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Ask your date these three questions if you want to know whether they're relationship material

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dating

When it comes to first dates, a lot of guys have a routine — a preferred restaurant, a trusted bottle of wine, a short list of questions and topics of conversation.  

In a recent New York Times op-ed, comedian Aziz Ansari and social scientist Eric Klinenberg, authors of the new book "Modern Romance," pointed out three questions you might want to add to your routine:  

1. Do you like horror movies?

2. Have you ever traveled around another country alone?

3. Wouldn’t it be fun to chuck it all and go live on a sailboat?

According to OkCupid trend research done in 2011 by one of the company's founders, Christian Rudder, how closely you and your date's answers to these questions align could determine how well you'd function in a relationship.  

To figure this out, Rudder analyzed 34,260 real-world couples who met on OkCupid. He found that 32% of successful couples agreed on all three questions, which is "3.7 times the rate of simple coincidence," writes Rudder.

It's interesting that all three questions seem to deal with how a person handles stress and anxiety, and their tendency to plan things out. So with that, you could say that two people who deal with stress similarly might make a good couple. 

For Ansari and Klinenberg's purposes — the op-ed about "How to make online dating work" — Rudder's study is used to reinforce the argument that algorithms can predict whether you might want to go on a date with someone. However, as the two end up concluding, online dating allows for way too much filtering and you're "better off vetting dates in person." 

SEE ALSO: The 4 Most Common Relationship Problems — And How To Fix Them

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East Hampton officials are pushing for jail time for Uber drivers, says their lawyer

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uber hamptons

Twenty-three Uber drivers are facing misdemeanor charges after picking up riders in East Hampton and Montauk this month, and could face up to a year of jail time each.

Six of the drivers were arraigned in East Hampton Town Justice Court Monday morning on charges that they had violated the town's taxi laws.

East Hampton's taxi code, which was revised last summer, requires each taxi driver to operate under a license tied to a physical address in East Hampton.

"What they're requiring is basically impossible to fulfill unless you're a local taxi company," Daniel Rodgers, the attorney representing Uber's drivers, told Business Insider. 

If they are found guilty, each Uber driver would have a criminal conviction on his or her records and could be forced to pay a minimum fine of $500. In the worst-case scenario, each driver could be fined $1,000 and spend up to a year in jail

According to Rodgers, town officials are pushing for jail time.  

All 23 of the drivers who had received violations were scheduled to be arraigned in East Hampton Monday morning, but the court failed to prepare the paperwork for all of the drivers in time. An arraignment for the remaining 17 drivers is scheduled for July 20, Rodgers said.

"Logistically, it was a huge inconvenience," he said. "They lost a full day's work to come out to East Hampton, but the paperwork was only prepared for six drivers today." 

East Hampton police issued violations to drivers who picked up customers over Memorial Day weekend, as well as the weekend after that. According to 27east, Uber claims that town officials told the company that if it halted operations in East Hampton, the drivers who had received violations would face reduced penalties. 

Uber quit operating in East Hampton and Montauk on June 5.  

"Part of the reason we pulled out was that we were told if we left the charges against the drivers would be dropped," Uber spokesman Mathew Wing told 27east. "The town prosecutor [is] trying to pursue the maximum penalty under the law, which would make it a misdemeanor. They face up to a year in jail for ostensibly not having a business office."

The map below shows the areas where Uber users are not currently able to hail a ride, though people can still hail an Uber from another city and be driven to East Hampton. 

uber hamptons 

On the morning of June 5, Uber sent this note in an email to riders registered in East Hampton:

Today, the East Hampton Town supervisor is banning Uber. New rules would require every single Uber driver-partner to have an office in East Hampton to continue to hold their license, which is impossible for our partners. As a result, riders like you will be unable to get reliable, safe rides in any part of East Hampton out to Montauk—effective immediately. We need your help to bring Uber back. Make your voice heard and contact Town Supervisor Cantwell today—tell him you need Uber in East Hampton.

The ban has caused a huge backlash in the community, which is known for its summertime party scene. 

In the meantime, don't expect to hail an Uber in the Hamptons anytime soon. 

"Uber will continue to negotiate with the town for the protection of its drivers," Rodgers said.  

SEE ALSO: Uber has been banned in East Hampton, and people are freaking out

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The brilliant story behind Bethenny Frankel's million-dollar idea for Skinnygirl cocktails

This is the line to get into Fuku, home of David Chang's gigantic fried chicken sandwich

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After an opening weekend full of long lines and intense demand, David Chang's new fried chicken sandwich restaurant, Fuku, is closing its doors to take a two-day breather. 

New York-based food and travel writer Bao Ong stopped by the East Village restaurant — Chang's first foray into fast-food — on Sunday, when the wait to get in was 20 minutes long. 

fuku line.JPG

At one point the restaurant got so busy that it had to impose a six-sandwich-per-person maximum order. In a message to Eater.com, Fuku management said that while there is no actual order cap, they may enforce one from time to time to "ensure that all guests are served in a timely manner."

In case you're wondering what all the fuss is about, the Fuku fried chicken sandwich ($8) consists of an enormous deep-fried chicken thigh that's tucked into a potato roll with pickles and butter. The chicken is dunked in a mix of secret spices, buttermilk, and habañero purée before taking a swim in the fryer. 

 on


"I was already thinking of going back after one bite, " says Ong. "The chicken is crisp on the outside and perfectly cooked inside. And then there's the buttery potato roll to hold all the juicy bites of chicken. I'd wait another 20 minutes for it."

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There's a secret restaurant inside Bloomingdales in midtown Manhattan that looks like a 19th-century train car

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le train bleu new

Tucked away on the sixth floor of Bloomingdales in midtown Manhattan is Le Train Bleu, a quaint restaurant remodeled after the 19th-century luxury French night express train, the Calais-Mediterranée Express. 

Since opening in 1979, Le Train Bleu has had its array of regular customers, but for many, it has managed to stay a hidden gem in the city for over 30 years.

Marvin S. Traub, president of Bloomingdales at the time, created Le Train Bleu in 1979 at the flagship store on 3rd Avenue and 59th Street in New York City.



Take the escalators up to the sixth floor and walk to the end of the housewares department, where you'll see the restaurant's sign hidden in the back.



Head up the staircase to reach Le Train Bleu's entrance.



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Airlines are about to require carry-on bags to be even smaller

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Sen. Menendez carry-on newark airport

The last thing anyone wants after meticulously packing and going through TSA security is to have to check their carry-on luggage. 

Senator Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey) — who was indicted in April on federal corruption charges alleging he took rides in a private jet in exchange for political favors — wants to help out those of us stuck flying coach. 

New recommendations from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), known as “Cabin OK” would establish a new classification of carry-on sizes, designed to unify baggage rules and help ensure all travelers can store their luggage on board.  

In a perfect world, these size restraints would mean that all passengers on an aircraft could stash their bags, with no one being forced to check or pay excess fees. The recommendations also ensure that passengers traveling on multiple carriers won’t be blindsided by unknown baggage rules. 

But this smaller carry-on size, if adopted by US carriers, could be used by airlines to make even more money on the backs of consumers, says Menendez. 

“I’m obviously concerned this proposal to cut the size of allowable carry-ons is a gimmick so airlines can keep padding those bag profits,” Sen. Menendez said. “I’m telling U.S. airlines that if our luggage has to go on a diet, the result cannot be another airline-industry profit binge. We already have less seat-space, less leg-room, fewer options and higher costs – we have to stand up for consumers and say 'no' to the airline industry.” 

afp airline industry proposes perfect size carry on bagMontreal-based IATA stresses that this new system doesn’t mean a smaller limit on carry on bags. 

“For passengers traveling with bags that don’t have the Cabin OK logo, there’s no need to worry. If it was accepted for travel before, it will be acceptable for travel now, but with the same uncertainty that if the flight is full it may eventually have to travel in the hold,” said Thomas Windmuller, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security. 

Menendez voiced his concern at a familiar locale: Newark Liberty International Airport, where he has previously announced bills aimed at protecting the flying public from airline price gouging. 

The Senator’s trial is set to begin soon. Meanwhile, he remains active in his lawmaking duties.

CarryOns Poster 2 small

SEE ALSO: The lightest carry-on bags you can buy

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The 13 best beaches in America

29 travel hacks that even frequent fliers don't know

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Airport

Instead of insulting your intelligence with "hacks" like "pack light," or "bring an empty water bottle," we've put together a list of tips and tricks that will help even the most seasoned jetsetter avoid the inevitable hassles of frequent flying.

1. Sign up for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry

Essentially an express lane for the proactive, these programs are pre-approvals from the US Customs and Border Protection that designate you a low risk traveler. As long as you're not a convicted criminal, you're good to go after little more than some light paperwork and a quick in-person interview.

Essentially, TSA PreCheck ($85) makes US domestic travel simpler, allowing you to keep your shoes, belts, etc. on and cut security lines, while Global Entry ($100) makes returning from an international trip easier, eradicating paperwork and lengthy processing lines.

2. Book two one-way flights 

Sometimes flying two different airlines and booking two one-way tickets is more cost-effective than booking a roundtrip, plus it might get you better arrival and departure times as you mix and match flights. Some flight booking sites, like Kayak, already do this for you, but you should do your homework and check the airline websites yourself for even better deals.

3. Book non-US airlines if possible

Foreign carriers have better amenities than US ones, even in economy, where they often provide you with hot towels, pillows, and blankets, and even — gasp — full cans of soda.

4. Understand Code Shares

Make sure you know how flight partnerships work before booking a flight on a partner airline for miles. Some partnerships will offer the same mileage, others will give you less. Others again might calculate miles based on the amount of money you paid for the ticket, rather than the distance flown.

5. Get upgrades by booking an economy ticket with a Y or B booking code

wine on plane

Ask and thou shalt receive (when possible). Basically just requesting an upgrade when booking should get your ticket marked with a Y or B booking code, which, according to TravelNerd.com's Amy Lee, means that the flier is looking for an upgrade. In other words, should there be any open seats in the next class up from what you booked, you should get a complimentary upgrade. This works best if you're a frequent flyer, and loyal to the carrier you're booked on.

6. Pretend you're somewhere else when booking to score discounted fares

A ticket's "point of sale," in other words where it is purchased, can affect its price thanks to something called "regional pricing." Basically, the price of a ticket will be lower in a country with a lower standard of living, or when travel companies are trying to break into a new country according to travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt.

Harteveldt says you could find different ticket prices for the same flight on Expedia.com and Expedia.co.jp, the Japanese version, as well as for internal foreign flights on an international carrier's website by changing your "residence" to the airline's home country. The only thing to watch out for is that you'll be seeing prices in local currency, so make sure to do the math and convert them.

7. Clear those cookies

A little thing called "dynamic pricing" means that no, refreshing a window 147,554 times will not make a flight cheaper, but, in fact, may make the price go up as it changes based on demand. While most people like to get around this by using incognito windows, clearing your search history and cookies is a safer bet. 

8. Know that you have a 24-hour window to get a refund

Even non-refundable flights generally have a 24-hour window during which you can cancel them without having to pay a fee. In other words, pull the trigger and book a flight, then keep tracking it for another day to see if a better rate pops up, in which case cancel and rebook. Or, put your airfare on hold on carriers like American Airlines, Southwest, and Virgin America, which all have free 24-hour hold services. United has something called a FareLock starting at $6.99 that lets you wait up to a week before booking, while Options Away ($4-$45) can hold flights for up to three weeks.

9. Fly on a Boeing 767

If you're deciding between similar flights and one's on a Boeing 767, take that one, as the aircraft has fewer of the dreaded middle seats than other planes.

If you can't get on a Boeing 767, check out our comprehensive guide to getting the best seat on every flight. Your best bet is checking seatguru.com, which has up-to-date seating charts for every single flight, and gives you the inside scoop on whether a row doesn't recline, whether a seat is too close to the bathroom, or whether there's any extra legroom to be had.

10. Download your airline's app

Most airlines (like Delta and United) have invested some significant cash into developing apps that provide you with real-time updates on gate changes or delays, so that you can hit up one of those Xpress Spas without worrying about missing vital information. Even better, the app also allows for paperless boarding at most airports. 

11. Keep a go-bag of essential items

Packing toiletries in plastic bagsInstead of wasting time squeezing your favorite shampoo into TSA-friendly 3.4 ounce bottles, or packing and unpacking the same toiletries over and over again, keep a go-bag of your favorite items at the ready. That way you don't have to think about what you may need or scramble at the last minute.

Pro tip: try ordering samples of your favorite products online for free travel sized toiletries.

12. Keep an extra set of cables and chargers ready

Forget racing around your apartment pulling cables out of outlets. Instead, keep a small, zippered and water resistant bag of electronics, batteries, and chargers packed, and never think about them again.

13. Pack a squishy carry-on

Checking a bag is amateur hour, but taking this trick to the next level is using a duffel or some sort of squishy bag as your carry-on. Having a malleable bag that can be smushed into the overhead bin means that it is less likely to be taken from you at the gate.

Or, even better, outfit yourself with the right gear, like this "perfect" size carry on, which will fit every airline's size requirements.

14. Roll clothing up, then use air-compression plastic bags to squeeze air out of them

We have tons of packing tips, but one of the best is to roll, rather than fold clothes to maximize space and minimize wrinkling, then use space compressible plastic bags to push excess air out of the clothes for even more space. If you're not into the idea of rolling your clothes, packing them in tissue paper or dry cleaner plastic should also reduce wrinkles.

15. Pack one color scheme, and make sure it's a dark one

Try and pack clothes that are all in the same color family, and preferably dark. This means all of your clothes will match and you don't need to waste time worrying about putting together outfits, and dark colors hide stains.

16. Use shoes for more space

Use your rolled up socks as shoe trees, preserving your shoe's shape inside the suitcase, but thereby also maximizing space by using that inside of your shoes.

17. Pack shoes foot-to-toe at the bottom of your bag

Putting the heaviest items at the bottom, near the wheels of a suitcase, ensures that your bag is balanced. Nothing worse than a bag that keeps tipping over as you're rushing to the gate.

18. See extra cities for free

Tourist with map

Why not add a free stopover (any connection that's more than four hours domestically, and 24 hours internationally) to a flight you've already paid for? Some airlines — and you'll have to check first — offer free stopovers, generally in their hub city, meaning that you can visit an extra destination or two without purchasing any extra tickets. This is especially great if you do it on a business trip and using a company-paid flight.

19. Volunteer to get bumped off a flight

If your flight is overbooked and you have no pressing plans, volunteer your seat to make some extra money. That said, be smart and negotiate your compensation — it helps to know what you're entitled to. Ask for cash, or make sure that flight vouchers don't have tons of stipulations and blackout dates making them impossible to redeem. Also, make sure that even if you're the first to volunteer you'll get the same amount of money as the last one to, as compensation often increases as the airline gets more desperate for people to give up seats. That said, double-check that you won't be on standby on your next flight, or in any position to get stranded where you are (for example, if you're giving up a seat on the last flight out for the day).

20. Check your credit cards for perks

You might already be entitled to perks without knowing it. From covering your insurance when renting a car to hotel room upgrades and access to airline lounges, many credit cards you may already have come with special advantages and freebies. 

21. Choose the best credit card for travel

Travel perks differ, so you need to figure out what your priorities are, like whether you want to earn more miles or get foreign transaction fees waived. One of the best travel credit cards is  the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which gives you 2 Ultimate Rewards Points per $1 spent on travel and restaurants, as well as 1 point per $1 spent elsewhere. It also waives those pesky foreign transaction fees, offers a signup bonus  of 40,000 points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening an account, and boasts 20% off travel when you redeem points for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. That said, it charges an annual fee of $95.

22. Get into the airport lounge, even if your ticket says economy

Lufthansa lounge

Most people don't know that airport lounges often sell day-passes allowing you to pay to access them. While pricey, purchasing them in advance online often gets you steep discounts.

You can also get a Priority Pass ($99-$399 a year), which gives you access to 700 airport lounges around the world.

Finally, there are lounges that aren't affiliated with any airlines, and thus also allow you to pay for access.

However, if you don't want to pay, check your credit card to see whether it gives you lounge access (like the American Express Platinum which gets you into Delta and Centurion lounges), or play the long game by being loyal to a specific airline and attaining elite status.

23. Get elite status faster

As a frequent traveler, getting in on a loyalty program is imperative. However, a trick allowing you to fast track the process is collecting miles on lesser-known partner airlines that might give you the same elite status for fewer miles flown, like Aegean Airlines, a Star Alliance Member. 

24. Save money staying connected

Both in-flight internet fees and roaming charges are exorbitant. Bypass them by getting a subscription to Boingo, a Wi-Fi hotspot provider that ranges in cost between $4.98 a month for access in the Americas to $59 a month for worldwide coverage.

In line with checking your credit cards for perks, know that if you have an American Express Platinum Card you can get a free Boingo subscription.

25. Minimize jet lag by sleeping right

Passengers Sleeping on Airplane

Jet lag — aka when you cross time zones faster than your body can adjust, thereby mucking up your circadian rhythm — usually takes one day to adapt to per time zone crossed when traveling west, and about a day and a half when going east. However, you can cut down on this recovery time by loading up on sleep before your trip (the more rested you are the less a lack of sleep will affect you), as well as starting to shift your meals and bedtime closer to those at your destination. This takes some forward planning and resoluteness, but if you can, start going to bed an hour earlier each night and getting up an hour earlier each morning a few days before heading east, and an hour later each night/morning for a few days before heading west.

26. Minimize jet lag by eating right

Unfortunately, experts recommend laying off booze and caffeine as they dehydrate you and make jet lag worse. In terms of food, eating meals when they'd be served at your destination helps adjust your circadian rhythm. What you eat matters too — heavily processed food like that served on planes dehydrates you, so the best thing to do is either skip a meal or two, or eat healthy snacks or foods that are high in protein. 

27. Get food faster by ordering a special meal

This involves some advanced planning, and probably not-so-regrettably forgoing the meal everyone else is getting, but by requesting a special meal (kosher or vegetarian, for example) you will usually get served before everyone else, and can go to sleep sooner, without waiting for the full dinner service. Plus, rumor has it that those special meals are better anyway.

28. Head to the departure zone for a cab sans line

If you see a massive line snaking around arrivals, do a quick 180 and head to the departure zone. People will be getting dropped off by cabs, which you can simply snag without any competition. Of course this depends on how an airport is set up — it might cost more time than you’re saving to take a train to another terminal — but hey, you win some, you lose some.

29. Make free(ish) calls abroad 

You can make free calls with Skype or Google Voice using its app or the Hangout app. All you need is some Wi-Fi, so buy a local SIM, or get 120MB for only $30 on ATT for example.

SEE ALSO: 14 money-saving travel hacks from the ‘Man Who Flies For Free’

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The fabulous life of Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed

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alwaleed bin talal

For two years, one of the world's wealthiest men, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia, was locked in a battle with Forbes over his net worth, with the prince claiming the publication had underestimated his fortune by nearly $9.6 billion.

On Monday, the disgruntled billionaire and Forbes Media announced that the defamation suit has been settled on "mutually agreeable terms," Reuters reported. 

The magazine currently has Alwaleed pegged as the 34th richest person in the world, with $22.6 billion in wealth. (Bloomberg lists Alaweed as the 20th wealthiest in the world, with $30.6 billion in wealth.)

Regardless, Alwaleed is still rich beyond belief from his stake in his Kingdom Holding Company, his Saudi real estate investments, shares in Arab media companies, and investments in public and private companies globally, including Twitter and Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com.

Lucinda Chen and Julie Zeveloff contributed to this post.

Prince Alwaleed was born into Saudi royalty.

He is the son of Prince Talal and Mona Al Solh.

His maternal grandfather was the first prime minister of Lebanon and his paternal grandfather, King Abdulaziz, created Saudi Arabia.



He attended a California school for college.

It was while attending Menlo College in Atherton, California that he acquired what many believe to be a Western world outlook, making him the go-to Saudi investor for American businessmen.



He got his big break when he invested in a little company called Citicorp.

He received a $30,000 gift, a $300,000 loan, and a house from his father after graduating, and slowly began investing.

In 1991, when Alwaleed was 36, he made a high-stakes decision to invest in Citicorp, which made him $800 million. By 2005, that had turned into $10 billion.



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We tried Pizza Hut's hot dog stuffed crust pizza — here's what we thought

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hot dog pizza pizza hut

Pizza Hut is releasing a bizarre hot dog stuffed crust pizza in the US. 

Starting June 18, Pizza Hut will start serving the concoction in restaurants. It's previously been available in the UK, Canada, and South Korea. 

The pepperoni pizza is surrounded by hot dog bites and served with French's mustard. It comes in traditional and pretzel crust varieties. 

slice of hot dog pizza 2

We tried both versions in a recent taste test. 

The verdict?

"It was less weird than I thought it would be," one tester told us. 

The actual pizza tastes identical to a normal pepperoni pie. 

But many complained the pretzel crust version was overwhelmingly salty. 

pretzel hot dog pizza crust pizza hut

"The pizza portion itself was fairly standard Pizza Hut pizza with a soggy crust," a tester said."The hot dog was salty, the pretzel surrounding it was salty — there's just no way I could eat more than a slice of this."

Many testers liked the original crust hot dog pizza better, although they commented on the greasiness. 

hot dog pizza pizza hut

"It's not as salty as the other one, and it's easier to stomach," a tester said. "I might actually eat this after a few drinks." 

Many people suggested that Pizza Hut should have used hot dogs as a pizza topping instead of incorporating them in the crust. 

"I missed the crust component of the pizza, and felt that the hot dog portion was disjointed," a tester said. "This would have been better with the hot dogs on top of the pizza."

The original crust pizza is pretty good — especially if you're looking for something greasy after a night out.

But stay away from the salty pretzel version. 

SEE ALSO: 17 of the most bizarre fast food items ever created

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Here's the salary you have to earn to buy a home in 27 major US cities

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Seattle

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in San Francisco, California, you need a household income of over $140,000 a year.

That's according to calculations from mortgage website HSH.com, which regularly updates its findings according to the numbers from each fiscal quarter of the year.

The site looked at median home prices from the National Association of Realtors, along with interest rates for common 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages and property taxes, and insurance costs, to figure out how much money it would take to pay a median-priced home's mortgage principal, taxes, and insurance — and how much you would have to earn to afford it.

See the full list of 27 cities below.

For the full methodology, visit HSH.com.

BI_Graphics_Salary you need to buy a home

SEE ALSO: Here's the salary you have to earn to buy a home in 15 major US cities

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This company is reinventing the playground — and it could change American childhoods forever

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boy sidewalk chalk

Contrary to the conventional city planning wisdom, building playgrounds isn't the best way to get kids outside.

"We know from the work that we do that playgrounds are critically important," James Siegal, president of KaBOOM!, a nonprofit that's dedicated to bringing more play into kids' lives, tells Business Insider. "At the same time, playgrounds alone are not sufficient to ensure that kids get the play that they need to thrive."

Finding the fun in daily life can be a challenge for the roughly 16 million kids living in poverty. Instead of spending their after-school hours playing sports or hanging out with friends, kids often find themselves taking over the role of parent, hauling groceries onto city buses and watching over  younger siblings while Mom or Dad hold down a second job.

As a result, they are turned into adults before they ever get a chance to be kids.

KaBOOM!'s solution to that accelerated aging is enhancing what it calls "playability" — and the positive effects could extend way past playtime.

Playability is the extent to which a sense of fun is woven into the fabric of city life, rather than isolated to a few swing sets on a city planner's map. Playable cities might include crosswalks that double as hopscotch grids, bus stops that kids can climb on, and baskets of sidewalk chalk hanging outside local businesses. 

These are small changes. But for people in poverty, they could be profound.

BUSWhen money isn't a problem, we don't stop to think about buying the value-brand dish soap over the Ajax. We reserve that energy for major purchases.

For people in poverty, every purchase can be a major one. 

One 2013 study published in Science found poverty can lower IQ by up to 13 points. Poverty stresses people out; it hurts their physical health; and, as KaBOOM! has found through behavioral science research, it stops families from playing.

"It's all about making play as easy as possible," says Sarah Welch, a behavioral economist at ideas42, the firm KaBOOM! recently partnered with to understand how and when play happens.  

For a lot of families, playtime is simply too much of a planned effort. Welch compares it to grocery shopping. "Many of the families we talked to only went to playgrounds on weekends – a big, two- or three-times-a-month 'shopping trip' to a play 'supermarket,'" Welch says.

Instead, what communities need are play spaces that more resemble convenience stores.

"Families don’t need to plan ahead or pack a bag if play can happen right outside their doorstep, or at the bus stop on their way downtown," she says.

girl playing city

KaBOOM! has already recognized hundreds of cities across America that have taken steps to increase their playability.

In Missoula, Montana, the city is working to install shared play spaces within a half mile of each home. Folks in Ottowa, Kansas, receive a "Play Passport" alerting them to upcoming community-wide events. And in Bloomington, Illinois, residents are being treated to an additional 10 miles of bikeways, paths, and trails, along with a mile and a half of new sidewalks to reduce a reliance on cars.

"You've got this virtuous cycle of innovation that's happening, where cities are trying to compete and outdo each other," Siegal says. 

In a perfect world, the idea will catch on to all major cities and surrounding low-income areas, so that alongside a strong formal education, each child will have a fair shot at success. 

 

SEE ALSO: The 15 hardest-working cities in America

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Lucky magazine is shutting down, ending one of the biggest stories in media

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Eva Chen Lucky Magazine

Lucky magazine is being shut down, drawing a close to a media story that started 15 years ago when Condé Nast launched the then-controversial but ultimately wildly successful shopping magazine.

New York magazine's The Cut has the story:

Reports were swirling yesterday about the fate of Lucky magazine — had the print edition folded? Had the entire operation shut down? According to insiders, the former is true, while the latter is still to be determined. The Cut spoke to a former staffer, who said that another brutal round of layoffs took place, including the remaining print team. “People who worked there for 12, 13, 14, 15 years were laid off without severance.”

Lucky had fallen from some pretty great heights. It now appears to be ending its life as a castoff mashup of Condé Nast and BeachMint, a lifestyle publisher and e-tailer based in Los Angeles.

But when it launched, it shook up the New York media world with a bold combination of editorial and commerce that broke with the longtime separation between edit and advertising. Over time, Lucky grew to be a gigantic title and huge moneymaker for Condé. It spawned a short-lived men's spinoff, Cargo, that I contributed to for a while in the early 2000s.

But everything that Lucky once did well, the web now does better. Additionally, online shopping via style websites provides retail partners the chance to reach customers when they're ready to buy. The "friction" has been taken away.

Lucky provoked abundant worry when it first arrived. Condé Nast was no stranger to fashion — it published and still publishers Vogue and a bunch of other glossy fashion mags — but it also had Vanity Fair and the New Yorker in its stable. The concern was that the edit-ad wall would start to fall, and that journalists would no longer be immune to commerce being embedded in their stories.

As it turns out, the web took care of that, leaving publications such as Lucky with a legacy print product that served its innovative purpose after the dot.com meltdown, but that couldn't keep pace once the retail web took off.

There's been some sniping online about Lucky's former editor, Eva Chen, keeping up her Instagram posting schedule, but she did depart a few months ago. And I don't really think Lucky was all that relevant anymore as a media property. Condé had effectively jettisoned it when it offloaded the brand, and the title wasn't moving to 1 World Trade Center with the rest of the Condé empire. I honestly hadn't thought about Lucky for over a decade, after having thought about Lucky a lot from 2000-05.

Lucky climbed very high in the media world. And now it's fallen very, very far.

SEE ALSO: The fabulous life of Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed

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The 12 coolest neighborhoods in Europe

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canal saint-martin

Europe's hottest neighborhoods are home to cutting-edge art, hip restaurants, and eclectic bars.

Some of these neighborhoods were once areas of political turmoil that have been transformed into creative hubs. Others have stood as artistic gems for years. 

From Kreuzberg, where Berlin's punk rock movement was born, to Amsterdam-Noord, which is home to the continent's biggest vintage market, here are 12 of the coolest neighborhoods in Europe. 

 

AMSTERDAM-NOORD, AMSTERDAM: Across Amsterdam-Noord, neglected warehouses and buildings from its industrial past have been transformed into trendy restaurants, festival locations, hubs for artists and designers, and locations for Europe's biggest flea market, the monthly IJ-Hallen.

Click here to see what you can find at IJ-Hallen.

 

 

 

 



SAVAMALA, BELGRADE, SERBIA: The Savamala district continues to grow as one of Serbia's cultural centers. It's home to the Mikser House, an art and performance space which hosts programs like its four-day Mikser Festival which features DJs, punk-rock, alternative, and rock musicians, as well as art installations.

Learn more about the Mikser Festival.

 



KREUZBERG, BERLIN, GERMANY: The Kreuzberg district was the historic home of the Berlin punk rock movement. Today it continues to attract music lovers to legendary locations like the SO36 music club, a favorite stop for Iggy Pop and David Bowie back in the day.

Explore SO36.

 



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Meet the former NYC waitress and Swedish reality show star who just became a princess

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Swedish Royal Wedding

Sofia Hellqvist doesn't fit the typical royal mold. She's a far cry from Kate Middleton.

But Sweden's Prince Carl Philip doesn't seem to care much.

He tied the knot with Hellqvist on June 13, amid a lavish ceremony in the chapel of Sweden's Royal Palace.

Now known as HRH Princess Sofia, Duchess of Värmland, Hellqvist has a few skeletons (and a boa constrictor) in her closet.  

Her modeling, reality TV, and waitressing days

Before meeting her prince, Hellqvist starred in the Swedish version of a reality show called "Paradise Hotel," which stuffs a group of singles in a luxury hotel resort and films what happens.

She even modeled for a Swedish men's magazine, Slitz, which has since shuttered. According to The Telegraph, she posed topless for the magazine, save for a boa constrictor draped around her neck. For this, she was voted "Miss Slitz" in 2004.

Swedish Wedding

Later, Hellqvist moved to New York and worked as a waitress and yoga instructor while taking business classes. "She has a calming effect on people," Fabio Granato, co-owner of Serafina, the restaurant where Hellqvist worked nearly 10 years ago, told the New York Post

More recently, she has become involved in charity work, co-founding Project Playground, a nonprofit organization that supports the youth of Cape Town, South Africa.

Fun fact: HRH Princess Sofia has a tattoo of a sunburst on the back of her neck.

How she met her prince 

The two met while vacationing in the seaside resort town of Bastad, Sweden — in the summer of 2009 — and they've been rendezvousing around Sweden and New York ever since.

The Swedish press has not been exceptionally kind to the new princess, but the couple has been quick to defend their relationship, which Hellqvist called "love at first sight." 

What are her chances of becoming Sweden's queen? Not very high. Philip is third in line to the throne.

Swedish WeddingSwedish WeddingSwedish Wedding Swedish Wedding

SEE ALSO: The incredible world of billionaire weddings that even celebrities can't afford

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A college came up with a clever way to control students guilty of 'texting and walking'

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Utah Valley University is implementing a creative solution to the campus' digital traffic problem — the staircase in the school's new Student and Wellness Center has lanes designated just for texters. 

Matt Bambrough, UVU's creative director, designed the staircase lanes, Fusion reports

 

The stairs are divided into three lanes labeled with bright green words: "walk," "run," and "text."

"You have 18-24 year olds walking down the hall with smartphones, you’re almost bound to run into someone somewhere; it’s something we’re dealing with in this day and age," Bambrough explained to Fusion. 

Students texting and walking simultaneously is a common occurrence on the UVU campus. 

“They walk into barriers—chairs on the side of the hallway, or railings,” UVU student Robbie Poffenberger told Fusion of his multitasking classmates. “I’m sure they’re fairly embarrassed.”

The delineated staircase is supposed to be a fun way to draw students' eyes away from their phones.

"We did it to engage the students. It’s meant to be there for people to look at and enjoy," Bambrough told Fusion

UVU's texting lane is not the first attempt to get walkers to look up from their cellphones. In 2014, the television show "Mind Over Masses," created similar lanes on the streets of Washington, DC.

SEE ALSO: 11 things you didn't know about texting on your iPhone

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17 clever Father's Day gifts under $50

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Carry on cocktail kit

This Father's Day, you don't have to break the bank to show dad how much you care.

From personalized accessories to thoughtful books to a classic bottle of bourbon, we rounded up budget-friendly gifts that every dad will love — all under $50.

His flight will be ultra-relaxing after an old fashioned — or two.

Price: $24

Give dad the first-class treatment — even if he's flying economy — with this carry-on cocktail kit. Complete with bitters, cane sugar, and a stirring spoon, he'll have everything he needs for a proper old fashioned. Just add alcohol.

Get it here »



Coasters made from vintage records add a fun touch to his home.

Price: $16.70 

Perfect for any music lover, these coasters made from vintage records will fill dad with a rush of nostalgia every time he sets down his drink. Not to mention they're also incredibly practical.

Get it here »



A Roku puts all his favorite shows in one place.

Price: $49.99

Dad will love having all his favorite shows in one place with a Roku. The device offers hundreds of free channels, allows users to stream services like Netflix and Hulu through their TV, and connects to Google Play and Amazon instant video, making it easy to rent any title.  

Get it here »



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This question about the weight of a water glass explains the best way to deal with everyday stresses

This onetime 'house of the year' in Nevada just hit the market for $5.48 million

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Nevada home

Welcome to the Stremmel house, Nevada's most photographed home. 

An art-lover's dream house, Mark Mack custom-designed this architectural masterpiece for Reno-based art gallery owners Peter and Turkey Stremmel.

The 6,515-square-foot home sits 1,000 feet above Reno on over nine acres of desert land. Read: you get 360-degree views of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, the Great Basin valley floor, and every sunset and moonrise. 

The Stremmel house is ranked in Architectural Digest's list of the top 10 buildings in the world, and Architectural Record once deemed it house of the year — making the $5.48 million pricetag seem reasonable. 

Nevada Home

Floor-to-ceiling windows and a skylight over the living area bring nature inside.  

Nevada Home

The four bedroom, five bathroom (plus two half baths) home is very inviting to guests.

If you're hosting a party, prepare drinks at the bar and converse in one of the living areas. Then enjoy a meal in the dining room, which can seat up to 22 people.

Nevada Home

There's also a private guest suite with its own bathroom and sitting area.

But the real bedroom superstar is the master suite. It has a steam shower, walk-in closet, dual vanities, and private patio.

bedroom

In the kitchen you'll find poured concrete counters, prep and cooking areas, and double convection ovens. Just off the kitchen is a breakfast nook and sliding glass door that leads to the backyard.   

nook

Beyond the usual living space suspects, there's also an exercise area, office, indoor aviary, loft-style library, and laundry area. The latter includes an indoor-outdoor kennel for you pup.

Nevada house

And naturally, given the almost year-round summer temperatures in Nevada, there is a pool — as well as an outdoor patio complete with a fireplace.  

Kathie Bartlett of Dickson Realty holds the listing for the Stremmel House (339 Anitra Drive). 

Here's a virtual tour of the colorful home.

 

SEE ALSO: This $120 million townhouse just became New York City's most expensive listing

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60% of the world's super-rich live in just 4 countries

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What do the United States, Japan, Germany, and China have in common?

They all lay claim to an enormous share of the world's high net worth individuals (HNWI) — 60.3% of the global HNWI population in 2014, to be exact. This is a modest increase from 59.9% in 2013 and 58.4% in 2012.

But the upward trend shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, 67% of new HNWIs minted in the year 2014 came from those top four markets, with China and the US boasting the lion's share.

Overall, this year's ranking of the top 25 HNWI populations is not too different from 2013's rankings, apart from India, which shot up five spots with a 26% increase in annual growth.

For more from the World Wealth Report, check out the full report on their website.

Fig_04_Largest HNWI Populations by Markrt_2014 

SEE ALSO: 80% of Americans own an unbelievably small portion of the country's wealth

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