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The 20 best romantic movies on Netflix you'll actually want to watch

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how to lose a guy in 10 days paramount pictures

Valentine’s Day is upon us, and whether you’re planning a fancy night out at your favorite restaurant or flopping onto the couch with single friends, let’s face it, at some point you will be watching Netflix.

Nothing breaks the mood more than a dull movie, so we’ve put together a collection of romantic movies on the streaming giant that will keep the night on a high note.

From studio rom-coms like “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” and “Serendipity” to lesser-known titles like “The Duke of Burgundy” and “Medicine for Melancholy,” there’s a lot of passion going on in this list.

Here are 20 romantic movies on Netflix you need to check out:

Note: Numerous Netflix titles drop off the streaming service monthly so the availability of titles below may change.

SEE ALSO: All the most shocking things about Scientology, according to Leah Remini's revealing show

“The Princess Bride”

Rob Reiner’s classic that looks at “truuuueeee loooovvvveeee” never gets old. And we challenge you to look away from young Cary Elwes and Robin Wright.



“Moonrise Kingdom”

Two young lovers run away from a New England town leading to a search party to track them down. But from the mind of director Wes Anderson, that means a highly stylized search party.



“Under the Tuscan Sun”

Diane Lane plays a recently divorced woman who on a whim buys a villa in Tuscany. Prepare for incredible shots of the Italian countryside and follow her character's entertaining quest to find love.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

What it's like to attend a $125 marijuana pairing dinner where guests eat and get high

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cultivating spirits marijuana pairing dinner 5

Philip Wolf was sipping wine at a vineyard in Barcelona when the idea struck him: If people can drink and eat in good company, why can't they get high?

In February 2014, one month after Colorado fully legalized marijuana, Wolf launched his company Cultivating Spirits, which hosts marijuana pairing dinners across the state. Like a wine tasting, the events mix gourmet foods and ganja, and cater to a sophisticated audience.

"I knew that cannabis, from a connoisseur's standpoint, had the same qualities as wine," Wolf tells Business Insider. Plus, he says, "you can treat cannabis just like wine. Some people are going to buy boxed wine. But other people like the education and experience behind it."

Here's what it's like to attend one of Cultivating Spirits' events.

SEE ALSO: San Francisco's new workout craze is called 'ganja yoga' — take a look

During a Cultivating Spirits events, the ganja connoisseurs come to you.

Marijuana pairing dinners most often take place in people's homes. That's because Colorado law prohibits marijuana consumption in public, and Cultivating Spirits does not have a permit to sell like a dispensary would. Tourists sometimes hold events in Airbnb rentals. 

Wolf talks to the host before the event to find out the location, how many people will attend (Cultivating Spirits places a cap at 12), and the desired vibe.



Wolf then visits a dispensary in the area and talks to a budtender, who has an intimate knowledge of the inventory, to find out what's good and in stock.

Wolf, who considers himself the world's first pot sommelier, will buy samples of the marijuana strains he likes most based on their smell, taste, strength, and intended effect.

After he samples the strains, Wolf sends descriptions of his top three picks to the chef overseeing the event. The chef will create a menu based on the strain profiles.



An untrained nose might think all marijuana smells like roadkill. But weed, like wine, has a variety of smells. The fragrant oils come from organic compounds, called terpenes.

Terpenes are found in the sticky resin glands that hang on the marijuana bud like crystals. The terpene content differs from one plant to another. When smoked, these organic compounds bind to receptors in the brain and cause different effects, from euphoria to sleepiness.

Understanding those differences is the foundation of being a pot sommelier.

Wolf works with the chef to harmonize the terpenes of selected cannabis strains with the flavor profiles of the food and drink. For example, a whiff of the peppery Power Plant strain might pair well with lemon-pepper chicken, while the citrusy Agent Orange strain complements teriyaki chicken.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

MEET THE NEW EXECUTIVE BRANCH: Here's who Trump has appointed to senior leadership positions

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While President Donald Trump still has hundreds of key positions to fill that will shape his next four years in office, his Cabinet is nearly full, and getting closer to being entirely confirmed by the day.

Trump now has just one official Cabinet-level appointment left to make, and the Senate has so far confirmed six.

We'll keep this list updated as Trump announces the rest of the senior leadership positions, and the Senate confirms or rejects them. Here's what we know so far:

Cabinet Confirmations (3) BI Graphics_

SEE ALSO: Trump's Cabinet picks will probably all get confirmed — here's why

DON'T MISS: Trump has already signed 25 executive actions — here's what each one does

National Security Adviser: Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn (RESIGNED)

Obama administration counterparts: James Jones, Thomas Donilon, Susan Rice

Duties: Provide the president's daily national security briefing; coordinate the administration's foreign policy, intelligence, and military efforts

Reactions:Flynn has been criticized for being anti-Islamic, for his questionable business ties to Turkey's increasingly authoritarian president, for what some see as his overly positive views toward Russia, and for promoting conspiracy theories on Twitter during Trump's campaign. He was also accused of being too hawkish when he was DIA director, which is why a former Pentagon official alleged Flynn was forced out of the agency.

UPDATE: On February 13, Flynn resigned after admitting that he may have discussed loosening American sanctions with Russia's ambassador to the US before Trump was sworn into office, despite previously insisting he hadn't. Trump named retired Lt. Gen. Joseph Keith Kellogg the acting national security adviser until he names a new one.



Supreme Court Justice: Neil Gorsuch (pending Senate confirmation)

Reactions: While Republicans applauded the choice, many Democrats came out in opposition, saying they would vote against Gorsuch.



Secretary of Agriculture: Sonny Perdue (pending Senate confirmation)

Obama administration counterpart: Tom Vilsack

Duties: direct the $155 billion Agriculture Department, which oversees farm subsidies, agriculture policy, and food stamps

Reactions: Perdue's appointment is largely a non-controversial one. Some environmental groups put out statements saying they were concerned he wouldn't protect drinking water or natural resources, but agricultural organizations seem pleased.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

9 weird psychological reasons someone might fall in love with you

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Ryan Gosling

Happy Valentine's Day!

If you're eating heart-shaped chocolates alone in a bathrobe this Tuesday, don't worry: Society doesn't get to tell you the right way to celebrate the life of a martyred third-century Catholic saint — and also, love and attraction are weird and mysterious things.

There's a lot we don't understand about love — to the degree that we're even sure it exists as a meaningful psychological state outside of social constructs. And there's a lot that's idiosyncratic to individual people and couples.

That's why a lot of research into why we mate is bizarre to the point of incoherence — cultural norms as well as oddities in research methods can create a lot of noise. Yet it turns out there is a lot of science about why people fall in love that is at once super strange and actually fairly credible.

Keep in mind that no one study is enough to draw definite, broad conclusions. That's especially true because this research tends to focus on the specific behaviors of heterosexual undergraduate students at the universities where researchers work.

Still, there's a lot of fascinating knowledge out there about our habits of love and attraction.

Here are nine of the most interesting findings:

SEE ALSO: 13 habits science shows will help you fall asleep faster and sleep better

1. People tend to fall in love with other people who are like them. Shared values, life experiences, levels of attractiveness, and age can all make a major difference.

Sources: Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology



2. If you want someone to fall in love with you, then it might help to resemble their opposite-sex parent. That can mean hair and eye color but also age. Children of young parents tend to seek out young partners more often.

Source: Evolution & Human Behavior



3. There's some evidence that scent can play a role in attraction. Ovulating women, for example, may prefer the scents of men with more testosterone. And men may prefer the scents of women at certain times in their menstrual cycles.

Sources: Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Psychological Science, Psychological Science

Also, check out our review of a site that matches people based on how they smell after not showering.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

10 Las Vegas restaurants everyone should try at least once

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cut las vegas

Whether or not you hit the jackpot, Las Vegas has a restaurant for you.

Be it over-the-top tasting menus with spendy plates, or hole-in-the-wall comfort cuisine – here are 10 Las Vegas restaurants where you can eat like a high roller right now.

SEE ALSO: 9 simple and classic cocktails every adult should know how to make

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

To describe the casual sister restaurant to French kingpin Joël Robuchon (the man with more Michelin stars than any other in the world) you first need to understand his namesake, Joël Robuchon— a fine dining institution that’s considered one of the best Las Vegas restaurants and the pinnacle of haut French cuisine. At his eponymous hotspot, which counts a handful of locations through the world, Robuchon plates an 18-course tasting menu of progressive French cuisine rife with caviar, truffle, and foie gras. L'Atelier, in the MGM Grand, is his unbuttoned spinoff, a modern boîte with counter seating that still presents refined, globally-influenced dishes rooted in French technique.



Raku

Somewhat of a hidden gem, Raku, off the strip, is an unfussy izakaya that centers on robata, a style of Japanese charcoal grill cookery. While the space itself is nothing much to look at, you're coming here for, arguably, Sin City's best Japanese small plates – a true taste of Tokyo in the form of grilled pork ear, green tea soba noodles, and Kobe beef liver sashimi. Choose from a la carte or tasting menu dining, and after make sure to hit newer next-door addition, Raku Sweets.



Libertine Social

While Las Vegas chef Shawn McClain made a name for himself cooking seasonal American cuisine at Sage in Aria, at Mandalay Bay's new Libertine Social, he's weaving vegetables heavily into his American Bistro menu. The venue itself resembles an upscale modern bar, and plates are meant to jive with the perfect potations of Tony Abou-Ganim, one the world's top leaders in craft cocktails.

RELATED:Our 10 Favorite Hotels in Las Vegas are Sure Bets



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Mercedes created an ultra-luxe G-Wagon that only 99 people in the world will be able to buy

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Mercedes-Maybach G 650

Mercedes unveiled the next addition of its luxury Maybach line — an off-roader that's more limousine than SUV.

Called the Mercedes G650 Landaulet, the car has a massive amount of space and seats designed to be more comfortable than your bed.

Scroll down for a closer look:

SEE ALSO: The 9 most high-tech sedans for 2017

The Landaulet is the first off-roader addition to the Maybach line, which was revived in 2015 after a hiatus. Mercedes first unveiled the S-Class, pictured below, when it revived the Maybach brand.

The S600 comes with bulletproof glass and a smokescreen generator in case you get in a dangerous situation.



Mercedes' then unveiled its S650 Cabriolet for the Maybach line.

The Cabriolet is a four-seat, drop top convertible that will hit markets this Spring.



That takes us to the latest Maybach car, the G650 Landaulet. The car has almost 2 feet of ground clearance!



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A former Google employee built a free app to help you get over your ex

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Forgetting Sarah Mashall

Anyone who's been through a bad breakup has experienced the symptoms: talking about it incessantly to friends, obsessively checking an ex's social media posts, or trying to run into them accidentally on purpose.

But Mend, an app that aims to be a "personal trainer for heartbreak," wants to help you avoid those mistakes and move forward with your life.

Ellen Huerta created the app after going through a breakup herself, according to The New York Times. Huerta is more than the founder, though — she is also Elle, the soothing voice within the app that guides you through your breakup.

Mend isn't just a breakup coach; it's an entire community for the brokenhearted. Here's how it works.

SEE ALSO: Meet 'Hater,' a dating app that connects you with people who hate the same things you do

Huerta, a former Googler, originally founded Mend as a newsletter about moving on from a breakup. Huerta told The Times that she hopes to "erase the shame and taboo of heartbreak as something to just get over."

Source: The New York Times

 



Mend doesn't want to be just a breakup app. It wants to be a community for the heartbroken — and that doesn't apply only to women. Everything on the app is gender-neutral and doesn't assume your relationship was heterosexual. Your previous partner is referred to simply as "your ex" throughout the app.



To get set up, all you have to do is enter your first name. You can make a Mend account, but it's possible to skip that step.

One important feature to note is the "Is this an emergency?" button. Clicking that takes you to a page that explains that Mend is not a substitute for mental health services and urges you to seek professional help if it's more serious than run-of-the-mill sadness.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Oprah's 'happiness guru' designed apartments to maximize joy — and they start at $5 million

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PMG SI 03 PH Balcony 02

Happiness guru and alternative health practitioner Deepak Chopra — who gained mainstream attention after his appearance on Oprah in 1993— is now venturing into home design.

Chopra helped design the apartments in a new complex, Muse Residences, in Miami, Florida, and tells Business Insider that the units are made to promote residents' happiness and overall well-being. Each condo will have filtered water, purified air, and lighting that mimics natural sunlight.

"The place that you live in is your extended body," Chopra says. "The air you're breathing is your breath, and the water is your circulation ... So you have to take care of it."

Prices for the units start at $5 million, though the two penthouses are asking $18.5 million and nearly $20 million, according to Forbes. As of late January, 70% have been sold.

Take a look at the renderings of the complex, which will open in early 2018.

SEE ALSO: These 'vertical forests' could transform a Brussels wasteland into luxury apartments

On a beach in northeast Miami, the Chopra-designed Muse Residences will include 68 units on 49 floors.

Chopra partnered with real estate wellness consultancy Delos and two development companies — S2 Development and Property Markets Group — to create the residences.



Chopra has a holistic view of health, and believes the mind, body, soul, and universe are all connected. He says he tried to bring that philosophy to the new residences.

Some scientists and medical professionals have criticized Chopra's claims, calling his teachings pseudoscience, particularly those related to evolution and medicine.



The units' design concentrates on three core wellness principles: water, air, and light. Chopra says that focusing on these natural elements will connect residents to nature.

Chopra also says the units' state-of-the-art water purification and air filtration systems will boost residents' immune systems.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 11 states that benefit most from immigration

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Trump border

President Donald Trump has not relented on the hardline immigration positions that served as the cornerstone of his presidential campaign.

Since his inauguration on January 20, the president has signed an executive order to bar entry of immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days. That followed an executive order signed on January 25 to begin the construction of a concrete wall along the US southern border with Mexico. 

While many of the president's supporters view his actions as a fulfillment of his campaign promises, some are concerned about the economic ramifications of a decline in immigration and a spike in deportation.

In light of these developments, WalletHub, the personal finance website, has released a report that shows certain states benefit from "foreign born populations" more than others.

"We determined which states benefit the most - and the least - from immigration using 18 key indicators, ranging from median household income of foreign-born population" to "jobs generated by immigrant-owned businesses as a share of total jobs," they said. 

Based on their analysis, these states benefit the most from immigrants:

11. Maryland

Rank: 11

Score: 48.00



10. Hawaii

Rank: 10

Score: 50.37



9. Illinois

Rank: 9

Score: 52.58



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here’s how the 'unlimited' plans from Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile compare

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Verizon Lowell McAdam

Everything old is new again, and unlimited data plans are back en vogue.

With Verizon returning to fray this week, all four of the major mobile carriers in the US now advertise their own unlimited offerings.

But, per usual, each of those plans come with a significant slate of caveats.

So, to help you sort through the fine print, here’s a quick rundown of how this revived set of unlimited plans match up.

SEE ALSO: T-Mobile is fixing the two biggest flaws in its 'unlimited' plan, one day after Verizon launched its own

The big caveat: No “unlimited” plan is really unlimited

None of these plans allow you to use an endless amount of LTE data across the board with no penalties. Instead, each carrier warns that your speeds may be slowed if you go over a certain amount of data per month and live in an area of congestion. How this “prioritization” is determined isn’t totally clear. Each plan also limits what you can do with that data when it comes to things like mobile hotspots, international usage, and the like.

Being prioritized isn’t exactly the same as being throttled: The amounts of data you can use without risk are usually generous, and you do get unlimited talk and text in each case. But wireless carriers continue to use the word “unlimited” in a misleading way. This only gets worse when you look at the restrictions imposed on unlimited plans from MVNOs like Boost Mobile and Cricket Wireless, which is why we haven’t included them in this comparison.

Also worth clarifying: None of the advertised rates below include device subsidies. Remember that if you buy a phone from carrier and pay for it in monthly installments, that fee will be added to the cost of the plans below.



The other caveat: Not all networks are created equal

The value of any "unlimited" plan becomes less worth it if you're only getting shoddy internet. Unfortunately, a big chunk of the country still suffers from mediocre mobile coverage.

It’s hard to give exact metrics on how carriers' current networks compare, but a recent study from mobile analytics firm OpenSignal gives a relevant picture: Verizon and T-Mobile are neck and neck in terms of fastest speeds, but Verizon's LTE network is slightly more available. In general, Verizon is consistently near the top, T-Mobile is seen as improving, AT&T is either in second or third, and Sprint typically brings up the rear.

If you opt for a prepaid carrier, however, you usually have to deal with slower speeds. Cricket Wireless has an unlimited plan for $65 a month, for instance, but its parent AT&T caps Cricket download speeds at a lower-than-average 8Mbps. Again, we’ve omitted them as a result.



Verizon

How much does it cost? $80 a month for one smartphone line. Beyond that, $140 a month for two lines, $162 a month for three lines, and $180 a month for four lines. For plans with multiple lines, you can use data on both smartphones and tablets.

These rates do not include taxes and regulatory fees, which vary by region, so your bill will be a few bucks higher than what’s advertised. You also need to enroll in auto-pay billing to get these prices — otherwise, a single line is $5 more expensive, while lines two through four are $10 more expensive.

It’s important to note that Verizon has described this as an “introductory” plan, so it’s not clear if the advertised rates will always stay in place going forward.

How much LTE data do you actually get? Verizon warns that each line may be slowed in areas of congestion once it uses more than 22GB of LTE data in a given month.

Can you stream HD video? Yes. It doesn’t appear to be capped at 720p, either — Verizon says that it doesn’t “manipulate the data” it sends in any way.

How about LTE mobile hotspot data? You get 10GB of LTE mobile hotspot data a month. Verizon says mobile hotspot speeds will be reduced to 3G levels after that.

Any other details worth knowing? Verizon still offers other, less expensive plans on its website, which range from $35 a month for 2GB of LTE data to $70 a month for 8GB of LTE data. There are higher-bucket tiers beyond that, but you have to call the carrier or visit a store to activate them.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

THEN AND NOW: Photos show Trump's inner circle before and after they won the White House

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Mark Wilson Getty Images

President Donald Trump's three oldest children have always played a role in his business empire, so it was no big surprise when his daughter, Ivanka, made the move to Washington, DC, after the inauguration.

Regardless of their involvement, the lives of those closest to President Trump have been forever altered.

Below, take a look at those closest to the president — including his children, the first lady, and a few in key adviser roles — and their lives both before and after Trump's presidential win. 

SEE ALSO: 2 models who worked for Trump's controversial agency tell what it was like for them

Trump spent decades in the business world before getting into politics. However, he did run for president on the Reform Party ticket in 1999. He left the race early because of infighting not "conducive to victory."

Source: The Daily Beast



Along with managing various real estate properties with the Trump Organization, Trump has also played host on NBC's "The Apprentice," opened a modeling agency in his name, and purchased the Miss Universe and Miss USA competitions (which he has since sold).

Source: Business Insider



Donald Trump Jr. is President Trump's oldest son. Born in 1977, he attended boarding school in Pennsylvania and later earned his degree in finance and real estate from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

THEN & NOW: The cast of 'The Princess Diaries' 16 years later

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Princess Diaries

When "The Princess Diaries" premiered in 2001, it became an overnight sensation. It had everything its watchers (primarily teenage girls) wanted: princesses, a big transformation, a love story, humor, and, of course, high school drama. With that much action rolled into one movie, it was an obvious hit.

Director Garry Marshall brought Meg Cabot's book to life by introducing the world to Anne Hathaway, who would go on to act in several big hits and eventually win an Oscar. It also brought Julie Andrews back into the limelight.

The other actors have gone on to do some amazing things as well. Here’s what the cast is up to now:

Anne Hathaway played Mia Thermopolis, who went from an unpopular high school student to Princess of Genovia.

This was Hathaway's film debut, which skyrocketed her to fame. 



Since then, she's starred in "The Devil Wears Prada,""Les Misérables," and "The Intern."

She snagged her first Oscar in 2013 for her role as Fantine in "Les Misérables" and is now working on her next big movie, "Ocean's 8" where she'll act alongside an array of amazing women including Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, and Sarah Paulson. 



Julie Andrews, known for her iconic role in "The Sound of Music," perfectly portrayed the fabulous Queen Clarisse Renaldi.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

What 17 successful people wish they'd known about money in their 20s

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Mark Cuban

Your 20s are far from simple ... especially when it comes to your finances. Even the some of the wealthiest, most successful people didn't escape this decade without making one (or several) money mistakes.

We asked a handful of self-made millionaires and billionaires, CEOs and entrepreneurs, and best-selling authors what they wish they'd known about money from the get-go.

Here's what they had to say:

DON'T MISS: An executive who's worked for Microsoft, Yahoo, and SoFi explains why you shouldn't take a job for the money

SEE ALSO: The 11 smartest things to do with your money in your 20s

Learn the concept of delayed gratification

Kat Cole, president of Focus Brands:

"What I wish I would've known is more principles and practices around saving and consciousness about how I was spending my money. And the concept of delayed gratification, which I was really not good at.

"When you're making a bunch of cash you can do whatever you want, whenever you want. ... If I had instilled the practice of 'Yeah, I want something, but do I need it? I'm going to wait,' one of two things is going to happen: Either the desire for it will go away, and now I've saved that money, or when I get it, I'm going to be much more grateful for it — and maybe it's on sale at that point."



Have a cash cushion

John Paul DeJoria, cofounder of John Paul Mitchell Systems and Patrón tequila:

"Before investing or starting a company, make sure you have enough money saved for at least six months to pay bills or anything else that might come up financially. It's important to have a cushion of six months financial back-up before you invest or if something doesn't work out in your favor."



Learn to manage your credit cards

Mark Cuban, billionaire entrepreneur, investor:

"[I wish I knew] that credit cards are the worst investment that you can make. That the money I save on interest by not having debt is better than any return I could possibly get by investing that money in the stock market. I thought I would be a stock-market genius. Until I wasn't.

"I should have paid off my cards every 30 days."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Who you're most likely to marry based on your job

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couple bride groom wedding

Love and work — who knew the two were so intimately connected? Based on research by Bloomberg Business, it turns out that your job could help you predict who you'll end up marrying.

By scanning US Census Bureau data covering 3.5 million households, Bloomberg compiled this interactive chart that shows how people are pairing up by profession.

Here are the most common matchups for 35 jobs (Some opposite-sex matchups weren't common enough to make the list):

DON'T MISS: 10 ways being single affects your success

SEE ALSO: 12 TED Talks that will teach you how to have healthy relationships

Elementary- and middle-school teachers

Female elementary-school teachers are most likely to marry male or female elementary- and middle-school teachers.

Male elementary-school teachers are most likely to marry female elementary- and middle-school teachers or male education administrators.



Financial analysts

Female financial analysts are most likely to marry male financial managers or female retail salespeople.

Male financial analysts are most likely to marry female elementary- and middle-school teachers or male operations research analysts.



Flight attendants

Female flight attendants are most likely to marry male managers or female flight attendants.

Male flight attendants are most likely to marry female flight attendants or male elementary- and middle-school teachers.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A 25-year-old spent $250 turning his truck into a camper van to travel across the US

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truck bed

The INSIDER Summary:

• John Charles Putrino built a bed and storage unit into the back of his truck.
• He's driving to national parks across the US.
• It took some getting used to, but he enjoys the solitude of low-maintenance travel.



John Charles Putrino
 wanted to keep his cross-country trip simple.

Instead of investing in a pricey camper van to shuttle between national parks, he built a bed and storage unit into the back of his Dodge Ram 1500 truck for just $250. Instead of equipping it with heating or electricity, he opted for thermal blankets, and instead of installing a kitchen of some sort he's having dinners of garbanzo beans and olives straight out of the can. 

The pleasures of his trip are simple, too. The tangible silence in being the only person for miles. The freedom that comes with carrying everything you need. And, of course, the solitude of the open road.

John Charles Putrino was selling heavy machinery in Naples, Florida, when he decided it was time to see more of the country.



"A lot of my friends were going overseas and traveling abroad and seeing all these new places, but no one was really traveling in our United States," he said.



He quit his job and began turning the back of his truck into a living space using only a small table saw and a drill.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

How a 28-year-old with no political experience found herself in Trump's inner circle

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hope hicks

Hope Hicks, 28, was born in Greenwich, a town of 60,000 on the southwest tip of Connecticut that's a favorite spot for hedge fund headquarters.

She was a model, actress, and lacrosse player as a child, before getting her English degree at Southern Methodist University.

Hicks didn't intend on playing such a large role in a presidential campaign, instead falling into the gig through a job at the Trump Organization.

But she now finds herself as one of President Donald Trump's youngest advisers, serving as assistant to the president and director of strategic communications in the White House.

And Hicks has been with him — to use Trump's words — "from the beginning." She stuck on his campaign through multiple staff revamps, including two high-profile changes at the campaign chair position.

Here's what we know about Hicks.

SEE ALSO: Trump has already signed 25 executive actions — here's what each one does

DON'T MISS: MEET THE NEW EXECUTIVE BRANCH: Here's who Trump has appointed to senior leadership positions

Hicks and her sister, Mary Grace, were successful teen models. Hicks posed for Ralph Lauren and appeared on the cover of "It Girl," a spin-off of the bestselling Gossip Girl book and TV series.

Source: New York Times



Hicks' first brush with the Trumps came in 2012 when she was at the public-relations firm Hiltzik Strategies working on Ivanka Trump's fashion line. Trump's eldest daughter hired Hicks away in 2014, and she became an employee of the Trump Organization.

Sources: New York TimesGQNYMag



Hicks met patriarch Donald Trump and quickly "earned his trust," Ivanka Trump told the New York Times for a June 2016 profile on the spokeswoman.

Source: New York Times



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This is the best beard style for every face shape

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BI Graphics_Best beard for your face shape 4x3

A full beard is one of the most common looks you'll see on a man these days.

But that doesn't mean it works well for everyone, as some face shapes just don't lend themselves to the style. If you're looking for a change, you might be curious about other styles you can get away with wearing.

Shaving company Braun has done extensive research on beard styles and face shapes to take the guesswork out of switching up your face hair.

The following are their suggestions. (Fair warning: some of them are a little out there, including chin straps).

SEE ALSO: Just for Men released a shampoo that claims to permanently turn gray hair back to its original color







See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A 29-year-old who's been traveling the world for 4 years explains how he affords it

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tommy walker diving

Tommy Walker always knew he wanted to travel.

Living in a small, working class town in Northeast England, the now 29-year-old remembers dreaming of somewhere exotic, somewhere "far, far away from here" as a child, he told Business Insider.

In his early 20s, he finally got the chance to go. Tired of a 9-5 corporate job at a product management company, he bought a ticket to Sweden, intending to work his way down by the Eurorail to explore the continent.

Then, his dad got sick, and he postponed his trip, settling for shorter-term stays instead.

In 2011, his father died, leaving Walker and his brother an inheritance through his workplace that Walker chose to split into pieces: about 60% on longer-term investments, and 30% on travel, starting with an ambitious trip to Southeast Asia.

He acknowledges that some people might consider his windfall a stroke of luck, but says he wishes some things had turned out differently. "Sure, I got an inheritance," he said, "but at the end of the day it's my father. It's no compensation for what happened, but obviously, it helped me get to where I am today."

His inheritance stopped fully funding his travels — which you can follow via FacebookInstagram, or through his website — before the first of four years was up. Since then, he's been in a cycle of working, saving, and traveling. "I've always been lucky enough to find work and make money," he said, "so once I started this travel journey, I always felt that I'd always find money if I wanted to buy something later on."

Below, Walker explained the gritty reality behind long-term travel, why you don't need a windfall to leave home, and how he now affords to stay on the road.

SEE ALSO: A 31-year-old who's been traveling the world for 5 years explains how she affords it

Walker started his adventure with a ticket to Bangkok, to backpack Southeast Asia. He chose his destination in part because his father, a Buddhist, wished later in life that he would have traveled more.

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In Bangkok, Thailand.



"That feeling of being in Asia, I'll never get that back," Walker reflected. "Any traveler who’s been traveling for more than two years will say you can't get that initial feeling back — you're naive and you don't really know a lot, and everything is new and there's no expectation. Southeast Asia is perfect for that, because it's so different to Western culture. It's such an incredible vortex to be pushed into."

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In India.



After 10 months backpacking Southeast Asia, Walker moved to Australia to find a job and shore up his savings again. He ended up in Melbourne with two: a day job working in IT, and a part-time gig as a host at a restaurant.

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In Melbourne, Australia.



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Here's the hilarious reality of what happens behind the scenes of those perfectly-curated photos

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girl with red lips in front of red wall

Some girls just have the most beautiful, perfectly curated Instagram feeds.

Ever wondered how they do it?

The answer is: boyfriends. Loyal, subservient boyfriends.

Apparently, some women have trained theirs into acting like personal photographers. And while their Instagram feeds look flawless, taking a step back makes for less curated — and more hilarious — images.

A Facebook page called "Boyfriends of Instagram" shows the dark underbelly of those beautiful, envy inducing snaps, as well the poor schmucks behind them.

Keep scrolling for some of the more cringe-inducing ones.

What, you don't randomly bust out yoga poses at the beach?



This is totally natural.



This guy is working hard to get just the right angle.



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Warren Buffett's 5 best-performing stocks so far in 2017

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Warren BuffettWe're just over a month into 2017, so let's look at how the Warren Buffett-led Berkshire Hathaway stock portfolio has done thus far. Berkshire itself is almost completely flat for the year, down 0.09% as of this writing, but some of the company's stock holdings have done quite well. Specifically, five of Berkshire's stocks have gained 10% or more over the first five weeks of the year.

1. Liberty Media (+16.2%)

Liberty Media has been Berkshire's biggest winner thus far in 2017, thanks to impressive growth in its European markets. The company expects the growth to continue as it speeds up its U.K. build activity and makes major investments in its business there. In addition, the company has been aggressively repurchasing its shares, especially in the wake of the Brexit sell-off last year.



2. Moody's (+13.6%)

Ratings agency Moody's has steadily climbed so far in 2017, partially because of its announcement that it had resolved pending civil claims with the Justice Department, 21 states, and D.C. Not only were the claims resolved faster than many experts expected, but the cost to the company will be significantly less than many expected.



3. Apple (+13.5%)

In part, Apple's rally has been due to its strong results from the holiday shopping season. For the quarter, Apple's revenue of $78.4 billion was as high as it has ever been, and the company's earnings and revenue both handily exceeded expectations.

Perhaps most importantly, Apple's service revenue (which includes sales from the App Store, iTunes, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and others) grew by 18% year-over-year. While this accounts for just 9% of the company's results, it is rapidly becoming an important revenue stream to the company. Furthermore, Apple expects revenue to continue to climb in the current quarter, and CEO Tim Cook said that the company is "excited" about the products in its pipeline.



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