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Here's Why Thrillist Isn't Just For Drunken 20-Somethings Anymore

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Click for sound.

 

During the early days of Thrillist, the team had a very specific idea of their target audience.

Founder Ben Lerer recalled at our Ignition conference that they were writing for a particular guy: "He was like me, when I was 26, and had just had 38 beers, and fallen asleep on my floor."

Watch below Lerer explain how the Thrillist audience has changed and evolved since the time the startup launched.

Produced by Kamelia Angelova, Alana Kakoyiannis and Justin Gmoser

SEE ALSO: Dry Cleaner Debunks One Of 'The Greatest Myths'

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The 40 Most Outrageous Works We Saw At Art Basel Miami Beach

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Art Basel 2013

This year's Art Basel Miami Beach featured 258 leading international galleries from across 31 countries and attracted an attendance of 75,000 people over the five show days — a 7% increase over last year.

So what's all the fuss about?

Besides the famous works of art, emerging talent, and celebrity parties, the art fair also features some pretty wacky pieces.

We scoured the convention center and satellite fairs to find some of the most outrageous works. 

As I entered the fair, I was greeted by Deborah Sengl's "Little Darling" made of fur and wax.



The street artist known as "Desire Obtain Cherish" showcased a meta acrylic piece titled "It's Not Art Till The Check Clears."



The same artist created these "Intensive Care Units" made of 18k and nickel plated metal encased in plexiglass. Look closely to see the designer names.



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If The NYC Subway Makes You Late For Work, The MTA Will Write You A Pass

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New York subway delayThe New York Times has uncovered some extremely helpful information for everyone who has ever been stuck on the L train in New York City — if a subway delay makes you late for work, the MTA will write you a late pass.

It's called a "Subway Delay Verification," and it's been available online since June 2010. Passengers provide information like their subway line, and the times and locations of their entries and exits within the past 90 days.

Of course, like many things the MTA does these days, it's not very fast. You could wait hours or maybe even days before the transit authority finally sends out its equivalent of a doctor's note. And the passes themselves can be a bit cryptic. Writes The Times' Matt Flegenheimer:

“There was a disruption in service, specifically signal trouble, sick customer, brakes in emergency and track circuit failure, which caused massive service delays, reroutes and/or trains to be discharged on the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, A, B, C, D, F, J, L, M, N, Q and R lines,” one recent response read, in part. “As a result, any one delay lasted up to 82 minutes.”

Of course, smaller delays where a train is roughly five minutes late will not be recorded, even if that causes you to miss your transfer.  So New Yorkers should still plan ahead as we move into winter and train delays become more common.

SEE ALSO: 17 Simple And Cheap Ways To Make NYC's Subways A Lot Better

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These Are The 10 Healthiest States In The US

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cartwheel fun exercise desert

This year's top ten healthiest states were just announced. 

America's Health Rankings is an annual report that analyzes the nation's health and ranks the states from healthiest to unhealthiest. The report is the result of the collaboration of the United Health Foundation, American Public Health Association, and Partnership for Prevention.

You can also check out the 10 unhealthiest states >

But how does a state make it into the top 10? There are four main categories that America's Health Rankings analyzes to determine the healthiest states: the behavior and everyday activities of people living in each state, the community and environment that people are living in in each state, state health policies, and clinical care. This includes data on things like smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, binge drinking, high school graduation rates, and children in poverty.

Below you can see the healthiest states in the U.S. and some of the reasons they made the top of the list. Did your state crack the top 10?

10. New Jersey

Air quality has improved in the state. In the past 10 years the rate of cardiovascular deaths has decreased by 1/3.

9. North Dakota

More kids graduated from high school in North Dakota this year and there is more public health funding available per person in the state.

8. Colorado

You can find some of the best air quality in Colorado and some of the lowest obesity and diabetes rates. Colorado stole the number eight spot from North Dakota this year.

7. Connecticut

Connecticut held on to its same rank as last year. More people in the state are active and more people have health insurance.

6. Utah

People in Utah smoke and binge drink less than in other states, but the state does experience a high rate of drug-related deaths.

5. New Hampshire

This state held onto the same rank as last year. Smoking and cardiovascular deaths have decreased over the past few years.

4. Massachusetts

Massachusetts has one of the lowest obesity rates in the nation: 23% of the adult population. Increasingly more kids are graduating from high school.

3. Minnesota

People in Minnesota were more physically active this year and the prevalence of diabetes in the state is one of the lowest in the nation. The rate of cardiovascular deaths has decreased by 40% over the past 10 years.

2. Vermont

Smoking and heart disease deaths have decreased in Vermont. Interestingly the amount of binge drinking and children in poverty increased, but the state is still holding on to the number two spot.

1. Hawaii

How did Hawaii top the list as the healthiest state? There was a big decrease in the number of people who smoke and the amount of violent crime. The state has a long history of being part of the top ten: the lowest Hawaii has slipped is to the number six spot since the report began in 1990.

Below are the states that improved the most from 2012. The column on the far right shows how many spots they jumped.

most improved healthy states

SEE ALSO: These Are The 10 Unhealthiest States In The US

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This Map Shows How Many Countries Contribute To A Single Jar Of Nutella

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Nutella has a huge global fanbase, but it turns out its ingredients come from everywhere as well. 

The hazelnut spread is such a global product, in fact, that the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development used it as a case study in their most recent report on global value chains

250,000 tons of Nutella are sold in 75 countries each year. Though Ferrero International SA, the company that produces the spread, is based in Italy, they have nine global factories: five in Europe, one in Russia, one in North America, two in South America, and one in Australia. 

What's most amazing about the OECD report is just how many countries are suppliers of Nutella ingredients. The hazelnuts come from Turkey, cocoa from Nigeria, palm oil from Malaysia, sugar mainly from Brazil (but also from Europe) and the vanilla flavor from China.

Here's a map that shows Nutella's global presence. We first saw this map on Quartz. 

Nutella map

SEE ALSO: Here Are The New Food Trends We'll See On Restaurant Menus In 2014

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Here's What Happened When We Dry-Cleaned A GoPro

A New Kind Of Cycling Studio Is Coming To New York City

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CYC Studio 1Cyc Fitness' mega-hyped cycling method finally has a home in New York City. After opening boutique studios in Austin, Texas and Madison, Wis., Cyc exclusively told Business Insider it will open its next spot in January at DavidBartonGym, occupying an entire floor of its Astor Place location. 

"We found incredible riders in Austin and Madison, and we saw the demand for harder workouts than just spinning," Alex Blodgett, founding partner of Cyc, said to Business Insider. "New Yorkers don't have a lot of time, but they want a full body workout."

Designed by Under Armour-sponsored athlete Keoni Hudoba — who is now Cyc's creative director — the 45-minute indoor cycling sessions include weight training inspired by more than 20 different sports, such as boxing, volleyball, and swimming. Classes range from $20-$25 and are sold in packages of five, 10, or 20. There are no monthly subscriptions, but the more classes you buy, the cheaper each individual class becomes. 

CYC Studio 5"We know young professionals in New York pay for a lot things like rent, so we have to come in competitively with that," Stephen Nitkin, founder and CEO of Cyc, told us. "Our strategy is to create a socially active lifestyle so people will go ride bikes with their friends and not just go to the bars with them."

Along with its fitness center launch, Cyc will release "Cyc Social," an online social networking platform similar to Facebook that will allow riders to connect with friends, see where people in their network are sitting, and book a bike nearby, as well as receive notifications when friends sign up for classes. 

Because of the way it's designed, Cyc is a social experience that's good for all types of wheeling and dealingBlodgett said Cyc has even talked to local businesses about using the cycling studio as an alternative to a restaurant for a business meeting.

"Your ride with your client doesn't have to end there," Nitkin said, "Because we're open inside a gym, there's all these high-end amenities that you have access to afterward, like a steam or sauna."

Cyc riders in NYC will have free access to DavidBartonGym’s facilities before and after classes, and DavidBartonGym members also get discounted cycling sessions.

Though time will tell if Cyc can become as popular as famous spinning brands SoulCycle or Flywheel, keep an eye on this new company as it continues to close the market gap between boutique studios and elite gyms.

SEE ALSO: The Best Hotel Gyms In America

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Four Michelin-Starred Restaurants In New York City Have The Dreaded 'C' Health Rating

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dovetail nyc restaurant

Michelin-starred restaurants are the ultimate benchmark for fine dining, but that doesn't guarantee the restaurant is clean.

Out of the 55 New York restaurants that earned one Michelin star this year, five of them received a B rating from New York City's health inspectors, and four restaurants were assigned a shockingly low C grade, according to Vocativ.

Four other Michelin-starred restaurants' grades are still "pending," which means that they received a bad grade the first time around and have a second chance to literally clean up their act and receive a higher score.

To put this in perspective, restaurants need to have racked up over 28 or more violation points to get a grade as low as a C. Those with a B rating have 14 to 27 violation points, and As typically have between 0 and 13 health code violation points.

A "violation point" is not the same thing as a violation. A public heath hazard (like not keeping food at the right temperature) will land a restaurant a minimum of seven points. A critical violation (like serving unwashed raw food) carries a minimum of five points, and general violations can be small things like not properly sanitizing cooking utensils, and receive at least two points. (You can check out the full grading breakdown here.)

Here are the four Michelin-starred restaurants with a C grade:

Torishin, 44 violation points

Health inspection: Seven critical violations, including evidence of mice, live roaches, and food contact surfaces that were not properly washed and sanitized after use.

Torishin health inspection ratingDovetail, 35 violation points

Health inspection: Four critical violations, including contaminated food, and improperly washed/sanitized food contact surfaces.

Dovetail health inspection ratingALDEA, 30 violation points

Health inspection: Four critical violations, including cold food items stored above 41º F.

Aldea health inspection ratingSushi Azabu, 30 violation points

Health inspection: Four critical violations, including evidence of rats, and food workers touching the food with their bare hands (without it receiving "additional heat treatment").

Sushi Azabu health inspection rating

And these are the four Michelin-starred restaurants with 'Grade Pending':

Danji, 27 violation points

Health Inspection: Three critical violations, including evidence of mice, or live mice present in the food/non-food areas.

danji health inspection ratingHakkasan, 27 violation points

Health Inspection: Three critical violations, including contaminated food, and "filth flies" present in the food/non-food areas.

Hakkasan health inspection ratingJunoon, 27 violation points

Health Inspection: Three critical violations, including evidence of mice and inadequate person cleanliness by staff.

Junoon health inspection ratingWallsé Restaurant, 27 violation points

Health Inspection: One critical violation where staff stored cold food above 41º F, and plumbing not properly installed or maintained.

Wallsé health inspection ratingAnd the five Michelin-starred restaurants with a B rating:

Blanca, 26 violation points

Health Inspection: Four critical violations, including evidence of live mice, unprotected food, and improperly sanitized equipment.

Blanca health inspection ratingLan Sheng, 25 violation points

Health Inspection: Three critical violations, including hot food items not held above 140º F, and cold food items held above 41º F.

Lan Sheng health inspection ratingA Voce Columbus, 24 violation points

Health Inspection: Three critical violations, including contemned food and "filth flies" in the food/non-food areas.

A Voce health inspection ratingPublic Restaurant, 20 violation points

Health Inspection: Three critical violations, including cold food items stored above 41º F, and filth flies in the food/non-food areas.

Public Restaurant health inspection ratingCafé China, 15 violation points

Health Inspection: Two critical violations, including filth flies in the food/non-food areas, and food not protected from potential sources of contamination.

Café China health inspection rating

SEE ALSO: The Best New York City Restaurant For Every Type Of Cuisine

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11 Ridiculous Gifts For The Millionaire Who Has Everything

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Even those who want for nothing have holiday wish lists.

If the millionaire in your life appears to have it all, look no further. We rounded up the 11 gifts that give new meaning to the word "frivolous."

These extravagant indulgences, ranked from lowest to highest price, range from surrealist family portraits to a $1.8 million bling ring.

Commission a surrealist family portrait.

Every one of Alexandra Diez de Rivera's family portraits tells a unique story. She creates surrealist scenarios for clients, such as a Mad Hatter's tea party, a food fight in the bedroom, or parents trapped in their children's imaginary racetrack.

Price: £2,500 (~$4,069 U.S.) for a 60cm x 40cm photograph



Make morning exercise far less routine.

The Ciclotte is a modern spin on the exercise bicycle that will ensure it never gets relegated to the basement. The large wheel is a nod to the unicycles of the late 1800s, but that's where the design-reminiscing ends. With 12 levels of resistance, millionaires can ride their way to the bodies of their dreams.

Price:$11,000



Update his home décor.

Artist Jeff Koons has done it again — this time, creating the limited-edition "Dom Pérignon's Balloon Venus." The playful, impactful sculpture is made from polyurethane resin, and represents the link between past, present, and future vintages of Dom Pérignon champagne, as well as the continuity of the human experience symbolized by Venus.

Price:$20,000



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These 21 Amazing Researchers Pioneered The Way For Today's Female Scientists

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Barbara McClintock

The female contribution to the advancement of science and medicine is often overlooked, but the Grolier Club celebrated the role of women in science with its exhibit "Extraordinary Women in Science & Medicine: Four Centuries of Achievement."

Starting with women born in the mid 1500s, the 32 women celebrated in this exhibit were not only pioneers in their fields, many were women's rights activists and worked to encourage other women to enter the science and medical fields.

We've picked out 21 of the women to highlight here.

The exhibit celebrated these women's contributions to science while revealing how many challenges they faced as women in a field dominated by men. Many faced lack of education opportunities, pressure from their parents and society, and many were not given the same recognition for their achievements as their male counterparts.

The exhibit only ran through Nov. 23, but you can check out the book that includes all the information. The Grolier Club is an organization that collects books and prints written throughout history, so we got to see the published papers, lab notebooks, dissertations, and lab equipment of these women up close.

Louise Bourgeois Boursier, 1563–1636

Field: Medicine

Louise Bourgeois Boursier worked to eliminate the pain, fear, and high mortality rates of child birth in the 16th century. Boursier wrote a step-by-step guide to pregnancy, including prenatal care through childbirth. She was present at many royal family births because of her expertise, and she kept a record of her experiences at these births in a book that we got to see up close at the exhibit. 



Maria Cunitz, 1610-1664

Field: Astronomy

Maria Cunitz simplified the process behind calculating the positions of planets. Cunitz published a book that completely reworked the famous Kepler method for figuring out where planets are. His Rudolphine Tables were complicated, but Cunitz figured out a way to significantly simplify the math. The Grolier Club calls her the most advanced mathematical astronomer of the time period.



Laura Bassi, 1711-1778

Field: Physics

Laura Bassi was the first woman offered an official teaching position at a European university. Bassi taught Newtonian physics and wrote almost 30 papers on physics and hydraulics. She was the only woman appointed to Pope Benedict XIV's elite group of 25 scholars. At the exhibit we got to see the bronze and silver medals she was awarded for earning her Ph.D.



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Atlanta's Party Animals Are Crazy About A New Spa That Claims To Cure Hangovers With An IV Drip

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Walk into Atlanta's Hydration Station on a Sunday morning and you'll find a dozen people in dimly lit rooms lying on recliner chairs with needles stuck in their arms. 

Most of them are hungover from heavy drinking the night before. The needles are pumping sterile saltwater and a cocktail of vitamins and anti-nausea drugs into their veins. 

The treatment costs upwards of $29 and it has become so popular in Atlanta that Hydration Station is opening a second location down the road just nine months after launching the first, according to CEO Keith McDermott.

McDermott describes the concept as a cross between a spa and a doctor's office. It attracts a mix of athletes and hungover partiers, depending on the time of week. On the weekends, about 75% of Hydration Station's clientele is hungover, McDermott said.

He wants the business to eventually cater more toward athletes, but he's not discouraging the traffic from partiers. Hydration Station is sponsoring a pub crawl this weekend and a New Year's Eve ball on Dec. 31.

Customers rave about the services on Yelp and Facebook and a number of them have been posting photos of themselves on social media hooked up to the IVs.

 

"Love this place!" someone wrote in a Yelp review on Oct. 21. "Did a little bit too much drinking the night before and decided to come here... After I left here I felt instantly better — didn't even need so much as a nap throughout the day. I got the water IV and [vitamin] B12."

Another reviewer wrote: "After a long party weekend, Hydration Station hit the spot. I felt horrible until I got my IV. It was quick and easy."

Luke Davis, an athlete and owner of the gym CrossFit Tucker in Tucker, Ga., told Business Insider that he has visited Hydration Station about 10 times since it opened "and would be there a lot more if I didn't have such a crazy schedule."

"It really helps with recovery after a really strenuous workout," he said. "We can recover so much faster and can train again the next day."

Davis said he usually gets the $99 "Niagra Falls" package for his training purposes, even though it's advertised for people in "deathbed territory" on the Hydration Station's website

The package includes up to two liters of hydration (or two IV bags), a cocktail of Zofran (anti-nausea), Toradol (anti-inflammatory) and Pepcid (anti-heartburn), 30 minutes of oxygen, vitamin B12, and oral antioxidant and multi-vitamins to go. 

Davis said he omits the anti-nausea medicine from his treatment because that's for people who are ill or have hangovers. 

Dr. Robert Shesser, chairman of George Washington University's Department of Emergency Medicine, told Business Insider that the "Niagra" is a perfectly safe concoction of drugs for someone with symptoms of a hangover or anyone suffering from dehydration after an athletic event. 

"All of these medication are used quite frequently and their safety profile is excellent," Shesser said. Hydrating someone who is suffering from over-intoxication is also a routine procedure, even though the science behind it "isn't necessarily the strongest," he said.

"The only scientific basis [for the treatment] is that alcohol is a diuretic so people who drink will have an increase in urinary output and theoretically become dehydrated," he explained. "But unless you are drinking shots of scotch in the middle of the desert," you probably won't lose enough water to need an IV, he said. 

"But if it makes people feel better, then great," he added.

The most popular package at Hydration Station is the $29 "Baptism," which includes one IV bag and 15 minutes of oxygen, according to McDermott. One IV bag is equivalent to drinking more than two gallons of water, he said.

The treatments, which typically last up to 45 minutes, are administered by paramedics who work for the Hydration Station part-time. The company employs about eight to 10 paramedics on a rotating basis at the Buckhead location.

To pass the time, customers have a choice of playing with Hydration Station's assortment of tablets or watching TV. 

"People have a fear of needles and apprehension when coming in, especially if they haven’t done it before, so we try and make them as relaxed as possible," McDermott said.

It Started With A Wedding Hangover

Before launching Hydration Station, McDermott was the vice president of marketing and business development for Biomass Gas & Electric (BG&E). He came up with the idea for the Hydration Station several years ago after attending a wedding where many of the guests, including himself, had overindulged on the night of the rehearsal dinner.

"We were playing golf the next day and the groom told me that they had a nurse who was giving IVs to people to help them get over their hangovers," McDermott said. "It felt super" and guests were raving about it, he said.

Coincidentally, McDermott had experienced his first IV treatment 10 days earlier when he felt ill after several weeks of traveling for work. 

After the wedding-day IV, it dawned on McDermott that the service could work as a business. A Google search told him that there's a similar service in Las Vegas that operates out of a bus. There's also one in Chicago called IVMe Hydration Clinic

But there wasn't anything like it in Atlanta, aside from hospitals.

McDermott hired Dr. Thomas Roepke, a board-certified physician and friend of his, as medical director and opened the Hydration Station in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood in March. Roepke developed the company's range of treatments based on his own research and nearly 20 years of treating patients, according to the company website.

When designing the office, McDermott said he assumed people would prefer private rooms, but "it has become the exact opposite."

"People come in, they want to share stories about the last marathon they were in, or if they are here for a little over-indulgence, they like to talk about their night out," he said.

Some people even make a date out of it, he added.

"They meet, go out on dates and stuff on Saturdays and then they come in Sunday morning," he said. "It's become a social thing."

He describes the new office, which is being built five miles down the road in Atlanta's Brookhaven neighborhood, as "sleek and spa-like." 

"It's going to be a cross between the W Hotel and an Apple store," McDermott said.

Here's some photos from inside the Buckhead location: 

Hydration Station

These are members of the Kill Cliff Sports Recovery Drink team, according to Hydration Station:

Hydration Station

Here's another patron:

Hydration Station

SEE ALSO: This Hoodie Is So Insanely Popular You Have To Wait Months To Get It

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HOUSE OF THE DAY: Eccentric Billionaire David Murdock Is Selling His Bel Air Mansion For $30 Million

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David Murdock bel air home $30 million

The 90-year-old CEO of Dole Food Company David Murdock is selling his gorgeous estate overlooking Los Angeles for $30 million, according to celebrity real estate blog The Real Estalker.

The American colonial revival was first built in 1927 and designed by architect Gordon B. Kaufman, who also did the Hoover Dam, the Los Angeles Times building, and the famous Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills.

Murdock purchased the property in early 2001 for $10 million from Italian fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli and actress Lori Loughlin, who had the home photographed for Elle Decor back in 2000.

And though we only have exterior shots of the 1.6 acre estate, it's incredibly beautiful, with stone paths, a terrace, and views of LA. With over 12,000 square feet of interior space, the current listing from Hilton & Hyland also says the the mansion has 14 foot ceilings, a formal dining room, a gym, and even servants' quarters inside.

Outside of the main home, there's a separate guest house, pool house, garage, and what the listing calls a "tropical greenhouse." Swanky.

The eccentric, self-made billionaire and high school dropout is currently worth $2.4 billion, according to Forbes, and is the 235th richest person in America. He's on a mission to live until age 125, and sold most of the Hawaiian island of Lanai to Larry Ellison for an estimated $600 million last year.

Welcome to the $30 million mansion David Murdock is currently selling in Bel Air.

Source: Hilton & Hyland



Murdock bought the home in 2001 for a cool $10 million.

Source: Hilton & Hyland



The home was photographed for Elle Decor in 2000 by former owners fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli and actress Lori Loughlin.

Source: Hilton & Hyland



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Do Yourself A Favor And Outsource Christmas

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Hilton Christmas Table

For all its joy and good tidings, the holiday season can be one of the busiest times of the year, and particularly so for professional women, who are often the event planner, chef, and chief shopper of the family.  

It’s not just the gift-buying that makes these workers’ crazed; it’s wrapping up the year at work, attending all the parties, and pulling together the decorations and festivities at home. A recent poll of members of Citi’s Connect: Professional Women’s Network on LinkedIn found that balancing work and holiday tasks is the top stressor professional women experience during the holiday season. 

This year, consider outsourcing Christmas, so you can relax. While you'll have to shell out a little extra cash, having the free time pays off. Linda Descano, president and CEO of Citi’s Women & Co., offers the following strategies to enjoy, rather than juggle, your holiday: 

Use a tree delivery service. Instead of lugging home a Christmas tree yourself, some local companies will deliver one to your doorstep. Descano says Uber, which connects passengers with cab drivers in major cities like New York, San Francisco, and Washington, has special holiday offerings that include tree delivery. 

Hire someone to shop for you. Why bother with a crowded mall? If you use a service like Kalamazoo Gift, you simply share your shopping list, they purchase the gifts for you, and then they ship them to you already wrapped. Alternatively, you could find one cool item that many on your list would like and buy it in bulk. Or you could give experiences, such as theater tickets or a season’s pass to a favorite local destination, which can easily be purchased online. 

Take advantage of free gift-wrapping. If you do decide to shop yourself, don’t waste time wrestling with wrapping paper and ribbons. Many department stores offer gift-wrapping services, and Descano says Citibank branches are also offering free wrapping in the month of December. 

Outsource the cooking. Who wants to be stressed at their own party? If you’re having people over or you’re planning a big meal, Descano advises against doing all of the cooking yourself. Instead, you could order the side dishes from your favorite restaurant, and focus your time on a delicious main dish. You could also divvy up the cooking by asking guests to bring a dish or beverage. 

Delegate the decorating. Enlist your family to help with holiday tasks like decorating the house, tree, and table, says Descano. “It will not only ease the stress for you, but it will also get everyone excited for the holidays and feel like they have a special stake in hosting the family’s holiday event.”  

SEE ALSO: 3 Financial Predictions For 2014 That Will Be Good For Your Wallet

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Your Facebook Status Updates Can Reveal Dark Aspects Of Your Personality

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If you think your friend might be a narcissist, investigating their Facebook status updates could reveal the truth.

According to a new study published online in October in the journal Personality And Individual Differences, researchers can detect the presence of the so-called "Dark Triad" of psychological traits simply by analyzing the wording of a person's Facebook status updates.

The Dark Triad is a group of three personality traits —psychopathy, narcissism, and manipulativeness —that psychologists consider to be undesirable and socially damaging.

The wealth of data provided by Facebook users has opened the door to new way of analyzing personality for researchers.

"Facebook has revolutionized how people interact on the Internet, and this offers a unique opportunity for psychological research," study researcher Danilo Garcia, of Sahlgrenska Academy in Sweden, said in a press release.  

Studying Facebook

To conduct the study, the researchers administered personality tests to just over 300 Americans and then had them provide their fifteen most recent Facebook status updates.

The personality test had subjects answer questions that tested specific personality traits, most notably how outgoing the participants were, how neurotic they were, and testing for the Dark Triad of personality.

After receiving the results of the personality test, the scientists analyzed the text of the subjects status updates based upon an algorithm that measures the significance of specific words, designed by Lund University's Sverker Sikström. The status results were combined with basic information about the user's profile, such as the frequency of status updates and the number of Facebook friends.

When it came to narcissism and psychopathy, the researchers found a strong correlation between what the Facebook status update analysis predicted and what the personality tests suggested.

"[The study] suggests that behavior such as self promotion, emotional coldness, duplicity and aggressiveness is expressed when individuals broadcast current states or make written statements in Facebook," Garcia said in an audio presentation of the study.

People who tested positive for psychopathy tended to post "negatively charged or odd formulations more often," including posts that mentioned explicit violent or sexual content, said Garcia.

Meanwhile, those with narcissistic traits tended to post frequently about their own good characteristics as acts of self-promotion.

The words most commonly cited in the study's Facebook status updatesMissing personality traits

What was perhaps most interesting about the study was what it failed to do. The researchers found that Facebook updates were incapable of predicting positive traits. They could only find a link between personality and Facebook status updates when it came to darker personality traits.

Across the aisle from the Dark Triad, there's a group of positive traits called the Big Five which include openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Surprisingly, they weren't able to link the presence of these traits in the personality tests to status updates.

The researchers have yet to come up with a definitive reason for why this is, but they think it might have something to do with the way that Facebook serves as a platform for social competition.

"The competition for attention could actually end up getting people to reveal more of their dark side," Sikstrom told The Local

Big Data Meets Psychology

This builds off an earlier study by researchers at the University Of Pennsylvania, released Sept. 25 in PLoS ONE. Those researchers used a different algorithm that allowed them to successfully predict gender, age, and even some of the Big Five personality traits.

Their sample was much larger —75,000 volunteers. They also studied the language used and arranged their data into some pretty cool word clouds.

Its success is largely being credited to using an "open vocabulary approach" that analyzes all words as opposed to looking for specific terms. However, the study did not attempt to predict Dark Triad traits.

SEE ALSO: 20 Signs That You're A Narcissist

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21 Bizarre Pictures From China’s Theme Park Full Of World Landmarks

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Before British photographer Luke Casey settled in Hong Kong, he spent three and a half months traveling by boat. It was only later that he realized how much faster he could see the world — sort of — by visiting one theme park in nearby Shenzhen.

Window of the World features incredibly detailed reproductions of 130 major tourist attractions, some life-size and some much smaller, squeezed into 118 acres.

Created in 1994, the park has become a popular destination in itself.

“I have always found tourist destinations interesting in that for the majority of visitors, it is simply about getting your photo with that landmark, buying a souvenir and then getting back on the bus,” Casey told Business Insider. “Why visit those places for real when you can get all those photos and souvenirs in one place?”

There are approximately 150 replicas of world sights in Window Of The World. Here you can see Basilica Di San Marco in the park's replica of Venice's Piazza San Marco.



Part of the allure is seeing all of the landmarks in one place. Here you can see the riverside view of Piazza San Marco, with the Eiffel Tower in the background.



At 354 feet, the park's version of the Eiffel Tower is one third the size of the real thing.



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In Four Months, PayPal Founder Max Levchin's App Helped 1,000 Women Get Pregnant

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Max Levchin

Glow, the fertility app that helps a woman get pregnant, was officially released a little over four months ago. Today Glow said over 1,000 women have successfully used the app to get pregnant, reports TechCrunch's Colleen Taylor.

Glow created buzz back in May when founder Max Levchin first showed it off at the AllThingsD D11 conference. He talked on stage about how cervical mucus can help couples pinpoint when to have to have sex to conceive.

Glow later rolled out a way for "crowdfunding babies," as Levchin described it in an interview with AllThingsD.

Glow users can opt to pitch in $50 a month for 10 months to the Glow First fund. If a user doesn't get pregnant in that time, she could withdraw money to help pay for fertility treatments. If she does, the money would be donated to help other women.

On Wednesday Glow updated its iOS app with a new feature called Glow Community that lets people share their fertility experiences. And it rolled out a new part of its website today filled with touching success stories.

Levchin has said this pregnancy app is just the beginning. He plans to launch more apps that use big data apps to solve difficult health problems. 

SEE ALSO: 9 Tech Trends That Will Make Someone Billions Of Dollars Next Year

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Unprecedented Ruling Forces Former Morgan Stanley Banker To Pay Investors $3 Million

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rain guy suit hong kong

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A former Morgan Stanley <MS.N> banker convicted of insider trading will have to pay more than 290 investors a total of HK$23.9 million ($3.08 million) they lost out on, a Hong Kong court ordered on Thursday, in an unprecedented legal ruling.

Du Jun, a former banker for Morgan Stanley Asia Limited, was ordered by Hong Kong's Court of First Instance to make the payment for using inside information when he traded shares in CITIC Resources Holdings Ltd <1205.HK> in 2007.

The case marks the first time in Hong Kong that the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has successfully managed to win a court order forcing an individual insider trader to pay investors money they lost out on as a result of trading with him or her.

It also contrasts with the approach taken by most other regulators, including the United States and Britain, which tend to levy fines for insider trading that go into government coffers rather than returning money to investors.

"The investors had no means to detect they were dealing with Du, who was engaged in illegal insider dealing," the SFC's enforcement head Mark Steward said in a statement.

"This case sends a clear message that the consequences of wrongdoing, including the costs of restoration or remediation, should be met by wrongdoers and not be borne by innocent investors or the market," he added.

A spokesman for Morgan Stanley in Hong Kong declined to comment on the matter.

Du was convicted in 2009 of insider trading and sentenced to seven years in jail. The term was reduced to six years in 2012 following an appeal, though it still marks the longest sentence ever given in Hong Kong for the offence.

This case, heard in the civil courts, was only resolved now following the end of criminal proceedings against Du.

Du had been part of the Morgan Stanley team advising CITIC Resources on a proposed deal to buy oil field assets in China when he traded in their shares.

The HK$23.9 million represents the difference between the price at which the affected investors sold shares in CITIC Resources to Du and the price at which they could have sold the shares had the price sensitive information related to the deal been known by the market at the time.

($1 = 7.7543 Hong Kong dollars)

(Reporting by Rachel Armstrong; Additional reporting by Lawrence White in Hong Kong; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)

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People Can't Figure Out This Odd New England Saying About Kittens

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Click for sound.

 

There's no better place than Times Square to find out what people think of an obscure expression used solely in Vermont and Maine.  Check out the entertaining responses we gathered, some of which were surprisingly accurate.

Camera by Alana Kakoyiannis. Sound by Justin Gmoser. Text by Melia Robinson.

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SEE ALSO: 13 Sayings Only People From New England Can Understand

NOW WATCH: These Maps Prove Americans Speak Totally Different Versions Of The English Language

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I Took Nissan's 'Taxi Of Tomorrow' For A Spin, And It's Clear New Yorkers Will Love It

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Nissan NV200 Taxi Tomorrow

In May 2011, Nissan was selected to create and supply the vehicle that would be the exclusive New York City taxi. 

That plan hasn't worked out so well. A series of court decisions have blocked the City from approving the NV200 as the only taxi model, in part because it's not a hybrid, according to the New York Times.

But Nissan still has the right to bring its taxi to the streets of New York, and it sold the first one at the end of October.

This week, the automaker invited me to get a closer look at the NV200 and take a spin around Manhattan.

I rode in the NV200 owned by Demetrios Rizos, a Greek immigrant who's been driving a cab in New York for 25 years. He had been driving an old Crown Victoria, and considered the Toyota Camry and Prius when he needed an upgrade.

It was his wife who suggested he check out Nissan's offering, he said, and so he did. He found that it's bigger, more comfortable, more high-tech, and in the same price range as the competition. He paid just over $33,000 for it.

Rizos picked up the NV200 in early November, and said it's paid off so far. He's been getting 21 miles per gallon, impressive for a big car that spends all its time in Manhattan traffic. The fares he's picked up in the new ride love it, he told me, and he's been getting better tips.

Riding in the backseat, I could see why. It's clear that Nissan has made a great taxi. It's comfortable and spacious. The clear roof brings in a ton of light, even on a dreary day.

The interior is lined with carbon to absorb unwanted odors, though we'll have to wait a while to see how that works out. There are USB ports to charge your phone, and the doors are easy to open and close. A good taxi doesn't need much more than that.

Then Rizos let me get behind the wheel. As I drove past a waving doorman with the taxi's "vacant" light on, I appreciated that there's plenty of room for a tall driver, without taking away space from paying customers. The big vehicle has a surprisingly tight turning radius, and doesn't actually feel at that huge when you're moving.

So Nissan won't be given a monopoly of the NYC taxi market, but I'd be surprised if it doesn't win over a lot of drivers.

Here's a closer look at some of the NV200's more impressive details:

The van has only two rows, but there's plenty of space to fit three people on the bench seat, and there's a ton of legroom. You could easily fit a big bag in front of your knees. The leather seats make cleaning up easier.

Nissan NV200 Taxi Tomorrow backseat

The panoramic roof really brings in light, even if it means the drivers can't put advertisements on top of their cars for extra revenue. This, by the way, is a promotional image.

Nissan NV200 Taxi Tomorrow brooklyn bridge

Here's how the sky looked when we went for our drive:

Nissan NV200 Taxi Tomorrow

From the backseat, you speak to the driver through an intercom (you just turn it on or off, no need to hold the button to talk). You can also pay by credit card, watch the news, and charge your phone via the two USB ports.

Nissan NV200 Taxi Tomorrow

As a cyclist, I really like this feature: The little man lights up when the door starts to open. That extra warning can save a biker from a serious injury.

Nissan NV200 Taxi Tomorrow vacant

SEE ALSO: NYC Taxi Drivers Posed For A Hysterical 'Beefcake Calendar' To Benefit Charity

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Japan Once Tested Poison Gas On Rabbits At This Secret Island: Now Rabbits Have Taken Over

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bunny islandŌkunoshima has a dark history as the site of Japan's secret chemical weapons production during World War II. The island factory produced produced more than six kilotons of five poison gases, used in roughly 2,000 separate attacks on the Chinese from 1937–1945, causing more than 80,000 casualties.

In recent years, however, the island has been reborn as a tourist attraction and Internet sensation thanks to its huge population of wild rabbits. This transformation seems particularly ironic given that chemical weapons were once tested on rabbits.

"Rabbits became the victims and were used for experiments; however it seemed reasonable at the time," according to a translated interview with the original museum director at Ōkunoshima.

Rabbits used in testing were supposedly euthanized when the factory shut down after the war. The hundreds of rabbits found on the island today are thought to be descendants of eight rabbits released by schoolchildren in 1971.

Stephanie Broekarts, 25, an environmental-social sciences student at Kyoto University traveled to Ōkunoshima, aka Usagi Jima or Rabbit Island, earlier this year. 

"I was couch surfing with a local girl and she showed me pictures of her visit to Ōkunoshima and I was instantly sold. I've always been a big animal fan, bunnies in particular, so something nicknamed 'the bunny island' was something I couldn't skip," Broekarts wrote. 

Below are some pictures she shared of her trip to Rabbit Island:

The small island of Ōkunoshima is located in the Seto Inland Sea in the Hiroshima Prefecture. The island lies about 2 miles from the mainland and the distance was considered far enough so that if an accident were to occur at the poison gas facility it would not impact urban centers.

Ōkunoshima

Broekarts said she took a train to Hiro station and then transferred trains to Tadanoumi station. The trip took almost 2 hours and cost around 1,240 Japanese Yen or $12. She then took an hourly ferry from Tadanoumi which brought her to Rabbit Island in about ten minutes. 

Ōkunoshima

The coastline of Rabbit Island is only 1.5 miles long. Here is a picture of the rabbit ear-shaped viewers that line the edge of the coast.

bunny island"There is only one hotel on the island with a big front yard, where indeed there were heaps of bunnies roaming around," Broekarts wrote.

bunny island

When the hotel was under construction, the poison gas facilties were used as temporary housing.

bunny island

"Inside the hotel were a reception desk, a gift shop, and zero guests to be seen." 

Ōkunoshima

Visitors are encouraged to bring food for the rabbits, especially in the winter months when natural food sources are scarce. The rabbits prefer carrots, cabbage, and rabbit feed which can be purchased at the hotel for about $1 a cup. Dogs and cats are strictly forbidden from the island. 

bunny island"Everywhere you walk on the island, bunnies will come up to you and sniff you ...

Ōkunoshima

... hopping away again as soon as they notice you don't have any food," Broekarts wrote. 

bunny island

Here is a picture of the former two-room poison gas laboratory on the island which was converted into a museum in 1988. "At the entrance of the museum is an unsupervised ticket machine and a sign that says, 'War is meaningless and the production of poison gas is tragic. We make an appeal for everlasting peace," Broekarts wrote.

ŌkunoshimaThis is the abandoned inspection room at the gas plant. All of the poison gas products were examined and stored here. One type of poison gas produced here was 'sneezing gas' which induced uncontrollable sneezing, convulsions, vomiting, and death. "I went in but got quickly spooked and ran out again," Broekarts wrote. 

Ōkunoshima

Broekarts says she saw more than 100 rabbits on the island during her stay. More than 300 rabbits are thought to roam the island and are considered harmless to visitors.  

Ōkunoshima

For a while the water supply on the island was polluted with arsenic. In 2005, the Environment Ministry reported that the level of arsenic in the atmosphere was 49 times higher than the environmental standard. The 11 known locations on the island where workers buried gas are sealed off from tourists. 

Ōkunoshima"The factory workers wore rubber uniforms, gas masks, gloves, and boots, but the gas still managed to penetrate through their protective gear, injuring their skin, eyes, and throat," Broekarts wrote. Approximately 6,500 people worked at the site during its operational years. 

Ōkunoshima

Tourists are generally advised to stay on official walkways and paths since there has never been a major decontamination operation on the island. 

bunny island

"The island also boosts a golf course, tennis court, playgrounds, beaches and campgrounds. Even though this day the place looked close to deserted, this little island attracts a lot more visitors on sunny summer days," Broekarts wrote. Ōkunoshima has an estimated 100,000 annual visitors.

bunny island

SEE ALSO: This Ancient Japanese City Can Only Be Appreciated Through Cat Pictures

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