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8 places around the world that are beautiful but surprisingly dangerous

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black sand beach iceland

The INSIDER Summary:

• These popular travel destinations look great on Instagram, but they're actually quite dangerous.
• Costa Rica has no laws requiring lifeguards on their beaches. 


There are the type of destinations that take your breath away for their beauty and then there are those that have you holding your breath because they're terrifying. For those who like a combination of both, turn your attention to our list of some of the most beautiful -- but unexpectedly dangerous -- places in the world.

For some expert input on our picks, we tapped Olivier Le Carrer, author of the “Atlas of Cursed Places,” and Robert Pelton, author of “The World’s Most Dangerous Places.” As Pelton notes, it isn’t the most treacherous locales that lead to broken bones and drownings. “People who travel to ‘danger zones’ usually bring along a sense of caution and ask questions,” he says. Instead, it's the places that aren't as commonly dangerous -- and where folks don't act mindfully -- that cause trouble. Check out our list below -- and be prepared for a few surprises along the way. 

Caribbean/Latin America

Don’t think your long weekend sipping pina coladas on the beach could be the start of trouble? Think again. Pelton explains, “if you compare statistical probability of death, it’s likely to be in the Caribbean and involve drowning, a heart attack, or car accident.” According to reports, quite a few drownings happen in Latin America and the Caribbean (Costa Rica has had 101 American drownings since 2002; Mexico had the most, with 355 drownings, followed by the Bahamas, which had 83). Even worse, countries like Costa Rica, home to some dangerous (and popular) waters, have no laws requiring lifeguards on their beaches. 



Guatemala

A few years ago, "Esquire" described Guatemala City as one of the most dangerous places on the planet. "The last 40 years of Guatemalan history is a snake trail of atrocity, corruption and disaster," the article stated, noting the earthquake that killed 27,000 people, coups, territorial disputes, an erupting volcano, and more. So why go? 

There’s brilliant Mayan architecture found at El Mirador and Yaxha and the black sand beach of Monterrico makes for a beautiful sight along the rugged Pacific waters. Sci-fi author Aldous Huxley also considered Lake Atitlán, which is situated in the Guatemalan Highlands, one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. But is the beauty worth the risk? As is the case with many destinations, it's important to take proper safety precautions, including avoiding carrying valuable items in hand, arriving during daylight hours, and being mindful of your luggage when you arrive.



Valley of the Kings, Egypt

Located on the west side of the Nile, the Valley of the Kings features layers of limestone and marl that create jagged cliffs and a good terrain for digging tombs. Between the 16th and 11th century B.C., 63 tombs were built in the earth, in the shadow of the Theban Hills. Builders created a maze of catacombs to ensure the kings had their treasures nearby in the afterlife. And since the late 18th century, archaeologists have burrowed into the tombs to see what they can uncover.

As Le Carrer explains, the area might be most famous for what happened to all of those curious antique hunters. Rumor has it many died mysteriously after raiding the tombs of Tutankhamen and other great kings. In reality, the curse is a little dubious, since some people on the archaeological digs died due to mosquito-borne diseases. Plus, plenty of other folks, including the person who guarded King Tut’s tomb for seven years, lived until a ripe old age. 

However, Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula does have some modern-day concerns. "Time" magazine recently reported that the most common cause of death to Americans in Egypt was due to bad driving. Among the 69 American deaths that occurred there over the past 13 years, 18 died from car accidents and 11 perished from bus accidents.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

9 all-too-relatable illustrations that boil personality down to everyday details

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2kinds pizza

It all started with laundry, says João Rocha.

"Apparently there's a right way to fold clothes, and at this particular point in time my wife was telling me how I was doing it all wrong," wrote the Portuguese art designer in an email to Business Insider. "Now, my way was not as pristine as hers, but it had the added bonus of being much more efficient and fast, which is kinda the point when you're folding clothes. I didn't immediately have the idea to make a series out of it, but the spark came from there."

In the spring of 2015, that spark turned into the Tumblr 2 Kinds of People, where Rocha illustrates this-way-or-that-way personality quirks many of us share. Soon, he'll turn it into a book, which will be available through Workman Publishing in the US and Canada.

Below, see some of his illustrations, along with his thoughts on the differences that bring us together.

SEE ALSO: 15 hard truths about adulthood, from a 29-year-old illustrator who tells it like it is

"2 Kinds of People is not about the things we do differently," says Rocha, "but what points we can find in common with other people."



"It's not our nationalities, or religion, gender, or sexual preference. It's not how we look or how we vote. It's these things that in the end don't really matter."



"A Muslim man from Dubai can prefer to slice his sandwich just like a Jewish old lady from New York, and they would have nothing else in common except for this."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

23 'Gilmore Girls' references you may have missed in the Netflix revival

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Gilmore Girls

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life."

Netflix's revival of "Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life" is now officially streaming.

The show likely made many fans feel happy and nostalgic — those four last words aside— while also moving the characters forward in a satisfying way.

There were also plenty of references to the series that may have gone over your head unless you're a die-hard fan. Keep reading so you can go back and catch them all.

Let’s start with a classic: "I smell snow," Lorelai tells Rory in the town square.



Fans of the original series know that Lorelai has a keen sense for smelling when snow is about to fall.

In episode eight of the first season, Lorelai tells Rory how much she loves the snow and that she can smell when it's coming.

She also says every good thing that's ever happened to her — her first kiss, Rory's first steps, her best birthday — happened when it was snowing.



Lorelai is worried that celebrity chef Roy Choi is going to burn down the Dragonfly Inn's kitchen.

Lorelai has an ever revolving door of chefs coming in and out as she tries to replace her beloved best friend and the inn's chef, Sookie (Melissa McCarthy), during the revival.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 27 cities with the worst quality of life in the world

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The cities with the worst quality of life in the world tend to have the toxic mix of political stability, crime, as well as low standards of living.

Every year, Mercer, one of the world's largest HR consultancy firms, releases its Quality of Living Index, which looks at the cities that provide the best quality of life.

Business Insider has already looked at the 27 cities with the best quality of life and also the 17 European cities that are deemed the most unsafe.

Now we take a look at what cities are ranked as providing the worst quality of life.

The ranking is one of the most comprehensive of its kind and is carried out annually to help multinational companies and other employers compensate employees fairly when placing them on international assignments, according to Mercer.

Looking at 450 cities across the world, Mercer takes into account the following metrics to judge which cities made the list for the best quality of life — which therefore shows what it feels are the best and worst:

  • Political and social environment (political stability, crime, law enforcement)
  • Economic environment (currency-exchange regulations, banking services)
  • Socio-cultural environment (media availability and censorship, limitations on personal freedom)
  • Medical and health considerations (medical supplies and services, infectious diseases, sewage, waste disposal, air pollution)
  • Schools and education (standards and availability of international schools)
  • Public services and transportation (electricity, water, public transportation, traffic congestion)
  • Recreation (restaurants, theatres, cinemas, sports and leisure)
  • Consumer goods (availability of food/daily consumption items, cars)
  • Housing (rental housing, household appliances, furniture, maintenance services)
  • Natural environment (climate, record of natural disasters)

Mercer made a list of 230 countries, and Business Insider took a look at the bottom 27 in the world:

27. Lome, Togo — The city is the largest in Togo and holds high unemployment rates. Its infrastructure is also deteriorating and the African nation faces problems with living conditions and rubbish collection.



26. Tashkent, Uzbekistan — The capital in the central Asia country has become a hotbed for terrorism over the last year. In 2015, the US embassy in Tashkent was attacked for the first time in 11 years and the government is trying to counteract growth in Islamic extremism.



25. Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire — It's the economic capital of the Ivory Coast but the British embassy has issued warnings against anyone travelling there unless essential. It said "violent crime can occur at any time" and that the city, and the country, has a "high threat of terrorism."



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The 13 highest paid sports teams in the world

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Barcelona team group (top row left to right) goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Javier Mascherano, Samuel Umtiti, Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique. (bottom row left to right) Lionel Messi, Neymar, Andres Iniesta, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba

Sports data and analysis website Sporting Intelligence recently released its annual Global Sports Salary Survey, looking at the highest paid sports teams around the world in 2016.

The report looks at the "average first-team pay" for each club, which Sporting Intelligence says allows it to "compare salaries in hugely contrasting leagues in multiple sports around the world."

2016 sees a big shake up of the list. Sporting Intelligence writes: "The upper echelons of previous lists have been dominated by Europe’s powerhouse clubs in the world’s most popular sport, football. (That’s soccer). No more."

Just three European football teams make the top 13, two of them from Britain.

Interestingly, there are no American Football teams in the top ranks, despite the big money surrounding the NFL. The report says: "NFL players earn just over $2.4m a year each on average, or almost $4m less per man than NBA basketball players this season. The ‘median’ earnings in the NFL, where you consider the middle person in a list of all players ranked from best- paid to worst-paid, remains under a million dollars a year."

Even if you look at the total spent on the squads — much bigger than in football or basketball — "not a single NFL team gets into the top 10 list of total payroll size," Sporting Intelligence says.

Business Insider has rounded up the top 13 teams on the list, using an average of £100,000 a week pay as a cut off point. Here are the teams that made the cut:

13. San Francisco Giants — Average annual first team pay: £5.21 million ($6.89 million)

Sport: Baseball.

League: MLB.

Country: United States.

Rank last year: 13.

Average weekly wage: £100,238 ($132,503).

The Giants are one of only two baseball teams on the list. Like most of the teams, the average pay irons out major pay disparities in the team. Star pitcher Matt Cain — nicknamed The Horse — is paid a huge $20.8 million annual salary, according to ESPN, despite a dreadful season last year.



12. San Antonio Spurs: £5.29 million ($7 million)

Sport: Basketball.

League: NBA.

Country: United States.

Rank last year: 40.

Average weekly wage: £101,899 ($134,698).

Basketball dominates the top 13 of the list, with 8 teams making the cut. Sporting Intelligence writes: "The NBA’s new nine-year $24 billion TV deal has come on stream for the 2016-17 season, worth $2.6 billion a year, or 180% more than the last deal, per year, and a big chunk
of that is flowing into the players’ pockets."



11. Toronto Raptors: £5.37 million ($7.1 million)

Sport: Basketball.

League: NBA.

Country: Canada.

Rank last year: 21.

Average weekly wage: £103,312 ($136,566).

Sporting Intelligence says: "The 449 players considered for this report across the 30 NBA teams in 2016-17 will earn almost $2.9 billion between them at an average
of almost $6.4m."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN: Here are the 12 most crowded US stocks (AMZN, GE, FB, UNH, CHTR, AVGO, ORLY, FIS, MNST, ZTS, NWL, TAP)

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NYSE TRADER

AllianceBernstein has released a report ranking the most and least crowded global stocks.

Crowding is measured based on institutional ownership, long-term price momentum, analyst sentiment and expectation of future earnings.

"The implications of crowded trades are increased volatility, negatively skewed returns, high pairwise correlations and large drawdowns during inflection points and volatile markets," the report said.

Picking from the report, we list the 12 most crowded US stocks with market cap greater than $20 billion.

Amazon

Ticker: AMZN
Sector: Services
Market cap: $368 billion
Price: $766.4
Source: AllianceBernstein


General Electric

Ticker: GE
Sector: Industrial goods
Market cap: $284 billion
Price: $31.36
Source: AllianceBernstein


Facebook

Ticker: FB
Sector: Technology
Market cap: $282 billion
Price: $120.9
Source: AllianceBernstein


See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's where all 14 OPEC members stand ahead of November's crucial meeting (USO, OIL)

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OPEC

Two years ago, oil prices plummeted after OPEC voted to not cut production.

Fast forward to 2016, and it looks like the cartel could be gearing up for a production cut.

As members prep themselves for the November 30 meeting, we took a look at how they have fared over the last few months in terms of economic, geopolitical, and security issues.

RBC Capital Markets' commodities research team led by Helima Croft ranked all 14 members from least to highest risk, with 10 being the highest possible risk.

 

Qatar relies on liquid natural gas, and so it's problems "will emerge later this decade."

Risk for this year: 2

Oil production last month: 0.62 millions of barrels/day

Oil production 2015 average: 0.67 mb/d

Qatar is a big player in the liquefied natural gas sector, and so analysts believe that its challenges "will emerge later this decade."

Still, it's notable that the country raised $9 billion in Eurobonds back in May, which was the biggest bond issuance in the Middle East until Saudi Arabia's last month.

 

Source: RBC Capital Markets



The United Arab Emirates continues to sit in the "sweet spot."

Risk for next year: 2

Oil production last month: 3.11 mb/d

Oil production 2015 average: 2.88 mb/d

Like other GCC states, the United Arab Emirates remains better positioned than other producers to weather lower oil. However, it, too, has made some cutbacks.

"GCC monarchies survived the Arab spring uprisings largely unscathed by ratcheting up social spending. Now, however, the recent moves to scale back the social contract pose the risk of domestic discord and strife," wrote Croft.

"Hence, the GCC — UAE included— will likely remain core members of the Saudi-led OPEC coalition of the willing, together looking to add a little extra grease to the wheels toward achieving moderately higher prices."

 

Source: RBC Capital Markets



Kuwait has a small population, but they do not want austerity measures.

Risk for next year: 3

Oil production last month: 2.96 mb/d

Oil production 2015 average: 2.85 mb/d

Although Kuwait has a small population and a relatively large sovereign wealth fund, the country has seen some disarray in 2016.  

Back in April, oil workers went on strike to protest proposed government cutbacks. And more recently, the Emir dissolved parliament following"disputes between MPs and the government over fuel price increases in the oil-rich country."

 

Source: RBC Capital Markets



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The best projectors for every budget

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

lg projectorIn college, some friends and I decided to buy a projector for our apartment. It was one of the best decisions we ever made.

A years worth of movie nights, video game sessions, and sports-themed parties were blown up to larger-than-life sizes. 

I graduated three years ago, and the projector still gets brought up about once a month.

There are some caveats when choosing a projector over a TV: You'll need a very dark room and you'll have bring your own speakers. But those are small prices to pay to see your favorite movie on a big screen. 

Speaking of price, the point of this guide is to choose projectors in every price range. Whether you're looking for a cheap one for the dorm, or one that can act as the center of your home theater system, these are the models worth checking out:

SEE ALSO: 4 TVs under $500 that stand above the rest

SEE ALSO: Here's what anyone in the market for their first projector needs to know before buying one

If you're on a budget

What I recommend: WhaleStone Pico Projector

Cost: $79.99

Who's it for: If you're looking for a projector on a budget, Whalestone's projector is a good, but compromised product. It's not an HD projector, so don't go in expecting a super-crisp picture. That said, people who've used this projector seem happy with with the picture quality. Its "optimal" image size is between 49" to 80." If you're going for a projector, you might as well shoot for 80," although the image quality will suffer the bigger the screen gets. 

This is the perfect projector for a kid's playroom, or for college kids who want to connect their game consoles for larger-than-life Minecraft. With two HDMI ports and a VGA port, you can leave a few different video sources connected. The built-in SD card reader could be useful for streaming movies. 

Serious videophiles will find a lot to nitpick about this projector, but for under $100, it's a matter of getting what you pay for.

 



If you're serious about video

What I recommend: Optoma HD26

Cost: $599.99

Who's it for: If you care a lot about video quality, or want to set up a true home theater system in a basement, I can't recommend an Optoma projector highly enough.

I used an older version of this projector in college and was constantly impressed by the video quality. It's a full 1080p projector that's even capable of displaying video in 3D. It actually has fewer ports than the budget projector I recommended, with only has two HDMI ports. Chances are, if you're considering this projector, you'll probably pair it with a HDMI equipped stereo receiver and connect your video sources through that.

The product page lists this projector at being able to display a 107" screen from 12 feet away, and that's about what I got in my college apartment. If you want a huge, high-def screen, this is the projector to buy.

 



If you want something in the middle

What I recommend: LG PH300 LED Minibeam Projector

Cost: $357.11

Who's it for:We've recommended this projector before, and it has some of the best features (and compromises) of the other two projectors in this guide.

It's a smaller, Pico projector, so it's only capable of displaying video at 720p. Better than the budget option, but still not the full HD from the Optoma. The screen isn't too bright either; and it has a longer throw distance, so you'll need a small, very dark room to get the most out of it. 

But, it's totally portable with built-in speakers and a portable battery. The speakers aren't very powerful, and you'll only get a couple of hours from the projector per charge, but that's enough time to watch an average length movie.

In addition to a USB port for playing video off a thumb drive, and an HDMI port for everything else, this projector actually has a cable jack. Add an HD Antenna and you can watch live video on the big screen without a cable subscription.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Thousands of workers are flooding city streets to protest the minimum wage

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It's impossible to make a living on the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. 

Millions of minimum wage workers are forced to rely on federal assistance programs to make ends meet. The minimum wage is worth less today than it was in 1968, when adjusted for inflation, and Congress doesn't appear willing to change that anytime soon. 

While the federal minimum wage hasn't budged since 2009, many states haven taken it upon themselves to raise wages. Most recently in November, four states passed ballot measures to increase the minimum wage to at least $12 an hour by 2020. But that still falls short of the $15 an hour wage that low-wage workers have been fighting for for years. 

On Tuesday, thousands of workers across the country took to the streets to fight for a $15 minimum wage and the right to unionize. 

 

The protests were organized by the Fight for $15, an advocacy group that was started by fast food workers in New York City.



Tuesday's protests marked the four-year anniversary of the movement.



Many of the protesters were fast food workers.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

13 things that will trash your home's value

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For many of us, a home is the biggest investment we'll ever make — yet most Americans are clueless about their home's value, including the things that can ruin it.

From unappealing renovations to an unfortunately placed sinkhole, numerous factors can devalue your greatest investment.

We've rounded up 13 threats that could dampen your home's value.

Kathleen Elkins contributed to a previous version of this story.

SEE ALSO: The No. 1 sign you can't afford to buy a home

DON'T MISS: 9 signs you can afford to buy a home — even if it doesn't feel like it

Sinkhole damage

While there's insurance coverage specifically for sinkhole damage in case your property is hit by one, they still hurt property values.

"It definitely stigmatizes the property," Rob Arnold, a Florida real-estate investor and realtor who has bought and sold more than 30 sinkhole properties in the last five years, told CF13 News. He tells owners of damaged homes to knock 30% off their asking price, plus the cost of any repairs.



City dumps and power plants

When researchers looked at five municipal landfills near residential property in Cleveland, Ohio, they found the stench was enough to drag down property values by 5.5% to 7.3%. Landfills are most hurtful in populated, expensive, residential areas. The effect was basically nonexistent in sparse, rural areas.

Likewise, the University of California at Berkeley found that homes within 2 miles of a power plant drop 3% to 7% in value.



Hoarders or messy neighbors

If your neighbors' homes and yards look sloppy, home shoppers tend to put a lower value on your home.

A nearby property's overgrown yard, peeling paint, and clutter can easily knock 5% to 10% off the sale price of your home, Joe Magdziarz, president of the Appraisal Institute and a real-estate appraiser with 40 years of experience, told MSN Money.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See inside Adele's gorgeous LA home

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The INSIDER Summary:

• Adele just purchased a Beverly Hills mansion.
• Here is a look inside the gorgeous home. 


 

It looks like British songbird Adele is waving Hello to the other side — of the pond. Trulia reports that Adele has just purchased a sprawling Beverly Hills mansion for a cool $9.5 million. While the four-bedroom Southern California home certainly packs a luxe punch, it’s somewhat reminiscent of an English cottage with charming old-school features like French doors, a garden, gazebo, and more.
The best of both worlds?

The home sits on a gigantic 17,000-square-foot lot and clocks in at about 6,595 square-feet. Take a look at the pretty pics ahead and get ready to fawn over her palatial new pad.

Hello From The Outside

The exterior of Adele's charming Beverly Hills home.



Live It Up

A cozy place for Adele and pals to unwind after a long day.



Divide And Conquer

The white-paneled walls and wooden staircases add an old-school touch.



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Every Supreme Court justice went to Harvard or Yale Law School — here's where they went for undergrad

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Supreme CourtHarvard and Yale Law School graduates have established themselves in some of America's most powerful positions — from president to Supreme Court justice.

In fact, every single current member of the Supreme Court attended law school at Harvard or Yale — though Ruth Bader Ginsburg ultimately got her degree from Columbia Law School after transferring from Harvard Law.

Less well-known is where the justices attended for their undergraduate studies.

Take a look below to find out the alma maters of the justices of the highest court in America. We have included the alma mater of Justice Antonin Scalia, who died recently at the age of 79.

SEE ALSO: The 13 most powerful Yale graduates alive

Antonin Scalia — Georgetown University

Scalia graduated valedictorian of Georgetown in 1957 with a degree in history. He continued on to Harvard Law School where he graduated in 1960.



Anthony Kennedy — Stanford University

Kennedy graduated from Stanford in 1958 with a degree in political science. He graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1961.

 



Clarence Thomas — College of the Holy Cross

Thomas graduated cum laude from College of the Holy Cross in 1971 with a degree in English literature. He graduated from Yale Law School in 1974.



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How Ellen DeGeneres went from unknown comic to talk show superstar

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ellen degeneres hollywood walk of fame

Today, Ellen DeGeneres is a Hollywood fixture. Her talk show has been on the air for 14 seasons, she's won dozens of awards, and her hefty TV and film resume dates back decades. We're used to her as a superstar. 

Of course, DeGeneres wasn't always comedic royalty. Many years ago, she was a college dropout working odd jobs and trying to make a name for herself in comedy clubs. And even when she did win recognition and acclaim, her honesty about her sexuality nearly cost her everything. 

This is the incredible story of how Ellen DeGeneres rose to the top — and won over America's hearts in the process. 

Ellen DeGeneres was born in 1958 and grew up in Louisiana.

Source: IMDb



She left University of New Orleans after one semester and worked odd jobs. She spent time as a house painter, vacuum salesperson, waitress, and even an oyster shucker.

Source: IMDb; Business Insider



But in the '80s, she started doing stand up at comedy clubs. By 1984, she was touring the country and even won Showtime's Funniest Person in America contest.

Source: Wall Street Journal



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

After quitting her job as a teacher, this woman traveled to 95 countries and turned traveling into a career

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The INSIDER Summary:

• Lisa Niver was a teacher before quitting her job to work on a cruise ship.
• She's since been to 95 countries, founded We Said Go Travel, and wrote a travel memoir.
• She believes a traveler's attitude and outlook shape their experiences, and that staying positive is key.



Traveling hasn't always been easy for Lisa Niver. You wouldn't know it from watching her 600+ videos and reading her insights on We Said Go Travel, but she's had to overcome vision problems and her biggest fear in order to have some of her best adventures.

Through her work as a teacher, she found that a positive outlook and a can-do attitude could take her more places than she imagined — 95 countries, to be exact.

Lisa Niver's love of travel began at an early age.

Her parents took her on a cruise to the Mediterranean, and she spent her junior year of high school abroad in Israel.



After dropping out of medical school, she taught preschool, then worked as a ski instructor at Club Med, where she met cruise ship employees on their vacation.



She decided to become one of them, and ended up working on cruise ships for almost seven years.

"I loved being on a cruise ship," she said. "I explained to people it's like living in a college dorm but no one has any homework."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Science says these 7 tactics will help you win any argument

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After a highly controversial US election, you're likely to come in contact with someone you don't share the same views with.

It's easy for these calm discussions to turn ugly. If they involve family members, it can make the holidays especially stressful.

These are the most successful tactics to help you get your point across in a courteous and educated way.

Drake Baer contributed to an earlier version of this story.

SEE ALSO: 14 habits of exceptionally likable people

Attacking someone's ideas puts them into fight-or-flight mode. Once they're on edge, there will be no getting through to them.

So if you want to be convincing, practice "extreme agreement"— take your conversational partner's views and advance them to their logical, and perhaps absurd, conclusion.



Contrary to what your debate coach said, arguments aren't rational.

So respect the other person's perspective, no matter how ridiculous it sounds.

"When people have their self-worth validated in some way, they tend to be more receptive to information that challenges their beliefs," Peter Ditto, a psychology professor at the University of California at Irvine, told New York magazine in 2014.

With that emotional connection established, you can then start getting logical.



If you're in a spat with your spouse, John Gottman, a psychologist who works with couples, says to ask questions that allow them to open up.

Examples include:

• How would you change it if you had all the money in the world?

• What do you want your life to be like in three years?

• How do you like your job?

It can help in arguments at work, too — open-ended questions help transform competitive interactions into cooperative ones.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Whitney Tilson has a new short (WING, LL, EXAC)

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Wingstop 8

Whitney Tilson has a new short: Wingstop.

The founder of Kase Capital, who bet against Lumber Liquidators on allegations that the hardwood-flooring retailer sold toxic products, revealed his new short Tuesday at the Robin Hood Conference.

Shares of the chicken-wing chain fell by as much as 3% in regular trading. 

In a slide deck on his website, Tilson listed five reasons why he was short the stock, or betting that it would fall. 

First, he found the valuation to be "absurd," and listed the stock as trading at 62 times its trailing earnings per share.

Also, Tilson cited a decline in sales at stores open for at least one year since the middle of 2014.

Third, Tilson said Wingstop was in a very competitive market, and there was nothing "proprietary or unique" about the business of chicken wings. Besides other chains like Buffalo Wild Wings, Wingstop is up against small grocery stores and anywhere else that sells chicken wings, according to Tilson. 

Fourth, Tilson said he was skeptical that Wingstop can hit its goal of 2,500 units in the US. And finally, the 22-year-old company generated "a mere" $87 million in revenues and $15 million in net income over the last 12 months.

Screen Shot 2016 11 29 at 4.18.13 PMTilson said he was no longer short Lumber Liquidators, as the company had settled most of its investigations with regulators. 

He reiterated his bet against Exact Sciences, the colorectal-cancer diagnostics company, which he first pitched in 2014. He said he was long shares of Berkshire Hathaway, as Warren Buffett's firm "provides more certainty than any other company" in an uncertain world. 

Below are the slides from Tilson's presentation that explain his Wingstop short:








See the rest of the story at Business Insider

35 money questions you should be able to answer by 35

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backpack thinking lake

By the time you’ve reached your 30s, you’ve probably heard dozens of financial acronyms and terms thrown around — from APRs to IRAs, expense ratios to exchange-traded funds.

Yet while the lingo may sound familiar, you might not have a really clear understanding of what the words actually mean or how they apply to your finances.

And that can be problematic when you’re trying to make the best decisions with your money.

So we’ve gathered, and answered, 35 questions on a range of financial topics that you’ll want to know by the time you’ve established your career and started building some wealth.

While we’ve started with the basics, we also include more sophisticated terms and topics. Master these, and you can not only sound smart about money, but you’ll be able to make smarter decisions with yours, too.

SEE ALSO: 4 real people with side jobs explain how they manage their cash

Basics

1. What’s your net worth?

Your true worth is unquantifiable, my friend. But financially speaking, your net worth equals your assets — cash, property (like your home, car and furniture), your checking and savings account balances and any investments — minus your liabilities, which are your debts and other financial obligations.

To calculate the net worth of your home, for example, you’d take an estimate of its current market value. (You can look at what similar homes in the neighborhood have sold for recently or have a real estate agent make an appraisal.)

Next, subtract how much you still owe on your mortgage. If an agent says she could sell your home for about $215,000 and you owe about $110,000 on your mortgage, for example, that’d be about $105,000. The asset value minus your liability (or what you owe on it) equals the net worth.

Why is knowing your total net worth important? It gives you a true financial picture of how you’re doing, and highlights where you could make improvements.

2. What should you include in a budget?

First, add up your essential expenses, such as your mortgage or rent, utility bills, cell phone, food and child care. Then tally your financial obligations, like credit card, auto or student debt payments and savings goals (for emergencies, retirement and anything else you’re working toward).

Then add in “discretionary” expenses, or those that are not absolutely essential but are important to you. Don’t forget to factor in fun — entertainment, weekend trips, whatever you love — because drudging through life with a too-tight spending plan is a recipe for failure.



Saving

1. How much should you save in your emergency fund?

Most experts agree that you should have three to six months’ worth of living expenses saved to keep you afloat in the event of, say, a home or car repair or other unexpected expense — or the loss of your job.

2. Where’s the best place to hold short-term savings?

For money you need to be able to access within the next year or two, advisors usually recommend looking for a high-yield savings account. Just be aware that you can only make up to six withdrawals each month.

Unfortunately, you won’t earn much interest on a savings account, as the national average is currently .06 percent. But some banks — like Ally Bank, Synchrony and Barclays — are offering 1 percent or more as of early March, so it’s worth shopping around. “Internet banks often have the [lowest] fees, better interest rates and can be much more convenient,” says Ken Tumin, co-creator of comparison site DepositAccounts.com.

3. What’s the difference between a money market and a savings account?

Both savings and money market accounts are government-insured. But money market accounts are more likely to offer check-writing capabilities and ATM or debit cards (although they are subject to the same six-withdrawals/month limit). MMAs typically have higher interest rates, but also have higher minimum balance requirements. Details vary by account.

4. Where should you put money you’ll need in two to 10 years?

If you need the money in a year or two, “You might start thinking about CDs if you want to maximize your rates,” Tumin says. One-year CDs aren’t offering much more than high-yield savings accounts now. But some two-year CDs are offering 1.5 percent or more.

If you have a longer timeframe, consider investing in stocks and bonds. Just be aware that, while the stock market has historically gone up over time, it can go up or down in the short run. (And, as advisors will caution, past performance doesn’t guarantee future returns.)

So while stocks may provide higher growth opportunities than CDs and bonds, you want to allow enough time to ride the downturns out and may consider moving money into more conservative options as your time horizon gets shorter. Investing in a mix of stocks and bonds can also lower your risk.

5. What’s a CD?

CD stands for certificate of deposit, which you can buy from a bank and is guaranteed to pay interest over a designated period of time — usually much more than  a savings account would. A five-year CD from Melrose Credit Union is paying 2.4 percent, for example, while its savings accounts offer rates of just 0.5 percent. The catch is that you can’t touch the money in a CD until the designated time period ends.

“CDs can offer higher rates than savings accounts, but the price you pay is to have less liquidity,” says Tumin. “If you take the money out early, it can cost you several months of interest.”



Credit

1. What’s a credit score?

A credit score is a three-digit indication to potential lenders of your ability to repay money you borrow. The FICO score is the most widely used, ranges from 300 (womp) to 850 (rock star) and is calculated based on five factors: payment history, credit-utilization ratio, length of credit history, the mix of credit types in use and number of credit inquiries.

2. What’s a good credit score, and why is it important?

An excellent FICO score includes anything from 750 up, and the next rung down — 700 to 749 — is considered good. However, credit pro John Ulzheimer, formerly of FICO and Equifax, points out, the best score is the one that “gets you approved for the best deal the lender is offering.”

You may qualify for a loan with a good score, but you may need an excellent score to qualify for the lowest interest rates on that loan. Credit card companies and mortgage lenders typically reserve their lowest rates and largest loans for people who have exhibited a quality track record when handling credit.

3. How can I improve my score?

Payment history accounts for the biggest portion of your FICO score — 35 percent — so submitting on-time payments is the best way to boost your score. Clearing credit card debt, thereby decreasing your utilization ratio (the amount of debt you owe compared to your total credit limit), is another way to raise your score.

“If you’re able to pay off or pay down your credit card debt, you could see a significant improvement in less than one month,” Ulzheimer says.

4. How can I see what’s on my credit report?

Keeping tabs on your credit report helps to prevent errors and fraudulent activity from going unnoticed and sinking your score. “The only way you’ll find errors on your credit reports is to actually review them,” Ulzheimer says. “The credit reporting agencies don’t have any obligation to correct errors unless you ask them to do so.”

Visit AnnualCreditReport.com to order a free report once every 12 months from each of the major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and Transunion. Be sure to review each one, as they may include different information.



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Here are a few easy ways to clear up space on your iPhone

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storage full on iPhone

We've all been there: you try to download an app or take a photo, and your iPhone says you don't have enough storage.

It's a super frustrating situation that can render your phone practically unusable.

Luckily, there are a few easy ways you can quickly clear up space on your trusty Apple device. We've created an easy guide to make the process as painless as possible.

SEE ALSO: 15 secret features hidden in your iPhone

To see details about your iPhone's storage, open the Settings app and navigate to "General" and then "Storage & iCloud Usage."



You'll see your used and available storage. Tap "Manage Storage" to see a list of how much data each of your apps are using.



The list looks like this.



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Everything you can expect to see in the upcoming 90-minute 'Westworld' finale

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Dolores angry with Man in Black Westworld

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the "Westworld" finale.

The first season of "Westworld" comes to a close on Sunday, and fans have high hopes for the 90-minute finale. Between last week's reveals about Bernard, Arnold, and the multiple time frames, the episode has a lot to live up to. HBO released a short teaser for the finale, and we've gone through frame-by-frame to suss out any clues that might tell us what's in store. 

Scroll down for a look at what we can expect from the epic finale.

The teaser opened with a wide shot of the train going through the park.



We hear Ford speaking: "Since I was a child, I've always loved a good story. Stories help us become the people we dreamed of being. Lives that told a deeper truth."



Teddy "died" in the last episode, so we're probably going to see him reenter the park. Here's a shot of him killing that tall man he usually bumps into at the start of his loop.



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Here's a look at Trump and Romney's private dinner in New York

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Trump International

President-elect Donald Trump and his chief of staff, Reince Priebus, met Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for dinner in New York on Tuesday.

Romney has reportedly been in ongoing talks with Trump for a position on his Cabinet, potentially as secretary of state.

Here are some photos of their meeting: 

SEE ALSO: Romney changes his mind about Trump, says he 'can lead us to that better future'

DON'T MISS: Trump is expected to announce deal to keep some Carrier manufacturing jobs from leaving the US

Trump, Preibus and Romney dined at Jean-Georges restaurant located at Trump's International in New York near Central Park. The New York Times has given the restaurant four-star reviews and the restaurant has a strict dress code that prohibits jeans, sweatshirts, and sneakers.



The restaurant inside Trump International is one of French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's eateries.



Here's a clip of Trump, Priebus, and Romney arriving.

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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