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HOUSE OF THE DAY: Developers Transformed A 10-Unit Townhouse Into A Gorgeous $21 Million Mansion

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HoratioStreet7

A West Village townhouse that just underwent a painstaking renovation has sold for $21 million.

That's nearly double what a development company paid for it in 2012, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The landmark house transformed from a 10-unit townhouse into a stunning single-family home.

Now updated with new wood floors, windows, a garden, an elevator, and central air, the 1880s townhouse looks nowhere near its true age.

For its sale, the apartment was staged by Cheryl Eisen of Interior Marketing Group.

Meet 79 Horatio Street, a gorgeous six-level townhouse nestled in the heart of New York City's most desirable neighborhood: the West Village.



The house was restored completely after a developer bought it in 2012 for only $10.45 million. The developer renovated the interior and converted it from 10 apartments back into a single-family home, as it was originally.



The six floors add up to a huge amount of living space with six bedrooms and 7,100 square feet.



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Dunkin' Donuts Is Introducing A Pizza Bagel

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dunkin' pizza bagelDunkin' Donuts is expanding its menu with a pizza bagel, reports Consumerist. 

This new product, which is a bagel smothered in tomato sauce and cheese, will be called a Tomato Mozzarella Supreme Bagel, and according to The Huffington Post.

The confection will be available at select Dunkin' Donuts locations throughout early 2015.

Dunkin' Donuts has disclosed plans for rapid expansion, and adding new menu items is integral to its growth.

In the past few years, the company has introduced several new items to its menu, such as gluten free products, its own rendition of the cronut, and an eggs benedict sandwich.

SEE ALSO: Dunkin' Donuts Is Plotting A Huge Expansion

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9 Books That Will Help You Find Your Dream Job

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dive diver scuba

Tons of people hate their jobs.

In America, job satisfaction hovers around 45%. In Europe, 60% of workers say they would choose a different career if they could start all over again. A recent global survey found that only 13% of people are actively excited about going to work in the morning. 

With this problem in mind, we put together a list of the best investigations into what makes work work by a range of psychologists, philosophers, venture capitalists, and other deep thinkers. 

We think it will help.

'Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work As A Pilgrimage Of Identity' by David Whyte

David Whyte is a poet turned consultant turned poet-consultant. His book "Crossing the Unknown Sea" is a gorgeously written inquiry into what role our jobs, careers, and overall work should have in our lives. 

The center of Whyte's argument is that your career is in fact a conversation — one that you have with yourself and with society. 

The book is full of sentence-long gems that immediately burrow themselves into your brain.

Such as: 

• "Good work, done well for the right reasons and with an end in mind, has always been a sign … of an inner and outer maturity."
• "Without some kind of fire at the center of the conversation, a sense of journey through work, life becomes just another strategic game plan, a way of pulling wool over the eyes of reality while we get our own way."
• "The genius of an individual lies in the inhabitation of their peculiar and particular spirit in conversation with the world."

Buy it here >



'Give And Take' by Adam Grant

We tend to think that you have to "take" what you need in order to thrive in the workplace. 

But that Darwinian outlook is totally misguided, if the decades of organizational psych research that Wharton professor Adam Grant synthesizes in "Give and Take" are to be trusted. 

It's an intuitive argument: opportunities flow through relationships, and people who genuinely want to benefit others will see the most opportunities over the long run. 

"If you're a giver, then you build quality relationships, and with those relationships you're exposed to opportunity over the long term," he told Business Insider. "You actually increase your own luck so far as you contribute things to other people." 

Buy it here >



'Daring Greatly' by Brené Brown

In "Daring Greatly," University of Houston sociologist Brené Brown detangles one of the most frowned-upon notions in our culture: vulnerability

And if you're in business, Brown says that you're exposed to vulnerability on an hourly basis.  

"Vulnerability is not weakness, and the uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure we face every day are not optional," she writes.

"Our only choice is a question of engagement," she says. "Our willingness to own and engage with our vulnerability determines the depth of our courage and the clarity of our purpose; the level to which we protect ourselves from being vulnerable is a measure of our fear and disconnection." 

Buy it here >



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Here Are The Best Wine And Cocktail Pairings For Every Course

Chicago Factory Wall Collapse Left A Dozen Cars Buried In Salt

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While many are digging their cars out of snow this time of year, a few people in Chicago had to dig themselves out of table salt after the wall of a Morton Salt building collapsed on Goose Island.

Produced by Alex Kuzoian. Video courtesy of Associated Press.

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Here's What It's Like In The Most Dangerous City In The World

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San Pedro Sula gang

In San Pedro Sula, Honduras last year, 187 were murdered for every 100,000 people. That tragic statistic makes the city the most violent in the world.

The statistic is even more startling when you compare it to Detroit, Michigan, the most dangerous city in the US, which had roughly 48 homicides per 100,000 people last year. 

Gangs, drugs, and poverty plague every day in the South American city of San Pedro Sula. These images show how brutal life there can be.

Drugs have wreaked havoc on Honduras, especially San Pedro Sula. Below, members of Honduras' military police arrange almost 900 pounds of cocaine seized in a container carrying soft drinks coming from Costa Rica in July 2014.

Source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime



Roughly 15% of US-bound cocaine lands in Honduras at some point.

Source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime



More than half of all cocaine seizures in Central America occur in El Salvador and Honduras, and Honduras' numbers more than tripled between 2010 and 2011. In 2011, San Pedro Sula police discovered the first Mexican-run cocaine lab, shown below, ever found in Central America.

Source: PolicyMic, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime



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Here's How The Times Square Ball Drop Tradition Began

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2013 ball drop New Years Eve

Every year, thousands of people flock to Times Square to watch a giant, sparkly ball descend the flagpole at One Times Square seconds before the New Year arrives. 

Due to the rarity of available bathrooms, some of them even wear diapers. 

The well-attended tradition started back in 1907, according to The New York Times. That year, an "electrically illuminated ball" dropped above the One Times Square, which The Times then owned, for the first time.

People started celebrating New Year's in Times Square as early as 1904, but the ball didn't come into play until three years later, to mark the arrival of 1908.

The Times originally constructed the building for a fireworks display, but when the city outlawed them, chief electrician Walter Palmer came up with the idea to drop a lighted ball from the top of the tower instead.

The ball has dropped from that tower, now owned by Jamestown Properties, every year since (except for 1942 and 1943 due to a wartime "dimout").

The aesthetic, however, has changed throughout the years. In 1920, a 400-pound wrought iron ball replaced the original. In 1955, an aluminum ball, weighing only 150 pounds, replaced the iron one. The 1980s appropriately added neon lights, rhinestones, strobes, etc. Then, in 2000, Waterford Crystal and Philips Lighting completely redesigned the New Year's Eve Ball.

Finally, in 2007, Waterford Crystal and Phillips Lighting redesigned the ball again, making it the amazing version we'll see tonight — 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles illuminated by 32,256 Philips Luxeon LED lights.

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12 Simple Ways To Be Happier And Healthier In 2015


18 Libraries Every Book Lover Should Visit In Their Lifetime

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If you love books, libraries are some of the most spectacular buildings in the world.

To celebrate these monumentally important buildings, we’ve complied a list of the most magnificent libraries on the planet.

From a library hidden in the forests of Beijing to one in Egypt that was designed like a sundial, these are the libraries that all book lovers should visit in their lifetime. 

1. The Admont Library in Admont, Austria 

Located in the foothills of the Alps, this beautiful library is the second largest monastery library in the world. The library hall was designed in the late Baroque style by the architect Joseph Hueber in 1776 with a nearly 230-foot-long hall that contains 200,000 volumes.

The ceilings were painted by Bartolomeo Altomonte and show the stages of human knowledge, up to the high point of Divine Revelation. 

Best Libraries From Around The World - The Admont

2. George Peabody Library in Baltimore, Maryland, USA

The Peabody Library was funded by the the philanthropist George Peabody. Peabody built the library as a gift to the citizens of Baltimore for their kindness and hospitality

Designed by 19th-century architect Edmund Lind, Peabody is known for its interior that has a soaring atrium. The five stories of cast-iron balconies are filled to the brim with books, and the skylight roof showers the library in natural light. 

Libraries From Around The World - Peabody

3. The Royal Library Of Copenhagen in Copenhagen, Denmark

Completed in 1999, the ‘Black Diamond’ was built as an extension to the national library of Denmark. The neo-modern library gets its name from its polished black granite and irregular angles

The library’s harsh exterior is interrupted by an atrium made from only glass. This glass atrium makes the interior of the building an incredible space that is full of light and views of the water, which makes for a really gorgeous reading environment. 

Best Libraries From Around The World - The Royal Library of Copenhagen

 4. Musashino Art University Library in Tokyo, Japan 

Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto designed the library to be the simplest library in the world, made from only bookcases and a glass exterior. The 20-foot high walls are made from bookshelves, and are only interrupted by bridge-like reading areas. 

Fujimoto tells arcspace that the only things you need to make a library are “books, shelves, light, and beautiful places.” 

Libraries From Around The World - Musashino library

5. Boston Public Library in Boston, Massachusetts, USA

The Boston Public Library contains roughly 23 million items, making it the second-largest public library in the US. The library is known for its incredible courtyard, Italian-inspired architecture, entrance atrium, and its quintessential library reading room: Bates Hall. 

The Bates Hall of the library is named after Joshua Bates, the library’s first benefactor. In 1852, Bates agree to donate a large sum to the building of the library with a few conditions: that the building would be an ornament to the city and that it be perfectly free for everyone. 

Best Libraries From Around The World - Boston Public Library

6. Stuttgart City Library in Stuttgart, Germany

This cube-shaped, nine-story library takes its design from the Pantheon of ancient Rome, according to Designboom

The aim of the library was to create a continuum inside of the room, so the entire room is painted in uniform pure-white. The only color in the building comes from the books themselves. 

Best Libraries From Around The World - Stuttgart City Library

7. José Vasconcelos Library in Mexico City, Mexico 

Designed by architect Alberto Kalach, the library is a concrete and glass structure. The bookshelves look as if they are hovering in midair, and a giant whale skeleton hangs in the center of the library. 

The library is named after José Vasconcelos, who was a philosopher and politician. Vasconcelos was an important cultural figure in Mexico and an active promoter of reading.    

Best Libraries From Around The World - Vasconcelos Library

8. Liyuan Library in Beijing, China 

Located in a small village outside of Beijing, the single-story library blends into its forest surroundings. The library is made from timber beams and its exterior is covered in sticks, according to dezeen. The light of the library comes from the cracks in the twig frame. 

The building may be covered in firewood but it has a very advanced integrated cooling system that draws in cold air from the lake it sits on. The library is also completely eco-friendly and made from all recyclable material. 

Plus, it looks like an incredibly cozy place to sit and read a book. 

Liyuan Library

9. Vennesla Library and Cultural Center in Vennesla, Norway 

This library in Norway is made of a series of arcs, or “ribs,” that support the roof. The concept of the building comes from the ribs of a whale skeleton. 

”In this project, we developed a rib concept to create usable hybrid structures that combine a timber construction with all technical devices and the interior,” architects Helen & Hard told ArchDaily

Best Libraries From Around The World - Vennesla Library

10. Beinecke Rare Book Library in New Haven, Connecticut, USA

The Beineck Rare Book & Manuscript Library is the literary archive of the Yale University Library, and is the largest building in the world devoted to the preservation of rare books and documents. The entire library is shaped around the massive display in the center.  

The library’s building is iconic because of its incredible Vermont marble, granite, bronze, and glass ‘windows’ that were designed to filter in enough light so that rare materials can be displayed without damage, according to ArchDaily. From the outside, the building looks as if it is completely solid. 

The Beineck’s vast collection includes a Gutenberg Bible. 

Libraries From Around The World - Beinecke Rare Book

11. Alexandria Library in Alexandria, Egypt 

The original library of Alexandria was established in the third century B.C., and was one of largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world. When it was destroyed in the third century A.D., there were countless scrolls and books that were lost. 

The new library of Alexandria was built in 2002 to pay homage to the openness of the original library. Built by Snøhetta architects, the building is designed like a sundial and tilts towards the Mediterranean Sea. 

Best Libraries From Around The World - Alexandrina Library

12. Central Library in Seattle, Washington, USA

First opened in 2004, the 11-story glass and steel building in downtown Seattle was designed to be a reinvention of the traditional library. The contemporary building is not only a space dedicated to books, but is also an access point for all forms of media. 

Designed by Rem Koolhass, the building combines “futuristic lines with the functionality of a library.” The interior of the building is notable for its large public spaces and natural light. 

Best Libraries From Around The World - Central Library

13. Trinity College Dublin Library in Dublin, Ireland 

Famed for its ‘Long Room,’ the library of Trinity College library is home to the largest collection of books in Ireland.

The over 200-foot-long main room is covered in marble and dark wood pilasters. When it was first completed, the ‘Long Room’ had a flat ceiling, but the roof was raised to accommodate more books

Best Libraries From Around The World - Trinity Library

14. Sir Duncan Rice Library in Aberdeen, United Kingdom

The Sir Duncan Rice Library is the new library of the University of Aberdeen. The library incorporates 21st-century design, and has a huge spiraling atrium in its center. 

The library gained a lot of attention for the range of sustainable features that were included in its design. The spiraling atrium lights up all eight floors — the building also has photovoltaic cells on its roof to convert the energy of light directly into electricity. 

Libraries From Around The World - Sir Duncan Rice Library

15. Sainte-Geneviève Library in Paris, France 

The Sainte-Geneviève library is the main research and reference library for the students of the University of Paris. 

Constructed in the mid-19th century by the famed architect Henri Labrouste, the library is well-known for its cast iron column reading room. The MoMA even described the library as a “temple of knowledge and a space for contemplation.” 

Sainte Genevieve Library

16. New York Public Library in New York, New York, USA

The New York Public Library has nearly 53 million items, and is the third largest library in the world. The incredible Beaux-Arts landmark was one of the largest marble structures in the US when it was built. 

The Rose Main Reading Room of the library stretches nearly two city blocks. The reading room measures 297 feet long by 87 feet wide, and has 42 long oak tables for visitors to sit in. 

Beautiful Libraries From Around The World - New York Public LIbrary

17. Kanazawa Umimirai Library in Kanazawa City, Japan 

This three-story library in Japan is designed like a “cake box,” with large white hole-punched windows that light up the space. The library is meant to be a tranquil room, and the “punching walls” are meant to make it look like a forest of books. 

"This environment would allow users to experience the joy of reading while surrounded by a treasure trove of books with a overwhelming physical presence, something that the convenience of electronic and digital books cannot offer," the architects told ArchDaily

Beautiful Libraries From Around The World - Kanazawa Library

18. Royal Portuguese Reading Room in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 

Built in the 19th century, this gorgeous rooms is home to over 350,000 works — and the largest collection of Portuguese works outside of Portugal. 

The library is known for its Neo-Manueline design, which “evokes the Gothic-Renaissance style that flourished during the time of the Portuguese Discoveries,” according to My Modern Met

The room is completely covered in books, many of them rare works dating back to the 16th century. It's the perfect destination for anyone who loves to be surrounded by beautiful books. 

 Most Beautiful Libraries From Around The World - Royal Portuguese Reading Room

SEE ALSO: 30 Books That Changed The Course Of History

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I Lost A Ton Of Weight Doing A DVD Exercise Program, And It Changed My Life

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P90XDay1 90_1

I've been battling excess weight all my life.

For as long as I can remember, I've been straddling the depressing line between overweight and obese. It's been the greatest challenge of my life in some ways.

I finally conquered that challenge, or came close to it, with a very popular program called P90X. Even though there's still plenty more work to do, I finally feel like I'm no longer on the verge of obesity.

Recently, I became a "graduate" of the program as we apparently call ourselves after the 90 days. When I started I weighed 208 pounds, had no abdominal muscles to speak of, and very little defined muscle.

Now I weigh 180 pounds, have a ton of defined upper body muscle, and a strong sheet of abdominal muscles beneath the remaining inch or so of body fat I still need to burn away.

Workout programs like P90X that begin with infomercials and turn popular sometimes get a bad rap for supposedly being money-grubbing scams. I can't speak for other programs out there or other people, but this one was incredibly effective for me. It's led by a compassionate, motivating, and well-known personal trainer named Tony Horton. The effectiveness of P90X hasn't been studied in any published research that we could find, and results will of course vary among individuals. And it's notable that both high-intensity exercise and rapid weight loss carry somerisks.

Here's how I did it.

The Diet

Exercise is the focus of the program, but you'll never get results without doing the P90x nutrition program, too. The diet has multiple phases you can choose to follow at any time based on your personal needs. Most people start with Phase 1, which is very low in carbohydrates. Then, they move onto the other phases.

The phases all have the same calorie count (based on your current body) but different distributions of food types. In Phase 1 you concentrate on fat burning, so it offers the least carbohydrates. When you feel ready, you can move onto other phases to give you the energy to move through your workouts at a high level.

I stayed in Phase 1 the whole time because I had so much fat to burn, which is an option that clearly works but isn't for everybody. There's variety and flexibility here. Making whole foods a larger component of your meals is healthy for anyone, but consult a doctor or licensed dietitian before making drastic changes to your diet.

P90XDay1 90_2The Exercise

There are three iterations of P90X by the parent company Beachbody: Classic, P90X2, and P90X3.

I did P90X classic, and the exercise regimen was intense. 

You get a DVD for each workout led by Tony Horton himself. The workouts are six days a week in three different phases, and every day you do something different.

As Horton says over and over, the P90X program is all about muscle confusion. Here's what the makers of the program say about this principle:

"P90X uses targeted training phases so your body keeps adapting and growing. You'll never 'plateau' — which means your body will never get used to the routines, making improvements slow down or even stop.

  • Short training cycles constantly challenge your muscles with variety and intensity.
  • P90X maximizes fat burning and muscle sculpting in different ways every day.
  • No plateau effect means each phase of P90X is as effective as the first."

For example, if you started P90X, your first week would look like this:

Day 1: Chest and Back, Ab Ripper X (an intense, 16-minute abdominal workout)

Day 2: Plyometrics (jump training, cardio, crazy hard)

Day 3: Shoulders and arms (The "glamour" muscles), Ab Ripper X

Day 4: Yoga (90 minutes of the toughest yoga you've ever done)

Day 5: Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X

Day 6: Kenpo X (A karate-inspired cardio routine)

P90X Gif1

I would not recommend this to everyone. If you're looking for a short workout to squeeze into your daily routine, this isn't it. P90X workouts are long and hard. You're looking at a commitment of about an hour-and-a-half every day to get in the best shape of your life. You're also going to be really sore the first couple weeks.

There's also a lot of repetition. You're doing the same workout DVDs over and over, listening to Tony tell the same jokes over and over. I enjoyed that familiarity, but you might not.

P90X Gif2

It's also potentially quite expensive. Low-carb diets like this one that stress whole foods rather than processed goods can get pricey at times. You also probably want to get yourself some dumbbells and resistance bands, along with a yoga mat. Combine that with $120 you pay for the program itself, and the price soars a bit. However, those of us who need to lose that weight are usually willing to pay a lot of money and spend a lot of time exercising in exchange for a guaranteed result.

As Tony says in Day 1's DVD, "Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was your body."

Before doing P90X, I went to the gym every day for six years, rocked that elliptical, and sprinkled in some dieting. I never found success like the success I've found with this program. Head to toe I'm as physically fit as I've ever been in my life. My core is strong so I'm less likely to get hurt out in the world, I have less risk of obesity-related diseases, and I look a lot better in a tank top.

The question for me now, of course, is what's next? I'm definitely changing up my diet and eating more carbs to spoil myself just a bit for my hard work. But I'm already making plans to do P90X again. It becomes a lifestyle, and when something works that well, it's hard to resist.

P90XDay1 90_3I'll be doing some things differently when I start the program again in three weeks. First, I'm going to do P90X3. The latest version of the program touts 30-minute workouts, which are much more manageable for someone with a schedule as demanding as mine is. (The shorter workouts are probably still a beast, though!)

I'm also not going to do a super low carb diet this time. I'll probably do a more flexible version of a later nutrition phase where carbs are still low but balance out more with protein levels. If I lost 30 more pounds, I'd be scary looking. This round is all about performance and burning the remaining fat away.

SEE ALSO: 6 Scientifically Proven Things Men Can Do To Be More Attractive

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6 Lessons You Learn From Navigating Corporate America

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businessman 50s illustration

While corporations don't have the sex appeal of startups, they employ a lot of us.

As the Washington Post has reported, 65% of the jobs created since 1990 have come from companies with more than 500 employees.

That invites a question: How does one navigate corporate life?

A recent Quora thread tackled that question.

Here are the takeaways. 

Focus on production, not effort.

Working an insane number of hours isn't a ticket up the corporate ladder. 

"Results are what matter," warns user Nick Simon — it's not about how "hard" of a worker you are.

"Putting in long hours doesn't make you a good employee," he adds. "It makes you an inefficient employee."

For greater efficiency, consult Warren Buffett.

Don't hate on people.

"Never ever speak foul about anybody behind their back," said user Aveek Roy Chowdhury. "Even to the best of people. Even the walls have eyes and ears. They also have limbs to kick some sense into you!"

Put another way: You're the master of what you don't say, you're the slave of what you do

Study the people that succeed.

Management might earnestly proclaim that teamwork and dedication are what get you ahead. 

But you're more cunning than that.

"Look at the employees who are successful, who get the recognition, who rise quickly — they represent what the company is looking for," says user Rob Pawlikowski. "What do they do that you can do?" 

Keep improving, on purpose.

Psychologists have discovered lots about biases.

One of the biggest takeaways: We're not very good at knowing what we're not good at.

Thus the need to talk your boss. 

"Take feedback from your supervisor on your soft skills like communication, leadership, teamwork," says Arif Nezami. "Your supervisor knows best your strengths and weaknesses. Know them and work towards them."

The best venue for such a conversation? Mega VC Ben Horowitz recommends the one-on-one meeting

Gather transferable skills. 

You're not going to be at this job forever.

Day to day, keep your next step in mind. 

"The important thing for you is to learn skills that make you valuable for your next job," says Nate Doromal. "Take some time everyday to learn something new and challenging. If you aren't doing this, then you are at risk of becoming a dinosaur." 

To know what skills to develop, consider the eleven qualities Google desires.

Make friends.

"Make as many friends as possible," says user Wisnu Nugroho. "They will always come in handy. Always." 

While some grumps will recommend that you isolate yourself from your peers, decades of organizational psych research suggests that continually growing quality relationships is required for advancing to the top

SEE ALSO: 58 Cognitive Biases That Screw Up Everything We Do

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The 'Rich Kids Of Instagram' Make Your Holiday Celebrations Look Rather Poor

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Rich Kids Of Instagram

Did you have a nice holiday season?

Probably not as nice as the infamous "Rich Kids Of Instagram," the offspring of the world's 1% who have no problem bragging on social media about all of their expensive adventures.

An Instagram and Tumblr account curates all of the photos documented by the wealthy few who live life in the lap of luxury, and there was no shortage of snaps from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve.

From black cards to magnums of champagne, private jets to secluded islands, from Prada bags to Rolex watches, your holiday celebrations will pale in comparison to the fun had by these teenagers.

 

It was the 12 Days of Prada for this rich teenager.



Why bother bundling up for the winter when you can jet off to an island in the sun?



Oh sure, just your average family home.



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Scientists Have Debunked 5 Myths About Carbs

F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1933 Letter To His Daughter Has Great Advice About What To Worry About This Year

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F Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald gave some fantastic advice to his 11-year-old daughter Scott in a 1933 letter, as Maria Popova points out at Brain Pickings.

Discussing what to worry about in life, Fitzgerald touches on several things that are relevant in 2015: 

Things to worry about:

Worry about courage
Worry about cleanliness
Worry about efficiency
Worry about horsemanship

Things not to worry about:

Don’t worry about popular opinion
Don’t worry about dolls
Don’t worry about the past
Don’t worry about the future
Don’t worry about growing up
Don’t worry about anybody getting ahead of you
Don’t worry about triumph
Don’t worry about failure unless it comes through your own fault
Don’t worry about mosquitoes
Don’t worry about flies
Don’t worry about insects in general
Don’t worry about parents
Don’t worry about boys
Don’t worry about disappointments
Don’t worry about pleasures
Don’t worry about satisfactions

Things to think about:

What am I really aiming at?
How good am I really in comparison to my contemporaries in regard to:

(a) Scholarship
(b) Do I really understand about people and am I able to get along with them?
(c) Am I trying to make my body a useful instrument or am I neglecting it?

The letter is found in "F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Life in Letters."

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WELCOME TO 2015! These Are The Most Hungover Cities In America

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hungover passed out cat party animal

Happy 2015! Some of us probably went a little overboard ringing in the new year last night and are suffering from the morning.

To get an idea of where Americans are most likely to be hungover today, we constructed the Business Insider Hangover Index.

Our two main sources were the CDC's 2011 Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), an annual survey of Americans' health habits, and the Census Bureau's 2012 County Business Patterns (CBP) program, which tracks the number and size of businesses in counties and metropolitan areas across the country. A more detailed description of the methodology can be found here.

Once again, the Midwest dominated the list with Ohio and Kansas boasting multiple cities in the top 25. Big cities like San Francisco and Denver also made it onto this year's list. 

#25 Denver, Colo.

Business Insider Hangover Score: 68.66

6.6% admitted to heavy drinking

21% admitted to binge drinking

14.5 bars per 100,000 people

22.4 beer/wine/liquor stores per 100,000 people

1.2 alcoholic beverage producing establishments per 100,000 residents

The CDC defines binge drinking as 5 or more drinks in one sitting for men, and 4 or more drinks in one sitting for women. The Hangover Score is the average of the percentile rankings of the five categories, and has a theoretical range from 0 to 100. Read the complete methodology here. 



#24 St. Louis, Mo.

Business Insider Hangover Score: 68.84

8.8% admitted to heavy drinking

22.9% admitted to binge drinking

19.5 bars per 100,000 people

5.3 beer/wine/liquor stores per 100,000 people

0.9 alcoholic beverage producing establishments per 100,000 residents

The CDC defines binge drinking as 5 or more drinks in one sitting for men, and 4 or more drinks in one sitting for women. The Hangover Score is the average of the percentile rankings of the five categories, and has a theoretical range from 0 to 100.  Read the complete methodology here. 



#23 Billings, Mont.

Business Insider Hangover Score: 68.94

6.9% admitted to heavy drinking

18.8% admitted to binge drinking

44.8 bars per 100,000 people

8 beer/wine/liquor stores per 100,000 people

4.9 alcoholic beverage producing establishments per 100,000 residents

The CDC defines binge drinking as 5 or more drinks in one sitting for men, and 4 or more drinks in one sitting for women. The Hangover Score is the average of the percentile rankings of the five categories, and has a theoretical range from 0 to 100. Read the complete methodology here. 



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Here's How We Made Business Insider's Hangover Index

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Chihuahua drinking beer

Since it's New Year's Day, we found the 25 American cities most likely to be hungover today, based on a few indicators that suggest heavy drinking activity.

Our two main sources were the CDC's 2011 Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), an annual survey of Americans' health habits, and the Census Bureau's 2012 County Business Patterns (CBP) program, which tracks the number and size of businesses in counties and metropolitan areas across the country.

We used five total indicators from these data sets to construct our ranking:

  • Binge drinking: The percentage of respondents in a metropolitan area who said they had binge drunk in the last month on the BRFSS survey. The survey defines binge drinking for men as having drunk 5 or more drinks on a single occasion, and for women as having had 4 or more drinks on a single occasion.
  • Heavy drinking: The percentage of respondents who said they were heavy drinkers on the BRFSS survey. The survey defines heavy drinking for men as having, on average, two or more drinks per day and for women as having, on average, one or more drink per day.
  • Number of bars per 100,000 residents: The number of drinking places primarily dedicated to serving alcohol in each metro area, according to the 2012 CBP. This category, and the other establishment-based metrics below, is adjusted by the Census Bureau's estimates of the 2012 population of each metro area to account for the variation in size of America's cities.
  • Number of beer, liquor, or wine stores per 100,000 residents: The population-adjusted number of retail stores selling alcoholic beverages for home consumption, from the 2012 CBP.
  • Number of alcoholic beverage producing establishments per 100,000 residents: The population-adjusted combined number of breweries, wineries, and distilleries in the metro area, from the 2012 CBP

BRFSS data were available for 168 metropolitan areas and divisions with at least 50,000 residents, and so these were the cities we ranked. The metro areas were percentile ranked in each of the five variables listed above, and to get our final Hangover Index, we averaged those ranks together, giving each city a score with a theoretical range of 0 to 99.

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Here's What Happens To Your Stomach When You Eat Too Much

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Many of us will claim that our stomachs feel like they're about to burst. But can we really die from eating too much?

It's nearly impossible for the stomach to explode from overeating, Mary Roach, the author of "Gulp," said in an interview with Business Insider.

The average stomach typically contains around 1 liter, or four cups, of food. Your stomach has an upper-limit before it tries to send that food back up. The stomach can handle around a gallon, or nearly 4 liters of food before you will throw up as a gag reflex, Roach said.

This response to overindulging in food or drink is true for most of the population. There are some cases, however, where people have managed to ignore their natural gag reflex and keep eating, causing their stomachs to rupture. (In 2003, "excessive over-eating" was reported as the cause of a 49-year-old man's stomach rupturing).

"Most cases of rupture seem to occur when a person has attempted to stuff their stomach with about five liters of food or fluid," according to NBC News. These people may have a history of disordered eating and have become accustomed to their stomach muscles stretching beyond their normal limits. Their brains also ignore signals telling them to stop eating.

When your stomach is filled with too much stuff and you don't vomit, all of that mass gets pushed up against the stomach's walls and can lead to it rupturing.  

You can learn more about digestion and what happens after food enters the mouth in the video above.

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Here Are The Watches 9 Wall Street Titans Wear

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Masters of the Universe aren't known for having anything resembling a jewelry collection except for one item — a watch. They're collectible, gorgeous and at times incredibly expensive pieces that can be handed down from generation to generation

Exactly the type of thing a titan of any industry would want.

We've put together a list and commentary about the wristwatches worn by some of Wall Street's most public executives. 

As expected, a couple of the watches are flashy. A few of them are really, really cheap by Wall Street standards. And one prominent banker doesn't even wear a watch. Ever. 

(If you know of the type of timepiece that an executive at your firm wears, feel free to send the tip to jlaroche@businessinsider.com)

Check it out: 

Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway

buffett rolex

Buffett, the "Oracle of Omaha," wears a gold Rolex Day-Date

T. Boone Pickens, BP Capital 

Boone Pickens watch

Oil magnate T. Boone Pickens also wears a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date that he purchased in 1964. 

Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman Sachs CEO

Lloyd Blankfein, watchGoldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein rocks a Swatch with what appears to be a clear plastic band. Swatch's tend to range between $50 to $245. It's also not exactly the sort of timepiece you'd expect a chief executive of a Wall Street investment bank to wear. Then again, Goldman is "the most hipster" bank on Wall Street.  

Stephen Schwarzman, CEO of Blackstone Group

Schwarzman

Billionaire private equity chief Stephen Schwarzman also wears a Swatch. He also uses a flip phone

Jack Bogle, Founder of the Vanguard Group

Jack BogleInvesting legend Jack Bogle, the founder of the Vanguard Group, wears a $14 wristwatch he received from a shareholder.

"I received in the mail a wristwatch from a devoted shareholder in California. On the dial were printed our Vanguard logo, my name, and a phrase that was an indication I was still looking out for our shareholders: "Still on Watch." It was also an outrageous pun: "Still on Watch." Confident that it would be my rabbit’s foot, I put the watch on my wrist, where, having proved itself, it remains to this day. (Yes, I knew about the $50 limit on gifts. So I checked the catalog for the price. It was $14. Talk about value!)," he wrote.  

Bond guru Jeff Gundlach, CEO of DoubleLine Capital

Jeff GundlachWe learned about Jeff Gundlach's watch collection when he had a bunch of his artwork and personal property stolen.  

According to the Santa Monica Police Department report, the watches that were stolen included a Glashutte, Breitling, A. Lange & Sohne, TAG Heuer and a Patek Philippe. We couldn't nail down prices for these specific models, but every one can run in the tens of thousands of dollars or more.

See below: 

watches

Talk about some serious wrist candy. Fortunately, the DoubleLine Capital CEO brilliantly helped the FBI recover his stolen property.

Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square

Ackman watchBill Ackman, the CEO of Pershing Square Capital, sports a watch with a black band and dark face. We can't identify the watchmaker, though. 

Private equity chief executive Lynn Tilton

Lynn Tilton watchPrivate equity chief Lynn Tilton, the founder of Patriarch Partners, wears a MASSIVE bejeweled timepiece by Jacob the Jeweler. It's definitely fits her "dust to diamonds" persona. She's going to be receiving a personalized Rolex timepiece next week along with a huge tennis award. It better have some bling! 

Hedge funder Phil Falcone

FalconeHedge funder Phil Falcone wears a black sports watch (it looks like Casio G-Shock) and some friendship bracelets and beads (We're assuming his twin girls made those for him).

James Gorman, Morgan Stanley CEO

James Gorman watchJames Gorman wears a stainless steel Rolex Daytona, according to Ben Clymer, the founder of watch site Hodinkee.

Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase CEO

Jamie DimonJamie Dimon doesn't wear a watch. Ever. Apparently, he doesn't care for jewelry. 

SEE ALSO: The ultimate gentleman's guide to starting a watch collection

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23 Places You Should Visit In 2015

HOUSE OF THE DAY: Michelle Williams Has Sold Her Brooklyn Townhouse She Shared With Heath Ledger For $8.8 Million

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HOUSE OF THE DAY: Michelle Williams Brooklyn Townhouse

Actress Michelle Williams has sold her gorgeous ivy-covered Brooklyn townhouse for more than one million over the asking price, 6sqft reports

Williams bought the property in 2005 with her then-boyfriend Heath Ledger for a mere $3.6 million, according to Curbed

The townhouse spent barely four months on the market before being sold for $8.8 million.

Which makes sense because in addition to be an incredibly lovely and inviting home, the townhouse is packed with amazing amenities including a temperature-controlled wine cellar, heated floors, and a rooftop garden with a waterfall. 

Williams is reportedly moving to LA to focus on her career, and leaving this incredible space behind.  

Welcome to 126 Hoyt Street in the popular Brooklyn neighborhood of Boerum Hill. The incredible corner property is covered in lush greenery.



The interior of the home is very spacious, and is centered around a nearly 1,000-square-foot “loft-like parlor floor.”



The home has 12-foot-tall ceilings and huge windows that shower the kitchen with natural light and views of the garden.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






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