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The Rise Of The Campus 'Lady Bro' Doesn't Mean More Equality For The Sexes

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3185261537_d7cc435995_oMore proof of the rise of lady raunch surfaced last week in an Atlantic piece by Princeton student Caroline Kitchener, who notes that many of her female peers seem drawn to Tiger Inn, “widely known as the frattiest and hardest-drinking” of the college’s 11 eating clubs.

Tiger Inn members like to get naked, “strum ‘penis guitars,’ ” projectile vomit competitively, and slather their dog-food eating and live-goldfish-consuming pledges in ketchup, maple syrup, and egg yolk. Last year, more women than men applied to join the Inn for the first time since the club became co-ed in 1991. 

This trend coincides with a broader one: A greater number of American college women are binge-drinking, even as alcoholism rates for men are leveling off. Kitchener’s quest to find out why led her to a conclusion that seems obvious, though maybe only after the fact: Women are sick of presenting shiny, demure surfaces to the world. They want—as Kesha would say—not to give a what.

Kitchener explains that other organizations on Princeton’s campus (cough, sororities) “continue to hold women responsible for acting 'ladylike': to wear makeup and pretty dresses, to carefully select ‘appropriate’ hookup partners, and to never drink enough to ‘get sloppy.’ ” But at TI, “it wasn’t necessary for women to act ‘all put-together.’ They could relax, which was exactly what they wanted.” As one rising senior in the club said simply: “There is no pressure [with Tiger Inn] for a girl to be a girl.”

Great news, right? I read those lines and immediately got swept up in the gender-role-toppling fervor. “You pound those Jaeger bombs, ladies!” I thought. “Swallow the goldfish!” But then the reflection-hangover set in. And I find that I’m not as heartened as I want to be by Princeton women’s success at out-broing the bros.

It’s not just that binge-drinking is dangerous and eating dog food is gross. When Kitchener reports that “the frattiness of Tiger Inn, many said, allowed them to relax, be themselves, get drunk, and not worry about who might be watching,” she paints a picture of college women who are (understandably) fed up with feeling scrutinized and pressured. On which, two points: First, apparently being a women is so linked to being watched and policed that girls believe they can only escape social pressure by acting hyper-dudely.

And second, is playing by the body-fluid-soaked rules of the boys’ club actually such a liberating experience for women? I’m not convinced. Obviously, there’s rape. (And rape and rape and rape and rape.) But also, while some ladies of Olympian stamina do exist and enjoy projectile-vomiting contests—which is fine!—others prefer their goldfish in cracker form. How do we know that the women seeking out frat culture as the one space where women can “relax” and “be themselves” aren’t just getting chained to a new set of rules? Doesn’t the law of averages state that most college students fall somewhere between chaste porcelain doll and Xtreme naked booze animal?

In college, “not giving a what” might well mean pounding back shots, dancing on the bar, going home with someone you don’t care a lot about, and meeting your friends for brunch the next morning in your sweatpants. But it might also mean hanging out in the library, playing geeky board games, or even (gasp) joining a sorority—alternatives the Atlantic story fails to take into account. What matters is doing something because you like it, not because you’ve got a point to prove.

Maybe part of the problem is that, no matter how they act, young adult women always seem to be illustrating someone’s argument. We expect fratty behavior from a subset of dudes, so in an age of growing equality it shouldn’t really surprise us to see it in a subset of girls. But tell that to a society captivated by "raunch culture" and the female college student—bewitching muse to such articles as Kate Taylor’s report on ladies’ embrace of hookup culture in the New York Times or Alex Williams’ piece for the same paper on the end of courtship. If I thought swallowing a goldfish would free me from all the examination and analysis, I might just do it. Thankfully, it won't.

SEE ALSO: Harvard Vs Yale: Which Is REALLY The Best Ivy League School?

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Here's How The Uber-Wealthy Commute Around Southern California

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surf airA California start-up is swooping in to corner the market in luxury subscription-based flying.

Like Netflix and Spotify wrote the book on pay-to-play movie and music streaming, Surf Air offers members unlimited flights in exchange for a monthly fee – albeit on a much larger scale.

For $1,650 per month (plus a $500 membership fee upfront), customers get unlimited flight access to Southern California cities like San Fransisco, Burbank, and Santa Monica.

The company, which was co-founded by entrepreneur Wade Eyerly two years ago, launched its first flight in June with a fleet of half a dozen six-passenger crafts.

Eyerly bills it as the perfect way for well-heeled commuters to skirt around the hassle of driving in traffic-heavy Southern California. A commute that used to take 2 to 6 hours would now only take one. 

Here are a few other perks that will have your tongue wagging:

Members can reserve a seat right from their smartphones as early as six weeks in advance, or right before the flight if there are empty seats. 

Security lines are out of the picture as well, since Surf Air carefully vets members and any of their guests beforehand (members are allotted guest passes, as well). Surf Air screens every member and their guests. That frees them up to arrive just 15 minutes before takeoff. 

Snacks and beverages are provided, parking at the airports is free, and Wi-Fi is available.

For much less than chartered flights or private jets, members get the privacy, convenience and luxury of flying a first-class private jet.

While Surf Air is only currently operating in Southern California, they hope to add Monterey, Palm Springs, San Diego, Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, and Napa area to their list of destinations.

Check out the interior here:

surf air interior

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13 Lessons I Learned From Buying My First New York Apartment

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apartment

After two years of on-and-off again looking at 60+ apartments, two attorneys, three brokers, and two co-op board applications, what did I learn? Here are a few takeaways I am happy to share...

  1. I wish I had gone to a “first time buyer” seminar so I could manage my expectations, understand the lending opportunities available, and really get a handle on whether I wanted a coop or a condo. (Even if you don’t want to drill down to the fine detail, it’s good to understand the lingo.)
  2. Understand what you can live with and what you can’t. For me, living in a neighborhood with real street life turned out to be priority number one. I also learned that I was willing to sacrifice a little bit of space for a lot more light.
  3. If you're looking to buy on your own, it really, really helps to have a friend come with you. They will see the defects you don’t and they will point out the possibilities you don’t see. I still marvel that my friend, Chris, showed up for nearly every appointment. And helped me move, too.
  4. Find examples of what you like in your price range and find a broker who understands that. If a broker shows you more than three places that are not to your liking, either have a come-to-Jesus meeting or get a new broker. 
  5. My advice on open houses: Unless you enjoy blood sports, I recommend trying to see things by appointment-only when possible. It was too stressful seeing the same people on the circuit, putting a face on the “competition” and being herded through the Sunday afternoon cycle. The minute I saw someone pull out a tape measure at an open house, I felt like I wanted to make an offer. 
  6. DO NOT, under any circumstances, use a friend, relative or a friend of a friend as your broker or attorney. It makes it hard to be “tough” with them when they’re not meeting expectations. It also allows them to feel like you can be on the back burner because as a friend or relative, “you’ll understand” when they’re too busy to respond. 
  7. Get a handle on what those extras really cost. I started out with $300K as the top of my range. In short time, for “only” $25K more, I could have an extra window or built-in closets. For $35K more, a renovated kitchen. By sticking to my price range and being willing to consider modest renovations, losing a closet or window, trading in a rooftop view for a street view, I ended up spending $240K for my apartment. And, when I add in another $30K for renovations, I’ll be right in the middle of my range and with an apartment pretty much to my specifications.
  8. Do not succumb to pressures to make offers beyond what you’re comfortable with—either financially or time-wise. Henri-Enrique lost me as a customer when he called at 10:30 on a Sunday night demanding I make an offer or lose the Washington Heights apartment (coincidentally, I ended up a block away!).
  9. Call the listing broker on defects you see during showings. That huge water stain or crack in the ceiling did not happen overnight. If you see issues like that, if the building looks shabby and the maintenance is high, get the reasons why. If the broker can’t (or won’t) find the answer, move on, because something’s probably shady.
  10. Understand all the deadlines and mark them on a calendar. No one was more shocked than me to have to prepare a co-op application overnight because my broker and attorney “forgot” to remind me…. After all, they both said, the date was in my contract. Yep.
  11. Have a real understanding of the commitment involved. For me, that meant knowing that I could not only afford my mortgage and current maintenance, but also having enough money left over after closing for insurance, repairs and renovations. Once you kiss your landlord goodbye, you’re on your own.
  12. The smallest, most friendly building might not be the one for you. As much as I loved the idea of getting to know all of my neighbors, I knew that major capital improvements to a small co-op meant few people to shoulder and share the costs of any improvements and special assessments. In the end, I opted for a larger, less charming building that had already done the major projects and that had 120 shareholders to shoulder future costs. 
  13. As soon as you are in serious looking mode, get the financial pre-commitment letter and if you are considering a co-op, start building your package. I did this by organizing folders for financial documents (more complicated for me as a freelancer with boatloads of documentation) and alerting potential references—even drafting letters for them.
  14. There’s lots of advice out there for succeeding in the coop board interview--stay upbeat, appear animated, be yourself, etc. I never worried about it because as a journalist, I was used to getting along with New Yorkers from all walks of life. And, even after 60+ apartments, I was still optimistic about finding my home. And, that showed. 

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10 Foodie Adventures You Need To Take This Lifetime

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soup dumplingsSome people travel for adventure. Others hit the road for romance, work, or just to escape the grind of everyday life. More and more, however, travelers are planning their trips around food.

Culinary tourism is one of the best ways to dig in and experience a foreign culture. From learning to cook dumplings in Shanghai, to tapas tours of Madrid, focusing on food allows travelers to connect with locals, try new flavors and expand their cooking repertoire.

Here are 10 foodie-centric tours from around the world that are sure to tantalize your taste-buds:

1. Flee The Resort In Mexico

Mexico is a tourist mecca, but the food in most resorts, such as in Cancun or Cozumel, is far from the fresh local cuisine foodies know and love. So, be adventurous and leave the confines of your all-inclusive resort for a food tour of San Miguel.

Sip horchatas while nibbling on ceviche tostadas (made from fish straight off the boat) and other Yucatan delicacies. Gobble up mole enchiladas, fresh coconut, crispy tacos, savory soups, regional sweets, and more while you try out your Spanish skills on local artisans.



2. Hit The Street In Vancouver

Sure, Vancouver has a thriving restaurant scene that is not to be missed. But some of the city’s most exciting and innovative cuisine is located right on its streets. Hop from small carts to food trucks on a tour of Vancouver’s street food.  

We’re talking Berkshire pork hot dogs at Japadog, a Japanese fusion hot dog cart, and butter chicken naan kebabs from the Top Chef approved Soho Road Naan Keba cart. Move on to a hot smoked wild salmon sandwich from Kaboombox, possibly the world’s only salmon-smoking food truck,  and then switch gears and head over to visit the Roaming Dragon, British Columbia's first mobile gourmet food truck, and sample their acclaimed rice balls.



3. Goa Cooking Course

Goa is known for its gorgeous beaches and wild parties, but it’s also a haven for foodies. The cuisine combines Indian food with Portuguese influences (they had a settlement here in the Colonial period). Get acquainted with the area’s history and learn some new skills with a 3-day cooking course at the boutique Siolim House hotel, a palacio built in 1675 during the Portuguese occupation.

From tradition Hindu vegetarian cuisine (try their staple kokum fruit), to fresh fish curries and Catholic dishes like arroz doce and their world famous vindaloo (did you know the name comes from the Portuguese?), you’ll be immersed in the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Indian delicacies.



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NAME THAT PRICE: What Did These Items Sell For At Auction?

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It can be hard to guess how much a work of art or historical artifact will sell for at auction. An item that looks ordinary to the uninformed eye could be worth millions of dollars to the discerning billionaire.

Think you're a good judge of how much things cost (or should cost)? Try and guess what the following nine items sold for at recent auctions around the world.

To learn more about the answers to this quiz, click here.

SEE ALSO: This Quiz Will Make You Realize How Bonkers The Contemporary Art Market Is

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Houston Restaurant Decides To Ban Children At Dinner

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La Fisheria in HoutonLa Fisheria in Houston announced yesterday that children younger than 8 were no longer welcome at the Mexican restaurant after 7 p.m. 

The announcement was made via the restaurant's Facebook page.

KHOU in Houston reported the new policy was decided on over the weekend.  

Aquiles Chavez, a Mexican reality television star and executive chef at La Fisheria, told KHOU the decision was a "tough" one.

“We find children that are crying, some kids running under tables, and our customers don’t like,” Chavez said. “Seven o’clock is not a time for children, especially when we serve drinks and wine.”

He said a lot of customer feedback has been positive and the majority of the Facebook comments support that.

La Fisheria Facebook Comment 1

La Fisheria Facebook screen capture

La Fisheria Facebook screen capture

La Fisheria Facebook screen capture

SEE ALSO: The Stomach-Turning Process Of How Hot Dogs Are Made

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A Brief History Of Clowns, And Why They're So Darn Scary

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sad clown

Does anyone really like clowns? 

Though Coulrophobia— or an extreme fear of clowns — is highly-disputed in the academic realm, many people would admit that clowns totally freak them out.

With National Clown Week this week, Smithsonian writer Linda Rodriguez McRobbie wrote a fantastic piece on "The History and Psychology of Clowns Being Scary."

Turns out, clowns have long been associated with a dark and disturbing history — murder, financial ruin, infidelity, and pedophilia have all stained the clowning profession.

The entire piece is worth reading, but here are the nine historical events that have contributed the most to a negative perception of clowns.

The earliest documented clowns date all the way back to 2400 BCE in ancient Egypt. Clowns appeared in ancient Greek and Roman societies, eventually evolving into court jesters in the late Middle Ages. These professionals would openly mock sex, food, drink, and the monarchy, all the while behaving maniacally for a laugh.

Source: Smithsonian Magazine



London entertainer Joseph Grimaldi was said to have invented the modern clown in the early 1800s. Grimaldi performed physical comedy while wearing white face paint with red patches on his cheeks and bizarre colorful costumes. He was known for being extremely depressed outside his routine: His first wife died during childbirth, his father was tyrannical, and his son became an alcoholic clown who drank himself to death at age 31.

Source: Smithsonian Magazine



Around the same time in France, everyone was laughing at Jean-Gaspard Deburau's Pierrot, a clown character with a white face, black eyebrows and red lips — one of the first professional silent mimes. He was universally beloved in France, but in 1836 Deburau killed a boy with a blow from his cane after the boy taunted him. Though he was ultimately acquitted, the image of a killer clown stuck in the public conscious.

Source: Smithsonian Magazine



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Two Cronut-Related Charts That Will Restore Your Faith In Humanity

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Cronuts — the Dominique Ansel bakery's signature fusion of a croissant and a donut— has taken New York City's food world by storm.

People do crazy things for them, like wait in line for hours, pay $5,000 for a box, or make copyright infringement-avoiding knockoffs called "doissants."

It's enough to make you feel kinda bad about the world and the society that would create such a phenomenon, but there's a silver lining.

According to a new research from YouGov, most Americans are not as insane as you might think — almost 68% have never even heard of the "cronut."

Cronut Chart

It gets even better. Despite reports of people spending more than two hours in line to get cronuts, most Americans would rather not. In fact, less than half of the 1,000 Americans polled — just 48% — would buy the Cronut if they had a chance. A tiny 2% would be willing to wait more than 1 hour.

Cronut Chart

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Hyperrealistic Photographer Makes Animals Appear Magical

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Untitled #175, 2013 (Orangutan)

In 2005, Simen Johan began his mystical photograph and sculpture series "Until the Kingdom Comes," which depicts a natural world that is simultaneously familiar and otherworldly.

To convey that contradictory effect, Johan creates intricate digital constructs using photographs of animals he has taken all over the world, and re-situating them in new environments constructed from other photos.

His newest works will be displayed at Yossi Milo Gallery in New York City from October 24 to December 7, 2013, and they continue his mindbending theme of blurring boundaries between opposing forces such as the natural and the artificial, the beautiful and the eerie, the known and the unknown.

Untitled #172, 2013 (Giraffe)

Johan says the title "Until the Kingdom Comes" “refers less to religious or natural kingdoms and more to the human fantasy that one day, in some way, life will come to a blissful resolution ... In a reality where understanding is not finite and in all probability never will be, I depict ‘living’ as an emotion-fueled experience, engulfed in uncertainty, desire and illusion.”

Johan seems to addressing the sometimes surreal tensions embedded in the human condition — self-awareness characterized by craving for permanence within a sea of change.

Sometimes we act like the orangutan sitting in the tropical landscape of Bali, contemplating why such a lush environment is littered with trash.

Other times we keep our minds in the clouds, paying no mind to the mud we're standing in.

But we can also choose to simply blend in to the best of our abilities, akin to Javan peacocks camouflaged within a Spanish pepper tree.

Untitled #178, 2013 (Peacock)

You can check out more of his photos here >

SEE ALSO: There's A New Generation Of Young People Hopping America's Trains [PHOTOS]

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Scientists Tried To Invent A Computer That Tells Jokes. What Happened Next Wasn't Very Funny

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creepy computer animated guy

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh thought they had a brilliant idea. Could they turn a computer into a witty comic?

They wrote a software program that mimics the most basic form of humor, the one-liner, reports the Telegraph's Richard Gray.

The software program taught the computer how to create one-liners by pairing a statement with a surprising follow-up comment.

They were hoping for a silicon Steven Wright with jokes like: "All those who believe in psychokinesis raise my hand.

Or even an old-school comic like Tommy Cooper: "She’s always smiling. She’s the only girl I know whose teeth are sunburned."

Instead they invented a sexist pig who spewed out jokes like this: "I like my women like I like my gas ... natural."

And this ...  "I like my men like I like my court … superior."

And this  ... "I like my women like I like my camera ... ready to flash."

One of the scientists, David Matthews, said volunteers laughed when they heard the PC's un-PC jokes, but not as much as they laughed at man-made jokes.  He concluded that in order to really develop a computer's sense of humor, the software would need to develop cultural awareness.

Steven Wright maybe has some advice for that: "Support bacteria - they're the only culture some people have."

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Escape Artist Drops Out Of A Plane At 14,000 Feet Locked Inside A Coffin, And Survives

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skydive locked boxSERENA, Ill. (AP) — A Wisconsin daredevil freed himself from shackles and a locked casket while plummeting to the earth at 130 miles per hour on Tuesday, eventually parachuting gently into a northern Illinois field.

Anthony Martin, 47, waved to the cameras and the crowd that turned out to watch his stunt after he landed at a farm in Serena, Ill., about 70 miles southwest of Chicago.

Martin said the escape was exhilarating but that he was disoriented because the plywood casket whipped wildly from side-to-side while he picked the locks, and he struggled to open the door.

"I didn't feel any force, but what I felt was a lot of jostling," he told The Associated Press. "It seemed to me like I had a glimpse of the ground for a second then it (the door) came back and I had to give it another push."

Martin, who began teaching himself to pick locks at age 6, somersaulted out of the box as he pushed his way to freedom.

"I didn't know where I was ... but I was hypnotized as I watched the box falling behind me," he said.

The mood on the plane was somber as it ascended to 14,000 feet. All the skydivers involved in the stunt carefully checked the others' equipment before Martin climbed into the box and was handcuffed to a belt around his waist and chained to the inside of the casket. A prison door lock for which no key exists was screwed into place to hold the door tight as two of the skydivers checked for sight of the proposed landing area from the open door of the plane, a Short SC.7 Skyvan.

When everyone was ready, a drogue attached to the top of the box was tossed from the door, sucking the casket from the aircraft. A drogue is a small parachute similar to those used to slow drag-racing cars and fighter jets. Two skydivers also held on to handles to further steady the casket as others shot video and stills of the escape-or-die jump.

The box rocked from side to side until around 6,500 feet when the Sheboygan, Wis., man emerged and tracked away from the casket before deploying his parachute.

"It was one of the greatest feelings ever knowing that one of your best friends has again escaped death," said Rook Nelson, a national champion skydiver and owner of Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, Ill. He coached Martin in the weeks leading up to the jump.

Everyone involved in the stunt landed safely and no one was seriously hurt, although one of the skydivers trying to steady the box slammed into the door of the plane as they exited, giving him a fat lip and a scraped arm.

Martin performed the same stunt once before, in August 1988 on just his 17th skydive. He decided he wanted to learn to skydive specifically so he could escape from a casket in freefall. He has chronicled his more than four-decade career as an escape artist in a book released this month, "Escape or Die."

Knocking back reporters' questions about where he ranks himself alongside the escape greats, including Harry Houdini, Martin pondered the question, 'What next?'

"This escape will be hard to follow," he said.

___

Andrea Thomas, who is an experienced skydiver, was among the six people who jumped with Martin.

___

Online:

Anthony Martin: www.anthony-escapes.com

Copyright (2013) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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French Woman Posts Ad Offering To Breast-Feed Babies Of Gay Couples For $130/Day

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mother breastfeeding baby

PARIS (Reuters) - A woman has posted an offer on a French website to breast-feed babies of homosexual male couples for 100 euros ($130) a day, stirring up media interest just weeks after a divisive same-sex marriage law was passed.

The post, which the website said it verified as genuine and legal, reads: "I am a young mother in perfect health, a trained nurse of 29, and I am renting my breasts to milk-feed infants."

The offer, addressed to male homosexual couples who can marry legally in France since May, promises up to 10 breast-feeds a day. The woman is mobile and based near Paris, it says.

Alexandre Woog, chief executive of the e-loue website where the offer appeared, said its staff had contacted the person and had no doubt about her identity and the seriousness of the proposal, nor the legality of the service proposed.

"Our legal advisers are sure of this. It's illegal in France to sell maternal milk but this is a person proposing a service, not selling the milk in flasks," Woog told Reuters.

While France has just joined more than a dozen countries to legalize marriage and adoption of children by same-sex couples, it does not permit surrogacy or assisted reproduction for gay and lesbian couples.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm the authenticity of the French breast-feed offer or the identity of the person behind it, who said in response to queries via the website that many people had replied to the proposal.

"I've received more than a dozen requests, but only half of them were serious. The rest were from perverts," the poster of the offer, run like all adverts under a pseudonym, said in an exchange with Reuters.

Woog said his website, created in 2009 as a platform where users can offer or hire anything legal online, checks any posts that raise eyebrows.

The breast-feeding offer was the second major eyecatcher since the website was founded, he said. Another user previously offered to rent out two goats as lawn-cutters.

(Reporting by Brian Love; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)

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2 Reasons To Live In Chicago Instead Of New York City

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chicago

I had this question from my AMA awhile back about my experiences now in Chicago compared to my previous time in New York, and I figured I'd expound on my response in a separate post.

Here's my answer in two parts: money and lifestyle.

1. Money

"A salary of $70,000 in Chicago, Illinois should increase to $112,493 in New York, New York." (source)

When I talked to my New York friends about this benefit of living in Chicago, I always heard the opposing argument that many material things cost the same no matter where you live.

While I agree with this, the fact of the matter is, when you're young and living in a city, the majority of your expenses come from things like rent and food, not fixed-cost items like cars and watches. And as you guys know, both food and rent are absurdly expensive in NYC.

Also, a life of financial stability is important for me (ironic, right? since I'm a trader), and there was no way I could get any savings for my future while working for a BB, without relying on bonus. I understand that bonuses are high in our industry and I'm thankful for that, but it just feels lot better to be able to say: "I can save for the important things in life like car, marriage, house, etc. with just my salary, and any bonus is a luxury."

For those who are wondering, I live in a 900 sq ft one bedroom on my own in a high rise building in one of the nicest neighborhoods in Chicago with incredible convenience to public transportation, groceries, gym, etc. and it costs me ~$1600/month. Honestly, I was too spoiled when I moved from NYC and I'm considering moving somewhere cheaper/smaller because the place is "too" nice and I think I can be more responsible with my income.

2. Lifestyle

My hours now are actually a little bit worse than they were in NYC since markets start earlier here because of Central Time. But no matter how you look at it, I definitely had/have enough time for a work-life balance in both NYC and Chicago. But in New York, even though I had all that free time on weekday evenings and weekends, it was very difficult for me to do anything productive/fun outside of work.

Why? Maybe it was the fact that every social interaction was so damned expensive and I was living almost paycheck by paycheck (see above), especially at the beginning. Or maybe it was just the New York mentality of stress + busyness + work is #1 that weighed down on me and paralyzed me from actually doing anything outside of work. Either way, this has changed drastically in Chicago.

I'm naturally pretty introverted, but in Chicago I still find the motivation and energy to go out and do things I'm genuinely interested in. I'm about to pick up an instrument again that I haven't touched in over 5 years. I spend a lot of time decorating my apartment to make it feel homey. I go to the gym more consistently. I cook more. All of these things (and much more) are easier in a city where the culture clearly favors a work-life balance more than that of NYC.

One way you can see this culture in Chicago is by looking at our downtown, The Loop, where most businesses are. This place is basically empty in the evenings and on the weekends because Chicagoans leave their work at work and don't constantly stress about the "next best thing" in their careers. I found that this was a much better fit for me, and while not all New Yorkers would fit in this mentality, I certainly know many who dislike NYC who would love it here.

New York is still a great place

Don't get me wrong though; I'm not saying that Chicago is amazing and better than New York in every way.

The biggest reason I hear about why NYC is better than Chicago is something we all already know. New York is New York. There's something about the city that attracts a really diverse and talented group of individuals to be in a city that's the center of the world. Yes, you pay (literally and figuratively) to enjoy this unique culture, but it's not for everyone. That said, I think there are a lot of people who are indeed a great fit for NYC. But I also think that too many people go to NYC without really thinking through their decision and whether or not it's a good city for them.

I doubled my income by moving to Chicago. Chicagoans are chill and so is the life here and maybe that'll fit your personality better. New York is still the capital of the world.

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Amazon Is Now Selling Fine Art

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willie gillis norman rockwell

Amazon unveiled yet another business line Tuesday as it works to expand its appeal: Art.

The 19-year online retail juggernaut, which began as a bookseller but now does everything from groceries to patio furniture, launched "Amazon Art" to market works from galleries in Miami, San Francisco, New York and other US cities.

The site showcases more than 40,000 works from over 150 galleries and dealers that run the gamut as far as subject, genre and period are concerned.

Works range from modest canvasses like a $44 cat portrait to Norman Rockwell's "Willie Gillis: Package from Home," which retails for $4.85 million.

"From gallery walls to your walls," boasts the site, which enables users to quickly click through works by period and genre.

"Amazon Art gives galleries a way to bring their passion and expertise about the artists they represent to our millions of customers," said Peter Faricy, vice president for the Amazon Marketplace.

Consumers can navigate the site through medium (drawings, photographs, prints); subject (abstract, nautical, "the body") and style (Realism, Impressionism, 19th-century), as well as by size, frame and color.

There are currently 503 works for under $99 and 2,517 works at $10,000 or more. The vast majority of offerings fall between those price extremes.

The art venture is Amazon's latest effort to expand into new business areas, a strategy that has of late yielded more impressive growth in revenues than in profits.

In the most recent quarter, Amazon's revenues jumped 22 percent to $15.7 billion, but the company reported a $7 million loss, down from a $7 million profit in the year-ago period. Analysts have varying opinions on the company strategy, which emphasizes growth first in the belief that profits will follow later.

Separately, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos shook up the newspaper business Monday by announcing a $250 million purchase of the Washington Post and other publishing assets from the Washington Post Company. Amazon was not a party to the deal.

Amazon shares were off 0.4 percent in late-morning trade.

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This No-Makeup Photo Shows How Much Jennifer Aniston Has Been Photoshopped In Ads

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Even the most naturally beautiful actresses undergo epic amounts of Photoshopping for ad campaigns.

When hairstylist Chris McMillan posted a photo of actress (and close friend) Jennifer Aniston sans makeup on Instagram, Jezebel quickly noticed how much the actress has been digitally altered, even in "natural" photoshoots.

The Instagram:

jennifer aniston no makeup Instagram

The Aveeno Ad:

jennifer aniston aveeno


Which is nothing compared to how she looked in a 2011 Allure cover shoot — in an issue that claims to reveal "the truth about natural skin care":

allure jennifer aniston

Note that the real Aniston, 44, has cute wrinkles, but the Aniston you see in ads and on magazine covers is wrinkle-free.

This isn't the worst Photoshop offense out there — Christy Turlington is essentially unrecognizable in her new Calvin Klein ads— but it does provide an interesting contrast.

Aniston looks incredible make up-free and while Aveeno's commercials claim to have "naturally beautiful results," it's still different from the actual, natural thing.

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Grace Kelly's Royal Grandson Will Marry A Colombian Heiress Later This Month

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Andrea Casiraghi (L) and his girlfriend Tatiana Santodomingo

It's a fashion royalty-meets-real royalty fairytale: Monaco's Andrea Casirgahi is marrying Colombian heiress and fashion designer Tatiana Santo Domingo on August 31, according to People Magazine.

29-year-old Andrea, grandson of the late actress Grace Kelly, is second in line to the Monegasque throne after his uncle Prince Albert II. His 29-year-old bride-to-be Tatiana is a descendant of the wealthy Colombian Santo Domingo family.

According to a spokesperson for Monaco's Pink Palace, the wedding will be a private affair, but it's also bound to be ritzy. New York Magazine points out that in 2008, Tatiana's relative Andrés married Lauren Santo Domingo and Vogue deemed it "the wedding of the year."

The couple have dated for seven years and have a son, Sacha, who was born back in March.

They were introduced by Andrea's royal sister Charlotte, herself a fashion icon and third in line to the Monaco throne. She is a good friend of Tatiana, and the two were schoolmates at Paris's elite boarding school Lycée Fontainebleau as children, according to People.

Andrea and Tatiana are frequently seen out together at social events in Monaco, including the Rose Ball, Red Cross Ball, and Monaco Grand Prix. She was also his date to Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock's wedding in 2011.

SEE ALSO: 17 Royal Heirs And Heiresses Who Will Someday Rule The World

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Sex With An Ex Might Be A Good Idea

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Couple

Sleeping with an ex doesn't have to end in disaster.

The Daily Mail dug up research from the University Arizona, which found that having sex with a former partner may actually be good for recently separated adults who were still not over their relationship.

First appearing in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology in May 2012, the study looked at 137 men and women who reported recent marital separations.

In general, people who were still attached to their ex were less psychologically adjusted than those who had accepted the split.

A post-marriage bedroom jaunt among people who still longed for ex-lover resulted in "significantly better adjustment" compared to those who were not having sex with their ex, according to the study.

Does that mean we should all jump back into bed with a former flame?

Lead author Ashley Mason provides one note of caution. She told YouBeauty: "I would not suggest that people run out and start having sex with their ex-partners. Continuing to sleep with an ex could be preventing one from starting a new relationship that might be beneficial."

SEE ALSO: The Sexiest Scientists Alive!

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The World's First Twitter-Themed Hotel Just Opened In Spain

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Sol Wave twitter hotel in Spain

A new beach hotel in Majorca is encouraging guests to interact with staff and each other using Twitter as part of a virtual hotel community.

Guests at the Sol Wave House Hotel in Magaluf can channel their love of social media and network with other guests without ever having to leave their room.

Visitors can log onto their personal Twitter accounts using the hotel’s wifi connection and chat, share photos or even flirt with other guests using the hashtag #SocialWave.

The @SolWaveHouse Twitter page also allows them to keep tabs on any new visitors who have checked in, in case there is someone they would like to connect with.

Guests staying at the #TwitterPartySuites, which sleep up to four people, get the exclusive service of the hotel’s Twitter Concierges as well as a free drink per person at the #TwitterParty which takes place every Friday around the hotel’s pool.

Guests can contact the Twitter Concierges to have their fridge restocked, order room service or any other requests using hashtags.

Other extras for Twitter Party Suite guests include a bottle of cava, a 20 per cent discount at the bars and restaurants within the Wave House, VIP sunbeds and a mini bar that can be customised to your liking for an additional fee.

The hotel hopes the new #SocialWave community will help visitors “meet people, make friends and have fun”.

"Our main clients are young and social people, who are always looking for new experiences to share with a growing virtual community,” said a Twitter Concierge. “With #SocialWave we wanted to meet this aspiration."

Technophobes will be pleased to hear the hotel also encourages face to face interaction however, with facilities for guests that include five golf courses and two ‘Flowboarding’ machines that allow you to surf on waves pumped from a machine.

Guests can also mingle at the hotel’s 2,500 sq m terrace and outdoor swimming pools overlooking the Mediterranean, as well as at the hotel’s bars, lounges and concert areas.

SEE ALSO: The 10 Most Secluded Hotels Around The World

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Taco Bell Gave Us An Early Taste Of Its New Doritos Locos Taco, And We Think We've Figured Out The Mystery Flavor

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This week, Taco Bell sent us its newest Doritos Locos Tacos to try, but refused to tell us what the mystery flavor is.

So, using our expert knowledge of Doritos, we tried to guess which chip the new taco shells are made out of, and then ranked the latest version against the current line of Doritos Locos Tacos.

Take a first look at the newest Doritos Locos Taco from Taco Bell below:

 

Produced by William Wei

SEE ALSO: We Ate Balut — The Absolute Strangest Food You Can Find In New York City

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Teens Are Jumping Into Ball Bins At Walmart And Posting The Results On Vine

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