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Here's why the McDonald's Shamrock Shake is the best $3.19 I can possibly spend

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shamrock shake

Earlier on Thursday, I heard one of our editors call out to the newsroom, Shamrock shakes are back!

I was immediately awash in slurpy, sugary memories. 

There I am, 7 years old, sitting shotgun in my mom's Buick sedan. Nearly two decades ago, it was Shamrock Shake season then, too, and we made our dutiful pilgrimage to the McDonald's drivethru when she got off work. 

For someone who wasn't raised in a religious household, the seasonal beverage — first introduced in 1970— was one of my first introductions into seasonal ritual. While snow was still on the ground in the Rockford, Illinois, of my childhood, the minty green drink was a harbinger of spring, a promise that the winter would one day depart. 

Now I live in New York and make a living by reporting and writing. At my editor's call, I realized that I hadn't had a shamrock shake in years. 

This had to be corrected. 

At lunch, I checked in the nearest McDonald's to see if they had the shake. 

They did.

So this afternoon, I ventured out to a Manhattan McDonald's with my colleague Jacqui Kenyon — who had never had a Shamrock Shake before! — in pursuit of the shake. 

receipt

We sauntered up to the counter and asked for two shakes. The woman at the register asked her colleagues if they had the Shamrock Shake yet. They did. And I knew because I checked. Jacqui, sensing the sacredness of the moment, offered to pay the $3.19 for my medium. 

I accepted. 

We waited with bated breath, relating tales of St. Patrick's Days of yore.

After a few minutes, like two Irish-American angels, the shakes arrived, complete with whipped cream and cherry on top. 

We walked out, jabbed straws into cups.

Then: dairy deliverance. 

My inner 7-year-old was satisfied.

"It's so good!" Jacqui exclaimed, "like a minty Dairy Queen." 

Yes. 

For every spring, the Shamrock Shake is king. 

SEE ALSO: A color-coded budget helped me pay off half my credit card debt

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NOW WATCH: Research Reveals Why Men Cheat, And It's Not What You Think









Google has opened insane new spa-themed offices in Hungary

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google budapest

Google is known for its quirky office designs, and its new outpost in Budapest, Hungary certainly doesn't disappoint.

Graphasel, the Budapest-based design studio Google hired for the project, chose a spa theme in honor of the city's water-centric culture.

According to Graphasel's description of the office, there are nearly 500 springs in Budapest, and it's long been known as a spa destination.

The office's design includes some pretty wacky features, including a sauna, fancy tile, and a conference room packed with water polo gear. 

Googlers can relax on wavy, stadium-style seating. Real plants are mounted on the walls, and there are colorful towels and beach balls around the space.



The floor was made to look like water, and you'll notice a picture of a swimming pool in the background.



Water polo is extremely important to Hungarians — the national team has won three world championships and nine Olympic gold medals in the sport. A scoreboard in this room is a reference to that.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






What 12 super-successful people wish they knew at 22

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bransonThink back to when you were 22 years old. You were just graduating from college, entering the "real world," and embarking on your professional journey.

Maybe you wish you could rewrite your past. Or perhaps you're content with the decisions you made at that time in your life. Either way, there are probably a few things you wish you knew then that you know now.

That's exactly what LinkedIn asked its network of top minds across all fields to write about for its most recent Influencers editorial package, titled "If I Were 22."

Over 60 thought leaders shared original posts — along with pictures of themselves at 22 — filled with pearls of wisdom for new grads based on what they wish they had known at 22. Here's what 12 super-successful people had to say.

Arianna Huffington: Don’t work too hard.

In the course of her "Thrive" book tour, the The Huffington Post president says one question has come up over and over again. It goes something like this: "It's all fine and good for people who have already succeeded to care for their well-being, but shouldn't young people pursue their dreams by burning the candle at both ends? Surely getting by on less sleep and constant multitasking are an express elevator to the top, right?"

"This couldn't be less true," Huffington says. "And for far too long, we have been operating under a collective delusion that burning out is the necessary price for achieving success." 

This is what she wishes she knew at 22. "I wish I could go back and tell myself, 'Arianna, your performance will actually improve if you can commit to not only working hard but also unplugging, recharging, and renewing yourself.'"

That knowledge, Huffington says, would have saved her a lot of unnecessary stress, worry, burnout, and anxiety.



Richard Branson: Have a blast, but build your purpose.

"There are lots of things I know now that I wish I had known when I was 22," says the Virgin Group founder. "I would have loved to have known that Sir Tim Berners-Lee was going to invent the internet, so that I could have invented LinkedIn — not to mention Google, Twitter, and Facebook!

"It would have been useful to have known that Steve Jobs was going to launch the iPod, and the internet was going to revolutionize the music industry — I would have sold our record shops and got out of the music business a lot earlier."



Sallie Krawcheck: Things won’t get easier, but they’ll get better.

Krawcheck, the business leader of 85 Broads and a former top executive on Wall Street, wishes she had known to keep a running note of what works and what doesn't work for her; what she likes and what she doesn't like; what she's good and what she isn't good at; the work styles that suit her and what doesn't; and where her passions lie and what leaves her cold. 

She'd tell her 22-year-old self that "it still won't be easy once you decide what you want to do: over the months that follow, you're going to be rejected by all of the major Wall Street firms … but you'll eventually find the right firm. … It's going to be a lot of fun. Not every day, but most days. You're going to be rejected a lot. You'll need thick skin to get through it. Oh, and work hard. That really matters. Please get that mole on your shoulder checked. And that guy you're dating? Bad idea. Seriously."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






The 12 most romantic date night spots in New York City

See inside a sprawling New York apartment overlooking Central Park that was just listed for $42 million

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101 Central Park West Apt 9bc $42 million

A huge apartment on New York City's Upper West Side has just been listed for $42 million, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The 7,000-square-foot apartment is in one of Manhattan’s first co-op buildings from the 1930s. 

On the 9th floor of the 18-story residence, the apartment is bright and airy with huge windows that look out on the city. It has five bedrooms, a library, a maid’s room, and not one but two living rooms.

According to the WSJ, the anonymous owners bought the home for $12.2 million in 2003 and renovated it with an updated layout and smart home features. The result is a light, white apartment with pops of color.

Randall Gianopulos and Serena Boardman of Sotheby’s International Realty are sharing the listing.

Welcome to the 7,000-square-foot apartment on Central Park West selling for $42 million.



The home has two living rooms and 14 huge windows that face east towards the park.



The kitchen is at the center of the home with bar seating, a center island, and the latest appliances.



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This chart shows how long you can stay outside in extreme cold before getting frostbite

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man polar bear plunge swimming ice cold

This weekend, parts of the Northeast could experience some of the coldest temperatures the region has seen in the past 20 yearsThe National Weather Service predicts temperatures below freezing for Philadelphia, Boston, New York City, and other hubs along the East coast.

Simple temperature isn't the only thing that matters though. Brave adventurers (or those forced to leave their homes) should consider wind chill — the temperature it "feels like" outside based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin, according to the National Weather Service.

Fingers, toes, ear lobes, or the tip of the nose are the areas most susceptible to frostbite. Your body works hard to keep internal organs and your head warm, and sometimes extremities get left behind.

Usually, when parts of your body get too cold, they turn red and hurt. Symptoms of frostbite, however, include a loss of feeling and lack of color. Anyone showing signs of hypothermia or frost bite should seek medical attention immediately.

The chart below shows how long you can be exposed to certain temperatures before resulting in frostbite.

windchill temperature chart

For example, a temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit and a wind speed of 15 mph creates a wind chill temperature of -19 degrees Fahrenheit. Under these conditions frost bite can occur in just 30 minutes. With windchill, some areas on the Northeast could reach temperatures as low as -35 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather Service, which has issued "wind chill watches" for certain locations. At that temperature, frostbite can occur in as little as 10 minutes.

You can, however, survive a winter scenario like this. Check out these tips — like wearing mittens instead of gloves.

Extremely cold temperature can also cause hypothermia, when the body's temperature dips below 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Warning signs include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and obvious exhaustion, according to the NWS.

Surprisingly, hypothermia can occur at any temperature lower than normal body temperature. Factors like body fat, age, alcohol consumption, and especially wetness can affect how long hypothermia takes to strike.

If you fall into water, the situation becomes drastically more dangerous.

For example, in water 32.5 degrees Fahrenheit or colder, you might not survive more than 15-to-45 minutes. You'll undergo shock within the first two minutes and some functional disability before 30 minutes, according to the United States Coast Guard.

Check out this chart from the Personal Floatation Device Manufacturers Association:

hypothermia temperatures

SEE ALSO: This weekend, parts of the Northeast could be the coldest they've been in 'over two decades'

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NOW WATCH: Research Reveals Why Men Cheat, And It's Not What You Think








The world's most powerful woman works in the world's largest government office building

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Bundeskanzleramt german chancellery

The world's most powerful woman works in the world's largest government office building. Located in the center of Berlin, Angela Merkel's Bundeskanzleramt (Germany Chancellery) is approximately 10 times the size of the White House.

The Chancellery was commissioned, designed, and partially constructed during the tenure of the long serving Chancellor Helmut Kohl — himself of pretty colossal dimensions. On its completion in 2001, accompanied by mutterings around hubris, Gerhard Schröder became the first German chancellor to move in.

BundeskanzleramtThough he couldn’t match Kohl’s girth, Schröder was a larger-than-life leader, a super-confident embodiment of modern, prosperous, unified Germany, much like his new, ultra-modern office. A more austere public figure, Angela Merkel currently occupies the space. 

Here is an infographic of the Kanzleramt republished with permission from Around the World: An Atlas for Today.

AroundTheWorld_TheBiggestOffice

Around the World Gestalten BookInfographic republished with permission from Around the World: An Atlas for Today published by Gestalten.

Alongside classic facts about nature, history, population, culture, and politics, Around the World’s compelling information graphics thoroughly explain complex processes that impact our lives such as global trade and changing demographics. 

The book gives added insight into our modern world through its visual exploration of subjects such as eating habits, overfishing, and internet providers, as well as events that have left indelible marks on our collective conscience including September 11, the Olympic Games, Japan’s Fukushima disaster, and the sinking of the Titanic.

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NOW WATCH: Research Reveals Why Men Cheat, And It's Not What You Think








5 scientifically proven reasons it's better to be single

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Jennifer Lopez single

Crying into a pint of ice cream alone on Valentine's Day? Talking through your problems with your cat? Taking your mom to your office holiday party?

Hardly. These are absurd stereotypes of singledom — not the reality.

"[Does] getting married result in lasting improvements to mental health, physical health, or any of the other supposed goodies?" asks Bella DePaulo, a psychologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the author of "Singled Out." "The answer ... is no."

Marriage and partnership have their perks, but scientists have shown again and again that being single has a long list of benefits.

Here are five big ones:

1. Healthy heart

In a study that followed more than 9,000 middle-aged adults for eight years, rates of heart disease were lowest among those who had never been married. The difference between those who had been married the whole time and those who had been single the whole time was not significant, but those who were "remarried," "divorced," and "widowed" — all statuses that can come from getting hitched — were significantly worse off.

Source: Journal of Marriage and Family, 2006

2. Fit body

When researchers surveyed more than 13,000 men and women between the ages of 18 and 64, they found that the ones who had never been married exercised more each week than those who were either married or divorced. This effect held even after controlling for age. You could argue that single people have more time, are more concerned with keeping up appearances, or are less likely to have children (something one later study pointed to as the real contributing factor), but that's mostly speculation — and the end result is the same.

Another study based in Australia surveyed thousands of women about their level of physical activity. When they followed up four years later, those who had gotten married in the interim were much more likely to be "inactive."

Source: American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 2003; Journal of Marriage and Family, 2004; Journal of Physical Activity & Health, 2010

3. Strong social network

Does it ever seem like friends who couple off suddenly pay less attention to you? That's because it's true. "Multiple studies [have shown] that married people are less likely than single people to help, support, visit, and maintain contact with friends, family, and neighbors," DePaulo writes. The same is true for partners who are unmarried but living together. One study even showed that once people get married, they have less contact with their siblings.

Marriage and cohabitation mean much of a person's love and attention is focused on one person. Single people, meanwhile, may have more emotional energy to share with friends, siblings, parents — and themselves.

Source: Journal of Marriage and Family, 2004; Contexts, 2006; Journal of Marriage and Family, 2012

4. No settling

People who can embrace being single are less likely to end up settling for unhappy partnerships, feeling stuck and unfulfilled. One study found that a fear of being single made people much likelier to "settle for less," prioritizing relationship status over personal happiness. This is especially important because while there's a stigma against growing old alone, people perhaps have more reason to fear ending up in bad marriages. One study of 1,649 people 65 and older found that "married persons who felt inequitably treated were more distressed than persons who had always been single."

Source: Psychology and Aging, 2006; Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2013

5. Solitude

"Solitude, in contrast to loneliness, is often a positive state — one that may be sought rather than avoided," wrote two University of Massachusetts psychologists who added that the solo state has been linked to "freedom, creativity, intimacy, and spirituality." Singles — especially those who live alone — may have more time for solitude and its many psychological benefits. Preliminary research has also suggested that people are more likely to feel good than bad about their alone time, and that we form better memories when we're by ourselves.

Source: American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 1990; Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, 2003; Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2003; Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2011 

Want to improve your mental health? Here's what you can do — no significant other required.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: George Clooney Had The Perfect Response At Comic Con When A Fellow Actor Called Him Old









7 minimalist watches to step up your style game

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Some people think they don't need to wear a watch since they can just check the time on their smartphones.

But a watch is about more than just checking the time. It's also about style.

Since most of us dress conservatively at work and even at home, a fun watch is often the only way to subtly show off some personality.

Check out some of our favorites.


Avant Raw Black Watch

watch Why we love it:

Although it may sound like a contradiction, this watch is both modern and classic. 

Price: $300


Nixon Anthem

men's watchWhy we love it: 

This watch's strap has a bit of muscle, without being too flashy.

 

Price: $450


Deja Vu White by Projects Watches

men's watchWhy we love it:

Another minimalistic watch — but check out those unique hands. If you're looking for something that's straight up cool, we recommend this.

 

Price: $130


The Gray Tryo Watch

men's watchWhy we love it:

Something that isn't black! We like this watch because the silver gives off the sleek-steel look, while the orange gives it a pop of spontaneity.

Price: $100


5 O'Clock Watch by Project Watches

men's watchWhy we love it:

Plain face, plain strap — but there's nothing boring about this watch. It's sharp and we love that 5 on the face.

Price: $135


Ora Unica Watch

men's watchWhy we love it:

If you want something that isn't too pretentious, this watch is a good pick. That swirl gives off a fun vibe.

Price: $140


Witherspoon Navy Watch

men's watchWhy we love it:

And last but not least, if you prefer something brighter, we recommend this orange-and-blue watch. It'll be a great option in the summer.

Price: $135

 

WANT MORE? Click Here To See Our Other Insider Picks

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








This California grilled-cheese chain hired NASA engineers to design its delivery vehicles

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the melt, grilled cheese, smart box

Everyone hates a cold, soggy grilled cheese, and the way the cheese congeals into a lukewarm brick and the bread sags under the weight of the oil.

Leave it to a venture-capital-backed grilled-cheese chain to solve this ungodly problem.

Fast-casual eatery The Melt, whose headquarters are in San Francisco, dedicates itself to savory and tech-savvy grilled-cheese sandwiches starting at $5 a pop. It recently relaunched its patented Smart Box, a catering-delivery system designed by former NASA engineers that regulates humidity, heat, and air circulation, ensuring that the sandwiches arrive at your office or home in warm, ooey-gooey condition.

Business Insider's West Coast team recently ordered some of The Melt's new catering menu items to see the Smart Box in action.

Tommy Thompson, head of catering at The Melt, rolled the Smart Box into our office. At chest level, the wheeled contraption was surprisingly light.

the melt, grilled cheese, smart box

Before the Smart Box leaves a Melt location for delivery, it's plugged into a power source so that the hot plate can heat a mass of aluminum inside. En route, the aluminum acts as a "heat battery," storing the heat and continuing to warm up the chamber after it's unplugged.

An exhaust fan at the back of the box regulates the humidity level, and a center fan blows a continuous stream of air on the aluminum, creating a convection flow that evenly distributes heat and humidity.

the melt, grilled cheese, smart box

As the chamber heats up, the humidity levels must be adjusted accordingly, because hotter air holds more moisture. A microcontroller monitors and regulates the box's internal environment using a proprietary algorithm.

the melt, grilled cheese, smart box

The engineers also designed the trays the food comes in. Each sandwich sits in a pocket so that it doesn't get squished in transit. Holes in the bottom let out moisture, preventing the bread from getting soggy.

the melt, grilled cheese, smart box

All this science means the grilled cheese tastes fresh from the frying pan every time.

I ate the Italian Job Melt, which contains fontina cheese melted over truffles and spinach, about a half-hour after the delivery person arrived. The sandwich lost its warmth by then — it had been a half-hour, after all — but the white bread maintained its crispness.

the melt, grilled cheese, smart box

The Buffalo Chicken Melt, on the other hand, retained heat thanks to its parchment-paper packaging. The item is a new addition to The Melt's menu, which now includes burgers, chicken melts, fries, and mac and cheese.

the melt, grilled chicken sandwich, smart box

Naturally, we tried everything on the new catering menu, from the Double Bacon BBQ Chicken Melt topped with aged cheddar and grilled onions to the Trio mac and cheese made with cheddar, fontina, and jack.

the melt, grilled cheese, smart box

A public-relations manager for The Melt tells us other restaurant chains are looking to get their hands on the Smart Box too. After tasting its grilled cheeses, we understand why.

SEE ALSO: Meet the engineer who sold his company for almost $200 million and used the money to open a chocolate factory in San Francisco

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How To Make The Perfect Grilled Cheese








15 striking photos of one woman's 1,700-mile trek across the Australian outback

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people tracks

When Robyn Davidson was 26 years old, she decided to walk 1,700 miles across the harsh terrain of wild Australia.

It was 1977, and Davidson spent nine months traveling from Alice Springs in central Australia to the Indian Ocean off the western coast.

She wanted to find meaning outside of the noise of modern society, and reached out to National Geographic to fund the trip.

The magazine agreed to give her some money to survive the trek alongside her four camels and dog, in exchange for intermittently sending 27-year-old photographer Rick Smolan to document stretches of the journey.

The National Geographic story was published in May 1978, and Davidson published her memoir, "Tracks," two years later.

It made Davidson a celebrity in Australia, and over 30 years later was adapted into a dramatic film starring Mia Wasikowska and Adam Driver.

More recently, Smolan self-published "Inside Tracks: Robyn Davidson's Solo Journey Across the Outback," a collection of high-res prints of his original photographs alongside personal essays from him and Davidson.

Smolan shared a sampling of the photos with Business Insider. They capture Davidson's journey, as well as powerful lessons about love, death, and self-reliance.

Here, Davidson is seen planning out her trip in a notebook. "To me, what matters is that Robyn permitted herself to listen to the little voice inside that so many of us ignore," Smolan writes in "Inside Tracks."



Davidson requested $4,000 in support from National Geographic for her trip, which she expected to last six to eight months, in return for giving one of their journalists a chance to document the story. Here is a shot of Smolan, National Geographic's representative, and Davidson compared to their silver screen counterparts.



"I wanted to shed burdens," Davidson writes in "Inside Tracks." "To pare away what was unnecessary. The process was literal, in the sense of constantly leaving behind anything extraneous to my needs, and metaphorical, or perhaps metaphysical, in the sense of ridding myself of mental baggage." Pictured below is Uluru, the world's largest single rock.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






13 reasons H-E-B is the best grocery store in America

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Texans know that H-E-B is the best grocery store in America.

The chain has been providing a superior shopping experience for much longer than Whole Foods. 

From gourmet in-store samples to awesome packaging, we chose a few reasons that H-E-B is amazing. 

1. Produce section. 

The produce section at H-E-B has more than 900 items. The gorgeous fruits and vegetables are known to be fresh and impeccably stacked. 

Also, you can weigh and label your own produce for faster checkout.

h-e-b produce section

2. Clever packaging. 

The brand has fun with its private-label items. 

Take this barcode on hot sauce: 

green sauce h-e-b

3. Beer and wine selections. 

H-E-B has an extensive selection of traditional, craft, and Texas brews. You can even take individual beers and craft your own six-pack. 

Wine fans rave about the awesome variety at reasonable prices. 

beer h-e-b

4. Whataburger products. 

H-E-B carries snack products and condiments from the beloved Texas fast-food chain. 

heb whataburger products

5. Texas-shaped tortilla chips. 

Only H-E-B makes awesome tortilla chips shaped like your home state. 

 texas shaped tortilla chips

6. Great customer service. 

H-E-B is highly ranked as a place to work, thanks to great benefits and a strong company culture. Many customers write that customer service there is superior compared with other grocery chains. 

h-e-b check-out lanes

7. Funny promotions. 

The brand often has a sense of humor with promotions, as one Reddit user pointed out

h-e-b coupon

8. Cafe on the Run. 

The store's prepared-foods section puts others to shame, featuring creative salads and artisanal sandwiches

And, of course, the store sells barbecue. 

heb texas bbq

9. Chefs who prepare free samples. 

The grocery's Cooking Connection program has chefs preparing items for customers to sample. You can also get recipes that use H-E-B items. 

h-e-b chef

10. Coffee shops. 

Many H-E-B stores feature full-service coffee shops, in case you need a latte to power through a shopping trip. 

h-e-b coffee shop

11. Products inspired by Texas movies. 

For instance, these True Grits. 

h-e-b true grits

12. Make-your-own pizzas. 

The chain is famous for its build-your-own pizzas, with ingredients from Italy. 

You can enjoy the pizza in the store or take it home in a box. 

h-e-b pizzas

13. Surprise finds. 

Here's a block of Wisconsin cheese fashioned into a cowboy boot. 

HEB cheese boot



NOW WATCH: How To Supercharge Your Coffee To Give You Even More Energy In The Morning 

 

SEE ALSO: 35 Companies Changing The Way We Shop And Eat

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NOW WATCH: Watch Out Lululemon — Women Are Going Crazy Over These No-Underwear Yoga Pants








No one realized this 92-year-old janitor had quietly amassed an $8 million fortune until they read his will

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ronald read 2

When Vermont resident Ronald Read died at age 92, he left millions of dollars to the local library and hospital, reports his hometown newspaper, the Brattleboro Reformer.

Read, who according to Reuters worked as a gas station attendant and as a janitor at a JCPenney, is remembered by those who knew him as a "frugal and extremely private person." 

The Reformer reports that "his estate included a 2007 Toyota Yaris valued at $5,000, but his closest friends and family members did not know he had even a tiny sliver of the fortune he left behind." 

Between his property and his investments, that fortune amounted to about $8 million.

In an interview with CNBC, Read's attorney Laurie Rowell explains that most of his investments — including AT&T, Bank of America, CVS, Deere, GE, and General Motors — were found in his safe deposit box after his death.

"He only invested in what he knew and what paid dividends," Rowell said. "That was important to him."

Those holdings enabled him to bequeath $1.2 million to the local Brooks Memorial Library and $4.8 million to the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital — the largest donations either institution had received since the library's founding in 1886.

ronald readRead's stepson remembers him to the Reformer as a daily reader of the Wall Street Journal and a man who lived a financially conservative lifestyle. "I was tremendously surprised," Brown told the paper. "He was a hard worker, but I don't think anybody had an idea that he was a multi-millionaire."

In fact, one local resident quoted in the Reformer says she once knitted him a hat (that she never saw him wear) and "bought some old fence wiring from him once because I thought he could use the money." She adds: "People were stunned that he had that much money."

"He had two lifelong hobbies: Investing and cutting wood," Rowell told the Reformer. "The generous bequests to the Brooks Library and Brattleboro Memorial Hospital attest to his skills at investing. The well-stocked woodpile in his garage attests to his love of cutting wood."

SEE ALSO: If you aren't rich by 45, you might as well give up

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NOW WATCH: Research Reveals Why Men Cheat, And It's Not What You Think








The 100 most romantic restaurants in the US, according to OpenTable

This $20 million Indian wedding included 16,000 guests and a performance by Jennifer Lopez

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JLo Hinduja wedding

A member of India’s billionaire Hinduja dynasty got married on Thursday and the multi-million-dollar-affair was the place to be for India's rich and famous.

Sanjay Hinduja, the son of business legend Gopichand Hinduja and chairman of Gulf Oil International, married designer Anu Mahtani on Thursday after a week of celebrations that reportedly cost upward of $20 million. 

The wedding took place in Udaipur, a city in Rajasthan state, at the island palace where the James Bond movie "Octopussy" was shot. Highlights included performances from Jennifer Lopez and pop artist Nicole Scherzinger, as well as a number of Bollywood stars.

According to the Daily Mail, more than 200 private jets chartered guests to the palace, and some 16,000 people attended week-long events leading up to the wedding.

Here's a look at the lavish affair:

 on


JLo killed it on stage.

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British film actress Sophie Choudry posed with the groom.

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Bollywood star Ranveer Singh posed with Nicole Scherzinger and other Indian celebs.

 on


People were really excited when JLo arrived a few days early. It was her first trip to India.

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She obviously had to take some selfies while touring around.

Jagmandir Island Palace

The luxurious Jagmandir Island Palace venue.

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Here's Nicole Scherzinger again. Check out that decor.

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Here are socialites Shilpa Shetty, Preity Zinta, Manish Malhotra, Sophie Choudry and Raveena Tandon.

 on


Arjun Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Nicole Scherzinger perform.

 on

 
Guests were asked to wear traditional Indian dress to the ceremony.

 on


Here's Nicole Scherzinger, who sings "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" from the film "Slumdog Millionaire."

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Looks like it was quite the bash.

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NOW WATCH: These are the keys to a happy marriage in China









These tweets take on a whole new meaning when you see where they were written

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LarsonShindelman TrumanShow

Since 2009, Marni Shindelman and Nate Larson have embarked on an unusual project. They scan publicly available Twitter feeds for geotagged tweets and then travel to those locations to photograph them.

The two try to imagine what the Twitter user was thinking or seeing when they composed their sometimes humorous and often poignant tweets.

For Shindelman and Larson, the project is about looking for some of the real people behind the 500 million tweets sent each day. "Our act of making a photograph anchors and memorializes the ephemeral online data in the real world and also probes the expectations of privacy surrounding social networks," they write on their website.

Larson and Shindelman shared some of their photos with us here; you can see the rest on their site.

The “Geolocation” project began in 2009 when the duo discovered Yahoo Pipes, a web tool that someone had used to map tweets that had been geotagged. At the time, there were only a few tweets, but this one in front of an investment bank in Chicago caught their eye. “We took this right after the Recession hit and there was something impactful about someone walking out after getting fired and sending this sad, funny tweet,” says Larson.



At the time, Shindelman was living in Rochester, New York, and Larson was living in Chicago. Each did their own version of the project focusing on their location.



Over time, the two found better applications for the project. Shindelman now uses Bing Twitter Map, while Larson uses Tweetspot and Streamd.in.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






Get the best online discounts on men's shoes this President's Day

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Step up your shoe game as a discount this weekend thanks to widespread President's Day sales.

Whether you're in the market for winter boots or Sperry's, we've found the best ones here.

Check them out.


Men's winter boots

boots men shoes

Winter's not over yet so if you still need winter boots — or just want to add another pair to your arsenal — here are some great options.

And the best part is: if you buy winter boots now, you don't need to worry about getting them next December.

Left to right:
Clarks — $44.99 to $106.00; Cole Haan — $136.80 to $199.78; Cole Haan — $136.80; Giorgio Brutini — $92.09 to $99.95; Steve Madden — $67.99 to $95.00.


Everyday sneakers

sneakers

Sneakers are having a moment. More specifically: sneakers that have a white or yellow base (like all of the above) are having a moment.

These shoes will work year round — we recommend wearing them with jeans and a t-shirt.

Left to right:
Puma — $50.47; New Balance — $49.43 to $55.11; Reebok — $36.32 to $64.99; DC — $31.29 to $60.00; HUF — $50.20 to $80.00.


Athletic shoes 

shoes

On the other hand, if you're in the market for workout sneakers, check these out.

The Rockport boot is a great option if you're the outdoorsy type. The other four sneakers are our picks for your gym days. The fun neon green and neon yellow details make the sneakers less boring.

Left to right:
Rockport — $82.21 to $99.95; Adidas — $49.43 to $55.11; New Balance— $99.95; ASICS — $46.42 to $50.92; ASICS — $50.92.


 

Boat shoes

boat shoes

Before you know it, spring will be here. And you'll want to be prepared. Boat shoes are a great option in the spring because the match with pretty much any pant style.

Left to right:
Rockport — $106.99 to $120.00; Sperry Top-Sider — $80.96 to $89.97; Sperry Top-Sider — $84.95 to $87.95; Calvin Klein — $130.00; Sperry Top-Sider — $97.95 to $98.00.

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

Join the conversation about this story »

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We got into Kanye's free show in New York City and it was absolutely incredible

Kanye West held his first fashion show with Adidas and it was pretty bizarre

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Kanye West Fashion Show

Hip-hop superstar and part-time fashion designer Kanye West just debuted his first fashion show Thursday night in New York City.

And it was pretty interesting. It also started an hour late.

Titled "Yeezy: Season 1", West finally got to show off what he's been working on the the help of the Adidas Originals design team.

But there was much more to the show than just clothing.

Kanye show

According to the Refinery 29, a recording of West saying "I'm here to crack the pavement and make new ground. There's a lack of creativity in every field … people are afraid to create. I want people to think awesome is possible" played on loop during the show, along with the debut of a song off his upcoming album, "Wolves."

With the collection, West aims to "absolve consumers of dressing's daily stress." The pieces in the collection were designed to be "freely combined in infinite ways," according to Dazeen.

The models lined up in nine rows and as each row came forward one by one to show off their designer threads, the lights went up to "blinding intensity."

As for the clothes themselves, there were a lot of comically oversized top pieces and a healthy amount of artful distressing. Some were clearly inspired by military wear, while others took a tech-wear vibe. Most of it fit pretty slouchy.

Throughout, the color palette remained pretty neutral — mostly grays and muted greens.

Adidas called it "a study in contrasts like street-luxury and vintage-new, the clothing shapes a new modern wardrobe." 

Refinery called it "meh." The line didn't impress critics, who said it was "nothing revolutionary."

Kanye Fashion ShowA exception was the thick white soled Yeezy Boost sneaker, which has been riding the hype train for quite a while pending its release Saturday. The trainer-style shoe recieved praise for looking better on the foot than in product shots.

Another highlight was an oversized backpack one model wore.

Many of the models wore nude-colored tights, which covered much of their body  — some, even including their hair. The tights were the product of the show's collaboration with contemporary performance artist Vanessa Beecroft, presumably to accentuate the clothing pieces the models were wearing. 

Pretty much every celebrity West has ever been connected to was at the show in support, including Anna Wintour, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Spike Jonze, Alexander Wang, Diddy , Jay Z, and Beyonce.

One harsh critic, West's daughter North, reportedly starting crying when the show started and had to be carried out. 

"Maybe she was just scared for her daddy. She just wanted people to stop being mean to her daddy. Because she knows that her daddy loves the world and just wants to make it a more beautiful place," West said in response.

Check out more of the pieces below.

Kanye Fashion ShowKanye Fashion ShowKanye Fashion ShowKanye Fashion ShowKanye Fashion Show

And check out the video of the full show below.

 

SEE ALSO: 4 Winter Accessories Every Man Should Own

DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider's The Life on Facebook!

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This calendar beautifully captures the biggest holidays in major religions and countries

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