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Here's when all of your favorite fall shows are returning to TV

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how to get away with murder

Summer is just about over and the fall TV season is about to take off. 

From "How to Get Away With Murder" to "The Flash," a ton of favorites will soon return to the small screen. Keep reading to see when all your favorite shows will return to TV. 

September 2: "Narcos" (Netflix)



September 11: "Indian Summers” (PBS) 9 p.m.



September 11: "Masters of Sex" (Showtime) 10 p.m.



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7 quick exercises that will make you a better public speaker

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presentation, NASA

Your pitch serves as a gateway between every new person you meet and their contribution to your enterprise.

Land the pitch, and you'll open the door to a bigger conversation that could lead to a new client, a new adviser, or maybe even new funding.

Slip up, and you might not get an opportunity for further discussion.

Of course, stronger business ideas naturally lend themselves to more convincing pitches than their weaker counterparts, but there's only so much you can do to perfect your business plan.

The real key to a successful pitch is delivering it in a personable, compelling, and effective way, and that requires strong public speaking skills.

If you're trying to perfect your pitch, try these seven public speaking exercises to help you get there.

SEE ALSO: The 5 most common public speaking myths

1. Explain your idea to a child.

This exercise is all about conveying your business idea in as few terms and as simply as possible.

Children have far less experience in the real world than adults, and need ideas simplified for them — meaning you have to remove all those fancy-sounding buzzwords and fluff sentences.

The twist is that even though you'll simplify your pitch, you'll actually end up with one that carries more meaning. Use this to get used to using simple, concise phrases.



2. Practice small talk.

Small talk is your reliable segue into your pitch. Never walk up to a stranger and immediately pitch to him — instead, start up a short conversation about the weather, about the venue, or about a piece of clothing he's wearing.

To get a better feel for the rhythms and niceties of small talk, practice it on a daily basis. Find someone new to talk to every day — gradually, you'll become more comfortable with it.



3. Write out your main points.

Written exercises help your mind visualize and absorb information better than speaking exercises.

Your pitch might sound great in your head when you speak it audibly, but when you write it out, you might find that you're forgetting a major point, or that one of your points isn't necessary to include.

Chart out your pitch's main points on paper, and use that as a platform to improve.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

8 aerial photos that show the madness of Burning Man from above

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burning man

In recent years, people have started bringing drones and riding helicopters to Burning Man, the giant annual arts festival held in Nevada's Black Rock Desert.

These drones, planes, and helicopters have allowed Burners to capture some amazing aerial photography.

Check out some of the bird's-eye-view photos of this year's festival, which started on August 28.

SEE ALSO: Burning Man has a temporary airport for the 1% who take luxury rides to the playa

Burning Man takes place every summer in Black Rock City, a temporary settlement erected by the festival's participants.



Burners' camps form a massive semicircle.

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Although the majority of Burners get there by car, some take more adventurous routes. Here's a man parachuting into the playa:

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See the rest of the story at Business Insider

24 signs you're a good boss — even if it doesn't feel like it

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It's lonely at the top.

Being the boss comes with a ton of pressure. And when you're in a management position, it can be difficult to evaluate how you're doing.

Are you striking the right balance between commanding respect and appearing accessible? Are your employees responding well to your style of leadership? Are any of your actions breeding resentment in the office?

Being a good boss is crucial for your organization — a third of employees in one survey revealed that they'd quit a job because of a bad manager, as Business Insider previously reported.

So how can managers tell if they're doing a good job? You can't exactly go wandering around the office asking people — that would look pretty weak. But employee satisfaction and engagement surveys aren't a bad idea.

Here are other, more subtle signs that you're killing it as the boss:

SEE ALSO: Here are 4 things all great bosses do

You don't have obvious favorites

Playing favorites is a great way to torpedo office morale. If you make it clear that a certain person is the apple of your eye no matter what, then that'll just encourage your other employees to give up on trying to impress you.



You treat your employees like human beings

Unfortunately, some bosses seem to feel that hurling insults and abuse at people is an effective motivational technique. In most cases, this simply isn't true. If you value your employees as human beings, then you're already a huge step above many managers.



You're willing to try new things

Good bosses adopt certain methods because they're the best way of doing things — not because they've just fallen into certain habits. The best managers give their employees a little room to experiment and innovate.



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The Airbnb engineer who got a $250,000 starting-pay package shares his tips on negotiating job offers

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haseeb qureshiHaseeb Qureshi is an Airbnb engineer who drew a lot of attention last spring for his blog post explaining how he negotiated a $250,000 starting-pay package from an original $120,000 offer.

He's been continually documenting his advice and tips for how others can do the same and just published a lengthy, detailed post on how to negotiate once the offer is in hand.

The advice comes from his own experience. After deciding he wanted a new challenge from his previous job as director of product at App Academy, he got rejected by all 20 jobs he initially applied for.

He then got rejected by a bunch more companies contacted via referrals from friends. Nothing was working. He had actually only learned to code about a year before. His background was as an English major and former professional poker player.

Then, after working with a startup called TripleByte, which anonymously tests a candidate's technical skills then matches them with companies, a couple of interviews and offers started to come in. By letting all the recruiters he talked to know he had multiple job offers, he ended up landing eight job offers, including positions at Google, Uber, and Yelp.

The problem? While all the early offers were in range for what entry-level engineers make, they were for less money than his current job, and not enough money to live well in expensive Silicon Valley.

He had another trial-and-error process in negotiating for more.

His latest post called "How not to bomb your offer negotiation" is worth reading, but here's a few top tips we gleaned from it. 

SEE ALSO: A startup burned through $700,000 in 10 months then lied about back pay, former employees say

SEE ALSO: The Airbnb engineer who negotiated a $250,000 starting-pay package shares his tips on how to land a job interview

What Qureshi doesn't mention but is key to understand: Silicon Valley tends to use a lot of professional recruiters that are experts at negotiating. Also worth knowing: Contract headhunters earn about $30,000/hire, so they are motivated to get a prospect to take the offer.

Source: Silicon Valley startups are paying headhunters more than $30,000 a head for hot engineers



Qureshi's top tip is make this a friendly process: "When you think of negotiating a job offer, don’t imagine haggling over a used car," he writes."Think more like negotiating dinner plans with a group of friends, and you’ll fare much better."



Think of the process as nailing down the details of a whole package. A decent salary is part of that, but think about what you value and focus on that, including signing bonuses, stock, year-end or performance bonuses, relocation expenses, equipment, an educational stipend/training commitment.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 19 movies you need to see before you graduate from high school

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10 Things I Hate About You

High school can be either the best time or the worst time in your life. Sometimes it can be both. Either way, movies will help you get through it.

High-school movies represent a special genre. They can't just have a teenage character; they have to really explore what it's like to be in high school, between the cliques and the bullying and the difficult process of growing up.

Some movies set in high school explore social hierarchies. Others can feel like political thrillers. The ones you know best are likely the funniest and most earnest ones where the biggest problem is outrunning the cops who break up a house party.

With school starting around the US, we compiled the best high-school movies of all time. We hope these movies are there for you as they were there for us.

19. "She's the Man"

Another Shakespeare-inspired teen rom-com (see "Twelfth Night"), this may have been peak Amanda Bynes. The former Nickelodeon star played a teen who goes undercover into her twin brother’s school dressed as him in order to play on the boys soccer team. There she meets and falls for Channing Tatum’s character, Duke. Yeah! This was one of Tatum’s early roles onscreen, and his instant charm hinted at the larger star to come.

Plus, who can forget this scene with Bynes putting a tampon up her nose to help stop “really bad nose bleeds.



18. "Juno" (2007)

"Juno" is one of the most rebellious high-school movies you'll see. The characters speak in a bizarre slang (at one point you'll hear someone say "Honest to blog?") that some might find infuriating. But the movie still carries a charm, which is why it won over both America and Oscar voters (Diablo Cody took home a statue for best original screenplay).

It's hard to call it sincere, given that its sarcastic tone won me over when I first saw it as a sophomore in high school. Despite that, the film is still a thoughtful look at teen pregnancy, and it's to the film's benefit that nobody could figure out whether it was pro-choice or pro-life when it was first released.



17. "10 Things I Hate About You" (1999)

This modernized version of "The Taming of the Shrew" proves that Shakespeare belongs in a high-school setting. Like any good high-school movie, it launched the careers of many of its younger stars, including Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and David Krumholtz. But front and center is Heath Ledger, who belts out an unforgettable version of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You." It's a reminder of the amazing talent lost too soon.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

9 scientific reasons KFC is so addictive (yum)

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KFC vs Popeye's 5

KFC's secret recipe may or may not have been revealed recently, but the science behind why it tastes so good is clear.

Steve Witherly devoted a whole section to KFC in his 2007 book, "Why Humans Like Junk Food." Keep reading to see insights pulled from the book and Business Insider's interview with Witherly:

SEE ALSO: We did a blind taste test of KFC and Popeyes fried chicken — here's the verdict

DON'T MISS: KFC is making a comeback

High calorie density is intrinsically appealing.

Because humans evolved as foragers, our brains learned to recognize and desire things that pack a lot of calories.

The caloric density scale ranges from 0 for water to 9 for pure fat.

While raw chicken breast without the skin has a caloric density of 1.35, KFC's original chicken breast scores 2.3; the extra crispy version gets a 2.9. The skin by itself scores an intoxicating 5.0.

"Ergo, the chicken is only a vehicle for eating the skin," Witherly wrote.



Salt makes it super delicious.

Humans have evolved to love salty things — a result of our bodies needing sodium to function properly while our sweat glands constantly deplete the supply, according to Witherly.

One KFC original chicken breast contains 1.1 grams of sodium, amounting to a staggering 48% of your recommended daily value.

All told, salt makes up around 1.85% of the weight of the meal. That's right around the ideal level of salt for human enjoyment of dry foods, according to Witherly.

His theory is that it's perfect for us, since a bite of it combined with the saliva in your mouth brings the salt content to approximately the 1% level found in your blood.



MSG supercharges everything.

KFC adds the infamous flavor-booster monosodium glutamate, or MSG, to dozens of items, as detailed on the company website. It also uses foods naturally high in effectively similar free glutamates, like chicken.

MSG enhances salt taste and salt-taste pleasure while also triggering the brothy umami taste.

Although MSG has gotten a bad rap, most scientists agree that it's safe, as no studies have shown that it causes headaches or other supposed negative effects.

Witherly himself likes to use it (combined with salt at a 9:1 ratio) in his home cooking.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

8 leadership lessons from the book Facebook's HR chief recommends to all new managers

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lori goler

When Lori Goler, Facebook's Vice President of People, joined the company in 2008, she got to work making the company a "strengths-based" organization.

It's a term based on Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman's 1999 bestselling management guide "First, Break All the Rules." The coauthors were Gallup analysts at the time and drew insights from 25 years of Gallup studies of 80,000 managers across 400 companies.

They "broke all the rules" of convention by concluding that the best managers fostered strengths and ignored weaknesses rather than creating a team of well-rounded individuals. They also found that managers were more important to their employees' success and happiness than the overall company's culture and initiatives.

Goler found the lessons in "First, Break All the Rules" so valuable that she recruited Buckingham through his independent management consulting firm, TMBC, to help her at Facebook, and she recommends all new managers at the company read the book.

Goler has successfully adapted Facebook's culture from a scrappy social media company into a tech giant that's also regarded as one of the best places to work in the United States.

Business Insider highlighted eight of the book's core lessons below:

SEE ALSO: Facebook's most asked interview question is tough to answer but a brilliant way to find the perfect fit

Strong personal relationships are crucial for success.

Buckingham and Coffer write that 12 questions "capture everything you need to know about the workplace." Your employees should respond positively to each of the following:

1. "Do I know what is expected of me at work?"

2. "Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?"

3. "At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?"

4. "In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?"

5. "Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?"

6. "Is there someone at work who encourages my development?"

7. "At work, do my opinions seem to count?"

8. "Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?"

9. "Are my coworkers committed to doing quality work?"

10. "Do I have a best friend at work?"

11. "In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?"

12. "This last year, have I had opportunities to learn and grow?"



Great managers do not follow the Golden Rule.

The Golden Rule, which states that you must treat others as you would like to be treated, is one of the most common pitfalls of management, argue Buckingham and Coffman.

It may come from good intentions, but acting as if your employees share your exact same approach to working is setting them up for failure. "So the best managers reject the Golden Rule," the authors write. "Instead, [these managers] say, treat each person as he would like to be treated, bearing in mind who he is."



Managers and leaders are profoundly different, but both are necessary.

Buckingham and Coffman write that there's a school of thought that portrays managers as automatons moving work around, while leaders are those actually moving the company forward; in this school of thought, great managers have the potential to become leaders.

This isn't correct, the authors argue. They are simply different roles within an organization and both are necessary.

"Great managers look inward," they wrote. "Great leaders, by contrast, look outward."

That is, leaders do not have the time to determine the individual needs and styles of their employees because they are focused on bigger-picture thinking. It's up to managers to establish these relationships and foster excellent output.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 5 scariest things that happened to me abroad, and what I learned from them

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travel solo

Traveling isn’t always a picnic. Sometimes, we encounter situations that threaten our safety and make us second guess our security. The important thing when something like this happens to you is not let it scare you into not traveling, but to learn a lesson from the experience.

Here are some of my personal scary encounter experiences abroad, and what I’ve learned from them and about travel safety.

1. Threatened In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Two Reais and seventy-five cents. That should cover the bus ride back to my hostel in Gloria. It wasn’t a lot of money — about $1.25 USD; however, it was enough for one man in particular to notice me.

I’d been warned not to ever show cash when walking around Rio de Janeiro, but I figured they meant large bills. Besides, it was daytime and I was standing at a bus stop full of people. Nobody would take notice.

But someone did. He looked about 53, a weathered face and dark hair. While I don’t remember his clothing or details about his features, I can clearly picture the menacing scowl that took over his face as he stopped dead in his tracks and glared at my exposed wallet. His stance reminded me of a cheetah ready to pounce as he bent his knees and angled his body toward me, his arms raised slightly. One false move and I was a goner. But, would he really jump me in broad daylight?

My skin felt prickly, my heart racing with fear. I was frozen in a moment that seemed to last forever, although it was probably only a minute or so.

Suddenly, my solo female travel instincts kicked in and I took action. Spying a group a local women chatting nearby, I quickly ran over to their group, never turning my back to the man. While I didn’t speak Portuguese, I smiled at them and waved, gesturing slightly with my eyes at the man. They understood, and made a small space for me in the group, where I nodded along pretending to be an old time friend. The man glared a moment longer before moving on his way.

While I was lucky the situation didn’t escalate further than a scare, it did teach me a lesson: Never make assumptions. If someone tells you an area is dangerous and that pick pocketing is likely, take all necessary precautions to prevent this from happening — whether it’s daytime, nighttime, $2 or $200. A better idea would have been to have my money organized in my wallet so that I could quickly pull it out when on the bus, or discreetly grabbing the money without showing my wallet.



2. Dog Attack In Banos, Ecuador

It was a steep ascent, but the view of Banos, Ecuador, from the top of Bellavista was worth it. It had taken me much quicker than I’d assumed it would — less than an hour — so I decided to continue on and follow the signs reading “Runtun”.

As I was trekking solo, it was up to me to navigate myself, which felt somewhat disconcerting. It’s no that I didn’t have hiking experience— I’m an avid trekker; however, the narrow trails were thick with mud and so dense it made day feel like night. Something felt off to me. I knew I was following the trail markers correctly, but that didn’t necessarily mean I was heading toward a place I would want to go, especially while traveling solo.

As I continued on, trudging through ankle-deep muck and climbing over giant rocks and thick branches, I came to a village. While it comforted me to know there were people around in case I needed help, this relaxed feeling was quickly erased as I heard the angry barking of a dog.

I saw the snarling animal racing up the trail, as my mind dove into its subconscious and pulled out the only relevant source I had on file: “The Simpsons.” I remembered an episode where Lisa, acting as Sacajawea, is approached by a cougar. To scare it off, she extends her arms to try to make herself look at big as possible. Sure, it was a ridiculous cartoon, but it was all I had.

Quickly, I grabbed the largest rock I could and held it over my head in an attempt to appear larger than my 5’2” self really was. At least if my cartoon-inspired tactic didn’t work I’d have a weapon of some sort. The dog — which was clearly strong enough to kill me — stopped about four feet away from me, barking like mad and glaring its teeth. While it wasn’t moving closer, it also didn’t seem to be leaving. Finally, just when I thought this staring contest would go on all night, the dog backed away slowly then ran away.

While at that moment I wanted to head back to my hostel immediately, the dog had ran in that direction and I didn’t want to cross paths with him again, so I continued on. It didn’t take long for another even larger dog to find me, chasing me and barking menacingly, no doubt telling me to get the hell out of his village. Luckily, I was near to some homes at this point, and still holding the rock.

“Ayudame! Ayudame!” I screamed, shouting for help in Spanish. “Por favor, ayudame!”

Suddenly, a young boy not older than 10 appeared. He looked confused as he looked on at this foreign girl almost in tears holding a rock over her head and a dog the size of a small horse ready to pounce on her.

“Ayudame!!” I begged.

He turned to the dog, shouted something in Spanish, and the dog ran off.

What was I doing here? There were absolutely no hikers on this trail — which I wasn’t even sure was a legitimate trail — and in a matter of 20 minutes I’d almost been attacked by two different very large dogs. It was time to get a cab.

After some wrong turns I finally found a paved road away from the village. I toyed with the idea of hitch hiking — especially when it started to rain and there were no taxis in sight — but with the luck I was having that day I figured robbery and kidnapping were probable. Finally, soaked to the bone, I came to a hotel and was able to have them call a taxi for me. At that moment, I would have paid $1,000 just to be in my hostel with the door locked, away from dogs, scary trails and strangers. A hostel bed never looked as good as it did that day.

Looking back on the situation, the biggest error I made was not trusting my gut. I had a weird feeling about the trail, but continued on anyway. Not only that, but I went hiking alone on some desolate path with nobody on it, despite the fact I didn’t know the area well and hadn’t told anyone where I was going. Especially when traveling solo, it’s important to take necessary precautions. While I’m not saying to never hike alone — sometimes it can be very therapeutic — try to choose trails where other people will be in case you need help. And at the very least ask your accommodation for safety information and let someone know your plans.

It can also be a good idea to carry a safety whistle, big rock and first aid kit, as you never know what you might encounter.



3. Tourist Scam In Naples, Italy

Getting off the train in Napoli Central in Naples, Italy, I feel a surge of excitement. Naples, Italy, is the place where my grandparents are from. Hell, half the population shares my last name of Festa. I already feel at home.

I have been backpacking through Europe for a month and a half already and have gotten pretty used to the public transportation system. My hostel, Hostel of the Sun, has given me specific directions on how to get there by bus. Usually when boarding a local bus in Europe, I have simply asked the driver how much (many of them have luckily spoken a little English) or will perform a kind of charades/gesturing act to imply I want to know the fare. Either way, I have paid inside the bus.

When I see my bus pull up, I let everyone else go on ahead of me. Once everyone has boarded, I hold up a 5 Euro bill to the driver to indicate that I want to pay. He doesn’t seem to speak any English, but communicates to me with a big smile and beckons me onto the vehicle.

“The people of Naples are so nice,” I think to myself.

The doors slam shut behind me and the bus drives away. Standing there, I am still waiting for the driver to ask me for money. Then I see him pull out a notepad and begin scribbling on what I think to be a receipt.

He hands it to me, and as I read it, I begin profusely sweating. “52 Euros?!” I scream, confused and upset.

Not a moment later the bus driver and another official looking man begin screaming at me in Italian. I don’t know what they’re saying, but I’m terrified. Everyone on the bus is staring at me, waiting to see what I will do. Holding up my hands, I try to explain that I’m not going very far, maybe 5 stops, and I don’t understand why the fare is so much.

That’s when a local woman sitting in the front seat sticks up for me. I can’t understand her words, but I can tell by her facial expressions and gestures that she’s angry at them. By now I am starting to realize what’s going on and the woman, who apparently speaks a bit of English, confirms my fears.

“They are fining you for not buying a ticket,” she says, looking angry. “It’s because you’re a tourist.”

The bus driver shouts angrily again, and I am positive whatever he is saying includes various obscenities.

She scowls and looks at me. “They say if you do not pay they will call the police.”

This is one of those situations that you don’t want to be in when traveling. If I were back in New York, I absolutely would have cursed out the driver and let him call the police. However, here in Italy, I am a foreigner who is traveling alone, doesn’t speak the local language, and has just been humiliated in front of about 30 locals.

I pay the fine, angry at the injustice but grateful to not have to deal with foreign police.

When I get to the hostel, I tell the girl at the desk about my incident.

“They’ve tried that sh*t with me,” she says. “Next time, don’t pay it!”

I laughed. It’s so funny how just being in the place that you live can make you so confident, and when you become a foreign that confidence can get so easily lost. Still, I believe that when traveling it’s best to dilute your confidence just a bit in order to become more open to (or to save yourself from) a different way of doing things.

So I was down $70. At least I wasn’t in Italian jail. Looking back, doing some more research before arriving into Naples would have been a good idea so that I could have known beforehand about what tourist scams to be on the lookout for and how to properly ride the bus.



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23 books you should read before they become movies this fall

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Amy Adams in Arrival

Fall is here, and that means the movies are going to get good again and we can cleanse our palates of "Suicide Squad."

As you might expect, a lot of the big movies coming out are based on popular, acclaimed, and award-winning books. And while you don't always have to read the book before watching the movie, some of these novels, nonfiction books, comics, and short stories are excellent. They're all worth checking out.

Here are the book-to-movie adaptations coming out this fall. We included the release dates for each movie, so you know how much time you have left to read the books.

"The Light Between Oceans" is based on the bestselling novel by M.L. Stedman about a couple who live in a lighthouse.

Release date: September 2

Buy the book here >>



Drawing from Chesley Sullenberger book "Highest Duty" and starring Tom Hanks, "Sully" is about the fateful plane crash on the Hudson.

Release date: September 9

Buy the book here >>



Two books were used for "Snowden," the movie about Edward Snowden's whistleblowing: "The Snowden Files" by Luke Harding and the novel "Time of the Octopus" by Anatoly Kucherena, who's Edward Snowden's lawyer.

Release date: September 16

Buy "The Snowden Files" here >>



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 5 best new songs you can stream right now

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Kendrick LamarNow that new music comes out every Friday — though not always on every streaming service — it can be hard to know where to find the next great song.

To help you out, Business Insider compiles this rundown of the best new music you can stream right now.

This week, Kendrick Lamar collaborated with his labelmate Isaiah Rashad for an album track, and Bon Iver debuted a stunning and cryptic new single.

Check out this week's best new songs:

SEE ALSO: The 5 best new songs you can stream from the week of August 26

Bon Iver — "33 'GOD'"

After releasing two bizarresingles last month, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon has returned with a third song from his upcoming album, "22, A Million."

Lyrically cryptic and instrumentally captivating, "33 'GOD'" is one of Bon Iver's most experimental and striking songs to date.

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James Blake — 'Timeless' (feat. Vince Staples)

English producer-singer James Blake snagged an incredible verse from rapper Vince Staples on this new reworking of the song "Timeless" from his critically acclaimed album "The Colour in Anything," which came out in May.

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Angel Olsen — 'Never Be Mine'

Where Angel Olsen's previous music was largely inspired by folk greats like Joni Mitchell, the 29-year-old singer-songwriter's latest album, "My Woman," blends a variety of influences.

The album's standout track, "Never Be Mine," successfully emulates Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" approach to production.

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5 heartwarming airport stories that show a different side of air travel

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tampa airport hobbes

Airports aren't known for bringing out the best in people — the many lines and frequent delays usually wear down even the friendliest of folk.

From the panic of a lost stuffed animal to the tragic loss of a loved one, these five stories show a different side of air travel — one of humor, compassion, and humanity. 

JetBlue flight attendant Kelly David Karas comforted the grandmother of a 20-year-old victim of the Pulse shooting in Orlando by having other passengers write condolence messages.

 

After presenting the letters of condolence to Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo's grandmother, they held a moment of silence.

"As we deplaned, EVERY SINGLE PERSON STOPPED TO OFFER HER THEIR CONDOLENCES," Karas wrote on her Facebook page. "Some just said they were sorry, some touched her hand, some hugged her, some cried with her. But every single person stopped to speak to her, and not a single person was impatient at the slower deplaning process."



Amanda Sapir had what she called "the most socially conscious TSA pat down ever."

 

Sapir, who identifies as gender non-conforming and trans-masculine, shared how TSA officer Darlena Thi Lac conducted her security screening with the utmost respect when the body scanner flagged Sapir's boxer briefs.

"You get to decide how you are identified," Thi Lac told Sapir, according to a Facebook post.



TSA officer Carl Revis keeps the security line laughing with his stand-up comedy.

"That thing?" Revis says, pointing to the body scanner at LAX. "Worse than my ex-girlfriend. She found out everything. This finds more!"

Revis acknowledges that the TSA doesn't have the best image, but hopes to change that through his routine.

“My job is to change the hearts and minds here, one person at a time,” Revis told The Daily Breeze.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The first thing you should eat when you visit 8 countries

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Sushi

Food and travel really go hand in hand. When I land in Bali, I’ve got mie goreng on the brain. In Thailand, it’s fresh local fruits like mangosteen. The moment I touch down in France, I’m ready for a baguette with jambon et fromage! Every destination has its own local specialties. Some of them, most tourists know about. But what do the locals really favor? We checked in with locals and others who call the 8 destinations below home, to find out what they say is the first thing you should eat when you land in their country!

Norway

Living for a long time in New York, there is always some food that I miss from my home country, Norway. No doubt, New York has some of the greatest restaurants and food in the world, but … So every time I travel home to visit, either for work or to see family and friends, there is one dish that I’ve always got to have, either homemade or in a restaurant: Fish soup, and preferably from Bergen. Bergen fish soup is a delicacy all visitors to Norway should try when they visit our beautiful country. Norway has some of the best and freshest seafood in the world and the soup is made with a variety of the fruits from the sea; cod or halibut, mussels, salmon and preferably fresh salty shrimps, and of course, with root vegetables such as carrots, leek, potatoes, turnip and fresh parsley. The base of the soup is butter, flour, fish stock, cream. – Harald Hansen, Visit Norway




Brazil

The main dish in Brazil is the feijoada, but that wouldn’t be my first choice. I would recommend that after landing from a long flight to Brazil, people go straight to a churrascaria. Try a rodizio of meat (or fish!) and enjoy a caipirinha (or five) with it! – Joao Rodrigues, media relations professional with over 10 years’ experience representing Brazil



England

Sunday wouldn’t be the same in England without a traditional roast dinner.  The wonderful aroma of succulent roasting meat, lashings of tasty gravy and soft, fluffy Yorkshire puddings have been part of English food culture for centuries.  Eateries from five-star restaurants and hotels to gastropubs, traditional pubs and cafés are all serving up a tempting roast dinner on Sundays and, increasingly, on other days of the week, such is its popularity. No visit to England is complete without sampling one. – Emma Mead, Visit Britain



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The 6 best wine regions in the world

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Napa Valley Vineyard

Red, white or rosé? We each have our favorite, however whether you enjoy an occasional glass of wine with a meal, or fancy yourself as an aficionado, a good glass of wine is a drink everyone can appreciate.

If you’re planning your next trip abroad, take a look through our top 6 wine regions in the world and treat yourself to an unforgettable wine experience.

1. France

When discussing the world’s finest wine, French wine is often regarded as being one of the best. There are 10 major wine regions across the country, each specialising in their own signature wine. White wine fans will enjoy Alsace in the East, while red lovers can indulge in the picturesque region of Beaujolais. If you’re a fan of both, Bordeaux is particularly adept at making both red and dry, sweet white wines.

The celebrated region of Champagne, home to the sparkling wine of the same name, is the coldest of France’s major wine regions. Although other regions produce sparkling wines, traditional champagne refers only to the sparking wine made exclusively in Champagne.



2. Italy

Only this year, Italy overtook France to become the largest wine producer in the world. Regions such as Sicily, Tuscany and Lombardy produce a broad variety of wines for the casual drinker and the connoisseur. There are 20 wine regions spread across Italia, each producing distinctive tasting wines as a result of their geographic locations and weather conditions.



3. Spain

Spain, the third largest producer of wine, has dedicated over one million acres of land to growing grapes. Over the past decade, the country’s rich reds and crisp whites have attracted a huge fan base worldwide. Compared to France and Italy, Spanish wine is often very reasonably priced and is regarded as a wine which can be paired with practically any meal.



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Inside the incredible cliffside Hawaii mansion Justin Bieber vacationed in for $10,000 a night

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Justin Bieber recently rented a Hawaiian property called Water Falling Estate for two weeks at a rate of $10,000 a night, TMZ reports.

The estate, which sold for $5.7 million at an auction in 2014, boasts "a 450-seat tennis/basketball stadium, a 250 million-gallon Olympic infinity pool with a high dive and two-story water slide," and a helicopter landing pad, according to The Hawaii Tribune Herald.

The mansion stands on a cliff overlooking several waterfalls and the Pacific Ocean, and its listing on Concierge Auctions reveals some spectacular photos of the property. It can also be rented on Home Away.

Check out the opulent vacation home Bieber stayed in:

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

The 9.44-acre property stands atop a cliff on Hawaii's Hamakua Coast.

Source: Concierge Auctions



The estate was once a macadamia nut plantation, but now it boasts an Olympic-size pool, a multipurpose athletic court ...

Source: Concierge Auctions



... a helicopter pad on the mansion's roof ...



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Hermine is just a tropical storm, but it could still inflict considerable damage on the East Coast. Here's how much

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Downed trees and power lines block the road after Hurricane Hermine blows through Tallahassee, Florida September 2, 2016.

Hermine battered Florida on Friday, then turned its attention to the rest of the East Coast.

The storm uprooted trees, caused power outages for 300,000 homes and businesses, and has killed at least one person.

Hermine was a Category 1 hurricane while it was still in the Caribbean, before being downgraded to a tropical storm as it hit Florida Friday.

While the classification of a hurricane can give you an idea of how strong the winds and flooding may be, it doesn't represent how destructive it could be.

A confluence of factors are making Hermine stronger than its tropical storm identifier suggests.

The storm will likely linger over the East Coast for several days, due to a high-pressure system over New England trapping it in place, leading to higher flood risks, Brian Kahn writes for WX Shift. The National Weather Service predicts four to eight inches in the mid-Atlantic states.

The longer Hermine lasts, the more high tides there will be to fuel its flooding potential. And warmer Atlantic waters could give it more power too, according to Kahn, possibly even strengthening the tropical storm back into a Category 1 hurricane.

For historical context, Hurricane Katrina reached a Category 5 storm out at sea, but hit New Orleans as a Category 3. Similarly, Hurricane Sandy was technically a post-tropical cyclone when it hit the East Coast, though it was a Category 3 at one point. Its storm surge reached 8 feet in parts of New Jersey.

So what do the categories mean?

This is the kind of damage hurricanes can inflict if they make landfall as a tropical storm, or as a Category 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.

SEE ALSO: Hurricane Hermine intensifies Zika fears as it pounds Florida

DON'T MISS: Tropical Storm Hermine kills one person in Florida, blasts Georgia, and takes aim at the Northeast

The Saffir-Simpson Scale categorizes a hurricane based on its wind speed. Tropical storms and depressions generally cause less damage and fall below the scale.



Hurricanes that are less intense are generally more common than "major" hurricanes — those that are Category 3 and above. In the map below you can see how many of these storms hit the continental US from 1950-2011, color-coded by category.



Tropical storms have wind speeds of 39 to 73 mph. Once a storm crosses this threshold, it gets a name.



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Take a rare glimpse inside Buckingham Palace's State Rooms where the Queen's thrones are on display

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white drawing room

Buckingham Palace is one of London's most iconic buildings.

Although Buckingham Palace's doors remain closed to visitors for most of the year, each summer, its State Rooms — the 19 public rooms where the royal family receive guests and host official and ceremonial events — are open to the public.

The extravagant rooms are full of paintings, fine porcelain, and chandeliers dripping with crystals. They were designed by the architect John Nash, who was commissioned to design Buckingham Palace (formerly Buckingham House) by King George IV.

This year, the rooms opened on July 23 and will close on October 2. Tickets can be purchased on the Royal Collection Trust website.

Business Insider went on a tour of the Palace's State Rooms. Here's a glimpse inside.

Welcome to Buckingham Palace, the London residence and office of Queen Elizabeth II.



Most of the year, visitors to the Palace aren't permitted inside, but they gather outside its gates to watch the Changing of the Guard — an elaborate ceremony in which the Palace's Old Guard passes his duties on to the New Guard. Guards perform the drill to music performed by a band. During the Christmas season, musicians play festive songs.



Each summer, the Palace's State Rooms open to the public. Visitors enter the State Rooms via the Grand Staircase, which was designed by the architect John Nash. The exquisite entrance is lined with portraits and full of natural light, illuminated by a skylight above.



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5 types of problem coworkers and how to deal with them

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It's inevitable — at almost any workplace you will run into "problem" coworkers.

Some of these types of problematic coworkers include the negative coworker, the overly competitive coworker, the gossip, the bully and the person who pushes off work.

Hopefully, your office doesn't have too many of these types of people, but if it does, here's how to (almost) deal with working alongside them.

SEE ALSO: 23 simple ways to deal with your annoying coworkers

The negative coworker

This one always has something negative to say, no matter what. True, it can be helpful to have a critical thinker on the team who plays devil's advocate, but far too often this person is quick to criticize without offering up solutions.

Whenever I think about negative co-workers, I'm reminded of a quote from one of my favorite books, "Bossypants" by Tina Fey. She says, "Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don't just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles."

This person does the latter. If you hear someone constantly bringing everyone down by saying, "I know the prospective client isn't going to sign with us," or "We're definitely going to lose that client," you know you're working with a negative co-worker.

How to almost deal: When this person raises problems (and you know they will), ask them for more details. Why won't the client sign? What's going on there? Press them to fully describe the problem and ask them to provide a solution. He/she may raise some valid points, so never ignore what they have to say or write them off.



The overly competitive coworker

Do you remember the person in class who would repeatedly ask for your notes, yet not return the favor if you asked them for help? This is the grown-up version of that person.

Someone who is overly competitive may try to sabotage other people and throw them under the bus. They will climb over others if it helps them get to the top and they may even try to take credit for your work.

Having a competitive co-worker can be an advantage if he/she is competitive in the right way for their industry such as in law, PR or sales. Healthy competition in the workplace can even encourage people to work harder.

However, it's a problem if the person is overly competitive with other people at work and doesn't offer to help. A company is a team and everyone should work together to contribute to the success of the organization … But that doesn't always happen.

How to (almost) deal: Competitive co-workers may be insecure, leading them to feel threatened by your success. Try to show this person that you want to work with them, not against them. Collaborate with them, but leave a paper trail indicating that you worked on projects. You don't want him/her to take the credit for your ideas or killer presentation.

In the meantime, focus on yourself and doing the best job you can do in the workplace. Don't be derailed by their competitive nature and don't try to engage in it. If most of the people in your company are aggressive, consider if this is the type of environment where you will work best.



The gossip

When people spend time together at work, there is bound to be a grapevine with "the office gossip" at the forefront of it. They want to know everything that's happening and may divulge information you share with them in confidence to others.

This person always wants to be in the know and likes to have a juicy story to share. They may ask you questions under the auspices of being considerate or thoughtful, but deep down they may want to use your answers to undermine you.

How to (almost) deal: Don't feed into this person's questions. They may ask who you dislike at work in a roundabout way like, "So what do you really think of Susan's presentation?"

If this person tries to engage you in gossip about yourself, your manager, or other coworkers, politely leave the conversation. Tell them you'd rather not talk about it or pretend you don't have any opinions on the subject. Don't get sucked into the gossip. There is a good chance that this person will share what you said with other people and that can have major ramifications.

 



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12 things unsuccessful people do over long weekends

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surf beach tan tanning vacation summer surfing fun friends relax

This weekend, we'll have Monday off in celebration of the American labor movement and the nation's workers.

We already know what successful people will be doing over the long weekend.

But what about the unsuccessful people among us?

It's definitely possible to waste a weekend. That's even more of a risk for a long weekend. You don't want to have three whole days of free time go down the drain!

With that in mind, let's discuss some behaviors to avoid. Here are 12 things unsuccessful people over three-day weekends:

SEE ALSO: 11 things unsuccessful people do over the weekend

DON'T MISS: 14 things successful people do over 3-day weekends

They neglect their loved ones

Listen, I'm not saying that spending a long weekend getting away from everyone is a bad thing. Unsuccessful individuals don't avoid people because they're mindfully trying to unwind — they do it because something's holding them back from connecting. They probably feel so burned out and drained from the week that they hunker down in solitude, only to later regret not spending quality time with the people they care about.



They stress out

We all need to rest and recharge our batteries from time to time. Unsuccessful people are unable to do this, even over three-day weekends. This leads to misery during a time that should be filled with relaxation and happiness.



They spend a ton of money (needlessly)

You don't want to blow all your cash over the course of three days!

Unsuccessful people don't know how to control themselves over long weekends and end up with empty wallets as a result. Sure, buying round after round at the bar may seem like fun at the time, but if you're not made of money squeezing too many impulse purchases into such a short amount of time is a really bad idea.

If you're looking to have a ton of fun on a budget, consider a staycation or just carefully budgeting your fun in the sun.



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Inside the Las Vegas trailer park that Zappos' multimillionaire CEO calls home

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tony hseih airstream trailer

Tony Hsieh has a net worth of $840 million, but rather than scoop up a desert mansion outside the Zappos campus in Las Vegas, Nevada, he's planted his roots in a trailer park downtown.

In 2014, as part of his grand efforts to revitalize the city, Hsieh transformed an abandoned parking lot into a micro-living oasis. About 30 Airstream trailers and tiny homes make up the village commonly known as "Llamapolis."

Let's take a peak inside.

SEE ALSO: 9 surprisingly beautiful tiny homes you can buy right now

The entrance to Llamapolis is a semicircle tunnel covered in recycled Christmas lights.

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The smell of livestock washes over you upon entry, and it becomes immediately clear how the village got its nickname, Llamapolis.

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Marley and Triton, who are actually alpacas, live here with their owner and the CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh.

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