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Meet Gal Gadot, the scene-stealer who stars as 'Wonder Woman'

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gal gadot


Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman, and she's stealing the show.

For those unfamiliar with her name, the 31-year-old actress was best known for her roles in four "Fast and Furious" films before taking on the role of Wonder Woman alongside Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

She's now bringing the comic-book Amazonian princess to life in the first standalone "Wonder Woman" film scheduled for 2017 and (at least) two "Justice League" movies.

But even before she was killing it in action films, she was crowned Miss Israel and served two years in the Israeli army.

Get to know the scene-stealing Wonder Woman below:

Gal Gadot was born in Israel on April 30, 1985. Her mom was a teacher, and her father was an engineer. (She's on the right.)

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Source: Glamour



Growing up, Gadot wanted to be a choreographer before switching paths to focus on law. But her plans changed after she met a pageant scout.

Source: Glamour



She participated in the 2004 Miss Israel contest and won, which launched her into a modeling career.

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Source: Glamour



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One of New York's top real estate tycoons is selling his Hamptons mansion for $5 million — look inside

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rosengarten house main view

Jerry Rosengarten just put his Southampton home on the market for $5.15 million.

The exquisitely designed house combines modern and antique details.

"I built this house for sale not for everyone because it is a truly custom home," said Rosengarten, a real estate entrepreneur who owns the famed Bowery Hotel.

Let's take a look at this elegant residence, courtesy of the listing by Douglas Elliman. 

 

SEE ALSO: Matt Lauer just picked up this gorgeous $36.5 million estate in the Hamptons from Richard Gere — take a look inside

DON'T MISS: Follow Business Insider's lifestyle page on facebook!

Finished in 2016, the 6,662 square foot home is designed to effortlessly combine old and new.



A set of gates welcomes visitors to the property, ensuring privacy in a neighborhood that has become increasingly popular in recent years.



The house sits on .58 acres, boasting large, mature trees, two outdoor fireplaces, and a lower level rock garden patio for entertaining.



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A photographer captured these incredible aerial photos of New York City and Los Angeles

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jeff milstein

New York City and Los Angeles can feel like chaotic metropolises at the ground level, with cars and people shuffling through the streets at all hours. 

But New York-based photographer Jeffrey Milstein shows that they can look much more neat and tidy from above.

A recent recipient of a 2016 PDN Photo Annual Award, Milstein has been taking aerial photos of NYC and LA for over a decade. Check out a few of his incredible shots, which give a radically different perspective of the two cities.

Milstein captured the photos from a helicopter 1,000 to 2,000 feet in the air. Pictured below is a shot of Stuyvesant Town, a residential development near the East Village in NYC.

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Source: Architectural Digest



Manhattan's Financial District is full of skyscrapers.

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Lady Liberty sits on a star-shaped platform.

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Get a great pair of Bluetooth exercise headphones for £13 — and more of the best deals on Amazon UK

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Solar charger

Finding a bargain can be tough, and most people just don't have the time to grab them. Luckily, we did all of the legwork for you. We found the most noteworthy deals on Amazon UK, and rounded them up in one convenient place, so that you don't need to. 

Save £5 on this power bank, which is perfect for festivals and everyday life

Although smartphones are becoming increasingly efficient, their battery life seems to be decreasing, and usually, they die when you need them the most. That explains why power banks have become the heroes of this day and age. 

This TP-Link power bank is a great choice for those looking for a portable and durable option. It will be able to charge your phone three times over, which is perfect for week-end getaways and avoiding long queues at festivals. 

TP-LINK Portable Universal USB Power Bank, £11.99 (usually £16.99), available at Amazon UK



Upgrade your laptop to this convertible notebook, and save £91

The Lenovo Yoga 700 is simultaneously the strangest and most practical notebook on the market. If you're the kind of person who needs both a laptop and a tablet, look no further. The 360-degree fold-back-screen means you can use the Yoga as a laptop, as well as in a variety of touchscreen positions. Although this is very much a mid-range laptop, it features the Intel Skylake processor, and has full HD graphics so you can us it for both work and play. 

Lenovo Yoga 700 11.6 inch FHD Convertible Touchscreen Notebook, £458.99 (usually £549.99). available on Amazon UK



Get £47 off this Bluetooth headset, which is great for working out

Say goodbye to annoying cables while you run, and pick up a pair of these Bluetooth earbudsConstructed with durable, yet lightweight materials, this headset is designed not to move around while exercising. It also wins another bonus point for being completely sweatproof, which means you won't destroy them after an intense session at the gym. 

Ecandy Wireless Bluetooth Headset, £12.99 (usually £59.99), available at Amazon UK



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20 unprofessional work habits that make your boss and coworkers hate you

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mistake boss employee nervous upset laptop explain

Do your coworkers or boss show signs that they secretly hate you?

If you answered "yes," then sure, it could be that they're generally disagreeable people. Or it could be you.

You may not realize it, but you could be engaging in workplace habits that make you look unprofessional.

While many of these habits violate the basic rules of common decency and respect, sometimes you need a reminder of how to behave at work. And since your office-mates aren't speaking up, we decided to chime in on their behalf.

Here's what you could be doing all wrong that makes you look unprofessional:

SEE ALSO: 16 bad habits that are sabotaging your productivity

DON'T MISS: 18 unprofessional habits that could ruin your job interview

Bragging

"When we're proud of an accomplishment or about something good that happens to us, it's natural to want to share the news with others," says Rosalinda Oropeza Randall, anetiquette and civility expert and author of "Don't Burp in the Boardroom."

But sharing can easily become bragging, and she says there are a few key indicators that this is happening:

• If you go on and on, telling everyone and anyone who walks by.

• If you speak of it in a loud tone so that even the window washer can hear it through the thick glass.

• If you use a tone of superiority.

• If you feel the need to put down others and point out their failures.

• If you fail to say "thank you" when you are congratulated.

• If you start embellishing the story.

"When in doubt, try a little humility" Randall suggests.



Showing up late to work

"Punctuality is critical," Randall says.

"The professional thing to do is to arrive on time, ready to do what is expected. It's not like they just sprung this job on you," she says.



Rolling in 10 minutes late to every meeting

Similarly, showing up late to meetings shows that you neither respect your coworkers — who showed up on time, by the way — nor the meeting organizer, says Vicky Oliver, author of "301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions" and "Power Sales Words."

"Keeping people waiting can be construed as inconsiderate, rude, or arrogant," Randall says.



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The 25 healthiest cities in America

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city running

Your personal decisions — diet, exercise, smoking, drinking — are crucial to living a healthy life, but some cities make living well easier and can have a huge effect on your overall health.

Niche, a company that researches and compiles information on cities, recently released its list of the healthiest cities in the US.

Niche assessed more than 220 cities with a population of more than 100,000, focusing on a group of factors that are important in measuring a healthy lifestyle, including obesity and smoking rates (taken from county level data) as well as availability and proximity to doctors and gyms. Niche also looked at other metrics, like the rate of excessive alcohol consumption and access to mental health providers.

Note that while some cities appear to have identical grades, each grade represents a range of scores, allowing some to rank higher despite both receiving an "A+", for instance. Read more about the methodology here.

California has the most cities on the list with 15 in the top 25 — including a handful from Orange County and neighboring Los Angeles County — but the healthiest city in the country is in Colorado. 

Read on to find out the 25 healthiest cities in America. 

SEE ALSO: The 30 best college towns in America

DON'T MISS: The 25 safest cities in America

25. Burbank, California

Population:104,484

Physical inactivity rate: 17%

Obesity rate: 21.3%

Access to doctors: A

Access to recreation/fitness facilities: A

Percent of smokers: 12.3%



24. Glendale, California

Population:195,380

Physical inactivity rate: 17%

Obesity rate: 21.3%

Access to doctors: A

Access to recreation/fitness facilities: A

Percent of smokers: 12.3%



23. Santa Maria, California

Population:101,468

Physical inactivity rate: 13.9%

Obesity rate: 19.4%

Access to doctors: A-

Access to recreation/fitness facilities: B+

Percent of smokers: 10.5%



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This Los Angeles home that just sold for $2.29 million has an incredibly chilling past

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Los Angeles' most notorious house has just sold for a cool $2.29 million, Curbed LA reported. Though it was long rumored to be haunted by previous residents, the home was originally listed in March for $2.7 million, boasting beautiful views, a glass conservatory, formal dining room, and a third-floor ballroom and bar.

However, the home has in fact been uninhabited since the 1959 murder-suicide that occurred in one of its four bedrooms. Dr. Harold Perelson, a cardiologist who lived in the house with his wife and three children, was the alleged murderer — killing his wife with a ball-peen hammer, attacking his daughter, and finally taking his own life.

Infamous for its chilling story, the house has remained somewhat of a time capsule. While it's been used as storage for some of its more recent owners, only one family is rumored to have lived on the property since the incident. If the rumors are true, they fled in the middle of the night on the anniversary of the killing.

Listing agent Nancy Sanborn told Curbed that the new owners plan to fix up the home before moving in.

Just before the house went on the market, photographer Alexis Vaughn was able to go inside the property and capture a few images of its interior. Below are 14 photos that Vaughn told us she hopes "transports my viewers there."

SEE ALSO: 17 photos that show what the radioactive area around Chernobyl looks like today, 30 years after the explosion

The house was originally bought by the Perelsons for $60,000 in the 1950s.

Source: Medium



At that time, the house was described as a "delightful 12-room home, with terraced lawns, artistic gardens and a magnificent view," according to a recent article by Jeff Maysh on Medium.

Source: Medium



It was at 4:30 a.m. on December 6, 1959, when Perelson attacked his wife with a ball-peen hammer to the head. Because of the trauma, she asphyxiated on her own blood.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

These are the best calendar apps for iOS and Android

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Sunrise Calendar

The Sunrise calendar app is being shut down on August 31, which is a huge blow to people who relied on it. Many of its features will live on in Microsoft Outlook, but the end result is the same: Sunrise is gone. Fortunately, there are a ton of calendar apps out there capable of fulfilling the same role, and we’ve compiled a list of some of the best ones we could find for both iOS and Android. We hope that one of them will be the perfect fit for you and will make your life easier to manage.

SEE ALSO: This should be your first goal as a startup founder

The Best

For iOS, the best calendar app can only be Fantastical 2. It works with the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, and it takes advantage of some of the new hardware features like 3D Touch and Force Touch. What pushes it above the rest of the apps available on iOS is how it supports multiple languages, lets people use speech to create reminders, and even supports the use of simple text phrases to make reminders and alerts. It’s intuitive, quick, convenient, and feature-rich, which is everything you want from an app you’re hoping will make your life easier to schedule.

The iPad app gets its own unique dashboard view, which provides quick and easy access to all of your events and reminders. If you have an Apple Watch, there’s a dedicated app for that as well, which will have your reminders pushed to it, and allow you to speak directly to the watch to add new events, thanks to the Force Touch capabilities. English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese are all supported.

Many of the app’s features are standard fare and just what you’d expect a calendar app to offer, but Fantastical 2 strives to make every process more convenient in order to save time. For example, you can start a sentence with “reminder,” “to do,” or “task” to create reminders, or use phrases like “remind me tomorrow at 3PM,” or “alarm 3PM” to set new alerts. You can also add a geofence to an alert so that it’ll go off when you leave or arrive at a specific location. For example, if you head out to a grocery store, you’ll be reminded of the fact that you need milk and bread.

 



For Android users, we can’t recommend CloudCal enough. CloudCal probably has the most unique way of showing how busy you are on any given day. The Android app uses a system it calls Magic Circles, which turn the days of the month into clock faces, and show different colored circles, or segments of a circle. Each one corresponds to whatever tasks you have scheduled for that day. If it’s someone’s birthday, there would be a complete magic circle on that day. If you have a meeting at work that same day, there would be another colored segment on the outside of the previously mentioned circle labeled “Meeting.” The goal of the magic circle system is to give people a rough understanding of what their day will be like, and how much free time they’ll have in between everything.

To complement the magic circles, CloudCal features gesture support, customizable views, calendar import, and it can work alongside other apps like Uber, Maps, and Waze. However, that requires those apps to be installed, and you’ll need to purchase the Pro version of the app for $2.50 first. Once installed, you can call an Uber from within CloudCal, or use Maps and Waze to attach locations to scheduled events and tasks. The biggest factor behind our recommendation is the app’s unique Magic Circles system, which is stylish and gets information across quickly. There’s also the fact that you can use other apps like Uber, Maps, and Waze to complement CloudCal’s features and functions. We also like that you can attach photos, audio files, and Dropbox files to events.



The Rest

Calendars 5 is so named because it’s the fifth version of Readdle’s Calendars app, meaning its developer has had a lot of time to invest in this particular app and its features. The current incarnation of the app works with both the iPhone and iPad, allowing you to keep track of your events across iOS devices. It’s a simple feature, but an invaluable one for those deep in the Apple ecosystem who already using the iPhone’s default Calendar app. Of course, a calendar app is nothing without intuitive ways to create new events, schedules, and alerts, and Calendars 5 does it all incredibly well.

Enter, for example, “Meet John at Starbucks on Sunday,” and the app will automatically create an event on Sunday to meet at Starbucks. Need to get a larger picture of what you have planned for the next week or month? The app has multiple views to show your schedule while utilizing the iPhone’s screen to the fullest. Was the aforementioned meeting at Starbucks supposed to be on Saturday instead? Drag the event from one day to another, and the changes will be reflected on your other devices. Edits can be made offline as well, which will then be synced the next time you have a Wi-Fi connection.

Additional features of Calendars 5 include being able to set recurring events, set custom alerts, and invite others to your events and tasks. And, more importantly, this is all done within an app featuring a design that looks and feels right at home on the iOS platform.





See the rest of the story at Business Insider

8 science-backed ways to be more attractive

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but research has found that there are certain commonalities that seem to make people more attractive than others.

We've rounded up some of the more compelling science behind this, but keep in mind that a lot of psychological research is heterosexually biased, so don't fret if you don't see yourself described below.

TI_Graphics_8 science backed ways to appear more attractive

 

MORE: 13 of the hottest places on Earth

UP NEXT: This seemingly healthy meal choice could be throwing off your diet

Be funny.

Multiplestudiesindicate that ladies are more attracted to guys who can make them laugh. 

It makes sense — laughing feels good! — but the advantage seems weirdly uneven. Women who make men laugh, for example, don't gain anywhere near the same kind of advantage. In other words, men aren't paying enough attention to whether their female mates can make them crack up. What gives, men?

There's some speculation as to what the cause of this disparity might be.

"The effect of a great sense of humor on women's attractions might be partially explained by the fact that funny people are considered to be more social and more intelligent, things that women seek in a mate," anthropologist Gil Greengross writes at Psychology Today.

But, as far as we're concerned, if you're a funny person — no matter your anatomical sex — it's unlikely to hurt your chances.



Surround yourself with friends.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes bands are sexy, but their individual members aren't?

A 2014 study from the University of California at San Diego found that people almost always look more attractive when they're in a group.

Writer James Hamblin does a good job exploring this for The Atlantic. It most likely happens because our brains process the faces of a group of people in aggregate, making each face look more "average"— and thus more attractive— as a result.

"Having a few wingmen or wingwomen may indeed be a good dating strategy, particularly if their facial features complement and average out one's unattractive idiosyncrasies," authors Drew Walker and Edward Vul write in their original study.

Don't spend too much time worrying if your bar mates' faces average out your unattractive idiosyncrasies. The go out with friends bit is probably good advice.



Skip the small talk.

An interesting way to kick off your first date is not, "How many siblings do you have?" So consider saving those basic questions for later.

In a 1997 study, State University of New York psychologist Arthur Aron separated two groups of people and paired them off, giving each duo 45 minutes to answer a set of questions.

One question set was small talk, and the other was immediately probing. The people who asked deeper questions felt more connected — and one couple even fell in love.

According to Harvard research, talking about yourself stimulates the same brain regions as sex or a good meal. Which isn't to say it's literally the same thing for you as sex or a good meal. But it does make you happy, and letting someone you like talk about themselves in a deep way will make them happy.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Vintage pictures show what Brooklyn was like in the summer of 1974

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bk summer

It's high summer in New York City, and that means the city feels like the inside of a steam room.

But New Yorkers are no strangers to dealing with summer heat and humidity — look no further than this collection of vintage photos of Brooklyn taken in the summer of 1974.

Photographer Danny Lyon spent two months snapping pictures of the daily life in the borough — exploring Bushwick, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Fort Green, and Park Slope among other neighborhoods. Here's a glimpse at what he saw.

Two girls pose in front of graffiti in Lynch Park, Brooklyn.



Manhattan Bridge Tower in Brooklyn, framed through nearby buildings.



Apartment house across from Fort Green Park in Brooklyn.



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9 predictors of success in life that are almost entirely out of your control

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frustrated athlete

We'll give you the good news first: Generally speaking, there's a lot you can do to boost your chances of success in life.

Get enough sleep and don't stress out. Show up early to work and wear a suit. Be nice to people and don't be lazy.

And now for the less-good news: Some part of your success is out of your hands. Your ability to land a good job, earn a decent salary, and find love may depend in part on things like your parents' jobs and your natural scent.

It's not fair, but it's reality.

Below, we've rounded up nine factors behind your personal and professional success — that you can't do much to change.

SEE ALSO: 23 surprising things that can make you successful

Your facial structure

A 2015 study found that people whose faces convey the impression of trustworthiness and dominance may earn higher salaries.

For example, participants awarded hypothetical candidates for a head of retail operations position an extra $419 when the candidates looked trustworthy and an extra $355 when the candidates looked dominant.

Looking trustworthy and/or dominant is based mostly on your facial structure. Studies have found that dominance is associated with "masculine" features, like a squared face, strong jawline, pronounced eyebrows, and thin eyes and lips. Trustworthiness is associated with "feminine" features like a round face, big eyes, small eyebrows, and full lips.

In other words, barring cosmetic surgery, you've got minimal control over how trustworthy or dominant you appear.



Your accent

It's not just what you say in a job interview, but also how you say it that determines whether you get hired.

Research suggests that some employers may discriminate against candidates for executive positions when the candidates have foreign accents. That's likely because the employers may believe that those candidates have less political skill.

The researchers behind the study say companies should add accent-bias awareness training to existing training programs for hiring managers, in order to help reduce this unfair discrimination.



Your natural body odor

Your ability to land — and keep — the person of your dreams depends a lot on your personal scent. Scientists say we seek mates who are neither too similar nor different genetically — and we make those judgments based partly on body odor.

In a 2006 study, for example, researchers recruited heterosexual couples to answer questions like how much they were turned on by their partners and how many other people they'd had sex with during the course of the relationship.

Meanwhile, the researchers took DNA from the participants' mouths as well as their partners' and brought it to the lab for testing. Specifically, they wanted to compare their major histocompatibility complexes, which are immune-system genes.

The researchers found that the more similar their MHCs were, the less attracted the participants were to their partners and the more likely they were to have had sex outside the relationship.

At the same time, studies have also found that we avoid partners who smell too different from us.



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Here's what Rio's 'uninhabitable' Olympic village looks like less than two weeks before the Opening Ceremony

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Rio Olympic Village

On Sunday, athletes, coaches, and team officials from around the world began to move into the Olympic village ahead of the Opening Ceremony, which take place on August 5. The move-in did not go swimmingly. 

Team Australia called the village uninhabitable, as problems with plumbing, electricity, gas, and overall cleanliness forced them to quickly move into hotels. In the Dutch living quarters, a small fire broke out. Only 12 of the 31 buildings have passed safety inspections.

But Rio officials have promised to put the finishing touches on the village over the next two weeks. And when the Olympics do start, more than 11,000 people will call the Olympic village their home, so they'd better.

In the meantime, take a tour of the village below:

 

Rio's Olympic village is expected to host over 17,000 athletes from across the world.

Source: The New York Times



The village has plenty of tennis courts, soccer fields, and other outdoor activities.



Signs on the outsides of the buildings make it easy to tell which country is staying where.



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These are 13 of the hottest places on earth

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globallst_amo_20032005_lrgAfter a heat wave this past weekend, the US has had its taste of scorching temperatures. But compared to some places in the world, those temperatures pale in comparison.

Many spots in the world claim to be the “hottest on earth,” but the dubious honor changes from year to year, as the weather can vary. In addition, many places — such as the Lut desert— are too remote and inhospitable to even have a permanent weather station to record the temperatures. NASA has been operating two satellites equipped with a Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to help measure temperatures in these remote areas for the last dozen years, which fills the gaps somewhat.  

So while it is unlikely that there is one place that can be named the hottest ever, there are places that generally see scorching temperatures. And these places usually have a few characteristics in common, according to Weather.com. They tend to be in deserts with little soil moisture or vegetation, where there is a lot of direct sunshine unimpeded by clouds during the hot season. This means the sun’s energy goes directly into heating the ground. These places also tend to be at lower elevations.

From Ethiopia to Iran to Australia, some places are so hot, they test the limits of the meaning of the term habitable. Here are just a few of these places.

SEE ALSO: Don't count on trees to stop the world from getting hotter — here’s why

DON'T MISS: The world's clouds are shifting, but not in a good way

Dallol, Ethiopia

Located in the in the Afar Depression of Ethiopia, a volcanically-active region, Dallol was once a mining settlement in the 1960s but now is largely a ghost town. Still, this place holds the record for having the highest average annual temperature ever recorded — between 1960-1966, the average temperature was 94 degrees Fahrenheit— with daytime temperatures rising above 100.



Coober Pedy, Australia

While the temperatures may not be as scorching in Coober Pedy as some of the other places on this list, they were high enough to drive the residents underground. Today, the entire opal mining town of Coober Pedy moved underground to avoid the temperatures (which can reach 113 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade), as well as seasonal dust storms.



El Azizia, Libya

Once thought to hold the record for the highest temperature ever directly recorded, El Azizia has since had its record downgraded over questions about its temperatures measurement accuracy. Still, it remains a region famous for its high temperatures that regularly climb over 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I built a spreadsheet to calculate what it would take to retire early, and it was a shock

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couple relaxing london hyde park

After being inspired by Jeremy’s early retirement story, I decided to sit down and calculate once and for all how long it would take for us to retire early as well.

(And by retire early, I really mean “be financially independent” – ie not needing money anymore to survive whether you still want to work or not. In a way I feel like I’m already retired since I’d be blogging as I am now when officially free, only I very much need the money to live off right now, haha …)

As any good nerd would do in these times, I headed straight to Google for some early retirement spreadsheets to help plot my scheming.

I came across a few good places that shared close to what I was looking for (the 2nd spreadsheet over at Reddit was helpful (and detailed!), as well as this fun calculator at Networthify.com), but I couldn’t find anything that was nice and simple where I could plug in a few numbers and get my snapshot without having my head explode..

So I decided to make one of my own.

It took me a little extra effort and sharpening of Excel skills to put together, but I was happy to jump in and fully immerse myself in what early retirement looks like number-wise. And when you’re building stuff from scratch, you get to cater things to your own liking! Which to me meant simplicity and getting that overall *snapshot* of what the deal is here. I wanted to see exactly how far away FI (financial independence) is, and be able to easily play with the numbers to see how it affects the future.

This is what I came up with.

SEE ALSO: Over the past 6 years, I've fine-tuned a spreadsheet that has completely changed my finances

The Early Retirement / FI Spreadsheet

(You can download the spreadsheet here: Early Retirement Spreadsheet)

Here are the assumptions it makes:

• 4% withdrawal rate– This is the amount experts/bloggers often recommend as the “safe withdrawal” amount based on the Trinity Study. (That says historically you would have been fine spending 4% of your initial portfolio value and adjusting for inflation each year)
• 25 multiplier– This is the ratio that will tell you when you’ve reached financial independence – when you have 25x your annual expenses invested in income generating assets, which is based on that same 4% withdrawal rule.
• 8% return rate – This is another of those often quoted, yet highly controversial numbers, and is an average over the span of many years and not just a specific one. NOTE: Inflation will make this # not as sexy over time, but fortunately is already calculated in with the 4% withdrawal plan.
• 100%– The amount of an expert in Early Retirement I am not ;)

UPDATE: This spreadsheet gives you a snapshot for the future as things stand *today*. It’ll all change as time goes on, but if we update it along w/ it then in theory it should always be correct for any given moment in time :) If you want to adjust for future changes though, scroll down and check out v2!

Now of course none of these numbers are absolute since we can’t predict the future, so these are things you’ll have to decide yourself to keep or tweak depending on your own beliefs. I tend to personally agree with them since I’m getting these #’s from my friends who are *already* retired, but either of them can be changed easily in the spreadsheet to match your own situation.



Let’s break down the sections:

INVESTMENTS— This is where you put your *ahem* investments. No home equity, cars, property, collectibles, etc. Just straight up income-producing investments since this is where you’ll be getting your money to live off in ER (early retirement). Notice this is an adjustment from having our Net Worth be the center of attention! That gives you an overall snapshot of your entire finances which is also good to know, but doesn’t necessarily paint a good ER picture…

(I left out cash here on purpose since it’s just sitting in a savings account and not making a return, but I know others do like to include it… fwiw)

RETIRE NOW: YEARLY & MONTHLY— This tells you what you have to live off of *right now* should you decide to retire today. Again, based off the same 4% withdrawal rate.

AGE: NOW & THEN– This is where you plug in your current age which will be automatically adjusted in the “Investments” column to the right. Unfortunately you have to match up your ER age manually as I couldn’t figure out how to have that match and automatically adjust w/ that right-side column. You can easily figure it out though :) It’s now updated and will automatically calculate for you thanks to an anonymous reader!

EXPENSES (CURRENTLY)— This is arguably the most important factor here as it determines exactly how much you need to have in order to retire *today*. The higher your expenses the bigger the pot – which is where this 25x number comes in. The total amount needed to live off your wealth is 25x your yearly expenses, one of the main variables we have control over! (BTW in the spreadsheet all you need to do is plug in your monthly expenses and it’ll auto-calculate the rest)

INVESTMENTS (GROWTH OVER TIME)— This is where the return rate plays its role, as well as the amount of money you’ll be investing yearly in the future as well. You can easily see how DRASTIC the numbers change by tweaking either area. Just 1 % point or $1,000 extra can make a huge difference! As it’s all about compounding over the years until you reach that sweet sweet nectar of freedom ;)

That’s it! Nice and simple right? You can easily plug in your own numbers in a matter of seconds (provided you know them off your head or can easily log in and copy/paste from your Net Worth spreadsheet which you’re tracking, right? ;)) and get a snapshot of your own situation.

It’s pretty humbling…



Here’s what the calculations are telling me:

(The numbers in that spreadsheet example are my own)

1. I can’t retire until I’m 54 at this rate. Which really isn’t “early!!”
2. I need a nest egg of $2,250,000 in income-producing assets to do so
3. I’d have $1,383.53 to live off if I decided to retire *today* (not a lot, but VERY COOL TO KNOW!!)
4. Our expenses are ridiculously high right now…

[UPDATE– our expenses are now roughly $5,200 a mo (yeah no more daycare!!) so we’re looking at needing “only” $1,600,000 now which chops down the years left by 6 and granting us financial freedom at age 48 :) At least in theory – hah.]

So pretty much the opposite of what I wanted to see, haha… Which means that if I’m serious about reaching financial independence early FOR REAL, I need to either drastically cut our expenses, or drastically start saving more again. Something we used to do like crazy before the Perfect Storm hit of income losses, house renovations, baby producing (big factor), and just general change in business.

That’s the bad news.

The good news? Our current situation is only temporary and by this time next year (and probably much sooner actually), we’ll have an extra $40k-$80k a year coming in to completely speed things up again. Something I’m VERY much looking forward to ;) And many of our expenses like daycare and rental property losses will be gone in a matter of time as well – freeing up $2,500 off the bat.

**Which leads us to the other important thing to consider: What we spend NOW can/will/should be different than what we spend in actual retirement.**

Depending on how far away this is, it could affect mortgage/car payments (or lack there of), commuting expenses, healthcare expenses, food budgets, entertainment and the list goes on. Something that Jeremy brought to my attention when I shot him my first “go” at the retirement spreadsheet above.

He made some edits and shot it back to me…



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How to land a job when you have zero connections

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job seeker application

"It's not what you know. It's who you know."

You've probably heard this more times than you can count.

"Imagine this scenario," says Ryan Kahn, a career coach, founder of The Hired Group, and author of "Hired! The Guide for the Recent Grad.""You're a hiring manager trying to fill a position. You have two piles of résumés on your desk. In one pile, you have a stack of 100 résumés from qualified candidates who applied online. In the other pile, you have five résumés from candidates who were personally referred by your colleagues. Which pile would you tackle first?"

Most hiring managers would likely start with candidates who've already been vetted ... those who've come recommended, Kahn says. But if you have no connections, it doesn't mean you're doomed. There are still things you can do to help your résumé be seen.

Here are three suggestions:

SEE ALSO: The 19 best books for someone just starting out in their career

Dig deeper

Let's say you're applying for a job at XYZ company. You quickly think about whether you know anyone who works there: No aunts. No uncles. No friends. No cousins. No former classmates. No one.

This approach is just plain lazy. You may very well have a second degree connection that you've just yet to uncover. But a little bit of digging can easy get you the contact you might need.

First, check your LinkedIn. Maybe you're connected with someone who currently works (or previously worked) at XYZ and you hadn't even realized.

Next, spread the word. Perhaps your Uncle Joe's neighbor is a hiring manager at XYZ.

You can also try contacting your alma mater. Maybe they can tell you which of your former professors or peers is employed by XYZ. Bam! You've suddenly got a connection (and something in common).



Find and make a new connection

If some digging gets you nowhere, you shouldn't just give up.

Kahn suggests finding someone who works (or has worked) at the company and reaching out.

Connect with them on LinkedIn and send them a note introducing yourself and letting them know you'd like to hear more about their experience at XYZ company. You never want the connection to feel used. Don't immediately ask for a favor, or for them to "put in a good word" for you.

"A rookie mistake is to ask for something in your initial email to someone you haven't yet met. Be honest and upfront, but don't start off by requesting a phone call or coffee meet up. Instead, think of how you can give or add value to their life before asking for something."

You need to have some patience and put in the work. You'll want to build a relationship with this person and get to know each other a bit. Once they get a better sense of who you are, they may be more willing to help you out.



Apply anyway

If all else fails, don't let your lack of an inside connection hold you back from applying.

It's important to remember that knowing someone can help your résumé be seen, but it never guarantees an interview. So, while having a connection does help, it certainly isn't everything.

If you're really perfect for the job, apply the old fashioned way. Having a great résumé, relevant experience, and a positive attitude can be way more powerful than any connection.



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This new invention can automatically brew hard cider and wine in your kitchen

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ALCHEMA PRODUCT 1

Brewing hard cider at home can feel daunting — there are lots of ingredients, and the process can be hard to get just right.

A new appliance, called the Alchema, makes it easy. The device is connected to an app, and all you need to do is fill it with fruit, yeast, sugar, water, and wait about a week, co-founder Oscar Chang tells Tech Insider. 

On July 26, the team behind the invention launched a Kickstarter campaign, hoping to raise $80,000. Backers can pre-order an Alchema for $299 (though it will later retail for $499), with an expected delivery date in August 2017.

Here's how it works.

First, you choose a recipe from the app, which tells you the amount of each ingredient to use. Next, measure and chop the fruit, and then add it with the yeast, sugar, and water (which you buy separately) to the Alchema's glass vase.



Alchema's compatible app, which uses Bluetooth and WiFi, walks you through the entire process.



The machine ferments the beverage for you. Sensors inside the Alchema monitor the brew during the fermentation process, and adjust conditions based on temperature, alcohol content, and air pressure (since the yeast produces gas that can build up).



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7 signs you're rich, even if it doesn't feel like it

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wealthy woman smiling

"Rich" is relative.

Maybe you think it means being in the top 1% of earners in some of the wealthiest cities in the US. Maybe it means being able to buy a flashy mansion or spend your life flitting from luxury vacation to luxury vacation.

But former investment banker Kristin Addis told Business Insider she feels richer earning about 40% of her previous six-figure salary while she travels the world. Nick and Dariece Swift, who also left their jobs to make a fraction of their former income, said they're happier earning less. The self-made millionaire stars of "West Texas Investor's Club" say their relationships are more valuable than the money they earn.

Ultimately, "rich" can be just as subjective as "happy"— it's different for everyone. However, there are a few universal indications of wealth, no matter how you view it: 

SEE ALSO: Here's how much of the population is considered high-income in 19 major US cities — and what they earn

You can save money

"Most people fail to realize that in life, it's not how much money you make. It's how much money you keep," writes Robert Kiyosaki in the personal finance classic, "Rich Dad Poor Dad."

At the end of the day, money does not solve financial problems — in fact, it often exacerbates them. Consider the lottery winners who lost it allwithin a few years; or theprofessional athletes who made millions in their 20s and wound up broke.

"Money often makes obvious our tragic human flaws, putting a spotlight on what we don't know," explains Kiyosaki. "That is why, all too often, a person who comes into a sudden windfall of cash — let's say an inheritance, a pay raise, or lottery winnings — soon returns to the same financial mess, if not worse, than the mess they were in before." 

If you can hold on to a portion of the money you earn, you're in good shape.



You can live comfortably below your means

Living below your means is one of the major tenets of responsible money management: spending less than you earn, however much that may be.

Self-made billionaire Anthony Hsieh told Business Insider that learning to live within his means was a lesson he learned from his parents, who immigrated to the US from Taiwan.

The habit "has helped me quite a bit and that's one of the reasons I've survived and flourished in consumer lending for 30 years," he said. "My career spans four different economic and housing cycles and I'm still sitting at the table as a key executive in consumer lending. I think part of that is my discipline of making certain that the company and myself don't overspend."

Living within your means might not sound like a big deal if you're already doing it ... but not everyone can manage. A 2015 report released by the Pew Research Center found that more than half (55%)of the nearly 8,000 Americans surveyed said they spend more than they earn, or just break even every month.



You will eventually be able to pay for the things you really want 

If you can go out and buy a yacht in cash today, most people would agree that you're rich. However, if you can go out and buy that same yacht five years from now after setting a savings goal and socking away money on a monthly or annual basis, guess what? You're probably still rich.

Survey after survey turns up the same dispiriting result: Americans aren't saving all that much. The same Pew survey reported that 33% of respondents had no household savings, and a GOBankingRates survey of over 4,500 Americans found that a third of them have no retirement savings whatsoever.

Which brings us to our next point ...



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Here are 8 things you don’t miss about basic training

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Marine Corps OCS boot camp

For anyone who has been through it, recruit training (or whatever your service calls it) conjures up memories of hard work, new life lessons and a real sense of accomplishment.

But while the reward at the end of the experience seems worth it when it’s over, some parts of boot camp just plain sucks.

So here are eight things you surely don’t miss about basic training.

SEE ALSO: Step Inside A Chinese Boot Camp For Teens Who Are Addicted To The Internet [PHOTOS]

1. Losing sleep

The days of sleeping until noon are over. Getting up at 0400 or 0500. every morning is the norm. At times, trainees only get four hours of sleep due to night training events. Eventually, recruits learn to take “power naps” during moments of downtime to make up for the lack of sleep.



2. Eating in a hurry

During basic training, you have mere minutes to eat your food. This is where the old saying of “eat your chow in a hurry, you’ll taste it later” earns its meaning.



3. Fire Guard

You are sleeping comfortably following a long day of training when suddenly a fellow trainee wakes you up and tells you, “It’s your turn for fire guard.”

It’s 0200, you walk around the barracks or sit at a desk while making sure the doors are secure and everyone is accounted for is part of military conditioning during training.

On fire guard, you must also be alert because drill sergeants could show up at any time to make sure guards are not sleeping on duty. They may even ask you some military questions or ask you to recite your general orders.



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Here's what Yahoo looked like back when it ruled the web (YHOO)

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Yahoo Jerry Yang David FiloWhen David Filo and Jerry Yang created Yahoo in 1995, it was nothing more than a simple list of links, a guide to the open web that new websites clamored to be featured on. 

Now, fast-forward more than ten years, and Verizon is acquiring it for $4.8 billion. 

Thanks to The Internet Archive, we can revisit the early days and see exactly what Yahoo used to look like. 

Take a trip down memory lane... 

SEE ALSO: Verizon will acquire Yahoo for $4.8 billion

Jerry Yang and David Filo created Yahoo back in January 1994 while studying at Stanford University. They renamed it "Yahoo!" in March.



By 1996 the site looked like this. The company had its initial public offering in April of that year, closing at $33, up 270% from its IPO price.



Anyone who was growing up in the 90s may remember "Yahooligans," the company's "web guide for kids."



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7 one-minute psychological tricks that will make you more successful

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museum woman thinking

The human body is astounding. As delicate as it is resilient, it's capable of amazing feats like childbirth, ultra marathons, and sitting through that onerous board meeting for three hours without completely shutting down.

Our bodies get us from point A to point B, but it's our minds that interpret, structure, and define our entire world — and, what's more, give it meaning.

Unfortunately, our minds don't always play nice. They can sabotage us by sending unhelpful messages, like "that's never going to work" or "you're such a loser"— signals from the brain which essentially eat away at our motivation and self-esteem.

So whether you want to rock that job isnterview, learn better, or feel better, how can you get your thoughts and emotions to work for you rather than against you? Glad you asked!

I'm a practicing psychologist, and I've combed through some of today's great books on the mind to put together seven little mental exercises you can do in 60 seconds or fewer that can help you be more successful in whatever you do.

SEE ALSO: The 6 most influential business books of 2015

Instant likability — just add mistakes!

If you blocked off another hour tonight to rehearse your presentation for the eleventy-billionth time, blowing it off for Netflix might be the better choice.

It turns out that competent people actually appear more attractive and likable when they falter rather than when they try to be perfect.

Richard Wiseman, experimental psychologist and author of the book "59 Seconds," explored this when he chose two actresses to demonstrate a blender before an audience.

One actress performed perfectly and appeared highly knowledgeable. The other ran into some trouble: The blender's lid came off and she spilled fruit juice all over herself.

Although the crowd found the first demonstration professional and convincing, the second actress came out on top in terms of likability. When asked to explain their ratings, people said they couldn't relate to the flawless first actress, but warmed to the second actress, who showed a more human side.

One minute mental makeover:

This isn't a recommendation to force a fleet of silly slip-ups for the sake of being likeable, but Wiseman says that there is an easy way to up your likability factor: Reveal your weaknesses. Studies show that those who confess their weaknesses early on when talking about themselves will be rated as more likeable.



The future is an insight engine

Getting to "eureka!" is actually a lot easier than you might think.

John Kounios and Mark Beeman, authors of "The Eureka Factor," say that using your imagination in two uncommon ways — one that changes the present, and one that affects the future — can help prod inspiration out of its sleepy hidey hole.

One minute mental makeover:

1. Pretend you're someone else.

One way to foster creative, non-conformist thinking is to play a little make-believe. Imagine yourself in the role of someone notoriously less conformist. For starters, you could try donning the persona of a punk — Kounios and Beeman found that this mindset encouraged creative thinking!

2. Use distant-future thinking.

Thinking about what's to come encourages creative freedom, but there are two different mindsets with which you can approach it: near future or distant-future thinking. Imagine winning a trip to Tokyo either tomorrow or in one year.

In the first scenario you'd likely picture how to get to the airport and collect your tickets, whereas in the second scenario, you'd conjure up the scent of cherry blossoms or the hustle and bustle of downtown Tokyo.

The second set of images is far more creative and associative because thinking about the farther future permits more possibility and less analysis. Spend a minute to allow your thoughts to drift further into the future and you'll be surprised by what you come up with.

 



Try a four-step anti-procrastination plan

You sit down to do some research or prepare a presentation, and 45 seconds in you're overpowered by the urge to check your email or have a peek at Facebook. You work for five minutes, and then you're back to your feeds. Jeffrey M. Schwartz explains this un-productivity loop in "You Are Not Your Brain."

When we act out an unhealthy behavior, it provides us with a sense of relief from distressing sensations, in turn wiring our brain to connect this behavior to a temporary high, which strengthens the habit.

For example, if the brain sends a message like "I'm not good enough," and we try to nix the thought by acting out a stress habit — like looking for other people's reassurance on Facebook — then we will be hooked on those temporary fixes. Luckily, there's a method called the Four Steps to help you bust your brain out of this unhelpful cycle and focus on what matters.

One minute mental makeover:

1. Relabel by saying what's happening: e.g., "I'm having the urge to go on Facebook."

2. Reframe by reminding yourself why it's troubling you: "Checking Facebook reduces my anxiety that I might not be able to complete the work I should be doing."

3. Refocus by doing something productive like beginning the easiest work task.

4. Revalue by recognizing that this impulse to procrastinate is just a deceptive brain message, and needn't be taken seriously.



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