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A Mexican Chain You've Probably Never Heard Of Was Just Named Best In America

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Rubio's

Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill tastes better than Chipotle, according to a recent Consumer Reports survey. 

Rubio's won the Mexican category with a score of 84, topping Chipotle's 83, reports SeattlePI.com. Taco Bell came in last, with a score of 73. 

The chain inspired by Baja California cuisine has 190 locations and is predominantly found on the West Coast. Chipotle, in comparison, has nearly 1700 locations across the US.

Consumer Reports polled more than 32,400 subscribers who ranked 65 restaurants. 

Rubio's is best known for its fish tacos, which are hand-battered and covered in fresh salsa and a cabbage slaw. Other popular menu items include tacos, burritos, and enchiladas. 

Rubio's also offers churros for dessert.

Like Chipotle, Rubio's emphasizes fresh ingredients that are sustainably sourced.

Here are some of the menu items. 

Rubio'sHere's a close-up view of the famous fish tacos:

Rubio'sThere's also a taco with blackened tilapia:

blackened fish taco's rubio'sLobster enchiladas:

lobster enchiladas rubio'sNachos with a craft beer:

rubio's nachos Chicken tortilla soup:

chicken tortilla soup

 

NOW WATCH: 4 Real Robots Designed To Make Life Easier

 

SEE ALSO: Fast Food Items That Failed

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This Invisible Bicycle Helmet Protects Your Head Better Than Regular Ones

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The Hövding is an unobtrusive collar that the cyclist wears around his or her neck.

The collar contains a folded airbag that only becomes visible when it is involved in an accident. The airbag is designed as a hood that envelops and protects the cyclist's head. The trigger mechanism is controlled using sensors that register any abnormal movements by the cyclist. 

The Hövding provides excellent shock absorption and protects even more of the head than traditional helmets.

Video courtesy of Cinelan 

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Prepare For The Upcoming LSAT With This Great Prep Course [41% Off]

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velocity

New year, new you. If you're thinking about grad school, specifically law school, pay attention. The deadline to register for the next LSAT is January 7, 2015. If you're planning to take that test, or just considering law school in general, check out the Velocity Online LSAT Prep Course.

Velocity identifies and understands the patterns that appear on the LSAT, and has a bag full of tricks to help you identify patterns and crush the test. The program comes with 150+ hours of video content, plus over 4,200 real LSAT questions. 

All you need is a web browser to watch and learn. If this week is too soon, don't worry. This also works for the June sitting of the test (deadline May 1, 2015), and if you wait until the end of the year to claim, probably for the first 2016 test period, but that date hasn't been announced yet. Cramming isn't going to help, so you want to give yourself at least 4-8 weeks of prep time before the test, and 10-12 if you can.

You have until December 31, 2015 to redeem you program, and once you do it lasts for 8 months, giving you plenty of time to practice before the big day.

Thanks to our friends at Stack Commerce, you can get this plan for 41% off the usual price.

Get 41% off Velocity Online LSAT Prep Course ($349)

Full features below:

velocity2

  • Deep: 150+ hours of LSAT prep videos taught by experts 
  • Flexible: Schedule prep around your busy calendar
  • Thorough: Every LSAT published this millennium (that’s 42 tests!)
  • Smart: Results presented in clear graphs + charts to gauge your strengths & weaknesses, and overcome them
  • Tactical: Learn detailed methods for understanding what each question on the test asks of you so you can get to the correct answer quickly and efficiently
  • Use the course virtually anywhere: Optimized for Mac, Windows, iOS & Android

Get 41% off Velocity Online LSAT Prep Course ($349)

SEE ALSO:  The Drone Gift Guide: Four Drones To Help You Start Flying [Up To 55% Off]

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Business Insider Is Hiring Paid Interns For Its Strategy And Careers Sections

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business insider group shot

Business Insider is looking for paid interns to work on our Strategy and Careers sections.

BI Interns spend their time researching, writing, pitching, and producing stories, and they get an author byline for every post they write. They also help editors find irresistible stories from our partners — including The Atlantic, Slate, Inc., and Entrepreneur— to share with our readers.

We're looking for people who are ambitious, smart, funny, fast, and consume huge amounts of digital media. You should be comfortable working on multiple stories per day and building your own audience and personal brand through social media.

Ideal candidates will be insatiably curious about the psychology of success, how to get ahead in your career, how women can have it all, whether college is worth it, the management science behind companies like Google and Facebook, and the habits of rock-star businesspeople like Warren Buffett and Sara Blakely. 

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

APPLY HERE with a resume and cover letter if interested, and specify why you're interested in working on Strategy and Careers. 

Please note that this internship requires that you work in our Manhattan office. The internship term runs for approximately six months, with some flexibility on start and end dates. Interns are encouraged to work full-time (40 hours a week) if their schedule allows.

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Pablo Picasso’s Granddaughter Is Selling $290 Million Worth Of His Art

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Marina Picasso

The granddaughter of the famous Spanish artist Pablo Picasso is selling off some art from her private collection for more than $290 million, The New York Post's Page Six is reporting

Marina Picasso, who famously published a book accusing her grandfather of destroying her childhood, is putting at least seven of his works up for sale, including a 1923 portrait of Pablo’s first wife Olga Kokhlova. 

The works are being sold directly by Marina, and she will meet the clients personally in Geneva, according to Page Six. 

The portrait of Picasso’s first wife, titled “Portrait de femme (Olga),” could sell for over $60 million. 

PicassoMarina will also be selling the 1911 painting “Femme à la Mandoline (Mademoiselle Leonie assie)” starting at $60 million (pictured on the left), and a 1921 work titled “Maternité” starting at $54 million (right). 

Picasso Marina Picasso is planning to sell her grandfather’s villa in Cannes as well. Picasso lived in the villa, called “La Californie,” with his second wife Jacqueline Roque.

The estate previously served as a museum and gallery dedicated to the artist's work. 

Marina Picasso

In her 2001 memoir, “Picasso: My Grandfather,” she claimed that the painter “drove everyone who got near him to despair and engulfed them.” 

A friend of Marina’s told Page Six that the decision to sell is “about letting go of the past."

 

NOW WATCH: Robot Funded By The US Military Can Sprint And Jump Just Like A Cheetah

 

SEE ALSO: 19 New Works Of Art That Have The World Buzzing

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The Nun Who Won 'The Voice' In Italy And Became A YouTube Sensation Defends Covering 'Like A Virgin'

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Sister Cristina Scuccia became a worldwide singing sensation after videos of her performance on Italy's 'The Voice' went viral. 

It may seem surprising that a nun would opt to cover a song like Madonna's 'Like A Virgin,' but Scuccia explains that the song holds real, religious meaning for her. 

Produced by Alex Kuzoian. Video courtesy of Associated Press.

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The Author Of The Book Mark Zuckerberg Picked For His Book Club 'Had No Clue' It Was Going To Happen

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moises naim

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's official resolution for 2015 is to read a new book every other week for the entire year.

Hundreds of thousands of Facebook users will follow along with his progress, which he'll share on a page he created just for the project.

Zuckerberg's first pick for the book club is "The End of Power," a political study by noted scholar Moisés Naím. 

The book sold out on Amazon within hours of Zuckerberg's announcement and shot to the top of the charts at Barnes & Noble. The publisher, Basic Books, is reportedly hurrying to print more copies. 

But it turns out that Naím, former executive director of the World Bank and current fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, had no idea that his two-year-old book was going to get a boost from the Facebook CEO. He's never even met Zuckerberg.

"I had no clue that this was going to happen," Naím told Bloomberg's Sarah Frier. "It's gratifying and energizing and a great thing for an author."

"The End of Power" is now back in stock on Amazon, where it's currently the 19th best-selling book. It's in third place on Barnes & Noble's site

SEE ALSO: The First Book Mark Zuckerberg Chose For His Book Club Has Sold Out On Amazon

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An Internet Entrepreneur Sold This San Francisco Apartment For $6 Million — And He's Giving It All Away To Charity

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lokey house

Lorry Lokey, founder of media-relations site Business Wire, has sold his stunning San Francisco apartment for $6 million, Curbed SF reports. 

Lokey bought the home for $4.6 million in 2006, but he isn't looking to turn a profit on the sale. A signer of the Giving Pledge, Lokey pledged to donate the money the apartment fetches in an effort to get closer to his goal of donating $1 billion. 

He first listed the home for $6.25 million in October 2014.

The 2,200-square-foot apartment is gorgeous, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, and downtown San Francisco.

Located in San Francisco's Russian Hill neighborhood, the apartment has incredible views of the Bay.



Lokey makes his primary residence in Atherton, but he often used this space for entertaining guests. He told the Wall Street Journal that he'll miss seeing his guests' reactions to the view.

Source: Wall Street Journal



You can't really blame them for having that kind of reaction — the view is amazing.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider







What Happened When A Bunch Of Young Boys Were Told To Hit A Girl

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What happens when you ask young boys to hit young girls?

An Italian media company called Fanpage.it created this video.

First, viewers are introduced to a gaggle of adorable little Italian kids, ranging from 7 to 12 years old.

Screen Shot 2015 01 06 at 8.08.22 AM

The children are asked by the filmmaker what they want to be when they grow up.

Their answers vary:

Screen Shot 2015 01 06 at 8.08.53 AM

Screen Shot 2015 01 06 at 8.09.00 AM

And why they want to be those things. 

Then the boys are introduced to Martina, who captures all of their hearts. She charms the boys — they all exclaim how much they love her hair and her smile. One even wants to know if he can be her boyfriend.

Screen Shot 2015 01 06 at 8.10.22 AM

The filmmaker encourages the boys to make funny faces at Martina to try to make her laugh. Then he tells them to caress her (with the language barrier, this was more like giving a friendly hug).

Screen Shot 2015 01 06 at 8.09.45 AM

Then the video took a turn.

"Slap her!" the boys were told. The boys were silent in their reactions. The filmmaker pushed them.

"Come on!"

Screen Shot 2015 01 06 at 8.11.17 AM

Then, one by one, they all decide the same thing.

NO2

NO3

NO

Citing many reasons:

Screen Shot 2015 01 06 at 8.13.32 AM

Screen Shot 2015 01 06 at 8.13.03 AM

And then there was perhaps the sweetest answer:

Screen Shot 2015 01 06 at 8.13.22 AM

The social experiment was created to show that both violence and pacifism could be taught at a young age.

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Starbucks Has Started Serving Flat Whites In America — Here's What That Is (SBUX)

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flat white

Starbucks, the biggest coffee chain in the world, announced today that it is unleashing flat whites on US customers. 

The flat white is an espresso-based beverage prepared with steamed milk. But be careful — it's not simply a cafe latte with slightly less milk. What makes the flat white special is that its uses microfoam— smaller, finer bubbles — and the milk is folded into the drink. Also, the coffee to milk ratio is more evenly balanced than, say, a latte. What results is a really smooth, strong coffee.

A few artisan coffee shops in New York recently added flat whites to their menus, but they remain a somewhat mysterious proposition to most Americans. 

On the cosmopolitan streets of London and Melbourne, flat whites are now as ubiquitous as sourdough bread and vintage cocktails. The drink's roots, however, lie way down in the Southern Hemisphere — some say it began in Australia, others believe New Zealand. It's a hotly debated subject. 

In wider Europe, Australia, and, New Zealand, it has been providing a more refined and delicate option for many others who want to enjoy coffee that has got a milky hit, without the excess that comes in a cappuccino or latte. 

It is a winning method. (However, there are are questions about how authentic the Starbucks version will be.)

In the UK, the drink went mainstream in 2010, when Starbucks added it to the menu. Others followed, and the chain was soon outflanked by rival coffee shop Costa — doing wonders, says the Guardian, for the company's sales given the drink's popularity with coffee "aficionados."

Flat white pour

The flat white begun infiltrating the US market last year. It started catching on in New York City, served at coffee houses like Culture Espresso on 38th Street and Little Collins in Midtown, according to the New York Post. But the concoction has remained hard to find in North America — until now. 

For many, the flat white remains a specialist drink — a choice for the hipsters of independent cafes and pop-up bars manned by gurus of the caffeinated game. Others still don't get what it is. 

Artisan coffee shop and training school's Alessandro Bonuzzi agrees: "I still find that the consumer doesn't quite understand the distinction between a latte and flat white."

"The key is the milk steaming stage," Scott Bentley, who runs Caffeine Magazine, told Business Insider UK. "The milk needs to be steamed to increase the volume by about 25% — this must be done in a specific way to not split the milk and so the milk is a similar texture throughout, like that of paint."

"The old style cappuccino you'd get from a chain cafe would overheat the milk and split it into very airy foam and hot milk at the bottom."

flat white

The secret, says Bentley, is "microfoam," or the small, fine, velvety bubbles extracted from coffee pitchers by only knowledgeable hands. It uses free-poured milk so the foam is folded through the whole drink. There's no distinct layer between coffee and foam.

Bentley continues: "The microfoam needed for a flat white is produced by introducing the steam so it swirls the milk in the pitcher and getting the milk hot but not scalding, which is why people sometimes complain that speciality coffee is never hot enough. This temperature is also important as it's when the sugars begin to be released making the milk sweeter — again a reason why you shouldn't need sugar in your quality coffee as the coffee isn't bitter and the milk is sweeter."

London's St Clements Cafe has seen flat white sales soar. The cafe's Olivia Grant says it's as much about "ratio" as method. Also essential is a 160 milliliter cup, she says. 

She explains: "The milk should be textured but not too foamy, hot but not too hot. It's for true coffee lovers. If poured properly the milk will be put in centrally so the coffee sits at the rim. Lately, sales of flat whites here have almost exceeded cafe latte sales."

With its roots in New Zealand and Australia (there's an argument about which nation truly invented it), a rosetta or fern is often put on a flat white to illustrate the Kiwi flag. 

Flat white

 

SEE ALSO: Starbucks, Dunkin', Or McDonald's: Whose Coffee Has The Best Buzz For Your Buck?

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8 Ways I Trick Myself Into Going To The Gym

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treadmill running

My gym membership costs $90 a month.

I know.

Really — I know.

Yes, I have tried to negotiate, and yes, I've looked into other gyms, but after joining my Manhattan chain on a corporate discount that was about $20 less than I currently pay, I couldn't bear to leave the gym when I went back to civilian status after changing jobs. I love the teachers! I know the schedule! The locations are so convenient!

That's how they get you.

Anyway, the price of my gym is what it is, and I paid for a year in advance just to get that rate. So I better make it worth my money. Every night that I "don't feel like going" means I'm wasting cash, and as someone who would be naturally well-suited to those hover chairs from Wall-E, there are lots of nights I need to turn "don't feel like" into "can't wait."

How do I force myself to go? Below, I'm confessing the motivation tricks that get me off the couch and onto the spin bike. I can't guarantee they'll work for you — I can't even guarantee they'll continue to work for me — but this is what works right now.

spin class

I go to classes. If someone isn't standing in front of me, barking out reps and making sure I do them, it's not going to get done. That's something I know about myself. As much as I admire those sneakered, self-motivated New Yorkers bounding through Manhattan at a brisk jog all hours of the day and night, I'm just never going to be one.

And I stand in the front. You try slacking off when you're directly in the instructor's line of sight.

I think of the money. The brilliant thing about belonging to a gym, as opposed to those $30 boutique spin classes so many of my friends adore, is that since you've already paid, it gets cheaper every time you go. That's amazing! If I go to one class in a month, it's a $90 class. Two, they're each $45. Nine classes? At nine, which works out to fewer than three times a week, I'm paying only $10 per class.

I talk about going to the gym incessantly. If everyone in my office knows I plan to go, I have to keep my word. "It's like peer pressure!" my coworker exclaimed in dismay after the third time that day I checked to see if she was coming with me to the gym. "It's OK," I reassured her. "I'm fine with that."

I tell myself going to the gym is my reward. There's no better choice I could be making at that moment for my health and well-being. It's a breath of fresh superiority.

dog sleeping treadmillI leave my gym bag at the office. This is decidedly trickier if you're the type to work out before and after work, but I haven't yet reached that level of lunacy. As someone who exclusively exercises at night, I bring my gym bag home, empty it, refill it, and bring it to work the next day, whether I'm planning to go to the gym or not. On the weekend, I just bring it home and then back on Monday morning. This way, I'm never caught without sneakers … and I get an arm workout during my commute.

I wrangle an escort. Between my office and the gym are two different subway stops. Also cabs. And sidewalks that lead straight home. To make sure I'm shamed into actually arriving at the gym instead of being segued by an exit strategy, I do my best to press coworkers into escort service. "We don't even have to work out together! Let's just walk over together!" (Oh man, I'm the worst.)

I tell myself I can leave mid-class. I say it, but I never do it. Once I'm there, in my gym clothes, sneakers strapped on, in a prime front-row spot, you can bet I'm not leaving. It's not like I'm doing a four-hour CrossFit workout or running a marathon — it's a 45 minute class, and I can do pretty much anything for 45 minutes. By the time I think of leaving, it's over.

How do you motivate yourself to get to the gym?

SEE ALSO: 10 Easy Ways To Keep Yourself From Spending Too Much Money

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Here's What It's Really Like To Ride In A Self-Driving Car

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An automotive company called Valeo invited my colleague Jay Yarow and I to ride along in a car equipped with its "Cruise4U" self-driving technology. We drove through the busy streets of Las Vegas with Valeo's automated driving prototype, which uses a multitude of sensors and laser scanning technology that enables a car to do things like stay in a lane and accelerate/decelerate with the traffic flow. But it turns out that with so many variables on the road, driving a self-driving car can be just as stressful as driving a regular car. 

Produced by Will Wei

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Here's How To Wear Tweed In The 21st Century

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jcrew tweed jacket ludlowTweed jackets look like they belong in your grandfather's closet.

But the rough fabric is making a serious comeback in a fresh, 2015 kind of way, and we're here to help you figure out how exactly to wear it.

Of course, you've got your classics, like tweed jackets. But there are also fun, modern accessories like tweed high-top sneakers (yes, you read that right.)

One thing to remember with tweed, though: everything in moderation. 

Most people can't pull off more than one tweed item at a time, so don't try to rock a head-to-toe tweed look. You'll just end up looking like this, which is great if (and only if) you're hunting pheasants:

tweed

In any case,here's how you can incorporate tweed into your day-to-day wardrobe.


The Classic: Tweed Jackets

tweed jackets

The heyday of stylish daywear tweed jackets was back in the 1960s. Think, those cool male leads in the La Nouvelle Vague movie .

But in today's normcore era, it's hard to find someone who'll whip out a tweed jacket for a run to the supermarket. 

As a result, tweed jackets should be worn during dates or even brunch. We recommend trying to capture a certain nonchalance — a tweed jacket over a white t-shirt, paired with jeans. 

If you want to look more prim, try a tweed jacket with wool trousers and suede shoes. That look will work even at the office — provided you're not in finance.

The Investment:

Ralph Lauren Polo Houndstooth Sport Coat — $995$419.99

Billy Reid — gray loring slim-fit wool and cashmere blend tweed suit jacket — £635 ($968)

Deals:

Haggar Men's Houndstooth Windowpane Blazer $200.00$99.99

Ralph Lauren Tweed Wood Blazer Gray — $350.00 $99.00 

 


 Tweed Pants

insider picks

Tweed pants are best when they aren't flashy. Stick to multi-purpose grays.

If you're really bold, we recommend checking out tweed sweatpants. Yep. Normcore mixed with classic tweed. That's some serious style.

The Investment: 
Ralph Lauren wool tweed David pant— $490.00$349.99

Deals:
BAR III Carnaby Collection slim fit flat front dress pants — $150.00 $39.99 

Wild Card:
Beams Plus slim fit sweatpants


Tweed Accessories 

ties

Tweed ties are a bit tricky to pull off. They're not quite formal, but they're also not quite casual.

The trick here is that you should only wear them when you aren't required to wear a tie — but you're still wearing a jacket and button-down shirt. Keep them the centerpiece, and wear with a white or light blue shirt.

The Investment: 
Burberry London Rohan Donegal Tweed Skinny Tie — $165.00$132.00

Deals: 
Jack Spade Men's Bowman Tweed Tie — $128.00 $73.87  


Tweed Sneakers

shoes

Sneakers have somehow become the preferred footwear for any occasion. So you can upgrade your style with some tweed sneakers for anything from brunch to a night out.

Investment: 
Diesel tweed high-top sneakers — $160.00

Deal:
PF Flyers tweed sneakers — $58.99 to $80.00 (depends on size and availability)

How about a drone?: The Sleek Panther Drone Is The Perfect Way To Start Flying [55% Off]

Looking for gadgets? Here Are 15 Hi-Tech Timepieces You'll Actually Want On Your Wrist

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25 Mountains Everyone Should Ski In Their Lifetime

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ski jump at Lake Louise Ski Resort in Canada

Ski bums and boarders follow the powder around the world to shred the slopes at the world's best ski resorts.

From ritzy Snowmass in Aspen, Colorado, to the steep terrain of Cerro Catedral in Argentina, here are 25 mountains that all skiers and boarders should visit in their lifetime.

Julie Zeveloff contributed to this story.

Ski or snowboard in the shadow of the Matterhorn at Zermatt, Switzerland's iconic ski town.



With a vertical drop of 4,105 ft. and 116 trails for expert, intermediate, and beginners skiers, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has something for all skill levels. The Wyoming mountain was ranked the #1 overall resort by SKI Magazine in 2013.



Conquer the Andes Mountains at Valle Nevado, a ski resort just outside Santiago, Chile. After a day of skiing, don't forget to have a Pisco Sour on the outdoor deck.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






Former Yahoo Employee Drew Olanoff, 34, Should Be Planning His Wedding — Instead He Has To Fight Cancer...Again

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april coyners drew olanoff

"Cancer."

That's the only word April Conyers, 33, remembers hearing in the hospital on Oct. 10.

She was sitting with her fiance of two months, a well-known tech publicist Drew Olanoff. She knows the doctor said a lot of other things, about oncologists and chemotherapy and staying positive, but it's all a blur.

Olanoff, 35, had gone to the hospital at Conyers' urging. He was running a 102-degree fever and had stomach pains. They thought he might have appendicitis. Instead, he had diverticulitis, a pesky but curable infection.

But the CAT scan also revealed tumors lining Olanoff's gut. After five years in remission, his Hodgkin's Lymphoma had returned. 

Olanoff was shocked. He had a physical the week prior, and had been told he was in perfect health. 

The first time Olanoff had cancer, the signs were more obvious. At age 29, he discovered a lump the size of a softball on his neck — stage 3 lymphoma. This time, he mostly felt fine.

He had been feeling tired, but he assumed that was from flying to Berlin from San Francisco frequently for his job. He had some back pain, like most people experience on occasion. That turned out to be a tumor pressing on a nerve. 

drew olanoff dog

"I think after you have a diagnosis like cancer it follows you around for the rest of your life," he says. "I’ve always carried [the fear it would return] with me. I go in for something like taking out my appendix out then they tell me they found tumors. It’s like, 'No, that’s to what I wanted to hear thank you, can you take that back?'"

For Olanoff and his soon-to-be bride, it's been a wild few months of accomplishments in both work and life — but that's all been interrupted by cancer.

The couple met over email a few years ago, when Olanoff was a writer for technology site The Next Web, and Conyers pitched him her startup clients at Brew PR. They officially met during TechCrunch Disrupt in New York at the Ace Hotel. Olanoff says he fell in love right there. "I told her, 'Sorry, I can't write about your companies anymore [due to conflict of love interest],'" he says.

Conyers moved to San Francisco for Olanoff. She began a new job in September as head of communications at a delivery startup, Postmates. Olanoff also began a new job in June, as Global Communications Director for an Instagram-like startup, EyeEm. He had been working at Yahoo when a mentor left to join EyeEm and asked Olanoff to come with him. 

Conyers and Olanoff got engaged on Aug. 27, a Wednesday — the same day Conyers resigned from her job at Brew PR to join Postmates. She remembers preparing a taco dinner when their dog, Apollo, trotted over. A small box was nestled in his tiny shirt pocket along with a scribbled note. When Conyers looked up, Olanoff was on one knee.

After just two weeks at Postmates, Conyers and Olanoff received the news at the hospital, and their worlds turned upside down. Both of their employers offered to help Olanoff however they could.april conyers drew olanoff

Since then, Olanoff estimates he's had 25 doctor appointments. Every day he has chemotherapy, Conyers writes him a note in a card and organizes dinner dates at the hospital. His last round ended on Christmas Eve. On one particularly rough day, Olanoff told Conyers he wouldn't blame her if she left him. She told him to shut the hell up.

For a cancer patient — or anyone for that matter — Olanoff is upbeat. He radiates positivity, a natural glow which has won him high-up friends in the tech and celebrity circuits. Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, for example, personally asked him to join her company. She had worked with him during her Google days when he was a TechCrunch reporter. Twitter co-founder Evan Williams gave Olanoff the handles @drew and @yoda. Celebrity Drew Carey helped Olanoff raise more than $1 million for cancer research the last time he was diagnosed, thanks to a Twitter interaction Olanoff instigated. 

(In 2009, Olanoff created a Twitter movement for charity, #blamedrewscancer, which encouraged people to complain about life's small annoyances; Ryan Seacrest, Drew Carey, Alyssa Milano and Lance Armstrong all participated. He also auctioned off his Twitter handle, @drew, to Drew Carey, which Carey ultimately let him keep.)

Being so public about his cancer last time was exhausting for Olanoff. He didn't want to go through that again. But when the doctors told Olanoff he needed a stem cell transplant, Olanoff changed his mind. 

olanoff hospital

This time, instead of using Twitter to raise money, Olanoff wants to raise awareness for the bone marrow registry. If he can use his influence in Silicon Valley to persuade even a few people to sign up, he can save lives — maybe even his own.

"April and I talked about [me going public with cancer again]," Olanoff says. "I felt guilty not talking about it. I felt selfish...This time there's a clear action and I can educate people."

The concept of giving blood is well known. Donating bone marrow seems scarier. Olanoff hopes re-launching his website, BlameDrewsCancer.com, and writing about his situation will make bone marrow donations less taboo.

"People understand giving blood. They prick your arm, give you a cookie and you leave. You never know if your blood gets used or not. [Bone marrow] is a situation where, if you get that call, you can talk to the person who needs it. If you want you can get to know them. You don’t have to say yes. You don’t have to do the donation."

Olanoff's efforts to educate the world about bone marrow and stem cell transplants have already helped. The last time he had cancer, he held a "blameathon" to raise money for charity with live bands and mouth swabs. Four years later, he got a call from an attendee who told Olanoff, "I'm a match for somebody."

drew olanoff hospital cancer

When Olanoff was re-diagnosed, Conyers promptly signed herself up for the registry. She was sent cotton swabs in the mail and rubbed all four corners of her mouth in under five minutes. One week later, her DNA was added to the online database.

If there is one good thing about having cancer, it's that it puts life in rather harsh perspective.

"Things that annoyed you don't annoy you anymore," Olanoff says. "Things you get stressed out about aren't stressful anymore. You refocus on family and friends.

"The perspective on life," he adds, "is a reward."

Conyers and Olanoff are still planning their wedding. They hope to get married in late 2015 or 2016, once Olanoff has beaten his cancer.

Again.

If you are interested in becoming a bone marrow donor or joining the registry to see if you could be someone's match, visit BeTheMatch.com.

Here's more on the process, but definitely read more on the website and/or ask your physician before you decide to sign up:

  • You should be between the ages of 18 and 44, although people between ages 45 and 60 can still apply to get registered online. If you register, your DNA information will remain in the bone marrow registry until you turn 61 or call to opt out.
  • Getting swabbed takes about five minutes and you can get a kit sent to you in the mail.
  • According to Be The Match, only one in forty people who join the registry get asked for additional testing (a blood test). One in 300 gets matched with a patient. One in 500 actually donates bone marrow. 
  • If you are matched with a patient, the process takes about 20 to 30 hours over a 4- to 6-week period, during which you'll have doctors appointments then go under anesthesia and donate your bone marrow. You may also need injections before your stem cells are donated. 

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A Luxury Condo In India Will Have A Private Swimming Pool On Every Balcony

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Bandra Ohm The Bandra Ohm, a residential high-rise in Mumbai, is offering the latest extravagance in luxury condos: a private balcony swimming pool in every unit. 

The 30-story tower will have about 100 units that will all have their very own crescent-shaped balcony pools enclosed in acrylic (the material used in large aquariums), the Wall Street Journal reports

James Law Cybertecture, the Hong Kong based firm building the Bandra Ohm, is designing the building with private swimming pools in order to offer a whole new approach to the living environment of high-rise buildings. 

Bandra Ohm In fact, the entire building takes its inspiration from water. “The design concept of the tower is inspired by the ripple effect generated by water droplets, which is also known as the capillary wave,” according James Law Cybertecture.

The ripple pattern creates an empty space in the center of the building, where the developers have built a specially designed clubhouse. 

Bandra Ohm This is not the first development that is planning to have a private swimming pool in every balcony. A 35 story building in Kuala Lumpur has a tagline that says: “94 Apartments, 95 Swimming Pools,” according to the WSJ. In the Bahamas, a 34 unit Honeycomb building will have a private pool in every apartment. 

But many are questioning if the private pools are worth it since they are usually quite small, and have a high possibility of spilling over. Plus, there's always the potential disaster of a leak.

The hassles of adding private pools to buildings also significantly increases the price — the Honeycomb’s condos that are 5,800 square feet and priced at $15 million.

“If you’re trying for a differentiator, that’s a reason to do it,” Dolly Lenz, a luxury real-estate agent in New York, told the WSJ. “But personally I wouldn’t recommend the idea to a developer.” 

SEE ALSO: Here Are The Astounding Views From The Top Of New York City's Tallest Apartment Building

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A Silicon Valley Billionaire Could Be Forced To Sell His Walkway To The Beach

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vinod khoslaAs the new year begins, so does a new chapter in the battle over a stretch of California beach whose access point has been blocked by Vinod Khosla, venture capitalist and billionaire cofounder of Sun Microsystems.

Khosla has long been mired in lawsuits regarding a public-access point at Martins Beach, a small surfer's haven just south of Half Moon Bay. In the latest turn, he could be forced to sell his land to the state.

In 2008, Khosla purchased a 53-acre property adjacent to the beach for $37.5 million. A few months after Khosla made the purchase, a gate leading from the Pacific Coast Highway down to the parking lot was locked, and signs forbidding entry were posted. 

In September, San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Barbara Mallach ruled that Khosla had to seek a permit from the California Coastal Commission before locking the gates leading down to the beach. Failing to obtain a permit before changing the nature of public access to a beach was found to be a violation of the California Coastal Act. 

Surfrider Foundation, an environmental organization with strong ties to Martins Beach, first filed suit against Khosla in March 2013, with most of the arguments in the case taking place last summer.

But now Khosla must consult with another state commission regarding the situation. 

A law signed by California Governor Jerry Brown in October officially went into effect on Jan. 1, requiring the State Lands Commission to immediately start negotiations with Khosla. 

The law, which was introduced by State Senator Jerry Hill last February, requires the Lands Commission to consult with San Mateo County and other local officials on whether the management of the road and public parking lots should be taken away from Khosla.

If the commission doesn't reach an agreement with Khosla by Dec. 31, the new law says the commission can exercise eminent domain to force a sale of the right-of-way path on Khosla's property.

martin's beach

Meanwhile, the gate leading down to the beach has only been open sporadically. 

According to testimony at this summer's trial, the family that previously owned the property kept the gate open every day of the year, unless there was inclement weather or a private event was taking place. The family charged $2 to park at the beach, which also once had a restaurant and convenience store that catered to visitors.

martins beach

With a concrete year-end deadline, the new law could prove to be a faster solution than resolving the Surfrider lawsuit.

In December, Khosla filed a motion to throw out Mallach's order to reopen access to the beach. Khosla is seeking a new trial, claiming "irregularity in the proceedings of the Court," "improper orders of the Court," and "abuse of discretion by the Court," among other complaints. 

According to the San Jose Mercury News, Khosla's lawyers have been considering an appeal to the case that would preserve the billionaire's property rights.


NOW WATCH: How To Use Excel's New Flash Fill Feature To Recognize Data Patterns

 

SEE ALSO: Silicon Valley Billionaire Is Challenging The Order To Open The Beach He Blocked

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New York Times Food Critic Demolishes Masa Chef's 'Brutally' Expensive New Restaurant

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kappo masa

Beloved New York Times food critic Pete Wells does not mince words when he hates a restaurant.

He eviscerated Guy Fieri’s Times Square restaurant, is not afraid to leave if a restaurant is not accommodating, and now he’s found his next target. 

Kappo Masa, the Upper East Side restaurant co-owned by gallery bigwig Larry Gagosian and master chef Masayoshi Takayama, is in the hot seat this week for what Wells says are outrageous prices for merely subpar fare.

The entire review drips with disdain. “The cost of eating at Kappo Masa is so brutally, illogically, relentlessly high, and so out of proportion to any pleasure you may get, that large numbers start to seem like uninvited and poorly behaved guests at the table,” Wells writes.

Halfway through the review, Wells begins to list some of the sky-high prices on the menu. A $240 maki roll, $120 mushroom fried rice, $150 Ohmi beef tataki, and $28 for “bland, watery cauliflower” all drew his attention.

kappo masaBut it wasn't just the prices that irked the critic. Even the more rationally priced fare is hit-or-miss, writes Wells, who compared eating at Kappo Masa to playing the lottery. 

Wells should not have been completely shocked by his bill. Chef Takayama helms the most expensive restaurant in New Yorkthree-Michelin-starred Masa— where dinner for two can cost upwards of $900 after tax, tip, and drinks. Takayama also charges similar prices at Bar Masa, the à-la-carte version of his famous restaurant. 

But Wells insists that Kappo Masa does not merit the same prices as its brethren:

It doesn’t seem possible that Mr. Gagosian and Mr. Takayama just made up these prices out of thin air, diabolically chortling like Batman villains, late one evening at Masa. [...] And yet if you are one of those people who suspects that Manhattan is being remade as a private playground for millionaires who either don’t mind spending hundreds of dollars for mediocrity or simply can’t tell the difference, Kappo Masa is not going to convince you that you’re wrong.

And even though Kappo Masa earns itself a “Satisfactory” for having a few good dishes, Wells still gives it zero stars because of its outrageous markups and poor service.

kappo masaYou can read the full review here.

 

NOW WATCH: How To Pack A Suit So You're Not A Wrinkled Mess When Traveling

 

SEE ALSO: The 25 Most Expensive Tasting Menus On Earth

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One Chart Explains Why Billionaires Are Investing In New York Apartments

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new york apartments compared to nasdaq chart

Wei Min Tan, a luxury-real-estate broker based out of New York City, has created the one chart that explains why billionaires are investing so heavily in Manhattan real estate.

The chart compares investment performance in the Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Gold, and FTSE 100 indexes against New York condominium prices from the beginning to the end of 2014.

According to Tan, the average price per square foot for a Manhattan condo appreciated by 9.9%, and by as much as 19.8% if the home was bought with a mortgage loan.

“The assumption here is that rental income covers the expenses of mortgage, common charges, and property taxes,” Tan explained. “This break-even is commonly achieved with a 50% equity, 50% loan purchase.”

The bottom line is that buying and flipping real estate in Manhattan leads to stable returns for the millionaires and billionaires snapping up these properties, whether they’re living in them or not.

Suddenly, the huge increase in new condo developments makes a lot more sense. 

NOW WATCH: 4 Real Robots Designed To Make Life Easier

 

SEE ALSO: 5 Things To Do Before You Invest In New York City Real Estate

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One Of The Hottest New Retail Companies Is Suddenly Closing Its Doors

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c. wonder store

Preppy retailer C. Wonder is closing all of its stores. 

The company told workers that its 11 US stores will shut down in the coming weeks, reports Sapna Maheshwari at BuzzFeed.

The 100 employees at the New York headquarters cleared out shortly after.

CEO Harlan Kent told his team that attempts to turn around business, including discounting merchandise, weren't enough to save the company. 

The retailer, founded by industry veteran Chris Burch in 2011, had a controversial beginning. 

Burch's ex-wife, designer Tory Burch, accused him of copying her styles. The two later settled their differences. 

Many C. Wonder items had a similar aesthetic to Tory Burch's designs, but the prices were much cheaper.

Until recently, C. Wonder appeared to be on the path to success. 

Morgan Stanley recently named the fashion retailer one of the top accessories companies, along with industry heavyweights Michael Kors, Coach, Tory Burch, and Vera Bradley. 

But Burch has allegedly distanced himself from the brand for the past year, focusing on his other retail brands instead.

c. wonder accessories

BuzzFeed reported in November that the company was planning to close 20 of its 32 stores to focus on the wholesale business.

Fans of C. Wonder loved its preppy aesthetic, bright colors, and accessories.

Celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Lopez have been spotted wearing the gear.

Apparel retailers across the board are struggling to attract customers. 

Teen retailers like Abercrombie & Fitch and Aeropostale have had declining sales. Trendy chain Wet Seal is rumored to be shutting down stores amid bankruptcy. 

Macy's CFO Karen Hoguet told analysts that consumers had priorities other than clothing and housewares. 

"Shoppers are spending more of their disposable dollars on categories we don’t sell, like cars, healthcare, electronics, and home improvement," Hoguet said in a call with investors.

SEE ALSO: How Victoria's Secret Tricks Men Into Spending More Money

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