Influential conservative radio host Steve Deace recently warned that conservatives are prepared to go 'DEFCON' 6 if the Supreme Court strikes down Prop 8 (i.e. California's voter-approved ban on gay marriage).

"This idea that some people have that the court is going to settle the issue in the Republican Party — it's going to do the exact opposite," Deace said. "It's going to raise the issue to Orange Threat Level, it'll be DEFCON 6…It will become the defining litmus test."

There's just one problem: there's no such thing as DEFCON 6.

DEFCONs, or "Defense readiness conditions," are a signal used by U.S. Armed Forces to measure between peace and global military apocalypse.

Deace may have intended to over shoot here to illustrate a point, except the scale only goes up to 1. The threat ascends as numbers descend.

On the other hand, Deace's mention of "Orange Threat Level" is an accurate reference to the Department of Homeland Security Threat Level, and would mean that the country is elevated to "high risk" (of terrorist attack).

The DEFCON mix-up is fairly common.

DEFCON 5

Department of Defense (DoD) exercise term: FADE OUT

Description: Normal peacetime readiness

DEFCON 4

DoD exercise term: DOUBLE DOWN

Description: Normal, increased intelligence and strengthened security measures

DEFCON 3

DoD exercise term: ROUND HOUSE

Description: Increase in force readiness above normal readiness (Air Force ready to mobilize in 15 minutes)

In October 1973 U.S. forces went on DEFCON 3 after Egyptian and Syrian forces launched a surprise attack on Israel and possible intervention by the Soviet Union was feared.

Please follow Military & Defense on Twitter and Facebook.

Amazon.com is well-known for its Kindle, lightning fast shipping, and selling virtually anything online.

The e-tailer's revenue totaled $61 billion in 2012 and it currently sits at No.5 on ComScore's list of top 2,000 domains on the web.

But did you know that the massive website started in founder Jeff Bezos' garage? Or that Amazon's operation has become so massive that it's warehouses have more square footage than 700 Madison Square Gardens?

Take a look at some other mind-blowing facts we found. 

Amazon.com was almost called "Cadabra" as in "Abracadabra". That idea was struck down because CEO Jeff Bezos' lawyer misheard the word as "cadaver".

Source:Quora

Bezos chose Amazon.com for two reasons: one, to suggest scale (Amazon.com launched with the tagline "Earth's biggest book store") and two, back then website listings were often alphabetical.

Source: Quora

Amazon's warehouses have more square footage than 700 Madison Square Gardens and could hold more water than 10,000 Olympic Pools.

Source:FrugalDad

Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.

Central banks around the world have pursued unusually aggressive monetary policies in their efforts to stimulate their local economies.

The word "unprecedented" gets thrown around a lot.  But despite the cliche, it's true.

"We do not know how long this game of monetary quantitative easing will continue in the world," says David Kotok of Cumberland Advisors, "We do not know when it will stabilize.We do not know what will happen after that period, and we do not know how extraction will occur.

"What we do know is that world monetary affairs have never been in a situation like this before."

At the Global Interdependence Center conference in Dubai on Tuesday, Kotok gave a presentation outlining what we've witnessed in the recent history of global central banking.

Thanks to David Kotok and Cumberland Advisors for giving us permission to feature his presentation. Follow him on Twitter at @CumberADV.

'Notice that the size of the Fed’s balance sheet has grown from slightly over $900 billion before Lehman-AIG to approximately $3.2 trillion. The Fed continues to increase assets pursuant to its current policy.'

'The key to that slide is the green section labeled “Currency in Circulation,” which totals approximately $1 trillion. The red component is the excess reserves deposited at the Fed through the US banking system.'

This shows 'the projected peaking of the Fed’s balance sheet at about $3.5 trillion and the gradual decline through 2020.'

From a 2013 special paper entitled “Crunch Time: Fiscal Crises in the Role of Monetary Policy,” by Greenlaw, Hamilton, Hooper, and Mishkin.

Please follow Money Game on Twitter and Facebook.

From drug trafficking scandals to poisonous air purifiers, big companies have stumbled into all sorts of suicidal mishaps that have killed top brands.

Chrysler and Sharper Image are among the companies that failed to save some of their own huge brands.

Here are 10 examples of corporate missteps that could have been avoided.

Atari, Inc.

In 1972, Atari released Pong, thereby pioneering the video game. By the end of the decade, it was the fastest-growing company in the US, its Atari 2600 gaming console shaping up to be the world's best-selling console.

Then the 80s happened.

In 1982, Atari majorly hyped up two video games that flopped on release. One of the games was E.T., which is today considered to be the worst video game ever made. Atari buried millions of unsold E.T. game cartridges in the desert, and in 1984, Warner Communications sold the problem-riddled home gaming division of Atari Inc. to Tramel Technology.

Circuit City

Circuit City flopped for many reasons — failure to manage its inventory and website are two major causes of the electronics retailer's decline.

What makes the Circuit City case unique, however, is the lesson in the value of one's best employees.

In March of 2007, Circuit City set itself on a slippery slope when it fired 3,400 of its highest paid workers. The company said that replacing these employees with those willing to work for less was part of an effort to improve the bottom line.

Analysts were quick to note an almost immediate decline in Circuit City's business. About 60 percent of the employees fired held in-store positions: "...this is clearly why April sales were worse,"said Tim Allen, an analyst with Jefferies & Co. "They were replaced with less knowledgeable associates."

The Washington Post reported that the job cuts were "backfiring."By early 2009, all of Circuit City's stores were closed.

The XFL

The XFL was a highly televised sports league that combined football and professional wrestling. Organized in 1999, it was a joint venture between NBC and the World Wrestling Federation. Setting records for the lowest primetime ratings in television history, the league was discontinued after just one season.

Dubbed the biggest sports bust of all time by ESPN, the XFL brought NBC and the WWF to a combined $70 million loss. Nevertheless, NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol reflected on the league as "one of the most fun experiences of my life." Very, very expensive fun.

Please follow Advertising on Twitter and Facebook.

Despite what we've been told, finding the perfect pair of glasses doesn't depend on face shape alone.

Someone with a rounder visage can rock a round frame just as well as someone with a square-shaped face. It's just a matter of choosing the glasses that complement you the best.

But if that seems overwhelming, don't worry — it doesn't mean you have to try on every pair in the store to know which frames you want to take home with you.

Looking for answers, we visited the SoHo showroom of Warby Parker, an online retailer of glasses, where the company's style experts gave us some foolproof guidelines for finding the perfect pair of glasses.

First decide if you have a smaller or larger face. Smaller faces look better with smaller frames, and vice versa.

Left: Thatcher, Right: Neville

Decide how thick you want your glasses to be. Thinner frames won't detract from your features, but thicker frames are a bold and trendy choice.

Left: Edison, Right: Huxley

Next decide if you want wide or narrow sides. Sometimes bold fronts can be accompanied by thin sides, which can change the look entirely.

Left: Neville, Right: Huxley

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Even though T-Mobile girl Carly Foulkes is one of the most recognizable brand spokespeople out there right now, giving Progressive's Flo a run for her money, the phone company has decided to remove her from its significant new campaign which introduces its integration of the iPhone to its service.

Here's every thing you need to know about Foulkes>

"The current campaign will not feature the character of the T-Mobile Girl, however she is still a part of the company’s brand family," a spokesperson told BI.

That's usually how brands say that they're ditching their spokesperson without officially having to say say it.

Sure sometimes spokespeople can come back from the dead — literally in the case of William Shatner after Priceline realized it was a horrible mistake to kill the face of its company in a fiery bus crash — but it's a rare occurence.

We have profiled Foulkes before, but wanted to remind readers why they fell in love with this graphic novel-reading, video-game playing, 24-year-old Alanis Morissette fan in the first place.

Foulkes is from our neighbor to the North.

According the description on her Twitter account, "I am Canadian. Embrace it. Love it. ...Please:)"

The province? Again, according to her Twitter, "Your moms house."

Foulkes was born to British parents who raised her in Toronto. She spent her summers in the U.K.

She's only 24.

Foulkes first donned the T-Mobile dress when she was only 22 years old.

Born on August 4, 1988, Foulkes is proudly a Leo. According to an interview with My Daily, she was distressed when false rumors spread last year that the astrological calendar had shifted.

If we are going to take the whole astrology thing seriously, being a Leo means Foulkes can be a little melodramatic and vain, but she is also ambitious, encouraging, and loyal.

She loves to skateboard and play video games.

She enjoys reading graphic novels.

Please follow Advertising on Twitter and Facebook.

Steve Jobssaid that Apple never used market research because Apple knew what customers wanted before customers did.

Facebook is taking a different approach.

After rolling out a major redesign of its "News Feed" a couple weeks ago, Facebook is now surveying users to see if they like it.

By chance, I was one of the users Facebook surveyed.

Clicking through it, I realized the survey questions reveal a lot about Facebook's biggest fears…

…that the News Feed may not be surfacing the most interesting stories

…that the News Feed shows you types of stories you used to be into, but aren't anymore

…that the News Feed is too hard to use

…that the News Feed doesn't connect you with the people you actually care about

…that you feel like the News Feed is showing you too many ads

 Some of these fears are legitimate! These days, you can't start a conversation about Facebook with a normal person without hearing about all the ads. 

The ads themselves are growing more valuable by the minute. This is especially true, now that advertisers will be able to use third-party data to target their ads on Facebook. 

But Facebook has to be careful it doesn't kill the golden goose, annoying users with so many ads that they stop coming by.

Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.

Few people are so rigidly controlled that they don't give clues as to what they're thinking or feeling. Learning to read these can be a big advantage in business and life. 

There's no single, consistent recipe — and even the best mind readers on the planet are only right 80 percent of the time— but there's a lot to be learned.

According to UCLA professor Albert Mehrabian, 55 percent of what you convey comes from body language, 38 percent from the tone of your voice, and only 7 percent from what you actually say. 

We've compiled tips from Psychology Today and elsewhere that will help you stay one step ahead of everyone else.

To start, always get a baseline reading so you can distinguish personal quirks from real tells.

Source: Psychology Today

Notice others trying to read your baseline with seemingly innocuous questions like, "How are you today?"

Source: Psychology Today

When you have a chance to ask questions, be pointed and observe without interrupting.

Ex-FBI agent Joe Navarro provided several tips on how to read people in a questioning environment in an article in Psychology Today.

Vague, open-ended questions don't work, because if the person rambles it becomes difficult to detect any deception. Instead, ask question that require a straight answer.

And don't be intrusive. After asking a question, sit back and observe.

Please follow War Room on Twitter and Facebook.

Lionel Messi is one of the most dominant athletes in sports.

He has taken over the soccer world and has been recognized as the best player four years in a row.

Argentinian by birth, he has spent half his life in Spain playing for the world famous FC Barcelona.

Lionel Andres Messi was born on June 24, 1987.

"Leo" was born in Rosario, Argentina and is the son of Jorge Horacio Messi, a factory worker, and Celia María Cuccittini, a part-time cleaner.

His father is of Italian descent. His ancestors immigrated to Argentina in the late 19th century.

He has two older brothers, Rodrigo and Matias, and a sister, Maria Sol.

Messi has been playing soccer since he was a little boy.

He played on a team coached by his father and was soon recruited to join the Newell's Old Boys soccer club.

However, he was noticeably smaller than the other boys his age and was eventually diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency.

His parents put him on a regiment of growth hormone injections, but it was very expensive and his parents could not afford to continue treatment.

By the time he was 13, Barcelona offered him a spot in its youth academy.

They would also pay the bills for his growth-hormone treatment, but he would have to move from Argentina to Spain so the Messi family picked up in Argentina and moved to Europe.

Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.

As the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the Defense of Marriage Act Wednesday, the debate over gay marriage carried on in full force outside of the building. 

Throngs of gay marriage supporters and opponents flooded the court steps for a second day, gathering to await the first whispers of how the court might rule in this week's two landmark gay marriage cases. 

We've compiled some of the best images of the day here. 

Marriage equality advocates passed out donuts to those waiting in line to enter SCOTUS.

Thousands came out to protest.

The scene in front of the Supreme Court.

Please follow Politics on Twitter and Facebook.

Imagine being able to create your own unique, handmade shoes. You'd never have to go shoe shopping — and see all those nice-but-not-quite-right shoes — again

It's now a reality. 

Australian-based startup Shoes of Prey allows you to design your own pair of shoes online. With Shoes of Prey, you can design every aspect of the shoe, from the color to the fabric to the heel height. 

It can take anywhere from 10 minutes to hours upon hours to design a shoe, Shoes of Prey co-founder Jodie Fox tells Business Insider.

In fact, people have collectively spent 50 million minutes designing shoes on the site, which translates to about 95 years. During that time, Shoes of Prey customers have created 10 million shoes. 

Click here to jump straight to the product walkthrough >

Right now, Shoes of Prey is geared toward women. But Fox says that some men have used the site to design some low-profile Oxford shoes. A pair of flat Oxfords starts at around $200, for instance, with about $169 for sandals or  $379 for ankle boots.

“In terms of doing a male-focused product, I think that the market behaves quite differently and perhaps isn’t as exciting for me as the female market," Fox says. "If you think about it, I have no doubt that men are comfortable to spend $600 on a pair of shoes but the issue is men will only have six pairs of shoes in their cupboard and will probably only buy the shoes every three to four years, with a couple of exceptions, like my publicist."

Obviously, there are exceptions to the rule. But Fox says the female market has more potential for her business. 

In addition to the online store, Shoes of Prey has a retail presence where people can try on their shoe size, understand the quality of the shoe, and see what their shoe will look like in real life.

"I definitely still see value in a physical presence," Fox says. "If retail remains only about online and physical presence for even the next ten years, I'll be very disappointed because i think there’s a lot of room for innovation and change in that space."

Fox points to 3D printing, which she calls one of the most ultimate merges of the online and offline world. Already, Fox is experimenting with developing prototypes of heels using 3D printing.

“I just truly believe in that it’s not a question of integration," Fox says. "We shouldn’t even be thinking about what’s simply available to us now, we should be dreaming of what the ideal solution is because we’re at a tipping point with technology where anything truly is possible. You just need to think what that ideal solution is and then you can go and build it."

While still unsure of the ideal solution, Fox says she's interested in using 3D printing throughout the entire creation process. But the issue there is that the materials made available for 3D printing are currently limited to plastics, metals, and earthenware.

So when you're making high-quality shoes made out of suede and other types of fabrics, 3D printing isn't the best solution, at least not yet.

At the same time, Fox sees a lot of potential in virtual try-on and holographic technologies to facilitate purchasing shoes. With Shoes of Prey, Fox hopes it will revolutionize the way women buy shoes. 

Head on over to Shoesofprey.com to get started. Click Login at the top to either sign up or log in.

After you're all signed up and logged in, click "Start Designing."

Now, here's where the fun begins. The first step is to pick what kind of shoe you want to design.

Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.

Flipboard is one of the go-to apps for following interesting news items.

An update to the company's app now lets users create their own "magazines" to save and share stories with friends.

Let's dive in.

Tap the icon to start the app.

"Flip" the page to get started.

Tap on the topics that interest you. Flipboard will gather news related to these topics for you.

Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.

For instance, a Pew report revealed a median monthly fee for a checking account of $10 (with a $1,500 balance required to waive the fee) in states like Minnesota and Montana. However, Massachusetts residents pay a median of $15 per month and need $6,000 to waive it.

To determine which cities are the best for consumer banking, NerdWallet compiled data on 6 different factors for the 100 most populated cities in the United States.

Click here to see the best cities to bank in the U.S. >

These factors include:

• Are local banks and credit unions stable? While the FDIC or NCUA for insures balances up to $250,000 per depositor per institution, Americans still want to know that their bank or credit union is here to stay. NerdWallet calculated the number of bank failures and closed credit union per capita in each city from 2009 through the present.

• Do consumers have access to a diverse range of banking options? A small handful of banks can dominate the landscape in some U.S. regions. In fact, it is not uncommon for just 2 banks to hold upwards of 60% of bank deposits in certain states. NerdWallet sought variety in banking options by determining the number of unique banks and credit unions per capita available in each city.

• Do consumers have easy access to a local branch? A Federal Reserve consumer survey found that 46% of U.S. adults chose an institution for their primary checking account due to branch locations. To estimate the convenience, NerdWallet calculated the total number of overall bank or credit union branch locations per capita within each city.

• What will the average savings account earn in interest? In efforts to revive the U.S. economy, the Federal Reserve has voiced intent to keep interest rates low until unemployment improves, but such a policy can have adverse effects on savers. To determine where consumers are earning the most interest on their deposits, NerdWallet analyzed rates data collected from over 3,600 banks and credit unions to determine the average savings account yield in each city.

• Do banks charge excessive fees? As mentioned above, Americans are often faced with paying hefty fees for banking products and services. NerdWallet used Pew’s report on the median checking account fee in every state to proxy the severity of bank fees in each city.

• What proportion of the population is “fully banked”? NerdWallet assessed the percentage of American households in each metro area that are fully banked – those that have a bank account of some kind and have not recently relied on alternative financial services (such as payday lenders, pawn shops, etc.). Such services are often laden with fees, charge exorbitant interest rates and generally offer unfriendly terms and conditions for consumers.

1. Cincinnati, OH

Cincinnati maintains the highest number of bank or credit union branches per capita, with over 120 branch locations for every 100,000 residents.

Not surprisingly, the city also has a very diverse banking landscape. Consumers can choose to bank with anyone from the behemoth Chase to local institutions like First Safety Bank.

Despite the variety of options, no banks or credit unions based in Cincinnati have failed since 2009. Finally, a median checking account fee of $10 in Ohio (compared to a national median of $12) suggests lower consumer costs for basic banking services.

2. Pittsburgh, PA

Consumers in Pittsburgh have the benefit of a broad selection when it comes to their primary financial institution. NerdWallet calculated 105 branch locations per 100,000 residents (from nearly 80 different banks or credit unions) within the “Steel City” limits.

Unfortunately, the added banking industry competition has not helped to cap some fees. The median checking account fee in Pennsylvania, at $14 per month, was found to be one of the highest.

However, institutions like Pittsburgh Central Federal Credit Union or United American Savings Bank are among the local options with free checking accounts. Pittsburgh can also claim an above average percentage of fully banked households, at 74.1%.

3. Madison, WI

The capital of Wisconsin should be proud of the high rate of banking participation among its population. 85.5% of all metro area households are considered fully banked by the FDIC, making this city the most successful in that category. 

The fact that Madison has often been named among the most educated cities is surely a large contributing factor. In fact, some institutions like UW Credit Union are dedicated to serving the highly educated population – membership is generally available to those associated with the University of Wisconsin system. 

Furthermore, Madison has seen no bank or credit union failures since 2009, and consumers have the benefit of lower than average fees. The median checking account fee in Wisconsin, as measured by a Pew report is just $10 per month, compared to a national median of $12.

Please follow Your Money on Twitter and Facebook.

What if you could digitally interact with everything?

The future of augmented reality — think cerebral implants and digital contact lenses — was imagined last year in a short film by graduate students Eran May-raz and Daniel Lazo.

We highly recommend watching the eight-minute film, "Sight"— and also checking out our annotated walk-through.

Sight is an awesome product, but it's also disturbing in its creation of a world with no off switch, where privacy can be hacked like never before.

With technology like Google Glass set to debut this year and other wearable gadgets on the way, Sight isn't so implausible.

Forget Google Glass: The future is Sight contact lenses.

Source: "Sight" by Eran May-raz and Daniel Lazo

Here's what playing video games will look like once you're hooked up to Sight.

Source: "Sight" by Eran May-raz and Daniel Lazo

The user is playing a skydiving game, maneuvering his body through rings to earn points.

Source: "Sight" by Eran May-raz and Daniel Lazo

Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.

Galluprecently came out with the results of its annual wellbeing index, and today takes a closer look at the metropolitan areas that ranked highest on its scale.

The index ranks wellbeing by averaging scores in six categories: Life evaluation, emotional health, work environment, physical health, healthy behaviors, and access to basic necessities. 

Lincoln, Nebraska topped this year's list, jumping 20 spots from 2011. And Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which topped last year's wellbeing index, did not make it into the top 10 this year.

#10 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA

Overall score: 71.2/100

The metro area jumped 47 spots on this year's index. It scored 7th on emotional health and 4th on healthy behavior, which looks at lifestyle habits such as smoking, exercise frequency, diet, and consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Results are based on phone interviews with a random sample of 353,563 adults in the U.S. Metro areas are based on the Metropolitan Statistical Areas defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

Source: Gallup Well-Being Index

#9 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC, MD, VA

Overall score: 71.3/100

The area moved up three spots in 2012. It jumped 53 spots to #41 on the work environment index, which measures participants' perception on their work experience including job satisfaction, treatment, and office environment and interactions.

Results are based on phone interviews with a random sample of 353,563 adults in the U.S. Metro areas are based on the Metropolitan Statistical Areas defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

Source: Gallup Well-Being Index

#8 Ann Arbor, MI

Overall score: 71.4/100

Ann Arbor dropped five spots, from #3 in 2011. For the second year in a row, its residents topped the index for life evaluation, a self-evaluation of one's current personal wellbeing and expected wellbeing in five years.

Results are based on phone interviews with a random sample of 353,563 adults in the U.S. Metro areas are based on the Metropolitan Statistical Areas defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

Source: Gallup Well-Being Index

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Google announced that it's giving 8,000 people early access to Google Glass, its computer glasses.

Google had a contest to decide who would win the privilege to pay $1,500 for Glass. The contest involved writing a tweet with #ifihadglass, or posting on Google+.

Today Google Glass started tweeting at the people that won. In Twitter, you can click on the "view conversation" link to see the tweet that won.

For the most part, the winners are people with noble plans for Google Glass like making movies, or showing the world what it's like to have a child with Autism.

But, there are also some other entries that have slipped through the cracks and are weird. We're gathering all the weird ones here.

This sounds exciting.

One of these two tweets won. And they're both crazy.

Good luck finding the Dragon Balls with your Glass.

Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.

Shopping addiction is in the national spotlight this week after "Friday Night Lights" author Buzz Bissinger revealed in an article for GQ that he had spent $638,412 on designer clothes in three years.

Some people are skeptical about the reality of over-spending addictions, but they are very real, and can ruin a person's finances, relationships, and life.

We got in touch with Terrence Shulman, the founder and director of The Shulman Center in Detroit, which treats compulsive theft, shopping, and hoarding, to find out more about the addiction.

Here's what he had to say about "shopaholism." Answers have been edited for clarity.

BUSINESS INSIDER: Is there a certain type of person who is inclined to become a shopaholic?

TERRENCE SHULMAN: I would say we need more research on that. But it affects men and women roughly equally. It also affects young people, because they're getting access to credit cards at an earlier age. And kids want expensive gadgets: They want a new phone every year or a new video game every month. We also know it affects people who are well-to-do, are gainfully employed, and have a decent income just the same as people who are barely scraping by. So it really cuts across all categories.

BI: How do shopaholics behave, and does the addiction affect men and women differently?

TS: There are different patterns. They may shop for themselves, or for other people to gain love or approval. Some people have to get bargains, while others need a high-end item to feel good, and still others need something that directly improves their self-image or their image in the eyes of others — for instance, clothing. There are also people who buy and return items who we call return-aholics or bulimic shoppers.

Shopping addictions affect women a little more than men, but men are quickly catching up. Men don't tend to over-shop, but over-spend: On a car, on a vacation, on sporting events, or on a concert. They typically go for larger purchases. Women can certainly do that too, but I've found women are a little more cautious about large purchases, but tend to do more continual shopping than men.

BI: How many people suffer from shopping addictions?

TS: There was a landmark study done at Stanford in 2006 where they estimated about 6 percent of the population, and I think that's conservative. Then a few years later in 2008, the University of Virginia did a study that estimated it was closer to 9 percent. I would say about 10 percent of people have a compulsive buying or shopping problem.

BI: What causes people to over-shop?

TS: Two of the main things I see are over-indulgence and deprivation, either material or emotional. Traumatic events can also trigger the addiction since they could be going through life with feelings of pain, longing, emptiness, loss, and hey find they feel better when they shop.

Then there's the group of people who were over-indulged and spoiled. They get used to having whatever they want when they want it, and they continue that pattern into adulthood.

BI: What is treatment like for shopaholics?

TS: I do a lot of therapy, sometimes via phone or Skype to make it convenient for people. And we try to get to the root of the problem. I also am a big fan of people being engaged in a support group. There's a Debtor's Anonymous group in each major city that you can find at DebtorsAnonymous.org, and even those who aren't necessarily in debt can find help there.

I also really encourage people to read books about this to educate themselves and engage their family, friends, and partners who don't understand it —they don't get why the person can't just stop shopping, but it's easier said than done.

They also need to know what recovery looks like — you can't expect the person to never shop again, but they need to curtail credit card usage, internet usage, get mailing lists, learn their triggers, create a budget or spending plan, and figure out what other activities they can channel that energy into. There's a lot of prompts in society to "BUY BUY BUY!" and so it's something most people will have to monitor for the rest of their lives.

SEE ALSO: The Most Outstanding Looks Of The Year

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

It's widely recognized that American inventors such as Alexander Bell, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford helped turn the American dream into a reality.

Nowadays many inventors are coming from a different economic juggernaut — China. According to China Daily, 210,000 invention patents were given out in the country last year, a 25% increase over 2011.

In this slideshow we've included pictures from China's DIY inventors: industrious men and women inventing in their backyard.

Zhang Wuyi looks up as he squats under a suction pipe of his new submarine that captures sea cucumbers at his workshop in Wuhan, Hubei province, March 25, 2013.

A Chinese inventor, Yang Zongfu celebrates on his six-ton (5,443 kg) ball container named Noah's Ark of China after he succeeds in a series of tests of the vessel in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, August 6, 2012. The vessel was designed to protect people inside from external heat, water and external impact.

A woman rides an unicycle at a park in Shanghai February 28, 2004. The unicycle was designed several years ago by Chinese inventor Li Yongli who called it "the number one vehicle in the world."

Please follow Business Insider on Twitter and Facebook.

When Hurricane Sandy struck no one was prepared, least of all the communities in the Far Rockaways and Staten Island that were hardest hit. Five months later, these communities are still reeling. 

In November, the damage was so bad that Mayor Bloomberg made it clear there would never be a new wooden boardwalk. When we went out there residents spoke of the difficulty and delays in getting emergency aid.

By December business and individuals were getting back on their feet, but power and telephone service had only just resumed for many residents. In January as Congress fought over the specifics of an aid deal, people in the Rockaways were busy trying to save their homes.

In early February, early plans for how to use the first $1.77 billion for New York City from the $51 billion in federal aid for Hurricane Sandy relief, were released, but city officials warned it could take months for the money to be distributed.

But residents have persevered on their own. With local businesses like Suncycle Studios reopening already. And the YANA (You Are Never Alone) Center, another important aid center during the initial weeks after the storm, is close to reopening with the help of Occupy Sandy and other volunteer organizations.

Just last week, plans for aid were finalized, and in the Rockaways people say it is desperately needed. They're close to giving up hope.

As you drive into the Rockaways, a blue sky filled with puffy white clouds can give the impression everything is back to normal.

But there are many reminders of work to be done.

In February, Mayor Bloomberg presented New York City's initial plan for its first $1.77 billion installment from the $51 billion relief funds set aside by Congress.

Source: "City Plans to Allot First $1 Billion in Storm Aid to Housing and Businesses"

Please follow Business Insider on Twitter and Facebook.

As stressful as it is to be CEO, the rewards are pretty solid, especially when the stock market's strong and companies are sitting on lots of cash. According to USA Today, median pay is up 9 percent from last year. 

USA Today looked at the 170 Fortune 500 companies that had filed proxy statements as of March 22nd, and that had a CEO that served for the entirety of fiscal 2012. 

16 CEOs managed to pass the $20 million mark, and a couple managed to break $30 million. One tech CEO saw a massive 81 percent jump in their compensation. 

Here are the top 10 from USA Today's list. "Stock options" refers to the list's estimated fair value for stock and options granted during the year. 

#10: United Technologies CEO Louis Chênevert — $21,790,084

Total pay: $21,790,084

Stock options: $14,833,283

Change from 2011: Down 5 percent

2012 stock return: 15 percent

Source: USA Today

#9: Capital One CEO Richard Fairbank — $22,601,824

Total pay: $22,601,824

Stock options: $20,325,060

Change from 2011: Up 21 percent

2012 stock return: 37 percent

Source: USA Today

#8: Lockheed Martin CEO Robert Stevens — $23,845,459

Total pay: $23,845,459

Stock options: $7,200,001

Change from 2011: Up 16 percent

2012 stock return: 19 percent

Source: USA Today

Please follow War Room on Twitter and Facebook.