Digest.

The home exudes southern style. Just look at those columns.



It's located in a private community with a sports complex and equestrian center.



It has a deep-water floating dock on Chechessee Creek.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






How To Care For Your Dress Shoes In the Winter

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jack erwin showroom

Whether it's rain, snow, or ice, winter weather can really wreak havoc on your dress shoes. 

Jack Erwinis a startup that makes a high-quality, classic shoe that won't go out of style or break the bank. The shoes are all made out of Italian leather and priced between $95 and $220.

We asked Jack Erwin cofounders Lane Gerson and Ariel Nelson to share their tips for protecting your shoes during the bleak winter months.

How do I save wet leather shoes?

Though it may be tempting to stick the soaked shoes in front of a direct heat source, like a radiator or fireplace, Nelson and Gerson advise against doing so.

"Stuff your shoes with newspaper to absorb the moisture, then replace with cedar shoe trees," they said. "If you have leather soles, let them dry too." 

What if my shoes start to smell bad?

Funky-smelling shoes are usually caused by bacterial or fungal build-up. 

"There are a variety of fixes, including applying antibacterial sprays or a light layer of baking soda," they said.

You could also try inserting an odor-controlling insole or even dryer sheets.

Salt stained my shoes — now what?

First, Nelson and Gerson recommend using saddle soap or a specialty salt stain remover to get rid of the stain itself. Then, stuff the shoes with newspaper and leave them out to dry, away from a direct heat source. 

"Last, apply leather conditioner or natural oils to replenish the leather and return it to its original luster," they said.

What are the best kinds of shoes to wear?

"Synthetic materials created specifically for inclement weather such as Gore Tex and rubber are fitting materials for the worst of the winter," they said. "When cared for and treated properly, full-grain leather is a naturally resilient material that can also withstand the elements." 

They recommend using natural oils, like mink oil, to make leather even stronger in the winter. 

What styles of boots are fashionable this winter? 

"The Chelsea boot continues to be a winter staple," they said. "This season the combat boot and dress chukka, both classic styles, are seeing a variety of new interpretations."

Jack Erwin's Carter boot, a twist on the combat boot, continues to be one of the brand's bestselling styles. 

jack erwin showroom

What products are best for regular shoe maintenance?

"Shoe horns are always recommended as they help to preserve the back counter and overall structure of your shoe," they said. 

You should also be conditioning and polishing your shoes on a regular basis, which will keep the leather supple and moisturized. 

SEE ALSO: This Company Wants To Revolutionize The Way Men Buy Dress Shoes

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An Artist Photoshopped Herself Into Her Mom's Old Pictures To See What They Would Look Like As Childhood Friends

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danielle delph

Do you ever wonder what your parents were like as children? If you could somehow go back in time and be the same age as them, would you be friends? 

One artist is using the magic of Photoshop to delve deeper into that very idea.

Danielle Delph, an Oregon-based artist and art director, began placing herself in her mother's vintage photographs as a surprise for her mother, Janis, and the project took off from there. We caught up with Danielle to discuss the photos, her process, and the state of memories in an internet world.

Business Insider: Hey Danielle! How did this project begin? What was your inspiration?

Danielle Delph: I think everyone asks themselves at some point, "Would I have been friends with my parents if I had grown up with them?" I wondered while I was looking at old photos one day. What would it look like if I placed my childhood self next to my mother? Would we have looked like friends? Would I be able to capture the same moments and interactions that real friends share?danielle delphBI: What's the process like to create these images? How long do you usually take per photograph?

DD: The process took about 6 months total. I had to have my mom and family friends mail me both her and my old childhood photos, which proved more tricky than expected. We had lost a majority of childhood photos when Hurricane Ivan hit our home in Pensacola, Florida, so there were far less photos to work with than I would have hoped. The majority of that time was spent digging through our photos and trying to match ages and moments. From a technical perspective, there was a lot of scanning and photoshopping, but no specific time frame for each individual photo. Some were much easier than others. It was more about finding the right photos.

danielle delphBI: What was your mother's reaction?

DD: She loved it. She found it really touching. It made her cry when she first saw it and she says she goes to the site every day, which she now calls "our site." She made a comment about it feeling very "deja vu," almost like these moments had actually happened. She thinks that we truly could have been friends.danielle delphBI: Any more good photos in the works?

DD: It wasn't originally an ongoing project but I do have some ideas on how to continue the series. It's all about getting the right imagery, so if I'm lucky I might be able to pull it off again. We'll see.

danielle delphBI: What do you hope viewers will take away from the series?

DD: I hope they take away that our parents are more similar to us than we think. They were kids and teenagers at one point, going through the same things we went though. We just never saw that part of their lives. We live in a time where we constantly look toward the future; this project made me realize that it's important to take a step back and look at your past sometimes.

 

danielle delphBI: What are your thoughts on digital photos versus physical photos when it comes to collecting and saving memories? Do you ever get worried that future generations won't have access to the same hard copy history that we have of our parents, now that most of our personal photos only live online or on a computer?

DD: This is a really great question, and I have sort of a two-part answer.

During this project, I felt like it was less about film versus digital as a medium and more about how digital has changed the way we take photos now. As I was digging through my mother's photos, I realized how differently her generation took photos compared to mine. They captured very specific moments— a recital, Christmas Eve, a vacation to New Orleans, moments that are meant to be put in a photo album that you would sit around and look at. At first, I found that it was hard for me to find photos of myself that connected with her photos because we're a culture that takes a picture of a chicken sandwich, and attaches hashtags to it (I am also guilty of this).

When I talked to my mom about the differences, she explained, "Film was expensive; people were precious about what they took because you had to take time and money to develop it." For us now, we have the ability to be way less curated about the photos we take because we deal with gigabytes and storage space, allowing us to take thousands of photos. Right now, I have photos on my phone from 2012 and 2013, and I've never printed even one. It makes me worry that the idea of the "family photo album" might be getting lost. When do we sit around and look back on moments together? Will Facebook albums replace the traditional family photo album?

SEE ALSO: 25 Vintage Photos From Iconic American Tourist Spots Show How Odd Sightseers Can Be

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Jaw-Dropping Images From The World's Largest Animal Sacrifice

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The largest traditional animal sacrifice in the world began last weekend in southern Nepal with an estimated 4,000 buffalo, goats, and pigeons slaughtered on Friday alone. 

The two-day festival, called Gadhimai Mela Festival, takes place at the Gadhimai temple about 100 miles south of Kathmandu.

The festival is held every five years, during which hundreds of thousands of animals are killed in the name of the Hindu goddess of power. Devotees believe the ritual will bring them good luck. 

In 2009, an estimated 350,000 animals were killed. Close to 500,000 animals were expected to be sacrificed this year, despite campaigns to ban the festival.

nepal festival

Millions of Hindus from all over India and Nepal participate in the festival to honor the Goddess Gadhimai, a Hindu deity who devotees believe will grant them wishes if they sacrifice animals and birds.nepal festival

The Sword-wielding Hindu devotees began slaughtering the animals on Friday, ignoring calls by animal rights activists to put an end to the world's largest animal sacrifice ritual.nepal festival

In past years, nearly 70% of the animals entering Nepal to be slaughtered came from India. That figure has dropped since India's Supreme Court banned the illegal entry of animals to Nepal, especially for the Gadhimai Mela. nepal festival

The festival is partially funded by the government of Nepal as the fair brings in tourists and money. Temple authorities also charge entry and parking fees.nepal festival

Animals are coralled into holding pens in a large field before having their throats slit or their heads chopped off.

nepal festival

"It is very festive here, everyone is excited," Mangal Chaudhary, the head priest at the slaughter site near a temple devoted to Gadhimai, told AlJazeera.nepal festival

After the buffalos are killed, their heads are thrown into a freshly dug large pit in the field, and their hides are sold to the highest-bidding contractors.nepal festival

Activists have petitioned Nepal's president to end this "cruel tradition" that began about 260 years ago. Still, the animal sacrifice ritual draws over 2 million Hindus to the festival site and remains an important religious holiday.

nepal festival

SEE ALSO: Unbelievable Photos Capture The Disappearing Art Of Hunting Honey In Nepal's Cliffs

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This Abandoned Strip Club Was Transformed Into A Trendy Hotel

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Ari Heckman, the designer and developer of real estate firm ASH NYC, grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, and said the location of The Dean Hotel was once an "undesirable place to be."

The brick building in downtown Providence was a seedy strip club and hotel. When someone contacted Heckman and his Brooklyn-based firm about purchasing the property, they warned him he might laugh, but that the building had potential.

Now, The Deal Hotel is a 52-room hotel with unique room designs, a coffee bar, beer garden, and karaoke room. It combines a chic, modern look with some of the original designs to go with custom furniture, mosaic tile flooring, and antique artwork in each room.

Take a look at the drastic transformation below:

BEFORE: The outside was a hapless brick building with ugly green awnings.

The Dean Hotel outisde before

AFTER: The exterior remains similar, but a new electric sign advertises the hotel.

The Dean Hotel AFTER outside 1

They've also since removed a sign that advertised "exotic dancers."

BEFORE: The entrance was drab and had a dark stone wall.

BEFORE Dean Hotel lobby 1

AFTER: The new lobby kept the same flooring, but created a vibrant entrance with unique furniture and a giant mirror.

AFTER Dean Hotel Lobby 1

 Another view of the redesigned lobby:

AFTER dean hotel lobby 2

BEFORE: A dingy, tattered downstairs room that required great reconstruction.

BEFORE dean hotel bolt coffee 1

AFTER: It now houses the first stand-alone location of the popular, local Bolt Coffee Company.

AFTER Bolt Coffee Dean Hotel 1

BEFORE: The rooms were dirty and rotten, forcing construction workers to wear protective masks.

BEFORE dean hotel room 1

AFTER: The king suites are bright with light walls, windows, and nice, wood paneling.

AFTER dean hotel room 1

There are several different room designs, from hostel-style, shared bunk-beds to connecting suites with several king and queen beds.

BEFORE: A dark, dreary bar with almost zero light.

BEFORE dean hotel bar 1

AFTER: The Magdalenae Room is the warm, cozy cocktail lounge that has replaced the dilapidated bar above.

AFTER DEan hotel The Magdalenae Room

BEFORE: The remains of the strip club.

BEFORE dean hotel strip club_edited 1

AFTER: Boombox, Providence's first karaoke bar has taken the strip club's place.

AFTER dean hotel boombox karaoke

There is a public room for people to sing, or people can rent individual party rooms.

SEE ALSO: HOUSE OF THE DAY: Massive Beachfront Villa On A Tropical Island In Thailand Is Selling For $22 Million

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