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6 Reasons Men Don't Want To Wear Lululemon

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lululemon yoga

Outgoing Lululemon CEO Christine Day just announced that the brand plans to open standalone men's stores by 2016, according to Bloomberg.

It's a savvy move: Menswear presents the yoga wear maker's biggest opportunity for expansion. 

The problem?

The brand faces a huge challenge in reinventing itself for a male audience, said Brian Sozzi, chief equities strategist at Belus Capital and a contributor to Men's Health. 

"As it stands now, most men wouldn't shop at Lululemon," Sozzi said. "It will take careful planning to pull off a successful launch." 

Here are a few of Lululemon's biggest challenges in reaching men: 

1. The brand perception. "There is no sense of a man in current stores whatsoever, which is a huge turn-off," Sozzi told us. "You have to go through the neon women's clothing to get to the men's section. There is no reason for men to go in stores right now." 

2. Few male employees. "I have never been helped by a male store associate at Lululemon and the brand seems to mostly attract women," Sozzi said. "It's seen as a very pro-female brand and that is intimidating to men." 

3. Feminine name and logo. "The name needs to be shortened, and the logo is an even bigger problem," Sozzi told us. "The logo should look more rugged to appeal to men." 

4. Men don't put a premium on looking good at the gym. "Most men are happy to wear a t-shirt and pair of old shorts to the gym," Sozzi said. "They don't see any need to put effort into their appearances there." 

5. The company only knows how to market toward women. "Nike and Under Armour have been using professional athletes to market to men for years and have a lot of that market," Sozzi said. "

6. The clothes are really expensive. Women justify spending $98 on yoga pants because they use them for other purposes like running errands, Sozzi said. "Guys would only use this clothing for going to a gym, so it's not as valuable to them." 

Lululemon has time to iron out its men's strategy before stores open. 

But its biggest obstacle will be undoing the perception that Lululemon is just for yoga aficionados. 

SEE ALSO: 15 Hot Brands Vying To Be The Next Lululemon >

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This College Dropout 'Hacked' His Education And Thinks Everyone Else Should, Too

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DaleSF

With the cost of college on the rise and the student debt crisis in full swing, young people (and their parents) are naturally second-guessing the value of a five-figure degree.

One college-dropout-turned-entrepreneur is determined to prove you can lead a full career without a degree at all.

Dale Stephens, 21, is all about taking the "unschooled"  approach to learning, emphasizing learning through experience, internships, travel, and mentorships in lieu of textbooks and exams.

It worked for him, anyway. Stephens, 21, was home-schooled at the age of 12. And a semester after enrolling at Hendrix College in Conway, Ark., he dropped out, completely disenchanted with the lecture-heavy environment. That's when he decided to launch UnCollege.org, a site dedicated to proving college is not the only path to success. Since then, he landed a coveted position as a Thiel Fellow and wrote a book ("Hacking Your Education") to help other students follow in his footsteps.

We spoke with Stephens about his book, his approach to learning and how it will affect his future.

Business Insider: What is UnCollege?

Dale Stephens: It is an organization that presents workshops [on professional growth outside of college]. We offer gap year programs, we do work with colleges and universities, and we provide resources outside of the traditional [college] system.

BI: Why did you decide to drop out of college?

DS: It wasn’t a place that was intellectually stimulating. I didn’t feel supported or nurtured. I didn’t have the patience to stay in a place where I wasn’t being appreciated or respected.

So, I left and started UnCollege and it really took off. We got a lot of attention with online and print media, but I didn’t really know what I was going to do, so I said I was going to write a book. That got the attention of a publisher and for the past year and a half I have been writing my book.

BI: Tell us about your earlier education.

DSI left school when I was 12 years old for "unschooling." I am grateful that my parents believed in me and let me step outside the system. Instead of going to middle school and high school, I found mentors, did internships, and generally used the resources in the world around me.

BI:What is the reaction you get when you tell people you were unschooled?

DS: Today, people are more aware of the cost of college. Now, people say 'Oh, how can I learn more about [UnCollege]?' People are being forced to make decisions about time and money, and trying to think actively about how to make the most of it.

BI: Tell us about your Gap Year program.

DS: The program [$13,000 per year] is intended for people who are self-directed but want some structure and community. One thing we find is it can be an isolated process so we offer some structure.

It is four parts, each about three months long. First, you share a house in San Fransisco and learn skills and tools for self-directed learning. Then, you go abroad for three months to a country you have never been to and don’t speak the language. Next, is an internship and last is a creative project.

BI:What is the difference between a college education and an “Uncollege” one?

DS: We aren’t focusing on subject level skills. We aren’t teaching math and history. We are giving people tools and challenges. They are learning what they want, not focusing on content but the skills that are one level up from there.

BI:You can't deny the fact that it's been proven that holding a college degree leads to higher income. How does your plan help to factor in any income lost by skipping college?

DS: You can’t compare two people of similar ability. There is no control experiment. We don’t know the alternative. I don’t think that there is any real danger in sending someone to UnCollege. If they want a college education, it will always be there. And if people decide to go [to UnCollege], they have a better set of tools to become a learner.

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It's Easy To See Why Bangkok Is The New No.1 City For Tourists

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Thai sculpture from Grand Palace complex in Bangkok

This year, Bangkok will become the most popular city for tourists, beating out perennial favorites like London and Paris.

The Thai capital is expecting 15.98 million international arrivals this year, according to the Global Destination Cities Index forecast.

So what is luring in those millions of tourists?

With its centuries-old-temples, modern nightlife and restaurants, and incredible food, Bangkok is one of the most dynamic and exciting cities in the world.

Bangkok is a bustling metropolis with about 8.3 million people.



It's a vibrant city of dizzying skyscrapers, giant shopping malls, and frenetic traffic.



There are millions of motorbikes and cars on Bangkok's streets.



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Top New York Chef Explains How To Perfectly Debone And Cook A Whole Fish

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Deboning and cooking a whole fish is not an easy task. It requires a precise hand and a delicate touch.

We visited top New York chef Laurent Tourondel, chef/partner of Arlington Club, a steakhouse on the Upper East Side, for an expert demonstration. Watch below to learn how to do it:

 


Produced by Robert Libetti

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Here's What Happened The Last Time Rupert Murdoch Got Divorced

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Murdochs

Divorce is nothing new for Rupert Murdoch, who is officially divorcing current wife Wendi Deng after 14 years.

His first divorce was from Patricia Booker, a former flight attendant from Melbourne. The pair were married for 11 years and had a daughter before their 1966 divorce, according to the International Business Times.

A year later, Murdoch married Anna Murdoch Mann (née Torv), a Scottish journalist with who he had three children.

He divorced Anna in 1999, weeks before his wedding to Wendi Deng, who he met when she was an intern at a television station owned by News Corp

Details are still sparse on Murdoch and Deng's separation. But the story of Murdoch's divorce from Torv  which cost him a reported $1.7 billion  could be instructive.

First, how the pair met: Torv was 18 years old and working for Murdoch's Sydney newspaper The Daily Telegraph when she had the opportunity to interview Murdoch. They fell for each other, according to Australian Women's Weekly, and the pair were married in 1967, shortly after Murdoch split from his first wife.

Murdoch and Torv appeared to have a good, solid marriage for 31 years. They had three children together, and Torv had a career as a novelist.

But, according to Steve Fishman in New York Magazine, Anna wanted Rupert to quit his job and retire with her, which Murdoch believed would kill him.

So in 1998 they agreed to an "amicable" separation, first reported by New York Post columnist Liz Smith. It was so amicable that Anna remained on New Corp's board.

However, Anna reportedly grew suspicious that Murdoch had a girlfriend. And while Murdoch insists that he did not become romantically involved with the bright and beautiful Wendi Deng until after their separation, the two married just 17 days after Torv and Murdoch's divorce was finalized.

Six months after their separation, Murdoch reportedly forced Torv off News Corp's board, according to Australian Women's Weekly. "Anna's support has been enormously helpful to me in what I must admit is a demanding and turbulent career," Murdoch said in the News Corp annual report.

Torv formally resigned in person, and left the office to have lunch with a "charming" Wall Street financier named William Mann, her future husband.

Murdoch and Torv officially filed for divorce soon after. California, the couple's home state, is a community-property state, meaning Anna could have walked away with half of Murdoch's fortune, which was then valued at $7.8 billion, according to New York Magazine (Forbes estimates he's worth $11.2 billion today).

Still, Torv is rumored to have won $1.7 billion in assets, $110 million of which was in cash, according to ABC News. If that figure is accurate, it would have been the most expensive divorce of all time.

Both Murdoch and Torv quickly remarried after their divorce was finalized in 1999: Rupert to Wendi Deng 17 days later on a yacht, and Anna to William Mann six months later.

Torv kept quiet about the divorce for two years until 2001, when she opened up to Australian Women's Weekly about her divorce with Murdoch, saying he had ruined the marriage by his alleged affair with then-translator Deng. "I thought we had a wonderful, happy marriage," she confessed to writer David Leser.

"Obviously we didn't."

SEE ALSO: The 17 Most Expensive Divorces Ever

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A Delta Pilot Took This Gorgeous Photo Of NYC's New World Trade Center Tower

The 9 Deadliest Foods On The Planet

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Elderberries

Humans are one of the few creatures on this planet who have the capability of ignoring our basic survival instinct.

We jump out of perfectly good airplanes, something that still sets off alarms in the most veteran skydivers.

We push ourselves to the edge of death and back with physical demands on our bodies that defy reason: ultramarathons in the desert, living in microgravity, setting the world record for holding one’s breath under water.

Yet as contradictory as it sounds, testing these limits is probably what makes us feel the most human, the most attuned to nature and our own potential.

Potential when it comes to soaring above the skies, jumping eight feet in the air… and eating the most bizarre, even dangerous, dishes set in front of us on the dinner table.

What are some of the deadliest foods the world has ever seen? Poisonous or harmful by design, not accident, and something that has us questioning our sanity when we choose to take a bite?

FUGU – SHIMONOSEKI, JAPAN

Fugu (河豚), also known as pufferfish, is a fish whose liver and internal organs contain deadly amounts of the poison tetrodotoxin, for which there is no known antidote.

It might surprise many to know, however, that any fugu chef worth his weight in Japan will attempt to leave just the right amount of poison for a tingling sensation to pass through the diner’s tongue, leaving him satisfied with the taste and experience.

Just like climbing the picturesque Mt. Fuji, many westerners try this dish for the experience, the risk you may be poisoned.

In all honesty, I found it to be somewhat less thrilling than gambling (and this is coming from an adrenaline junkie), even with the threat of death tossed in.

Thirty years ago, it caused a stir throughout Japan as Bando Mitsugoro, a famous Kabuki actor, died after eating four servings … though he may have overindulged a bit.

If you are in the mood to “risk your life”, be sure to travel to the city of Shimonoseki in western Japan where no fugu-related deaths have ever been reported.

In addition, you have the choice of raw fugu sashimi, fried fugu (tastes like chicken), boiled fugu, fugu with miso, and fugu sake.



ACKEE – JAMAICA

Turning our attention to the Caribbean, we find the delicious but dangerous Ackee fruit.

Although rich in vitamins and protein, if the fruit is eaten before it is fully ripe, it prevents glucose from being released from the liver, quickly lowering one’s blood sugar and ensuring violent illness or death.

Many have called the symptoms following ingestion of the unripe fruit “Jamaican Vomiting Sickness.”



BULLFROG – NAMIBIA

Why settle for mere legs in France when you can have the whole frog?

The Giant Namibian Bullfrog is a delicacy in this African nation, but when you consume them, timing is everything.

People are generally advised to dine “after the third rain” or when the frogs start croaking and breeding.

Failure to do so will usually result in kidney failure, what the locals call Oshiketakata.



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There's A Lot More To Tasting Chocolate Than Just Eating It

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Richart Macarons

I'm usually satisfied with a plain Hershey's bar, but I do know good chocolate when I taste it. I was definitely in the company of good chocolate when I sat down for a private chocolate tasting with Michel Richart, the genius behind Paris-based chocolatier Richart.

Richart stands by the belief that chocolate should bring pleasure to the taster, the same belief his father Joseph Richart had when he started the company in 1925.

The chocolatier has gained some serious accolades for his work: National Geographic's Inside Travel named him one of the world's top chocolatiers, and has been awarded the Ruban Bleu, France's most prestigious confectioner's honor, a total of seven times.

Richart has several retail locations in Paris, but in the U.S., his sweets can be found at Gastronomie 491 on New York City's Upper West Side.

During our private tasting, Richart walked me through his unique five-part method of tasting and enjoying his chocolate and macarons, giving me a real joie de vivre. It turns out there's a lot more to tasting chocolate than just stuffing your face.

A delicate display was laid out for me when I entered the room, and my gastronomical journey began. Richart explained his "QuintEssence" method of tasting, a way to enjoy the taste experience on five levels.



The first level is presentation. Richart said like with any art, you need to set the stage.



The temperature, humidity, organization of the product on the table, and even the light in the room can give the product more or less pleasure. We had these chocolates at room temperature in a moderately lit, dry space.



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An Art Exhibit In NYC Lets You Walk Through Rain Without Getting Wet

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Rain Room MoMA New York City 2

"What do you do with a rain room?"

That simple yet intriguing question was one of the driving factors behind London-based artists rAndom International—founded by Stuart Wood, Florian Ortkrass, and Hannes Koch—creating their immersive spectacle Rain Room.

Initially appearing at the Barbican in London, where it became the most successful installation in their history, it's now currently in its second iteration, appearing in New York at MoMA as part of MoMA PS1's EXPO 1: New York.

The piece lets visitors walk inside a room that's pouring down with water, but as they walk around it ceases to fall where they're standing allowing them a glimpse into what it's like to control the rain.

People have reacted to the experience in a variety of different ways, snapping the piece on their smartphones is a common one, but people also huddle together or stand alone, wander around as if in a dream or giggle excitedly.


Rain Room MoMA New York City

The nature of Rain Room and the unusualness of the experience means it fosters a variety of reactions and engagement from the audience—and it's these interactions that place it beyond just an installation into a performative piece.

Each iteration has been built as a site-specific piece, for instance the Barbican version made use of the curved wall of the exhibition space while the MoMA iteration is in a much larger area. This gave the studio a chance to experiment with how it was presented and play around with how it was approached, giving the piece another dimension as it evolves to fit different environments.

Rain Room MoMA New York City 3

In the video above the group discuss the genesis of the installation, along with how the creation of the piece was, for them, a journey into the unknown driven by curiosity.

Rain Room is on view at MoMA, as part of MoMA PS1's EXPO 1: New York through 28th July 2013.

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Wealthy Towns Are Running Out Of Mansions

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aerial view long island

Wealthy home buyers are quickly running out of mansions to buy.

While housing inventory is falling throughout the country, it's falling especially fast in some of the country's richest ZIP codes.

A study from Altos Research, the Mountain View, Ca., real-estate research firm, found that inventory in the nation's 90 wealthiest ZIP codes fell 15 percent over the past year, slightly faster than the broader market.

But in the richest ZIP codes, inventory is down more than 50 percent. In a ZIP code in Carmel, Calif., inventory fell 76 percent over the past year. There were only four homes left on the market priced at $1 million or more as of the end of May, according to Altos.

In Palm Beach, Fla., the number of $1 million-plus homes has plunged by 70 percent, falling from 89 to 26. And in the Old Greenwich, Conn. ZIP code, there are only 10 homes left priced at $1 million or more, down 58 percent, according to Altos.

(Read More: $1 Million Hamptons Rentals on the Rise)

"I don't recall seeing the market like this, and it's come so quickly," said Cristina Condon of Sotheby's International Real Estate in Palm Beach. She said buyers have poured into the market in recent months, many from overseas. American buyers are also piling in—some from higher-tax states like California, lured by low taxes and still-low prices in Florida.

Condon said one of her listings that sold in the past year is a $11.3 million property on the Intracoastal that had six bedrooms, two baths, and Tuscan-inspired gardens, along with a pool and a boat dock. 

Interest in her remaining listings remains strong. She cited strong interest in a $34.9 million lakefront estate in Palm Beach as an example. The 13,278-square-foot mansion has 7 bedrooms, 8 baths, a sprawling pool overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway with outdoor loggias.

(Read More: Biggest US Home to Be Completed in 2015)

In Connecticut, some $1 million-plus homes are selling just days after being listed. David Oglivy of David Oglivy & Associates in Greenwich said he had a listing at $1.38 million that sold in just two days. He said the home was viewed 14 times.

"The Old Greenwich market right now is just super hot," he said. About half the buyers are people moving within Greenwich and others are moving from New York City and other areas, he added. While some realtors worry that shrinking inventories could crimp future sales, Oglivy says he's not worried.

"The inventory is fine," he said, adding that luxury inventories in the broader Greenwich area remain higher.

Carmel and Pebble Beach, Calif., have seen a rush of buyers from Silicon Valley as well as from Europe and Asia. But the number of new, high-end listings has been limited.

"We are seeing an influx of luxury second home buyers coming into the market including venture capitalists, tech money, oil and gas, developers and CEO's," said Tim Allen, of Tim Allen Properties in Pebble Beach.

(Read More: Wealthy Horse Owners Jump Back Into Equestrian Estates)

Pebble Beach and Carmel have seen a total of 106 sales in the past four months—well above the previous four months. A 3,000 square-foot ocean-front home in Carmel sold for $16.5 million this year, which marked a new record for Carmel.

A home in Pebble Beach sold for $22.5 million, though the new owners plan to remodel. Allen said that an added factor in the high end of the real-estate market is that sellers are under less financial pressure to sell, which leads to less inventory. He said inventories remain healthy, with some high-end neighborhoods still filled with "for sale" signs, but some enclaves are selling out fast.

"These sellers can hold on until they see prices where they want," Allen said. "In some of these areas, all it takes is five buyers and you can sell out."

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These Are The Fastest-Growing Cities In America

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El Paso Texas

Which cities are on the up-and-up?  The answer might surprise you. 

NerdWallet sifted through the data from over 475 cities to find cities that were growing in three categories—population, employment and income—and ranked them according to growth rates. 

We used the following three factors to determine the overall growth score of each city:

  1. Population: Population growth in the working-age population (16+) between 2007 and 2011
  2. Employment: Growth in the percentage of employed residents 16+ between 2007 and 2011
  3. Income: Growth in median income for workers between 2007 and 2011

Check out our cost of living calculator for more information.

New Orleans: The Big Easy has made an inspirational comeback since 2005’s Hurricane Katrina.

Rising out of the tragedy, New Orleans has rebuilt itself into a thriving energy, education and tech hub.  Rich with music, food and culture, New Orleans has plenty to offer, and the schools are improving as well—in the past 10 years, the percentage of eighth-grade students passing Louisiana’s LEAP test has more than doubled.  

The city’s universities show a commitment to public service and community enrichment, and Tulane University’s GIST Program connects seventh grade girls with female role models and mentors in STEM fields.  Additionally, Dillard University has expanded their campus in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, thereby supporting the New Orleans community.

 



2. Gainesville, Florida: A growing startup hub (Gainesville is home to music startup Grooveshark), Gainesville has plenty of resources for entrepreneurs.

The Gainesville Technology Enterprise Center provides tools and training for early-stage startups.

High schoolers can benefit from this entrepreneurial environment as well by participating in the University of Florida’s outreach and youth program, such as the Young Entrepreneurs for Leadership and Sustainability Summer Program.



3. Fargo, North Dakota: Fargo’s thriving manufacturing, education and healthcare industries contribute to its growing economy.

Businesspeople can take advantage of the city’s Department of Economic Development

There is a variety of entertainment in Fargo as well.  The city holds plenty of parks, a yearly winter carnival, the largest art museum in the state and the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra.



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Million Dollar 60th Birthday Parties With Private Concerts Are Still Hot On Wall Street

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Bill Joel

Lavish 60th birthday bashes are still a hot trend in the private equity and hedge fund world. 

Page Six reports that hedge funder Thomas Kempner, Jr., who runs Davidson Kempner Capital Management, celebrated his birthday on Wednesday night at the Museum of Natural History complete with a Billy Joel concert.

Joel played for the audience of financial heavy-hitters, which included Dan Loeb and Blackstone's Tony James, for an hour and a half, the report said.  The Post estimates that the performance costs up to $2 million. 

In 2011, Apollo Management's Leon Black celebrated his 60th with a huge bash in the Hamptons. The guest list included Julian Robertson, Michael Milken, Lloyd Blankfein and Steve Schwarzman.  At his party, Elton John gave an hour-and-a-half performance that cost at least $1 million, according to Dealbook. 

The trend really goes back before the financial crisis with private equity billionaire Steve Schwarzman's 60th birthday celebration.

Back in 2007, Schwarzman celebrated the occasion with a party at the Seventh Regiment Armory on Park Avenue, Dealbook reported.  His guest list included big names such as  Donald and Melania Trump, Maria Bartiromo and Barbara Walters.  Musician Rod Stewart headlined the event. 

According to the Post, Joel played "Allentown" for Kempner's guests. Here's the music video.  

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McDonald's New Rice-Based Menu For China Is Getting Horrible Reviews

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China is a tough space for McDonald's, which lags behind rival Yum! Foods' 5.2% market share with just 2%.

McDonald's has publicly said it is not trying to beat Yum! Foods' reach, and is instead focusing on improving the quality of its menu. It's probably this ambition that the company had in mind when it decided to launch a new "rice-based" menu for the country.

Unfortunately for the golden arches, it sounds like a flop. A bad flop.

State news agency Xinhua announced the new menu earlier this month, reporting that would be sold in all 1,700 restaurants in mainland China.

"Our new dining options are examples of how McDonald's innovates to bring more options to our Chinese customers, because that's what they want," Kenneth Chan, chief executive officer of McDonald's China. said in a press release.

Here's a promo picture of the menu. In it you can see the “five colour tender chicken rice wrap” which costs Rmb16 ($2.61), the same wrap with beef for Rmb18 ($2.94), a “secret recipe” chicken and rice dish for Rmb18  ($2.94) and baked beef and rice for Rmb20 ($3.26).

MdDonald's Rice Menu China

The Financial Times' BeyondBrics blog has collected some of the online reactions to the menu, and they don't seem favorable. Here's one representative review:

“I tried McDonald’s rice for the first time and it was truly disappointing. It not only looked terrible but it was too small: it cost Rmb20 for just a thin layer of rice with four thin beef cutlets and terrible vegetables.”

Another customer complained that there was no chopsticks.

That's a relatively kind review, however, compared to the one featured in That's Mag. The expat publication reviewed most of the menu, taking photos to put alongside the official promo pictures, and it really isn't pretty.

Here's what they have to say about the beef and rice dish:

Quite sad, though, seeing these once-juicy plump patties, lying wretched and naked on the rice, roughly halved, undressed, reeking of their age. 

I don’t know what you would do, but I decided to show these seniors some respect. I did what you’d always do visiting Grandma’s for lunch: not eat any of it, then afterwards, order instead from your friendly local Chinese.

Ouch.

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Insane Footage Of A Leopard Attack In The Wild

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Most safari guides go for years without seeing a fight as intense as the one in the video below.

In the clip, shot on safari in South Africa, a male leopard goes after a baby leopard cub hiding in a tree, and the cub's mother goes into instant attack mode. 

Watch the video of a mother leopard protecting its cub:

 

SEE ALSO: Here's Why Cats Love Boxes So Much

SEE ALSO: I Saw Wildebeests Escape A Lion, But The Zebra Wasn't So Lucky

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4 Meal Delivery Services That Are Cheaper Than Takeout

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room service

When you’re in a recipe rut and crunched for time, it can be a relief not to have to shop – or find some use for the odds and ends of ingredients left over from last week’s spree.

Enter the meal kit. A number of new services like Chefday, HelloFresh and Plated, among others, offer the ingredients you need for a particular recipe, pre-measured and portioned for the number of servings you request.

Some services make local deliveries, others ship, but cold packs are always included.

Meal kits fall somewhere in the middle on the bargain scale — they’re generally cheaper than enjoying the same dish at a restaurant, but pricier than if you’d hit the supermarket to buy those ingredients.

That extra cost doesn’t mean they can’t have value, though. You might be learning a new skill from the recipe, or giving a unique ingredient a try.

That can cut costs if it means you’re not buying a full bottle, box or bunch of something you might not like, or would struggle to find other recipes for.

Deals also pop up pretty frequently for such sites.

ChefDay recently offered a 40% off deal through daily deal site Gilt City, and HelloFresh users can save $20 off their first order with a referral code from a friend who already uses the service.

Plus, the more servings you buy, the lower the per-serving price.

Blue Apron 

A weekly delivery with all the ingredients to make three meals — with options for meat eaters and vegetarians, and recipe cards for preparation. Meals can be as low as $9.99 per person per serving.

Offerings in mid-June include cod with Parmesan, crusted squash and roasted red potatoes, steak with salsa rossa and broccoli rabe and chicken bahn mi with sesame cabbage salad. Delivers to part or all of 28 states and Washington, D.C.

Once you sign up for a subscription, you’ll get weekly deliveries, until you cancel.

ChefDay!

Choose from an array of recipes, including asparagus stuffed salmon, meatballs shakshuka and stir fried green bean vermicelli — all organic ingredients.

Get two portions for roughly $30, along with recipe cards and access to video tutorials. Meals can be as cheap as $12 per meal per person.

New Yorkers can order as few as two portions of one meal per order; users in other areas where the company delivers (most of the East Coast) need four portions total, in one or more meals. No subscription required.

HelloFresh

Pick the veggie box for $59, or the classic box for $69, and you’ll get three meals for two people, with recipe cards. (You can also buy portions for four or six, at an extra cost.) Some meals cost as little as $8.27 per person.

Recipes slated for mid- June include golden beef pilaf, orzo risotto with buttery shrimp, and stuffed peppers with quinoa.

Once you sign up for a subscription, you’ll get weekly deliveries, until you pause or cancel. Available for delivery in 29 states on the East Coast, as well as Washington, D.C.

Plated

Non-members pay $15 per serving for four; $14 for six or more. Members pay $10 per month, for a reduced rate of $12 per serving for four; $10 for six or more.

Past recipes on the rotating menu of local and seasonal dishes included lamb souvlaki kebabs with toasted pita and Greek salad, roasted swordfish with Meyer lemon risotto, and barbecue chicken with peanut Udon noodles and Asian slaw.

Current delivery areas range from Boston to Washington, D.C., but the company plans to expand nationally.

Frugal Foodie is a journalist based in New York City who spends her days writing about personal finance and obsessing about what she’ll have for dinner. Chat with her on Twitter through @MintFoodie.

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Peek Inside The Lavish Veuve Clicquot Estate Outside Paris

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Hotel du Marc

The exterior of the Hôtel du Marc, Maison Veuve Clicquot’s stately home in Reims, France.

When people talk about Maison Veuve Clicquot, they’re generally referring to the venerable 240-year-old French Champagne company known for its yellow-orange label.

As it turns out, the bubbly brand also boasts a literal maison all its own: L’Hôtel du Marc, a 19th-century mansard-roofed Roman-stone pile in the Champagne capital of Reims, France, just a 45-minute train ride from Paris’s Gare de l’Est.

 entry

The maison’s grand entry.

Built in 1840, the haute home survived both world wars surprisingly unscathed, but the ensuing passage of time proved to be less kind. In 2007 luxury group LVMH, which acquired the label in 1986, commissioned a four-year-long top-to-bottom redo, overseen by in-demand Paris architect and designer Bruno Moinard.

chandelier

A crystal chandelier, frescoes depicting life in Champagne, and black wood paneling conspire to create a dramatic formal dining room on the ground floor.

At once classical and contemporary, Moinard’s scheme preserves the feeling of the building as a historic family home while at the same time featuring artwork and design pieces by such present-day creative talents as Hervé Van der Straeten, Yayoi Kusama, the Campana brothers, Mathieu Lehanneur, and Pablo Reinoso.

wood

Cadre de Vie, an installation by Pablo Reinoso, dominates the second-floor landing.

But now the bad news: L’Hôtel du Marc is a hotel in name only. Visits are reserved exclusively for friends, family, and business associates of the brand. With one petite exception, that is. On June 15 and 16, as part of LVMH’s biennial heritage-celebrating event, the estate will open its doors to the public for guided tours of its grand ground-floor spaces as well as demonstrations of classic French cookery and table-service techniques. And, needless to say, there will be light canapés to nibble and flutes of Veuve Clicquot to quaff.

We’ll drink to that.

At 18 rue du Marc, Reims, France; lesjourneesparticulieres.com

wine cooler

A custom-made stainless-steel wine cooler holds rare vintages of the house’s bubbly.

More From Architectural Digest:
Explore France's Château Vaux-le-Vicomte, whose legendary designers also created the palace of Versailles
Check out AD100 architect Lee F. Mindel's personal photos of April in Paris

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12 American Bars To Drink At Before You Die

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drinking, networking, celebrationMost people have a favorite watering hole, but how many can say they've gotten drunk at the most famous bars in America?

Derek Hembree and Clint Lanier are college buddies who decided to travel around the U.S. to discover the best saloons, pubs, and dives across the country.

They published their findings in a book, Bucket List Bars.

Each bar has a story, from Al Capone's favorite speakeasy to the setting of the greatest party ever thrown.

If you're a true bar aficionado, it's worth paging through the more than 70 drinking locations mentioned in the book. We spoke with the bar-hopping duo to find out which were their absolute favorites.

Scholz Garten, Austin, TX

1607 San Jacinto Blvd.

What To Drink: Beer, any kind

Scholz Garten is one of the coolest (and oldest) beer gardens in the country. Founded by a German immigrant in 1866, you can still sit outside and listen to bands play while sipping your authentic Bavarian beer, just like when it first opened its doors.

"Most of the Texas politicians go here to drink after legislature," Lanier said. "It’s a very cultural experience."



The Green Mill, Chicago, IL

4802 N. Broadway Ave.

What To Drink: Gin Martini

"This is where Al Capone used to hang out, and they still have the booth that he would sit in. And you can sit in it, too — just get there early enough," Lanier warned.

The Green Mill also has great live jazz and a really cool atmosphere since it hasn't changed much since its days as a 1920s speakeasy.



Rosa’s Cantina, El Paso, TX

3454 Doniphan Dr.

What To Drink: A bottle of Lone Star and a shot of Cuervo

"People might get angry, but I like Rosa’s Cantina," Lanier confessed. "It has an amazing legacy to the area."

Rosa's was founded in the post-prohibition 1940s, and still remains a favorite among locals and tourists alike.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
    


A UK Department Store Says It Won't Photoshop Its Lingerie Ads Anymore

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lingerie models

Can you spot the difference?

Well, here’s the answers.

To start with, the lingerie model’s neck and arms have been slimmed down, under her eyes have been smoothed and lightened and her teeth and eyes have been whitened.

But that’s not all.

Her waist has been pulled in, her hands and underarms have been “tidied’ and her legs thinned. Stray hairs have been removed and skin-tone changed, smoothed and brightened.

To top it off, the beauty’s cleavage was also enhanced.

The images were released by Debenhams to highlight the practice of airbrushing in lingerie photography. The retailer said it was breaking ranks with other high street stores by using untouched images to encourage positive body image.

“The use of some digital photography techniques to create unrealistic body shapes and flawless skin can make men and women feel more insecure about their natural looks and size,” the company said in a statement.

“We want to help customers feel confident about their figures without bombarding them with unattainable body images,” continued Sharon Webb, the Head of Lingerie buying and design.

“As well as being a positive from a moral point of view, it ticks the economic boxes as well. Millions of pounds a year are spent by organisations retouching perfectly good images.

As a rule we only airbrush minor things like pigmentation or stray hair and rely on the natural beauty of models to make our product look great.

“The model is naturally gorgeous and doesn’t need any retouching.”

What do you think? Should all shops follow suit and stop photoshopping images?

Is this the most unrealistic picture of Beyoncé ever?

Dad photoshops supercute baby into crazy situations

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China's Plan To Build The World's Tallest Skyscraper In 90 Days Is 'Revolutionary'

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sky city, chengsha, china

Editor's note: The architecture world has been abuzz over news that a Chinese construction company plans to build the world's tallest building — and do it in just 90 days using a proprietary prefabrication technique.

Construction on the 838-meter high rise in Changsha, called Sky City One, is expected to begin this month.

After the project was announced, we reached out to Christian Sottile, the Dean of the School of Building Arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design, who gave us his take on why the project is a terrible step for architecture and urban living.

But not everyone is skeptical about Sky City One.

Stan Klemanowicz, an architect and planner in Los Angeles with Project Development Associates, reached out to tell us why the project is actually revolutionary. He has allowed us to publish his response to Mr. Sottile's critique.

From Stan Klemanowicz:

Mr. Sottile misses an important point in the design and construction of this project. It revolutionizes the process in a way hardly ever before seen in the building industry. 

One might argue the standardization of building parts and systems in modern architecture was similar but, that belies a shallow understanding. This is very different! It is a revolutionary approach.

Klemanowicz Head ShotIn Sky City One we see standardization of components and details, off-site construction of building components to the largest feasible sizes, and organized and well-synchronized fitting and assembly in the field never before seen nor attempted.

Construction can be one of the slowest industries. We still set brick one-by-one and install individual sheets of drywall in the field. Why can't they, and almost every other building component, be fabricated and assembled to the fullest offsite?

There has been prefabrication of building components for many years including fabricated housing, precast construction, and modular construction. But there has not been anything of this scale with similar time constraints attempted.

Whether this attempt is successful or not, others will try, and try again. New records for types of construction, complexity of design, and tighter time constraints will be achieved. Labor is being taken off the job site and into the shop. Projects will require a different, and likely, smaller labor force to the benefit of owners and users.

Union workers, specifically, and construction labor, in general, will suffer. There will be some real tooth and nail battles to come.

Reviewing what has been foisted on the Chinese urban landscape by "name" starchitects in the past several years, one can hardly criticize this truly indigenous project. When it is compete it will be a success beyond reproach regardless of whether the Sky City One concept truly works or not.

Stan Klemanowicz is an architect and planner who resides in the Los Angeles area. He is experienced in premier hospitality, residential, commercial, retail, and industrial development projects and specializes in project delivery, construction management, and technology.

His firm, Project Development Associates, was founded on the idea of "Creating Tomorrow's Future Today," and assists owners, construction managers, and architects in meeting the challenges of today's cost-competitive, dynamic marketplace.

He is a graduate of the City University of New York.

SEE ALSO: The 9 Tallest Skyscrapers That Are Being Built Right Now

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Here's The Official Video Reveal Of The New Mercedes S Class

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Mercedes Benz AMG

Mercedes-Benz this week started production of its sixth-generation S Class at its main plant in Sindelfingen, Germany, and in an official video showing the production line one of the cars featured just so happens to be the high-performance S63 AMG variant.

The latest S63 AMG model is yet to be revealed, officially, though clearly the cars are already in production.

This video, posted up by Czech website Auto Forum, shows the S63 AMG with its front fully revealed.

We know it is the S63 AMG by its enlarged air intakes in the front bar, AMG-spec wheels and “S63” badge on the trunk lid.

Interestingly, the styling of this model is somewhat restrained compared to some other cars we’ve seen launched by AMG recently, namely, the 2014 E63 AMG and 2014 CLA45 AMG.

As for what's under the hood, we're likely to see the base model adopt the 550-horsepower version of the twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V-8 fitted to the 2014 E63 AMG. A new S-Model with even more power may also be introduced, just as we saw with the latest E63 AMG.

A seven-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive are expected, too, and should be the standard setup for cars delivered to the U.S.

The new S63 AMG will be joining the rest of the 2014 S Class range in showrooms this fall. Shortly after launch, we should also see a new S65 AMG powered by a twin-turbo V-12.

The same V-12 rates at 621 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque in the 2013 SL65 AMG, and we would expect this to carry forward to the new S65 AMG.

See more videos on our YouTube sites: The Car ConnectionMotor Authority, and Green Car Reports.

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