This week marks the 37th Anniversary of the maiden commercial flight of the Concorde.

Jump to photos from a flight on the Concorde >>

To properly celebrate, let's relieve history a bit by traveling along with photographer/videographer Joe Corrigan as he remembers his Concorde flights, roundtrip JFK-LHR in July 2003 on the British Airways supersonic birds G-BOAC and G-BOAF:

I don't know quite what it was about Concorde, but ever since I first saw her as a kid, I was mesmerised. That shape, those lines—there was something about her that drew me in. I was 14 the first time I saw her with my own eyes, as my my uncle had discovered Concorde would fly into Sydney, my home town, on a round-the-world charter. Together we headed to the airport to see her land.

That aircraft, F-BVFC, zoomed in and landed with full reverse and later took off with full afterburner as I watched from afar. I was hooked. The experience was not only visual and aural, but earth-shaking. Everything in the vicinity shuddered under the engine power; you could feel Concorde slice through the air and this in itself made it all the more visceral. It became a dream of mine to fly on her, one I never thought likely to come true.

The stars aligned for me when I was 18. Working with a very knowledgeable travel agent, I was afforded the amazing opportunity to join the very exclusive club not just once, but twice. This club was one of supersonic travelers, people who have flown faster than a rifle bullet and viewed the curvature of the earth.

As far as first impressions go, this was like nothing I had experienced before or have since. Check in was in a separate hall at Heathrow Terminal 4 and although I'm not normally one for checking a bag, how could I resist a bag tag from Concorde? From there it was through the Fast Track at Heathrow T4 and into the Concorde Room. Here was the start of the truly elite experience as the Concorde Room was unparalleled in service and amenities. Among other niceties, I enjoyed canapés, vintage champagne, and an a-la-carte menu for something more substantial, all served on Royal Doulton bone china.

Finally the boarding announcement shook me from my reverie as it was time to start the main event. Onboard I was first struck by the navy blue leather seats with stainless steel trim and lavender and cream blankets. The cabin was cozy and, though a little light on head room, amazingly spacious once seated. I had a bulkhead seat—front row for the flight, of course.

Terence Conran, along with British Airways, did a marvelous job with regards to the customer experience, and the attention to detail in the fit-out was something else. Each seat sported a speedmarque embossed into the leather as well as engraved into the polished seat belt buckle. The underside of the tray table was upholstered in the same soft navy leather, the armrest swiveled 90 degrees when stowed so as to slip unobtrusively between the seats, and the whole seat reclined as one unit so that it cradled you and supported your thighs whilst reclined. Little things on the face of it, but they make a huge difference.

Safely airborne we steadily accelerated to Mach 1 and a cheer went up in cabin since a display ticked away the number for all to see. Our sonic boom came over the ocean so as not to disturb people on the ground, and we continued toward Mach 2 on a climb to 55,000 feet. It was there, in our cruise, that the in flight service began in earnest. Three courses and an excellent wine, champagne and scotch selection all came served up on more fine Royal Doulton bone china. The flatware was designed, once more, by Terence Conran.

So did I appreciate all that was before me? Of course not! On reflection, I made the most of it at the time but I don’t remember the 1988 vintage champagne, or even what I had to eat. I do, however, remember the afterburners lighting two by two, pushing Concorde into the small of my back, as well as looking out the window and down to see a curved earth and then up to see the black abyss.

My only complaint is that it was all over so quickly. Three hours is only just long enough to have a three-course meal of that calibre, but at least I took some photos and enjoyed it all I could...twice.

Here's the Concorde at the gate.

Sitting up front, you see the speed and altitude displays.

This is the view from the end of the aisle.

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Once home to immigrants and factory workers striving for the American Dream, the Lower East Side has transformed into one of the coolest neighborhoods in Manhattan over the past decade or so.

Today it's home to upscale shops, trendy boutique hotels, great restaurants, and cool bars. 

It is the place to go out in NYC on a Saturday night — or any night for that matter.

The LES is roughly bounded by Chinatown to the south and west, NoLIta to the west, and the East Village to the north. 

Best Brunch: The Fat Radish

17 Orchard St.

The Fat Radish serves simple, healthy dishes in an unpretentious setting that's meant to evoke the feel of London's Covent Garden market.

Brunch is a great time to try the simple yet delicious fare, like the avocado toast with spicy eggs or the pumpkin pancakes with pecans and bourbon maple cream. If you're feeling really decadent, order the duck fat fries on the side.

Reservations are recommended, even for brunch.

Best Small Italian Plates: 'inoteca

98 Rivington St.

Prepare to wait for a table at this small, lively Italian restaurant that's generally packed with twenty-somethings.

There's an extensive selection of small Italian plates — don't miss the truffled egg toast — but the wine list is even more impressive.

Best Kosher Deli: Katz's

205 East Houston St.

Opened in 1888, Katz's is a remnant from the days when the neighborhood was predominantly filled with Jewish immigrants.

Yet it has stuck around, and it still remains one of the most popular kosher-style delis in the city — for good reason.

People love the heaping pastrami, turkey, and corned beef sandwiches, which go best with a cream soda.

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When Dennis Cadigan returned from Vietnam, a Marine machine gunner blinded by an enemy booby trap and addicted to his pain medication, he almost became just another veteran statistic. 

His dependency on pain medication quickly led to a full blown heroin addiction and Cadigan was on a dark path.

It isn't hard to imagine him becoming one of the 300,000 veterans who live on the streets or in a shelter on any given night in the U.S. Or one of the thousands of veterans who continue to suffer from drug addiction and substance abuse. 

But Cadigan was lucky and determined. He had friends and family who helped him clean up, and a drive that enabled him to succeed. He eventually created Phoenix Woodworks, a company he hopes to build and share ownership in with other disabled veterans. 

For many veterans, however, increasingly those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, the story can end very differently. 

From 2002 to 2005 prescription drug abuse doubled among U.S. military personnel and then tripled between 2005 and 2008. And the rates of abuse are higher among military than civilian populations, 11% and 5% respectively.

Drug addiction is only one challenge veterans face. One in seven homeless adults are veterans. 30.2 percent of young veterans (aged 18-24) are unemployed and nearly 10 percent of veterans with disabilities were not employed in 2010.

Overall, almost a million veterans between the ages of 18 to 64 had been living in poverty in 2010 and 1.2 million used mental health services. 

The numbers can seem discouraging but stories like Cadigan's tell a different tale. One of hope and opportunity. Now, Cadigan's two biggest challenges are finding other veterans to work in the company and securing more funding and space to increase production.
 

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Dear Dan,

I just bought a pair of NBA basketball tickets, and I plan to treat my friend to an afternoon of slack-jawed wonder as Kevin Durant dismantles our hometown Raptors.

Here's the thing: My friend is very generous and semiwealthy. If I tell him the tickets are on me, he'll insist on paying, but if I tell him the tickets were free (the only way he'll let me off the hook about the price), I'll lose the cachet that comes from giving an expensive gift. What to do?

—Gil

Here is what I would do:

Take your income per month (say $10,000) and divide it by the number of hours you work per month (say 160). Take this number ($62.50 per hour) and divide it into the cost of the two tickets (say $200) and you get how long you need to work to pay for the tickets (3.2 hours).

Now tell your friend "it took me more than three hours of hard labor to get these tickets." (After all, you might not want to tell your friend exactly how much you make.) With this kind of framing, not only will your friend not be able to pay for the tickets, but he will also appreciate your investment in him and your friendship to a higher degree.

SEE ALSO: 21 ways rich people think differently >

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Businessman and former owner of the Texas Rangers Tom Hicks is selling his huge 25-acre Texas estate for $135 million, according to celebrity real estate blog The Real Estalker.

The Dallas estate, which boasts a 29,000-square-foot mansion, pool house, and guest house, was originally designed in 1939 for the Italian count Pio Crespi and his American wife Florence by architect Maurice Fatio.

Tom and Cinda Hicks moved in 16 years ago, and have been renovating, restoring, and expanding ever since. The Real Estalker reported that Hicks spent $100 million of his estimated $1 billion fortune renovating this stately property.

The house has 14-foot ceilings, a country club-sized pool, gardens, a movie theater, tennis court, and an undisclosed amount of bedrooms and bathrooms (though at 28,996-square-feet, we're guessing it can comfortably fit multiple sets of families if necessary).

The Crespi/Hicks Estate is currently listed for sale with Douglas Newby & Associates.

The entire property spans 25 acres in the Dallas neighborhood, Mayflower Estates.

Welcome to the Crespi/Hicks Estate.

The property is well manicured. Lots of shrubbery and fountains surround the main mansion.

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Whether you consider yourself to be financially responsible, or you always seem to come up short on cash, there are a few key indicators that may indicate you are living beyond your mean.

And being aware of them can save you loads of money woes in times of a cash emergency.

You couldn’t live without your job’s income for at least six months.

Need some motivation to start saving? Sit down and add up how much money you make each month. Then, multiply that amount by six.

Assuming you have a stable job, that’s the minimum balance you should have stashed away in an interest bearing, FDIC insured deposit account that is earmarked solely for emergency needs, according to Henk Peters, Certified Financial Planner and president of Investus Financial Planning.

“Clients frequently underestimate life’s uncertainties and discount the need to have cash available for unexpected events like unemployment, illness, disabilities, and family emergencies,” he says.

If you have a less-than-stable career or you’re self-employed, he recommends saving as much as 12 months worth of income. If you don’t have anything near that amount saved, and worse, you’re in debt, you’re living beyond your means.

You vacation on credit.

You work hard and you’ve earned that vacation, right?

Consider this financial rule of thumb when it comes to credit purchases: If it takes you longer to pay for the purchase than the actual “life span” of the item, you can’t really afford it.

Start a plan to save money for vacations well in advance of the time you’ll need to book tickets or make reservations—even if you intend to charge your trip for purchase protection reasons.

Make sure you pay the balance down before you’re charged a dime of interest and be realistic about all the “extras” that can add to the cost of a trip, like tips, parking, and baggage fees.

You only consider monthly payments when buying a car.

Aside from a home, a car is one of the most expensive items you’ll purchase in your life. While it’s understandable to focus on monthly payment amounts when determining how much car you can buy, your ability to afford a monthly auto loan payment doesn’t mean you can afford the car.

If you’re in doubt, consider the duration of the loan: If it’s longer than three years, and doesn’t result in owning the vehicle outright at the conclusion of the loan, you’re shopping out of your true budget.

The same premise holds true for auto loan refinancing: If you’re refinancing because interest rates have dropped considerably since you initiated the loan, that may be a money-smart move.

If you are refinancing only to lower your monthly payments, and refinancing means that you are extending the life of the loan, you’re not actually saving money — you’re just stretching out the payments.

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Starbucks made its big entrance to the single-serve coffee market with its Verismo machine in October.

In fiscal Q1, Starbucks sold more than 150,000 Verismos, according to the company.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz seems really psyched — at least that's what he sounded like on the Q1 conference call with analysts.

Schultz stated that Starbucks plans to use the Verismo to be a "global leader" in the segment at least three times during the call.

"We remain committed to attaining leadership in the single-serve category, and I can tell you today that with Verismo we are in the nascent stage of building a multi-billion dollar platform for Starbucks over the long term," said Schultz. "And we are in it for the long term."

"I think it’s very important that you all understand that we are deeply, deeply committed to becoming the leader in this space domestically and internationally," Schultz told the analysts.

"Our commitment, our interest, our motivation to build on single-serve and build on Verismo is 100 percent and we are going to maintain a high level of commitment and investment in this, where we are going to be the global leader," he continued.

So, how's Starbucks going to grow the Verismo?

Starbucks president of channel development and emerging brands Jeff Hansberry outlined what Starbucks has defined as "growth drivers" for the product — helpfully transcribed by Seeking Alpha:

First, and importantly, the innovation itself. It’s the first and only machine that does brewed coffee, espresso, and lattes. And that message got through to customers during the holiday.

And secondly, as we add innovation to the system, whether it’s through additional coffees, additional espressos, additional Starbucks latte and seasonal favorite beverages, as well as tea, that will add to increase the interest in the platform.

And then finally, from a machine standpoint, we have a pipeline, to Howard’s point, multi years of machine innovation, that adds new features, new styles, new functionality, to a whole series of machines that we will be introducing.

We tasted the lattes from Starbucks' Verismo before it was launched. Check out what the newsroom thought about them here.

SEE ALSO: 15 Crazy Starbucks Customers Who Will Make You Never Want To Be A Barista >

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Stella McCartney has made herself a big name in fashion, but when she first interacted with the industry, she felt turned off by it.

Fashion blogger Garance Doré at Pardon My French sat down with McCartney to talk about all sorts of things and the designer opened up about the elitism of luxury fashion.

"I aspired to this kind of glamorous world. You know, the moments I had contact with it, it didn't feel like it welcomed me," said McCartney.

Here's what she had to say:

"I don't know if it was just me or if maybe it was the case or has been the case in luxury, luxury fashion where there is this sense that, you know, you're not good enough to really be part of this brand. Or maybe you're not thin enough, or maybe you're not cool enough.

And I picked up on that. Maybe it's because I'm a woman too and you know I was a customer. I felt that a lot growing up in the Nineties and it really stuck with me anyway. And I just have never believed in that elitism. You know, it's just… it's always felt wrong to me." 

Check out Doré's full interview with McCartney below:

SEE ALSO: The Fabulous Life Of Stella McCartney >

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This post originally appeared at Oyster.com.

Skiing is one of our favorite winter pastimes: There’s just something about getting out in the fresh air (and fresh powder) that does a body good.

And whether you’re doing the “pizza” down the bunny slopes or have mastered the double black diamond, you’ll be sure to have a great time, especially considering all the other offerings ski destinations and hotels have: gorgeous spas, fabulous shopping, heated pools, you name it.

So without further adieu, here’s a roundup of our favorite ski hotels that go above and beyond with amenities such as ski-in/ski-out locations, elegant rooms, and activity-packed itineraries.

Viceroy Snowmass, Snowmass, Col.

Viceroy Snowmass is easily the most luxurious resort in Snowmass Village, and is packed with top-notch amenities, including a 7,000-square-foot spa with a stunning relaxation room, a solid fitness center, and a lovely pool area with heated saline pool, cabanas, and fire pit.

It also offers phenomenal ski valet service (valets will take care of everything from scheduling lessons to putting your boots on for you) and a prime ski-in, ski-out location. There’s a daily resort fee, and you’ll have to pay for valet, but that’s to be expected at a resort of this caliber.

The Gant, Aspen, Col.

A popular choice among families, The Gant sits near the base of Aspen Mountain and features 140 one- to four-bedroom condos with Aspen-inspired decor (leather and wood accents, rich colors, and scenic mountain artwork).

The hotel is on a large piece of land, and has two heated outdoor pools with accompanying whirlpools.

Sky Hotel, a Kimpton Hotel, Aspen, Col.

The Sky Hotel sits on prime Aspen property, directly at the bottom of the Silver Queen Gondola with one of the best ski-in/ski-out locations in the valley. While rooms are on the small side for the price, they reflect Kimpton’s signature style, with a modern take on lodge décor, a daily wine hour, an excellent deck with pool and whirlpool, and one of the most happening apres-ski scenes in Aspen.

Amenities for guests’ four-legged friends are plentiful, too, and unlike at other resorts, there’s no fee or size restriction, easily making this the most pet-friendly hotel in Aspen.

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The days of the California roll are numbered. Do you really want to eat a run-of-the-mill maki roll stuffed with flimsy strands of tasteless cucumber, dried-out imitation crab, and mushy avocado? Ordering one at any respectable sushi restaurant is like asking for buttered pasta at a four-star Italian restaurant.

Today, the American palate is more sophisticated than ever, and as a result, sushi’s popularity continues to soar. Ingredients once considered too hard to find are now commonplace at sushi restaurants from Manhattan to Minneapolis. Just one peek at the recent documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which follows one of the most respected sushi masters, and it’s clear why diners love eating everything from raw clams to rice topped with precious caviar. Sushi is not only healthy, it’s also the cuisine of choice for Hollywood celebrities. Our selection of seafood has never been better.

See the best sushi restaurants in the U.S. >

But it wasn’t always this way, says Tim Zagat, who with his wife, Nina, founded the Zagat Restaurant Survey back in the 1980s. What was once considered exotic is now everyday fare for even young children. Zagat included the ratings of 34 Japanese restaurants across the country in 1990, but today there are 221 in that category.

 “The idea of eating raw fish? Most people thought that would be a fraternity prank,” says Zagat. “Now there’s a sushi bar on every corner.”

At Brushstroke in New York City, chef David Bouley collaborated with the Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka, Japan, to create tasting menus that let diners experience a range of flavors. One moment you may take bites from a chirashi bowl, a mound of rice topped with shimmering pieces of sashimi, and the next you’ll dip a tender lobster tail into white miso sauce.

Our list of the 20 best sushi restaurants includes a range of options. In Atlanta, the popular spot Tomo serves simple Japanese snapper with shiso and a squeeze of lemon, or for those who aren’t purists, a popular spicy scallop roll is a must order. Another favorite of ours includes Urasawa in Los Angeles, where the dining experience is equal parts theater and art.

While the price tag can be steep to experience some of the country’s best sushi, as much as $500 for dinner, our list below is aimed at all budgets, with each experience worth the trip.

More articles from Travel + Leisure:

• World's Best Wine Resorts
• World's Most Bikeable Wine Regions
• A Wine Tour of Chile
• Best Starchitect-Built Theaters
• Great Golf Courses In California Wine Country

Soto, New York City

Soto remains under the radar among notable sushi restaurants in New York but is consistently ranked among the best by guidebooks like Zagat and Michelin. One reason is chef Sotohiro Kosugi. The menu features several varieties of sea urchin — all worth ordering. In the small, serene dining room the best views of Kosugi working his magic are best had from the bar. There’s also a menu of fine sakes — great for pairing with your kampachi tartare, diced bits of yellowtail fish, or thinly sliced Long Island fluke dusted with sea salt and a touch of yuzu zest.

357 Sixth Ave.; (212) 414-3088; sotonyc.com

Brushstroke, New York City

TriBeCa’s resurgence has attracted a number of well-known restaurant openings to the downtown neighborhood, but none rival the nearly 10 years of planning that went into Brushstroke, where chef David Bouley tapped masters from the famed Tsuji cooking school in Osaka. At this warm, minimally designed restaurant, the sushi is first rate: lobster may be studded with bits of salmon roe, but most of the items focus on very pure, traditional nigiri. For instance, the fatty tuna or mackerel atop a bed of rice shows off the taste of the fresh fish. The rice is cooked to the perfect temperature, and the slices of fish are meant to be consumed in a single bite.

30 Hudson St.; (212) 791-3771; davidbouley.com

Makoto, Washington, D.C.

Makoto means “harmony” in Japanese, and that may be the best description of the food at this well-known D.C. favorite. Ordering omakase in this quaint restaurant is the way to go here, as a procession of pageantry unfolds before you. A variety of fish, whether raw or flash grilled, is accompanied by courses ranging from silky layers of tofu topped with grated ginger to delicate vegetables lightly fried in a tempura batter. The dishes at Makoto roll out at a steady pace, and while you can order à la carte, it’s best to let the chefs make the decisions.

4822 MacArthur Blvd. Northwest; (202) 298-6866; makotorestaurantdc.com

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In recent years, flying first class has lost its luxury luster, to the point where we're not even sure if it's still worth the money.

But for those who are set on having the best at 30,000 feet, it's good to know which airlines to choose.

For 15 years, the World Travel Awards have been selecting the "World's Leading Airline" for flying first class.

Etihad Airlines has won every year since 2008, including 2012. But the eight other nominees have great things to offer as well.

You'd be hard-pressed to find better service, better food, or more comfortable settings than in the first class cabins you're about to see.

American Airlines

This airline offers the industry's first swivel seats in its first class section, making face-to-face interaction much easier.

The 6' 6" seats aboard American have dropdown armrests and recline fully flat.

British Airways

Each first class suite aboard British Airways comes with a private wardrobe. 

It was also the first airline to offer electronic blinds onboard a commercial aircraft.

Cathay Pacific Airways

All dishes aboard Cathay are made to order, representing an array of Asian and international cuisine.

For entertainment, passengers can select from more than 100 movies, 500 TV shows, and 22 radio channels — in 10 languages — to watch on their personal screen.

There are only six to nine first class seats — suites, really — aboard each of Cathay's jets.

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There's a school of psychology which holds that happiness is subjective. Good or bad things happen in life, but people return to the same base level of happiness.

This theory, while up for debate in extreme cases, was established in regard to common life events by a 2008 article by Andrew E. Clark, Ed Diener, Yannis Georgellis, and Richard E. Lucas in The Economic Journal.

Studying twenty years of survey data from Germany, researchers found evidence that people adapt completely to marriage, divorce, widowhood, birth of child, and layoff.

Death of a spouse, for instance, is a terrible event characterized by a radical drop in happiness, but in the year that follows happiness rises, and within two years happiness returns to normal and may even rise above the baseline (as the subject gets caught in another hedonic cycle).

A similar hedonic pattern follows most negative events—and positive ones too. People get over it.

Below is a set of charts from the paper, used with permission from Wiley (buy the full paper here).

You may be surprised to see what events produce increases and decreases in happiness. Note, however, that in almost every chart happiness level reverts to the baseline. The only exception to reversion was in the case of male unemployment, which seems to induce unhappiness as long as it lasts.

We came across the marriage chart in Thinking, Fast And Slow by economist Daniel Kahneman.

While the chart may seem to suggest that marriages get worse over time, Kahneman says this is not the case and rather that people start to take marriage for granted. Ask a recently married man how happy he is, and he will likely think about his marriage and say he is happy. Ask a long-married man how happy he is, however, and he is less likely to think about his marriage and more likely to think about his job, health, or other concerns and may answer less positively.

DON'T MISS: There's More To Life Than Being Happy >

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Michael Bloomberg just announced a massive gift on the order of $350 million to Johns Hopkins University, which is his alma-mater.

According to the press release, he has now given over $1 billion to the school, a first in history.

-----------------------------

MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG COMMITS $350 MILLION TO JOHNS HOPKINS

FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL ACADEMIC INITIATIVE

New York Mayor believed first to give lifetime $1 billion to one U.S. higher education institution

Philanthropist and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has committed $350 million to The Johns Hopkins University, anchoring a major initiative aimed at bringing significant innovation to U.S. higher education. The total commitment – the largest ever to the university – lifts Bloomberg’s lifetime giving to Johns Hopkins beyond $1 billion.

The majority of the new gift, $250 million out of $350 million, will be part of a larger effort to raise $1 billion to facilitate cross-disciplinary work across the university to galvanize people, resources, research and educational opportunities around a set of complex global challenges.  Initially, the funds will be used to support the appointment of faculty in the areas of water resource sustainability, individualized health care delivery, global health, the science of learning and urban revitalization. The remaining $100 million will be dedicated to need-based financial aid for undergraduate students, ensuring that the most talented and driven students are admitted to the university’s classrooms, regardless of economic circumstance. Over the next 10 years, 2,600 Bloomberg Scholarships will be awarded.

The transformational gift will enhance Johns Hopkins’ flexible and multi-disciplinary approach to solving fundamental societal problems. It will bring together scientists and scholars from numerous disciplines -- ranging from politics and policy to healthcare delivery to basic curiosity-driven research -- to support more meaningful collaboration. The goal, simply put, is to make it as easy for faculty, staff and students to work across disciplines as within them.

“Michael Bloomberg is a visionary philanthropist, a force for social good on the order of Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Leland Stanford and our own founder, Johns Hopkins,” said Ronald J. Daniels, president of The Johns Hopkins University.

“This latest initiative allows us to greatly accelerate our investment in talented people and bring them together in a highly creative and dynamic atmosphere," Daniels said. “It illustrates Mike's passion for fixing big problems quickly and efficiently. It will ensure not only that Johns

Hopkins helps to solve humanity’s problems, but also that it leads the world’s universities in showing how it should be done.”

“Johns Hopkins University has been an important part of my life since I first set foot on campus more than five decades ago,” Bloomberg said. “Each dollar I have given has been well-spent improving the institution and, just as importantly, making its education available to students who might otherwise not be able to afford it. Giving is only meaningful if the money will make a difference in people’s lives, and I know of no other institution that can make a bigger difference in lives around the world through its groundbreaking research -- especially in the field of public health.”

This gift will endow 50 Bloomberg Distinguished Professors whose expertise crosses traditional academic disciplines; they will anchor collaborative, cross-disciplinary research. These distinguished faculty members -- each a forward-thinking leader with cross-cutting research interests -- will be recruited from around the world and will serve as human bridges among disciplines and schools spanning medicine and the humanities, public health and education, social science and engineering. The Bloomberg Distinguished Professors will carry their interdisciplinary and research-focused approach into their teaching, ensuring that the university’s students are equipped to graduate from their classrooms into the real world to solve real problems.

Johns Hopkins was America’s first research university, establishing a model emulated throughout the United States and around the world. It has also been home to groundbreaking examples of interdisciplinary partnerships in areas such as biomedical engineering, public health, space studies and international studies. Drawing on this legacy and through this latest gift from Bloomberg, Daniels said, Johns Hopkins seeks to reconceive the traditional model and make collaboration across disciplines the convention rather than the exception.

“When the Baltimore merchant Johns Hopkins left $7 million nearly 140 years ago to create our university and hospital,” Daniels said, “it incited nothing less than a revolution in American higher education. It led to the modern research university and academic medical center, brand new institutions that recognized the power in combining knowledge creation with its teaching and its use for the good of humanity.

“Now, with Michael Bloomberg’s commitment to this transformational initiative as the centerpiece of our efforts, Johns Hopkins seeks again to redefine higher education in America. We want nothing less than to accelerate the pace of change in universities and academic medicine, to create the new model for institutions intended to make the world a better place.”

Bloomberg is believed to be the first person ever to reach the $1 billion level of giving to a single U.S. institution of higher education. With this new commitment, Bloomberg -- chairman of the university’s board of trustees from 1996 to 2002 and previously chair of the Johns Hopkins Initiative fundraising campaign -- has now given Johns Hopkins $1.118 billion in the 49 years since he graduated. His first Johns Hopkins gift was $5 in 1965, a year after he received his bachelor’s degree in engineering from the university. His support has benefitted students and faculty in every school of the university, patients at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and anyone whose life has been touched by Johns Hopkins.

Bloomberg made his first $1 million commitment to the university in 1984, 20 years after his graduation. That gift created a professorship in the humanities named in honor of his mother, Charlotte. He also honored his mother with a $120 million gift toward construction of the new Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children’s Center, a 12-story, 560,000-square-foot tower at The Johns Hopkins Hospital with 205 private rooms, a 45-bed neonatal intensive care unit, a 40-bed pediatric intensive care unit and 10 state-of-the-art surgical suites. It opened in 2012.

The mayor’s generosity has had an extraordinary impact on Johns Hopkins in every way -- in terms of facilities and infrastructure, research and academic achievement, student body quality and diversity.

Applications for undergraduate admissions at the university’s Homewood campus have more than doubled since 2001, and selectivity has increased from a 34 percent admittance rate to 18 percent. In the same period, the number of underrepresented minority members in the freshman class has increased from fewer than 7 percent to nearly 20 percent. The university’s Bloomberg School of Public Health and School of Nursing are each top-ranked in the U.S. News & World Report “best graduate schools” rankings and the School of Medicine is second.  

As trustee and donor, Bloomberg has overseen, and in many cases funded, a quantum improvement in labs and classrooms, patient care facilities, arts and cultural centers, and campus amenities across Johns Hopkins campuses, insisting that each project emphasize the design of the environment, include public art and encourage collaboration among students and faculty.

“There is little doubt that the modern history of Johns Hopkins has been inextricably and profoundly linked to the remarkable vision and generosity of Mike Bloomberg. We are so much better for his faith and confidence” Daniels said.

Capital and Infrastructure

In all, the mayor has given $240 million toward capital and infrastructure projects, including the Bloomberg Center for Physics and Astronomy in 1988, implementation of the Homewood campus master plan from 1998 through 2002, massive renovations and improvements at the Peabody Institute in 2000, and a complete gutting and interior rebuilding of the landmark Gilman Hall at Homewood from 2005 to 2007.

Financial Aid

In recent years, Bloomberg has funded 20 percent of all need-based financial aid grants for undergraduates in the university’s schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering. With the latest gift, his student aid gifts now total nearly $219 million, of which $164 million has been for undergraduates.

Bloomberg School of Public Health

An ardent believer in the power of public health discoveries and practice to impact the lives of millions around the globe, Bloomberg has directed $289 million to what since 2001 has been known as the Bloomberg School of Public Health. He has given $125 million since 2001 to establish and support the Malaria Research Institute within the Bloomberg School of Public Health. The multidisciplinary center seeks to eradicate that mosquito-borne disease, which in 2010 afflicted an estimated 216 million people and killed 655,000 worldwide. The institute conducts basic and applied research on mosquito biology, the malaria parasite, disease processes and potential vaccines.

 Bloomberg’s public health-related gifts have also supported research into gun violence prevention, tobacco use reduction, safe water, mental health, road safety and global health initiatives.

Research

The mayor’s support for other Johns Hopkins research has reached $336 million. That includes  $69 million since 2000 to establish and support the School of Medicine’s Institute for Cell Engineering, which focuses on the application of stem cells to improve human health.

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It was a letter sent more in desperation than in hope. Type-written over three pages and stretching to 1,401 words, Suzanne Dow articulated her own personal hell.

For three years, her next-door neighbours had done their best to destroy her life. The letter, sent to her local council, detailed the threats and abuse to which she had been subjected.

Dr Dow, an academic with a first from Oxford University, was at the end of her tether.

Her final letter, which has been obtained by The Sunday Telegraph, and in which she pleads for action to be taken, was acknowledged, but never answered. Three weeks later Miss Dow, 33, took an overdose of prescription medicine and never woke up.

Her suicide prompted the coroner at her inquest to demand fundamental changes to the way authorities in Nottinghamshire deal with “neighbours from hell”. The coroner passed the letter – addressed to the head of legal services and monitoring at Broxtowe Borough Council – to this newspaper last week to highlight the systemic failures that contributed to Miss Dow’s death.

There were other factors of course: a long-term relationship had ended, and she was still coping with the effects of having been abused as a child. But her letter makes clear just how difficult her life had been made by her neighbours.

“I am writing to you now having reached the limit of my tolerance both with the situation next door, and with Broxtowe Borough Council’s handling of this case,” wrote Miss Dow.

“The situation is seriously affecting both my mental and physical health. I am frequently unable to sleep, and it often prevents me from doing my job (I often work from home). I cannot enjoy the outside space due to noise, foul language, verbal abuse and talk of drugs. I live in fear of my property being damaged (again), and even for my own physical safety whilst in my own home.” Miss Dow had moved into her two-bedroom terrace house in Derby Street, Beeston, near Nottingham University, where she lectured on French studies, in June 2008.

She was house-proud and before her death had planned to put the proceeds from a book advance towards a new wooden floor in her dining room.

But from the start, she was plagued by the council tenants next door: Daryl Robinson, 45, his twin sister Gaynor Robinson, a convicted drugs smuggler, and her 20-year-old son, Liam Peach. The house was used as a “crack den” and attracted habitual drug users.

Daryl Robinson, described as a “hulking and intimidating figure”, had been arrested once for harassing Miss Dow but never charged; his sister was jailed for four and a half years in 2006 for smuggling heroin into Jersey and shortly after her release was sent to prison again for shoplifting in 2010.

Peach was jailed for 28 days for threatening Miss Dow in 2011 and in April last year spent three weeks in custody for assaulting a man in the street and damaging a police cell.

Miss Dow wrote to the council on numerous occasions, begging the local authority to evict the Robinsons. Her pleas were ignored.

In the last letter, she listed the nightmares. Her house was broken into while she was in; her bicycle was stolen from her shed and the frame, stripped of components, found discarded in the Robinsons’ garden; hypodermic needles were thrown into her garden; drug deals were conducted in the alley she shared with her neighbours; she had witnessed “the aftermath” of the stabbing of Daryl Robinson after a blazing row with his sister; and bruises on Gaynor Robinson following fights with her brother.

“Over the last year or so,” she wrote on September 15 2011, “matters became much worse still, once Gaynor Robinson took up residence in the property. Loud, frequently violent, disputes were the norm rather than the exception on any given day and would generally last for hours at a time. I several times called for the police to intervene.”

In the summer of 2010, she had witnessed Daryl Robinson being hit over the head with a brick by Peach, his nephew. Miss Dow gave a statement to the police, prompting Gaynor Robinson to intimidate her into withdrawing the statement. As a consequence, according to her letter, “the wiring on the outside of my house was slashed and my wall graffitied”. Gaynor Robinson subsequently taunted her, shouting: “Oi, who’s cut your wiring love?”

On September 10 2011 – five days before she wrote the letter – came perhaps the final straw. “I was standing at the window in my living room and entirely unprovoked, Liam Peach (currently enjoying a brief period out of prison) verbally abused and threatened me, using language implying a threat of physical violence and/or (further) damage to my property,” she wrote.

Peach was arrested, charged and sentenced to 28 days in a young offenders institution for threatening behaviour. But by then Miss Dow had had enough.

There were other problems in her life. She had been having an affair with a lecturer at the university but that relationship had ended in the weeks before she died.

As a child, she had been sexually abused, which had, according to those in whom she had confided, always tormented her.

When she was 13, her parents made a complaint to police in Suffolk that she had been abused by an adult. But an officer had advised the family not to proceed to court because it would be too much for the young girl to deal with.

Six months before she died, Miss Dow went back to Suffolk police and asked them to re­­open the case. But it was too late; her abuser had accepted a police caution at the time of the original complaint and – in accordance with the rules then in place – all relevant evidence had been destroyed and the case closed.

After the inquest, Miss Dow’s mother, Maureen Dow, said those problems in her personal life, coupled with the nightmare neighbours next door, had become too much for her gifted daughter.

“She used to ring me in tears because she was too frightened to get to sleep,” said Mrs Dow, “No one should have to live in that situation. They let her down.”

Miss Dow had a promising career in front of her. She had gone to a comprehensive school in Colchester and to Oxford, where she gained a first from St Hilda’s College in history and modern languages. From there she took a masters and then a doctorate at Oxford, winning prizes for her work. She took a permanent post at Nottingham in 2007.

She had also translated a novel by the French writer Helene Cixous, called Double Oblivion of the Orang-Outang, which is due to be published next month.

The council received 11 complaints from Miss Dow about her neighbours and the police were called on five occasions between 2010 and her death. She was frustrated and felt she was not being listened to.

In her final letter she accused the housing officer in charge of her case – Alison Marshall – of being “unacceptably cavalier” and demanded that another official be assigned to the case. Miss Dow complained that emails to Miss Marshall would “often go unanswered and calls unreturned”.

Visits to the Robinson’s property by the housing officer had just been “idle, empty threats”, concluded Mairin Casey, the coroner.

Nor were the police always sympathetic. In one email exchange between PC Sam Astle and Miss Marshall, the police officer wrote of Miss Dow – after hearing she had written another letter of complaint – “you just can’t win with some people can you?”, a comment described by Miss Casey as “outrageous” and “appalling”.

Nottingham Police admitted the tone of the email was wrong. “The comments made in an email from a police officer who had been dealing with Dr Dow were regrettable,” said Insp Craig Berry. “However, I am satisfied these were made without any intended malice. Both the officer and all staff have been reminded of the need for professionalism at all times, and in all forms of communication.”

The inquest heard that a final warning should have been given to the Robinsons, threatening them with eviction, in October 2010 but instead they had escaped with a lesser threat.

Gaynor Robinson was rehoused before Miss Dow’s death and she and her son Peach no longer live in Derby Street; they have been moved elsewhere, where their new neighbours report that their behaviour is still causing police involvement. None of the Robinsons contacted by The Sunday Telegraph would comment.

The council said it would “learn lessons” from the case. A spokesman said: “The council cares a great deal about its tenants and residents and it will review the findings of the case and learn any lessons it needs to learn. This was a complex case and the council now knows all those involved were extremely vulnerable.”

The recognition that more could, and should, have been done comes too late for Miss Dow. She had been abused as a child, had ended a relationship, and was stuck with her neighbour from hell. On Oct 3 2011, she took her life.

“From speaking to other neighbours it is clear that Mr Robinson has been terrorising the street for years now,” she wrote in her final letter, “I would move house if I could, but have already been advised by an estate agent that my house is all but unsalable [sic] given the neighbours I have. I find this situation to be intolerable.”

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Would this ever happen in America?

This week, Brazil's government announced that they were allocating $25 USD a month to each worker in the country to spend on cultural activities.

That means some cash to see movies, go to museums, or buy books, music, or DVDs.

"In all developed countries, culture plays a key role in the economy," Culture Minister Marta Suplicy explained in an interview on national television.

The stipend will be given out to workers by their employers in the form of an electronic card, for those making minimum wage to use as they want.

The employer will cover 90 percent of the allotment, with the rest paid by the employee, who can opt out of the program if they want. It's at an employer's discretion if they want to also hand out cards to people earning five times the minimum wage, which is approximately $1,700.

This is great news for those without the means to enjoy the rich cultural output the country has to offer. It also means more capital going towards culture, which will help artists, musicians, and other creatives.

Here's hoping the U.S. policy makers are listening, even if $25 doesn't go very far these days. It will at least buy the curious minds who can't afford it, a ticket to the movies with some pocket change for popcorn; or even a ticket to the MoMA, which at $20 a pop, would have to be your art fix for the month.

SEE ALSO: 13 money lies you should stop telling yourself by age 30 >

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Flynn McGarry started cooking three years ago because he didn't like his mother's dinners. 

Since then, the teen prodigy has cooked for more than 120 people, worked in various top restaurants and made 18-course dinners. 

On January 30, he'll be cooking a 12-course meal for 30 people at BierBeisl in Beverly Hills. The special event cost $160 a person and is already completely sold out, ABC News reported. 

Menu items include "sunchoke confit with a smoked sunchoke puree, with yogurt and dehydrated grapefruit, topped with sunflower seeds as an appetizer, and smoked sturgeon with different types of onions, pine vinegar tapioca and rye bread as a main course dish," according to ABC. 

His mother, Meg, said she's not offended that his son prefers his own cooking to hers. 

“He is progressing so fast and it is super overwhelming, but it is also exciting,” she said. “You are always proud of your children’s accomplishments. He showed such passion for this that it was an obvious choice to allow him to do what he loves to do.”

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If you’re having a crowd over for Super Bowl XLVII, go all out with themed decor that’ll make game day even more fun.

We've come up with a list of all the essentials you'll need to keep the party going. 

Slow Cooker

Making chow ahead of time is so convenient. Show your passion for the sport by choosing a Hamilton Beach 6-Quart Single Clip Football Pattern Slow Cooker ($31.49 at Target). (Save $5 on orders of $50 or more with Target sales.)

Invites

Texting everyone and telling them to come over is fine, but c’mon, who doesn’t like getting actual mail now and then? Send out Watch the Grass invites (10 cards for $21.90 at Tiny Prints). (Get free shipping on orders of $59 or more with Tiny Prints coupons.)

Party Tray

If you’re showing up at a friend’s house on game day, bring your snacks over on this Football Touchdown Party Tray ($3.88 at PartyZoneUSA.com). Leave it with your host as a little token of thanks, and pick up a second one for yourself. (Get 10 percent off your order with PartyZoneUSA.com coupons.)

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Where do top-rated chefs, sommeliers and bartenders hang out during their time off? A new app uncovers their favorite restaurants, bars and shops in cities around the world, from high-end eateries to dive bars.

The app, Find. Eat. Drink., for iPhones provides recommendations from industry experts. It includes suggestions from Fergus Henderson, the English chef who popularized nose-to-tail dining and the Roca brothers, who run El Celler de Can Roca in Spain, which Restaurant magazine dubbed the second-best eatery in the world.

"The idea was to reach out to people within the culinary community that were doing interesting and unique work, and who were passionate about what they do," said Robin Dorian, co-founder of Find. Eat. Drink., who is based in New York.

Chef Richard Blais, of television's "Top Chef" and "Blais Off," recommends a rotisserie chicken restaurant in a strip mall in Atlanta, and Floyd Cardoz, winner of "Top Chef Masters" Season 3, gives the thumbs up for a dosa restaurant in New York.

"You eat out of Styrofoam, but the food is incredibly delicious," he said in his recommendation for the Dosa Hutt.

Suggestions are made based on the user's location and can be viewed on a map. They are also filtered by price and user ratings.

The app can be used to research a city before setting off and to collect venues by creating customized lists within the app. It includes recommendations for more than 2,000 establishments in 120 cities around the world.

"If you go, for instance, to Chinatown in New York, there's all these places, so it kind of takes that guesswork out and makes it easy to go off the beaten track," Dorian explained.

Dorian got the idea for the company from an experience she had as a Food Network television producer and host. After a day of filming, a chef took her to a restaurant in New York, and she was amazed by the number of chefs she spotted there who were customers.

"I was wondering, ‘How come all the chefs know to go here?'" she said.

In addition to restaurants and bars, there are also recommendations for Asian grocers and wine, cheese, candy and salt shops.

"It's about checking out places that inspire them - more interesting, ethnic unique places. That's how they eat and how they travel," she said.

Reservations can also be made at select restaurants from the app, which is available worldwide.

A similar app for iPhones called Chefs Feed provides a visual way of scanning photos of restaurant dishes recommended by top chefs.

The app has more than 600 chefs recommending dishes through the app, including Napa's Thomas Keller of French Laundry and Per Se, Los Angeles' Wolfgang Puck of Spago and Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, and New York's Mario Batali of Babbo and Lupa.

(Editing by Patricia Reaney and Jan Paschal)

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Do you pay a lot of attention to your appearance? Do you have more brand names in your apartment than a rap music video? If so, we’d like to hear from you.

Business Insider would like to gain more insight into how our readers research and purchase luxury items. Do you prefer the comfort of business class to the chaos of economy? Do the brands you buy reflect who you are? Do you prefer to do your due diligence before making a purchase, or does impulsiveness frequently put a sizeable dent in your bank account?

Tell us what matters to you when it comes to extra commas on a price tag.  

Thanks in advance for your attention and honest answers!

Click here to take the survey >

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A Woodside, California home quietly traded hands last November for the staggering price of $117.5 million dollars, according to SF Luxe. That makes it the most expensive residence ever sold in the California, and possibly the second-most expensive private real estate deal in the United States ever.

The mansion is roughly 9,000 square feet, and was designed by Virginia-based architect Allan Greenberg. It has a pool, nine-acres of property, and is surrounded by 360-degree views of the Woodside Mountains, according to SF Luxe.

The record-breaking transaction reportedly took place on November 27, 2012 to an undisclosed buyer. The residence was never publicly listed for sale, and SF Luxe reports it was previously owned by Tully Friedman of Friedman Fleischer and Lowe LLC, a San Francisco investment firm.

Billionaire Stanley Kroenke holds the number one spot for most-expensive US home after purchasing a 123,000-acre Montana mega-ranch last year. The property was originally listed for $132.5 million, though the sale price has never been disclosed.

DON'T MISS: Sports Team Titan Tom Hicks Lists His Gigantic Dallas Estate For $135 Million

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