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'Suicide Squad' star Margot Robbie is blowing up — here's how the Aussie took over Hollywood

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margot robbie

This is the year of Margot Robbie.

The Aussie actress first left jaws on the floor after her breakout performance opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in 2013's "The Wolf of Wall Street," but she's proved she has staying power.

The 26-year-old is dominating 2016 with roles in "The Legend of Tarzan" and the new "Suicide Squad" movie as the perfectly unhinged comic-book character Harley Quinn. While "Squad" itself is getting less-than-stellar reviews, Robbie is the clear star — critics and fans can't get enough of Quinn.

She's not slowing down any time soon, either. Here's how she became a Hollywood star:

SEE ALSO: The first reviews of 'Suicide Squad' are here, and people hate it

Born in 1990, Margot Robbie grew up on her grandparents' farm on Australia's Gold Coast.

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She loves to surf and bought her first surfboard at a garage sale when she was 10.

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As a teen, she made sandwiches at a Subway in Melbourne. Six months after Robbie landed her first major acting role, the company hired her for a commercial.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

We tried the regional burger chain many people say is the best in America to see if it lives up to the hype

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Whataburger 5

As a born and bred New Englander, I'm woefully inexperienced when it comes to some regional restaurant chains.

In-N-Out remains a mystery to me, and the wonders of Chick-fil-A have only recently entered my life, thanks to its aggressive national expansion.

Whataburger has been an enigma for some time now — nearly every Texan I meet extols its many virtues, yet I've never set foot in one.

With over 790 locations across 10 states, Whataburger is a Southern fast-food powerhouse.

It has been family-owned since the first humble burger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1950.

The chains ranks seventh on QSR Magazine's Top 50 Burger roundup, raking in $1.8 billion in system-wide sales in 2014, and it's expanding rapidly.

So when I found myself heading down to the Lone Star State, I decided a visit to the celebrated burger joint was a mandatory stop on my itinerary.

SEE ALSO: I tried In-N-Out and Whataburger side by side — and it's obvious which one is better

This location in Port Lavaca is one of a whopping 655 Whataburgers in Texas. It's built in the classic A-frame design that Whataburger is known for — one of the founders had a fondness for aviation and subsequently worked it into the chain's design.



On the windows, decals proudly proclaim their burgers to be 100% beef, ordered just the way you like it. Also, a dash of patriotism for good measure, apparently — what's more American than a burger?



No line at the register — I must have beat the lunchtime rush. Of course, most Whataburgers are open 24/7, so a late-night burger is always an option.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 25 US cities with the lowest cost of living

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Big coastal cities, such as New York and San Francisco, feature notoriously high rent prices and an expensive cost of living. But in their smaller Midwestern counterparts, like Indianapolis and Toledo, Ohio, things prove much, much cheaper.

And while a lower cost of living doesn't always equate to a higher quality of life, it can make a difference for those looking to stretch their paycheck.

Niche, a company that researches and compiles information on places to live, recently released its list of the US cities with the lowest cost of living. The ranking — which assessed more than 220 cities with populations of more than 100,000 — focused primarily on the ratio of home values to income, median property taxes, median home values, median rent, and ratios of monthly housing cost to income for each place. It also took the price of gas, the price of groceries, and the ratio of the median rent to income into consideration. Read a full breakdown of the methodology here.

The top 25 cities all fell within two regions: the Midwest and the South, with a city in Indiana earning the top spot. Check out the rest of the list below.

SEE ALSO: The 30 best college towns in America

DON'T MISS: The best suburb in every state

25. Little Rock, Arkansas

Population: 196,188

Median rent: $785

Median home value: $151,600

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 3.3 to 1



24. Indianapolis

Population: 835,097

Median rent: $784

Median home value: $117,200

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2.8 to 1



23. Amarillo, Texas

Population: 194,930

Median rent: $751

Median home value: $114,800

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2.4 to 1



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

14 super-busy startup founders share their single best productivity tip

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ryan hoover

Imagine if you could get twice as much work done by 5 p.m. every day.

For most people, improving productivity means more business growth, better health, less stress … and better odds of reaching those big, scary goals.

In this post, busy CEOs and founders of 14 fast-growing companies shared how they hack their productivity. Below you’ll find the No. 1 piece of advice from each entrepreneur on how to make the most of your hours at work. 

SEE ALSO: 4 tricks that super successful people use to focus when they're sleep deprived

Scott Britton, cofounder, Troops

For me, it's by far and away waking up early. I'm usually up at 5:30 a.m. and reserve the beginning of my day, when no one is there to distract me, for my most important activities, which can include everything from working out and meditation to writing new pitches and strategically thinking about my business.

Whenever I say this, most people ask me, "Well what time do you go to bed?" Usually before 11 and closer to 10 … which is also very good for your productivity and health.



Tracy Osborn, CEO, Wedding Lovely

The only emails in your inbox should be ones you don't expect. Set up aggressive filtering, unsubscribe from everything you can, and archive unneeded messages.

Having a clean inbox — once you get into the habit, it's not that hard — will get your day started out on the right foot to get your most important items done.



Peldi Guilizzoni, CEO, Balsamiq

Hire enough people who are better than you to be able to delegate a large part of your job to them. Finally, now I get to be CEO and spend my day thinking strategically.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

'They are hurting right now': The oil patch and has been decimated

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Oil prices have dropped over 20% since June.

US crude-oil and gas inventories are at the highest seasonal level in at least two decades, and Saudi Arabia is keeping exports high.

This global supply glut has pushed prices below $40 a barrel, and it's hurting a wide range of industries.

We used Sentieo, an equity-research platform, to search recent company-earning calls for the phrases "oil price" and "oil patch" to see what people were saying.

As you can see, the lower oil price is hurting everyone from hotels to restaurants to retailers.

Scroll through below to see what senior execs at companies across America are saying about how oil is affecting their businesses:

SEE ALSO: Crude oil's 'drain is clogged,' and it's heading into the worst time of the year

Jim Conroy, president and CEO of Boot Barn Holdings

"We again experienced weakness in our ladies boots business, primarily attributed to sluggish sales in regions impacted by low oil and commodities prices."



Chris Nasetta, president and COO of Hilton Worldwide

"Probably the bright spot's the West Coast and the much less bright spot would be the oilpatch, sort of energy patch."



Chris Metz, president and CEO of Arctic Cat

"I knew that we had a very rural-centric dealer base but I didn't realize the impact of oil and gas and gas much, but it's substantial."

"A lot of those workers that count on those sectors to contribute to their income, they are hurting right now. We saw some of the folks in — not competitors but others an industry that have reduced their earnings guidance and what have you that are selling right into that sector — that affects us. That's all I can say."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I'm a financial planner, and here's the investment plan I'm using to build my family's wealth

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One of the most important posts on this site is a comprehensive guide to the investment philosophy I follow myself, and the one I recommend most often when my clients ask for advice. Here it is: "The Beginner's Guide to Index Investing."

That post has all the information you need to understand why that strategy works, and has important tips for helping you get started.

But I know that when I first started investing, it was helpful to see examples of how other people actually did it. Not because I wanted to copy them, but just because it can all feel a little abstract until you see it in action.

So today, I'd like to show you how my wife and I have implemented our own personal investment plan. This is not meant to be a recommendation for you, as everyone's situation is different. My hope simply is that seeing how we've done it will be helpful as you come up with your own plan.

Quick note: For step-by-step guidance through creating YOUR personal investment plan, check out my book: "Smart Investing for Your 20s and 30s."

SEE ALSO: A financial planner and successful entrepreneur explains how you should manage your money in your 20s, 30s, and 40s

What are we investing for?

The investment strategy I'm describing here is for our retirement savings. We have multiple short-term savings goals that are kept in much safer investments, primarily savings accounts. Retirement is our main long-term goal at this point, and therefore the only major goal for which we have an investment plan.



Our asset allocation

Our overall asset allocation is 70% stocks and 30% bonds.

The stock portion is split with 50% in the US stock market and 50% in the international stock market.

The bond portion is 50% intermediate-term nominal US Treasury bonds and 50% TIPS (Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities).

So the overall breakdown looks like this:

• 35% US stock market
35% international stock market
15% Nominal US Treasury bonds
15% TIPS

This allocation will not change throughout our lifetime except that as we get close to and into retirement, we will keep a few years' worth of cash on hand at all times. But the invested portion of our money will always maintain this same allocation.



Our investment selection

Our entire asset allocation is accomplished with just four funds, all of which are held at Vanguard.

The four funds we use are:

• VTSAX, representing the entire US stock market
• VTIAX, representing the entire international stock market
• VFITX, representing nominal US Treasury bonds
• VIPSX, representing TIPS

The expense ratio of each fund ranges from 0.05-0.20% and because we hold them directly with Vanguard, there are no commissions to buy or sell. These four funds allow us to achieve our desired asset allocation in a simple, low-cost manner.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

17 signs you're intelligent — even if doesn't feel like it

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Stupid people tend to overestimate their competence, while smart people tend to sell themselves short. As Shakespeare put it in "As You Like It": "The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool."

That conventional wisdom is backed up by a Cornell University study conducted by David Dunning and Justin Kruger. The phenomenon is now known as the Dunning-Kruger effect.

So, if you're not too sure about your own intellect, it actually might be a indication that you're pretty intelligent — thoughtful enough to realize your limitations, at least.

Here are some subtle signs that you are considerably smarter than you think.

Drake Baer and Chelsea Harvey contributed to a previous version of this article.

SEE ALSO: 11 signs you're a stellar employee — even if it doesn't feel like it

SEE ALSO: 11 signs your boss is impressed with you, even if it doesn't seem like it

You took music lessons

Research suggests that music helps kids' minds develop in a few ways:

A 2011 study found that scores on a test of verbal intelligence among 4- to 6-year-olds rose after only a month of music lessons.

A 2004 study led by Glenn Schellenberg found that 6-year-olds who took nine months of keyboard or voice lessons had an IQ boost compared with kids who took drama lessons or no classes at all.

Meanwhile, a 2013 study, also led by Schellenberg, suggested that high-achieving kids were the ones most likely to take music lessons. In other words, in the real world, musical training may only enhance cognitive differences that already exist.



You're the oldest

Oldest siblings are usually smarter, but it's not because of genetics, one study found.

Norwegian epidemiologists used military records to examine the birth order, health status, and IQ scores of nearly 250,000 18- and 19-year-old men born between 1967 and 1976. Results showed that the average firstborn had an IQ of 103, compared to 100 for second children and 99 for third children.

The New York Times reports: "The new findings, from a landmark study published [in June 2007], showed that eldest children had a slight but significant edge in IQ — an average of three points over the closest sibling. And it found that the difference was not because of biological factors but the psychological interplay of parents and children."

For this and other reasons, firstborns tend to be more successful (but not that much more successful) than their siblings.



You're thin

For a 2006 study, scientists gave roughly 2,200 adults intelligence tests over a five-year period and results suggested that the bigger the waistline, the lower the cognitive ability.

Another study published that same year found that 11-year-olds who scored lower on verbal and nonverbal tests were more likely to be obese in their 40s. The study authors say that smarter kids might have pursued better educational opportunities, landed higher-status and higher-paying jobs, and therefore ended up in a better position to take care of their health than their less intelligent peers.

Meanwhile, a more recent study found that, among preschoolers, a lower IQ was linked to a higher BMI. Those researchers also say environmental factors are at play, since the relationship between BMI and smarts was mediated by socioeconomic status.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

49 'facts' about health, nutrition, and the human body that just aren't true

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Carrots give you night vision. Swimming after eating will give you cramps. You need to drink eight glasses of water a day. Organic food is more nutritious and free of pesticides.

Nope, nope, nope, and nope.

Who hasn't shared these and other amazing-sounding notions about about health and the human body, only to feel embarrassed later on — when you find out the information was inaccurate or flat-out wrong?

It's time to put an end to these alluring myths, misconceptions, and inaccuracies passed down through the ages.

To help the cause we've rounded up and corrected dozens of the most popular health "facts" that we've heard.

Have any favorites we missed? Send them to science@techinsider.io.

Kevin Loria, Lauren Friedman, Kelly Dickerson,Jennifer Welsh, and Sean Kane contributed to this post. Robert Ferris contributed to a previous version.

MORE: A photographer swam with sharks for 10 years to capture these stunning photos

UP NEXT: Theranos just presented in front of thousands of scientists, but some big questions remain

MYTH: Milk does a body good!

This is an incredibly successful bit of advertising that has wormed its way into our brains and policies to make milk seem magical.

The US Department of Agriculture tells us that adults should drink three cups of milk a day, mostly for calcium and vitamin D.

However, multiple studies show that there isn't an association between drinking more milk (or taking calcium and vitamin D supplements) and having fewer bone fractures.

Some studies have even shown an association with higher overall mortality, and while that doesn't mean that milk consumption itself was responsible, it's certainly not an endorsement.

Sources: Business Insider, NYTimes, Journal of Bone Mineral Research, JAMA Pediatrics, The Lancet, British Medical Journal



MYTH: Organic food is pesticide-free and more nutritious.

Organic food isn't free of pesticides and it isn't necessarily better for you.

Farmers who grow organic produce are permitted to use chemicals that are naturally derived — and in some cases are actually worse for the environment than their synthetic counterparts. However, pesticide levels on both organic and non-organic foods are so low that they aren't of concern for consumption, according to the USDA.

Eating organic food also doesn't come with any nutritional benefits over non-organic food, according to a review of 98,727 potentially relevant studies.

Sources: University of California - Berkeley, Annals of Internal Medicine, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition



MYTH: Eating food within 5 seconds of dropping it on the floor is safe.

It's the worst when something you really wanted to eat falls on the floor. But if you grab it in five seconds, it's ok, right?

The five-second-rule isn't a real thing. Bacteria can contaminate a food within milliseconds.

Mythbusting tests show that moist foods attract more bacteria than dry foods, but there's no "safe duration." Instead, safety depends on how clean the surface you dropped the food on is.

Whether you eat it or not after that is up to you, but if the people that walk on that floor are also walking around New York City, for example, we wouldn't recommend it.

Sources: Business Insider, Discovery.com



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

These 10 ads are on pace to be the most popular for the 2016 Olympics

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We're the Superhumans Rio 2016

On Friday, the Olympic torch will be lit in Rio de Janeiro, officially starting the 2016 Games. 

But ads for the Olympics began permeating the internet a while ago, getting us excited for the games — and sometimes making us tear up.  

Video ad tech company Unruly tracked which ads are garnering the most shares, specifically looking at shares across Facebook and YouTube as of August 3. 

Channel 4's "We're The Superhumans" Paralympics teaser leads the pack with a whopping 1,256,567 shares, followed by Under Armour's "Rule Yourself" commercial, featuring Olympics veteran Michael Phelps, with 308,000 shares.

So what exactly makes ads worth sharing? Emotion. 

"Our data shows that the number one driver in getting videos shared is to make an incredibly strong emotional connection with viewers," says Devra Prywes, Unruly's VP of Insight. "When it comes to the Olympics, advertisers are topping the most shared chart by leveraging happiness, inspiration, warmth and pride — and hitting these emotions with intensity!"

Read on to see — and watch — the most shared 2016 Olympics ads so far.  

SEE ALSO: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The stars of Sydney 2000, Michael Phelps' first Olympics

DON'T MISS: What abandoned Olympic venues from around the world look like today

10. Nike: Unlimited Future — 40,037 shares

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9. Gillette: Perfect Isn't Pretty — 41,353 shares

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8. Gatorade: The Boy Who Learned to Fly | Usain Bolt — 63,803 shares

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See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 'TJ Maxx of grocery stores' is coming for Kroger, Walmart, and Whole Foods

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Grocery Outlet wants to be the "TJ Maxx of grocery stores."

The Los Angeles-based regional chain has 251 locations and plans to expand to 376 by 2020, according to a recent profile in Frozen & Refrigerated Buyer magazine that was cited by RetailWire. It is on track to gross $2 billion in sales this year.

TJ Maxx offers lower prices than department stores by paring down the shopping experience and passing savings on to consumers. The apparel store has been blamed for the downfall of brands like Nordstrom and Macy's.

Grocery Outlet says that it sells items at a 40% to 70% discount off regular stores' prices by offering surplus items, seasonal closeouts, and discontinued items. While some of its goods aren't up to manufacturer standards, none of what it sells is past the sell-by date.

Here's why Grocery Outlet is becoming a viable threat to industry giants like Walmart, Kroger, and Whole Foods:

Like TJ Maxx, Grocery Outlet says that it relies on a "treasure hunt" experience to hook consumers.

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Because customers don't know exactly what products they will find at Grocery Outlet, they keep coming back for the thrill.

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Still, Grocery Outlet executives tell Frozen & Refrigerated Buyer that it strives to make stores a place where people can do most, if not all, of their food shopping.

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See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A guide to the best US vs. Russia showdowns at the Rio Olympics

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Rio Olympics opening ceremony

Last month, after months of urine-soaked intrigue, the International Olympic Committee decided not to call for a blanket ban on Russian athletes at the Rio Games. Despite clear evidence of a state-sponsored doping regime, the IOC chose to allow individual federations to make the call on whether Russian competitors should compete or stay home.

As a consequence, Russia will field an estimated 271 of the 389 sportsmen and sportswomen who’d been planning to go to Rio. The weightlifters and track and fielders are out, as are certain swimmers, rowers, canoeists, and cyclists. Pretty much everyone else is in. News did break Saturday that the IOC had cleared swimmers Vladimir Morozov and Nikita Lobintsev to compete. And eight athletes’ cases are reportedly still pending or under review following appeals, meaning the Russian contingent could still grow despite the games already being underway.

Russia’s partial attendance at the 2016 Olympics gives the games what they’ve been missing since the Cold War: a real villain. The absence of Yelena Isinbayeva, the 2012 London Games’ women’s pole-vaulting gold medalist, and Sergey Shubenkov, the world champion in the 110-meter hurdles, surprised and delighted Americans who have now seen their chances to medal increase. But plenty of Russian heavy-hitters still remain.

Here’s our guide to the biggest potential showdowns between the United States and Russia.

SEE ALSO: The International Paralympic Committee banned the entire Russian team from the Rio Paralympics

Women’s gymnastics:

The most high-profile USA–Russia battles of the Rio Games will be fought on the balance beam, bars, vault, and floor. Though the Russian women won six medals in artistic gymnastics at the 2012 Games compared to the Americans’ five, the U.S. did take gold in both the team and individual all-around.

The U.S. will likely sweep those events again in Rio. The Americans are expected to win team gold on Aug. 9, and Simone Biles is the overwhelming favorite to win individual honors on Aug. 11, with Russia’s Angelina Melnikova likely to contend for silver.

Things will get tighter in the individual apparatus finals from Aug. 14-16. While Russia’s Aliya Mustafina struck gold in the uneven bars in London, her teammate Daria Spiridonova is also strong in the event. For the Americans, 19-year-old Olympic newcomer Madison Kocian is the best hope on bars.

The vault could be a contest between Biles and Russia’s Maria Paseka, and Biles and Melnikova are both strong on the beam. On the floor exercise, Sports Illustrated predicts an all American and Russian podium, with Biles, Aly Raisman, and Ksenia Afanasyeva winning gold, silver, and bronze respectively.



Men’s wrestling:

When American unknown Rulon Gardner laid low Russia’s undefeated super-heavyweight champion Aleksandr Karelin at the 2000 Sydney Games, it was the greatest American triumph over Russia since 1980’s “Miracle on Ice.” This year, 19-year-old Kyle Snyder, Team USA’s youngest-ever world champion, will try to replicate Gardner’s feat; he could face Chechen Anzor Boltukaev in the 97-kilogram freestyle final on Aug. 21.

Another potential matchup to watch: New Jersey’s Jordan Burroughs vs. Aniuar Geduev in the 74-kilogram final on Aug. 19. Back in May, Geduev defeated Denis Tsargush, who took bronze in London and is one of just two wrestlers ever to beat Burroughs. By the transitive property, that could spell trouble on the mat for the U.S.—though the Associated Press guesses Burroughs will eke out the gold.



Women’s swimming:

In 2012, then–17-year-old Missy Franklin smashed the world record in the 200-meter backstroke to win her third gold medal of the London Games, relegating Russia’s Anastasia Zueva to silver medal position. This year, neither woman is expected to medal in Sunday’s 200-meter backstroke final—at the U.S. Olympic Trials, Franklin swam nearly four seconds slower in the 200 back than she had in London. But perhaps the American and Russian rivals will surprise us by recapturing their old forms.

The duel in the pool could get more intriguing if Russia’s Yuliya Efimova is permitted to compete. Hers is one of three appealed cases under IOC review after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled her ineligible to participate in Rio due to a previous doping ban. If she’s cleared, she could be tough competition for Lilly King, the American record holder in the 100-meter breaststroke. That event is also on Sunday.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I took the first step to living like a minimalist and it felt surprisingly unsatisfying

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Marie Kondo Spark Joy

There's a difference between being organized and living tidy.

The former is a good quality to have, the latter is a lifestyle choice called minimalism, a practice that extols living with less possessions. I'm an organizer and always have been — but I'm also a pack rat, which is a minimalist's foil.

Minimalism is a visually-appealing — albeit mentally-perplexing — trend. While it feels good to have possessions and own things, minimalists say it feels even better to own very few things, all of which you need, not just want.

An extreme form of minimalism is sweeping Japan, where people following the guidance of figures like Marie Kondo, an organizing consultant and the author of two best-selling manifestos on minimalism, jettison the majority of their belongings and keep only the necessities.

Earlier this month, I tried my hand at a mild form of minimalism. I say mild because I didn't follow Kondo's precise rules of only keeping items that "spark joy," because frankly, my hair dryer doesn't spark joy, but it's practical. I figure I can work up to Kondo's high-level minimalism.

Still, I was more ruthless than I've ever been in going through my possessions and deciding what's truly worth keeping. I wanted to get a taste of this proverbial trend. And while Kondo and her books, in part, inspired me to consider minimalism, I in no way followed every step of her practice.

But what started as an enchantment with minimalism and an eagerness to hop on the bandwagon turned into a lesson in decluttering and minor shot to my ego. Here's the breakdown of my week-long experiment:

SEE ALSO: I tried giving up my phone for a week and barely made it 2 full days

The experiment

The five-day challenge I created for myself was an amalgam of a few others I had seen, including a 21-day challenge by The Minimalists, a pair of guys who write and speak about the practice for a living, and a 30-day challenge by the blogger Into Mind that's ultimately focused on achieving a minimalist mental state.

I began by dividing my possessions into five categories (for the five days of the work week): books, bathroom and beauty products, miscellaneous (also known as junk), clothing and shoes, and digital (computer). I started with what I presumed to be the easiest category of stuff to pare down and worked my way to the hardest. 

It's important to note that minimalism experts say paring down your possessions is a good place to start on the road to minimalism, but by no means the only facet of the lifestyle.

So, my week of shedding my pack-rat tendencies is just step one.



Day 1: Books

Despite my self-proclaimed bibliophile status, I knew the books piling up in the corners of my room weren't all keepers.

One thing Kondo suggests when going through books is refraining from opening them so as not to trigger nostalgia or emotion. I mostly heeded her advice. I opened one book ("Sick in the Head: Conversations about Life and Comedy" by Judd Apatow) that I was going to donate since I'd already read it, but I got sucked into a story and couldn't give it up.

I started with 40 total books (all of which I've acquired in just one year living in New York City) and ended up donating exactly half. The 20 books I kept are ones I haven't read yet, books I loved and know I'll revisit or reference, and a couple that I need to return to their rightful owners (my kid sister would like her copies of "Harry Potter" back in mint condition, please).

From a numbers perspective, I think I did well with this task. But since I read so much and tend to buy books rather than borrow from friends or the library, I'll likely have to do this every few months. Ultimately this day gave me the motivation to clear out the huge collection of books I keep at my parents' house next time I visit. 



Day 2: Beauty

I live in a three-person apartment with one tiny bathroom and no storage space, so all of my bathroom and beauty products (save for shampoo and conditioner and my toothbrush) sit on an open shelf in my bedroom, exacerbating the visible clutter.

To make sure I only kept what I need, I took an idea from the aforementioned Into Mind challenge. I wrote a list of items I use on a regular basis off the top of my head. Any item not on the list ended up in the trash.

On my list: makeup, makeup remover, face wash, dry shampoo, deodorant, moisturizer, hair product, hair brush, nail polish and remover, curling and flattening irons, hair dryer, and eye drops. After going through the pile, a lot of the clutter started to feel like half-used junk and I was happy to trash it.

By the end of my purge, I’d kept everything on my list, plus cold medicine and a couple small travel pouches.

This day really felt like minimalism to me. I was able to determine what I really needed versus what I thought I needed or may possibly use in the future. For example, that tanning spray I used once? Or the dozens of headbands and flower crowns (embarrassing but true) that I haven't worn in over a year? I'll be just fine without them.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A step-by-step guide on making a critical career move to land the Wall Street job of your dreams

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Wolf of Wall Street Leonardo Dicaprio bus

Investment banking interns are just over halfway through their stints on Wall Street, and it's time to start thinking about the next step.

Many interns will receive full-time offers in the coming weeks, which can be a make-or-break moment in your career.

If you want to leverage a full-time offer at your current firm into a job at another bank, you need to be super prepared.

Fortunately, a former banker at a bulge-bracket firm has laid out how to do that, step-by-step. He managed to turn an internship at a middle-market bank into a full-time offer at one of the top firms on Wall Street.

Here's what he had to say:

SEE ALSO: A Wall Street boutique is looking to flip the script for junior bankers

1. Get the offer

First you have to get the offer at your current firm, regardless of whether it's the firm you want to end up with. Not getting the offer after your junior-year internship is basically a death sentence for recruiting in investment banking, the former analyst said.

So make the most of the internship while you're there — work hard and prove yourself.



2. Take notes on your experience

In investment banking, typically your internship will go one of two ways: You'll be working on a deal that gets announced, or you'll be working on a deal that doesn't get announced. Either way, you want to know the ins and outs of that deal so that you can frame your experience in a job interview.

"Go through the press release and investor presentation and make sure you understand every single metric that's been disclosed publicly and the deal rationale so that you can speak intelligently about the deal," the former banker said.

If your deal isn't announced by the time you take interviews elsewhere, you'll have to describe what you did without disclosing any confidential details. Think about the strategic rationale for the deal and plan for how you can talk about it without naming it.

Consider the deal as a study guide for your interviews, the former banker said, because that's what the recruiters will want to hear about.



3. Have a clear plan for when you get the offer

If you receive a full-time offer from the place where you're interning, it will likely happen in one of three scenarios. In the first scenario, a group head, staffer, or human resources person will sit you down during your last week and give you the offer without a lot of pressure, telling you to think about it and get back to them.

Alternatively, you might have that meeting — but with a lot of pressure. They may try to get you to sign a contract on the spot, and if you do that, you won't be able to shop around afterward without burning bridges.

A third option is you might get the call with a job offer a few days after you've finished your internship. In that scenario — over the phone — it's a little easier to say "let me think about it."

Regardless of how you get the offer, you don't want to be caught off guard. If you're planning to use the offer for leverage elsewhere, be ready to negotiate some time to think before giving them your answer.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The 'Fierce Five' US women's gymnastics team that won gold at the 2012 London Olympics

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The Fierce Five Gymnastics Team

On Sunday, the US women's gymnastics team will begin their quest to repeat as Olympic champions in the team all-around event.

The bar has been set high in Rio for team USA, thanks to the incredible performance of the "Fierce Five" during the 2012 Olympics in London.

In addition to winning the gold in the team competition, the five gymnasts combined to win four medals in the individual events, including two gold.

Below we look back at the "Fierce Five" and see what they are up to today.

In London, Jordyn Wieber was 17 and entered the Olympics as the reigning world champion in the all-around. However, despite finishing fourth in the all-around during the qualification round, she was not permitted to compete in the final as two other Americans (Raisman and Douglas) finished higher and only two gymnasts from one country were permitted in the final (21 gymnasts with lower scores were allowed to compete in the final). She did qualify for the final in the floor exercise, finishing seventh.



Today, Wieber is a psychology student at UCLA. In 2015, she announced her retirement from gymnastics on Derek Jeter's website, The Players Tribune. She now serves as a team manager for the Bruins' gymnastics team.

SOURCE: The Daily Bruin and The Players Tribune



Kyla Ross was just 15 years old in London. She did not reach the finals in any individual events, but did help the team to gold in the team finals with strong scores on the uneven bars and the beam.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

31 things you should remove from your résumé immediately

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job interview resume

On average, hiring managers get 75 résumés per position they post, according to a study from CareerBuilder.com — so they don't have the time or resources to look at each one closely, and they typically spend about six seconds on their initial "fit/no fit" decision.

If you want to pass that test, you need to have some solid qualifications — and the perfect résumé to highlight them.

Here are 31 things you should never include on your résumé.

Vivian Giang and Natalie Walters contributed to earlier versions of this article.

SEE ALSO: The 25 best companies to interview with

1. An objective

If you applied, it's already obvious you want the job.

The exception: If you're in a unique situation, such as changing industries completely, it may be useful to include a brief summary.



2. Irrelevant work experiences

Yes, you might have been the "king of making milkshakes" at the restaurant you worked for in high school. But unless you are planning on redeeming that title, it is time to get rid of all that clutter.

But as Alyssa Gelbard, career expert and founder of career-consulting firm Résumé Strategists, points out: Past work experience that might not appear to be directly relevant to the job at hand might show another dimension, depth, ability, or skill that actually is relevant or applicable.

Only include this experience if it really showcases additional skills that can translate to the position you're applying for.



3. Personal stuff

Don't include your marital status, religious preference, or Social Security number.

This might have been the standard in the past, but all of this information is now illegal for your employer to ask from you, so there's no need to include it.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

9 things that make changing a tire much, much easier

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flat tire

Flat tires are no fun. And with advancements in tire technology, they happen less frequently than they once did. In fact, some tires don't even need to be changed if they blowout — they can "run flat" for a short period of time.

Still, flats and blowouts do occur, and most motorists dread the next step: Changing the tire. A lot of people will actually sit in their car, with the flat unattended to, call a roadside-assistance service, and wait for a pro to do the dirty work.

And that is fine, but there are several things you can do to make changing a tire much easier and less intimidating. Obviously, you need to be acquainted with the process of jacking up the car, loosening the lug nuts, and removing the tire and wheel. But if you know how to do all that and are still reluctant to make the change, here are some tips.

1. Know your jack.

On most cars, the jack has to be assembled before it can be used to raise the car enough to remove the flat tire and replace it with the "donut" or temporary spare — a small tire that is designed to get you to a service station for a proper tire repair or replacement.

You don't want to wait until you have a flat to figure out the jack. It only takes about five minutes to put one together, so spend some prep time one it one afternoon. You'll be glad you did if you have a blowout on a dark, rainy night.



2. Make sure the temporary spare is in good shape.

The "donut" needs to be checked out every so often. You don't want it to be flat, too — kind of defeats the purpose of having a backup. 

The best way to do this is to make it a routine when you check your tire pressure. On modern cars, you'll know you have tire-pressure issues because the car will alert you, via a warning light. So when you investigate that problem, take a few extra minutes to check out your temporary spare.

You don't even have to do it yourself — you can have it done at almost any gas station and even some car washes.

The same applies if you have a full-size spare tire.



3. Prevent the flat in the first place.

Speaking of checking your tire pressure, if you do it once a month or so, you'll always know if your tires are in decent shape, not under- or over-inflated.

It's also a good practice to monitor wear and tear on your tires. Have a look at the condition of the tread. If it looks bad or uneven, you might need to replace a tire or tires. But you also might need to rotate or realign your tires to even out the wear.

And be aware of how old your tires are. No tire lasts forever, and once that at the end of its life it's far more likely to fail.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

8 signs you're on track for retirement, even if it doesn't feel like it

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couple relaxing beach summer

You feel like you're a diligent saver, and are doing all you can to ensure you have a comfortable retirement. But how do you know if you're doing things right? It's hard to predict how much money you'll need, and it seems impossible to know if you're on the right track when retirement is years or even decades away.

Thankfully, there are some easy ways to tell if your retirement planning is sound. If your portfolio has most or all of these characteristics, keep up the good work and don't fret!

SEE ALSO: The 10 most expensive lies we tell ourselves about money

1. Most of the funds are in tax-advantaged accounts

When saving for retirement, it's important to place your money in accounts that shield you from paying unnecessary taxes.

A 401K is a common plan offered by employers that allows you to contribute and invest in a variety of different mutual funds. Any money you contribute will be deducted from your taxable income. It's also possible to invest in a Roth IRA, which allows you to invest and avoid paying taxes on any gains.

If all or most of your money is in these accounts, you'll be saving thousands of dollars and will have a much higher net return on your investments.



2. You've been contributing heavily

It's hard to know exactly how much you should put into your retirement accounts, but "as much as you can" is usually good advice. If you're maxing out your allowable contributions to 401K or IRA plans (or both), you're probably doing quite well.

For 401K plans, you can contribute up to $18,000 annually. IRA plans can accept $5,500 in contributions each year. Even if you're not maxing out these accounts, contributing enough to take advantage of your employer's match of 401K contributions is one good threshold to hit.

As much as people like to talk about stock market gains helping them get rich, the truth is that your portfolio's value is helped a lot more by the amount you're contributing in the first place.



3. You've seen steady growth over time

Take a look at your portfolio's performance on a line chart. Are you generally seeing an upward trend, without a lot of wild ups and downs? Does it seem like your savings is steadily growing over time, even during periods when the stock market is not doing well?

A good retirement portfolio should generally be free of volatility, and see steady gains as time goes on.



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Inside Taylor Swift's $17 million seaside mansion where she hosts A-list parties

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Taylor Swift Watch Hill rhode islandTaylor Swift bought an 11,000-square-foot Rhode Island mansion for $17.75 million in 2013, and she reportedly paid for it in cash.

Since then, the musician has put her hard-earned, lavish home to good use by hosting numerous parties with famous friends, known as her squad.

Built in 1930, the mansion sits on the highest point in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, and features 700 feet of shoreline and views of Little Narragansett Bay, according to the real-estate site Zillow.

It includes eight bedrooms, eight fireplaces, and a pool in the back, which was the site of a notable Fourth of July party that Swift hosted this month.

Check out the inside of Swift's home and see her A-list parties in action:

SEE ALSO: No one wants to buy 50 Cent's incredible $6 million mansion that he's been forced to sell due to bankruptcy

MORE HERE: Inside Drake's $8 million mansion with a pool that puts Hugh Hefner to shame

This is High Watch in Rhode Island, Taylor Swift's seaside mansion.



She reportedly paid for the mansion by wiring $17.75 million in cash to a realtor in 2013.

Source: TMZ



Inside, Swift's pad has over 11,000 square feet of space.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The National Park Service is turning 100 — here's why America's parks are important to science

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shutterstock_47311708 (1)On August 25, 2016, the U.S. National Park Service will celebrate its 100th birthday.

From the founding of the first park — Yellowstone— to today, the park service has protected and preserved large swaths of wilderness, from shorelines to mountain ranges, as well as myriad of historic sites and monuments. And today, the park system expands across 84 million acres, covering 412 sites.  

Over the last century, these parks are, and have always been, vital to science by providing living laboratories for research in some of the most intact natural landscapes in the world. In addition, because these natural sites have been managed and studied for nearly a century, there is a huge wealth of archival scientific data available to researchers working in the parks today.

To find out more about the role that national parks have played in the history of science, Business Insider spoke to Timothy Watkins, a climate change science and education coordinator at the National Park Service who is working with the US Geological Survey to draw attention to the scientific value of parks. Here are just a few national sites that have been instrumental.

SEE ALSO: 12 rare animals that are teetering on the brink of extinction

DON'T MISS: These 10 natural phenomena happen every summer on our planet

Yellowstone National Park

Renown for being America’s first National Park, Yellowstone is also the site where microbiologist Thomas Brock discovered an interesting bacterium living in the park’s hot springs. This bacterium, which Brock named Thermus aquaticuswas able to survive in waters that were 80 degree Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit).

“That was just absolutely astonishing because nobody thought that anything could live at that temperature,” Watkins told Business Insider. “It revolutionized our understanding of the way life had evolved [to] survive in extreme environments.”

After Brock made his discovery, other scientists studying this bacteria found that it is an important, stable source of the enzyme DNA polymerase, which allows DNA strands to replicate. “They realized that you could use that thermally stable DNA polymerase to do some very important engineering and chemistry in the lab,” Watkins said, and researchers, who later won the Nobel Prize in 1983, developed a technique using this enzyme, called the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which is used in medical and biological research to amplify copies of a segment of DNA.

“But it all started with a bacterium that was found in Yellowstone National Park,” Watkins said.



Isle Royale National Park

Isolated in the middle of Lake Superior, Isle Royale National Park is a rugged, small island, and it was also here that, in 1958, wildlife biologist Durward Allen began doing some some incredibly important research on the predator-prey relationship of wolves and moose. This project has continued ever since, with scientists returning every year to count the populations of these two animals, and today, this research project is the longest continuous study of any predator-prey system in the world.

“It’s really important field ecological data on real live populations out in the wild that has produced a data set that is just incomparable,” Watkins said. “[It] has informed and confirmed certain models of populations of predators and prey relationships in ecology that were derived from mathematical models or studies of bacteria or very small organisms in the lab … and a lot has been learnt from the predator-prey relationships, as well as the influence of disease and climate change.”

Durward Allen is largely considered a pioneer among ecologists for initiating the Isle Royale wolf-moose project and having the insight to understand the value of continuing to observe a site long after others would have moved on to study something different. “That work really became canonized and is in every introductory textbook on the market now,” Watkins added.



Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument

Located just north of Las Vegas, Nevada, Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is the site where nuclear physicist Willard Libby field-tested his technique of Carbon-14 dating.

Libby, who had been a part of the Manhattan Project, developed this technique of Carbon-14 dating, also called radiocarbon dating, after World War II. Carbon-14 is an isotope of carbon that decays naturally, so Libby realized that it is possible to measure its concentration in an object and compare it to other isotopes of carbon in order to calculate the object’s age.

He had developed the method of carbon-14 dating in the lab and tested it on some museum specimens, but the first time Libby actually used the technique in the field was on Pleistocene-era mammal fossils in Tule Springs, and his results showed that these mammal fossils were 30,000 years older than any human presence in the area.

“He provided evidence that falsified the hypothesis that humans were killing and cooking those mammals,” Watkins explained.

Libby’s work on Carbon-14 dating won him the Nobel Prize in 1960, and today the site of his research is protected by the National Park Service as a national monument.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here are the 20 best airlines in the world

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Airbus a380 Emirates onboard lounge

Emirates has been named the best airline in the world for 2016 by the leading consumer-aviation website Skytrax.

The Dubai-based airline was presented with the award at a ceremony during the 2016 Farnborough Airshow.

This is the fourth time Emirates has garnered this honor in the past 15 years, as well as its first win since 2013.

"We are honored to be recognized by the prestigious Skytrax awards," Emirates President Tim Clark said in a statement. "Emirates has always put our customers at the heart of what we do, and we work hard to deliver the very best experience possible to our customers at every touchpoint, every day, all around the world.

"The fact that these awards are based on the direct feedback from passengers is gratifying and wonderful recognition for all of the hard work that's gone into creating the Emirates experience."

The Skytrax rankings are based on the impressions of 19.2 million travelers from 104 different countries. The survey, which covered more than 280 airlines, measured 41 parameters ranging from boarding procedures to seat comfort to the quality of service.

Here are the 20 best airlines in the world, according to the results of the Skytrax survey:

SEE ALSO: These are the 16 busiest airports in the world

20. Bangkok Airways

Previous rank: 23

Why it's awesome: Unless you've flown through Southeast Asia, it's unlikely you've heard of Bangkok Airways. However, the boutique Thai airline is beloved by those who travel onboard its fleet of Airbus and ATR aircraft.

This year, not only does Bangkok Airways crack the top 20, it was also awarded with the titles of World's Best Regional Airline and Best Regional Airline in Asia.

See additional airline information at Skytrax.



19. Austrian Airlines

Previous rank: 13

Why it's awesome: Though the Lufthansa-owned airline has had to work its way through a series of labor disputes in recent years, its high level of service has remained intact — it took home the prize for Best Airline Staff Service in Europe. The Austrian flag carrier boasts a fleet of newly renovated long-haul Boeing 767-300ER and 777-200 jets flying out of its base in Vienna.

Economy fliers gave the Star Alliance member high marks for its efficient and effective service, as well as for the wealth of onboard dining and entertainment options.

See additional airline information at Skytrax.



18. Virgin Australia

Previous rank: 16

Why it's awesome: As the biggest airline in billionaire Richard Branson's portfolio of Virgin brands, Virgin Australia has experienced massive growth in the Asia-Pacific market since its founding in 2000.

In typical Virgin fashion, the airline's fleet of long-haul Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 jets come with interior mood lighting and feature a state-of-the-art 9-inch touchscreen entertainment system.

See additional airline information at Skytrax.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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