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You Don't Know 'Weird' Until You've Seen These 11 YouTube Videos (GOOG)

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whale man

YouTube receives 72 hours of video uploads every minute.

With all this volume, there are videos of types and qualities. Important documentaries, fun family vacation videos, instructional how-tos, and on and on.

We'd like to turn your attention to a very specific population of videos – the weird, head-scratching stuff that begs the question, "What am I watching?"

We'd gathered up some of the more notable oddball videos here. Drop a link in the comments to videos we didn't include!

"Poodle Exercise with Humans"

Watch as an aerobics instructor whips you into shape with help from her armada of upright-walking poodles.

Click here to watch it >



"The Adventures of Whale Man 1"

Just a whale/man hybrid hanging out at home, listening to Tina Turner.

Click here to watch it >



"Jozin Z Bazin - original with english subtitles"

This is probably the happiest song ever written about a bog-dwelling monster named Joseph who eats humans.

Click here to watch it >



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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LIVE FROM CAIRO: Things Are Much Worse Than We Realized

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Tahrir Square Cairo March 28 2013 16

CAIRO — Tahrir Square is where the Egyptian revolution took place and continues to play an important role for everyone who demanded change two years ago. Wednesday morning at 2 a.m it was attacked and people's tents burned to the ground.

The camp was rebuilt and burned to the ground again 16 hours later, three hours after that the streets really became ugly.

See the pictures >

No one here seemed to know what exactly happened over the last 24 hours, but dozens of people I spoke with had pieces of a story. One high ranking government court worker in the takeout restaurant he inherited from his father asked my translator if he knew who was in charge of the area now. 

What he told him, we'd learned from the 22-year-old pizza shop worker, Walid (not his real name), at the spot a few doors down. Walid moved to Cairo from the country three-and-a-half years ago, to find work. The shop is open 24 hours, and what he told us pulled together more elements of what I'd seen over the past 24 hours than anything else.

On Wednesday evening a man was attacked in the square, injured baldy and rushed to the hospital (we posted pictures of that Wednesday morning). Walid knew the man from the shop and told us he was from Abdeen, a town about 70 miles away.

At 4 a.m. Wednesday, about 13 hours after the attack, Walid said he saw a group of Abdeen men guys ride in on motorbikes and attack the square. They beat its occupants, and burned the flags and tents to the ground. I'm told that, aside from one elderly man called "the father of the revolution," the square was largely filled with criminals, former prison inmates freed during 2011 prison breaks, and drug dealers.

I could not get near Tahrir Square without being confronted, and was told repeatedly not to go at all after dark. I went with the translator. It was hostile, even before the attacks.

Throughout the day, the people living in the square brought in more tents, put up new flags and settled back in. At 4 p.m. a mob formed at the mall a couple of blocks away, and marched past my hotel calling for shopkeepers to join them in clearing the square.

Walid thought that group began with more people from Abdeen. My translator believed there was a significant Muslim Brotherhood presence after 4 p.m. when we were in the square. The Muslim Brotherhood is Egyptian president Morsi's party, and my translator believed these men were in a group, carrying large slabs of wood or metal pipe. Many of them confronted me, one with hostile intent, and they did not look like the people staying in the square. No one I spoke with can say for sure who they were.

At 7 p.m. the people who'd now twice been attacked at the park took action. All they'd heard was the call for shopkeepers to join the mob that formed at the mall. A mall employee who'd been punched in the face trying to stop the crowd from tearing down "the father of the revolution's" tent confirmed that's where he joined the group.

By 7:10 p.m., the Tahrir Square residents had looted and shattered glass windows and doors in as many stores and restaurants as they could on the street my hotel is on, before employees hauled the sliding steel doors down for protection. The only spot nearby without a safety door is the pizza place where Walid works.

Walid was returning to the shop with supplies from a store when he saw the crowd smash through his employer's doors and windows. He saw the thick glass smash onto the sidewalk as the chef ran through the broken door.

When he spoke with us at 10:00 p.m. on Thursday night, shards of glass filled two garbage cans and still covered the sidewalk. He'd spoken to the 55-year-old owner's wife. Her husband is in the hospital and she said she had no idea what to do.

The only remaining employee besides the chef, Walid plans on staying in the restaurant protecting what he can. That's his only plan for now.

When he called the emergency military number at 7:30 p.m., no one answered. The local police station is just several blocks away and no one has seen them anywhere near the square. Neither my translator, who lived in the park during the 2011 revolution, nor Walid have seen violence like this in the past two years. 

Walid's nervous, and told us there is a "million-man" gathering of the revolutionaries who were in the park during 2011 on Friday. He thinks he'll be fine, but has no idea what's going to happen. 

He just can't lose that job.

This is what Tahrir Square looked like Thursday at noon, after raiders burned down tents in the middle of the night.



People staying in the square had already started trying to seal off the streets around them again.



But what was here the night before was nearly completely gone.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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'The Walking Dead' And 'Toy Story' Share The Same Plot

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The Walking Dead Toy Story sheriffWhat does AMC's hit zombie show "The Walking Dead" have in common with "Toy Story"?

Much more than you would imagine.

Just in time for the upcoming season finale Sunday, writer and director John Wray made a convincing mashup connecting the storylines of "The Walking Dead" to the "Toy Story" franchise.

We've run some of the photos with his permission.

Take a look >

Since Wray put up the images, they've been going viral on Reddit, and have been featured everywhere from BuzzFeed to UpRoxx.

Business Insider caught up with Wray to find how he made the connection between the Disney / Pixar favorite and one of the most popular shows on television right now.

According to Wray, the inspiration for the mashup album came after someone online pointed out the common elements between Lotso and the Governor from "Toy Story 3" and "The Walking Dead" respectively.  

"It struck me that both were pitted against sheriffs," Wray told Business Insider. "Just to amuse myself I "cast"The Walking Dead with Toy Story characters. (Rex=Carol? Slinky Dog=T-Dog?) But when I figured out the Rick/Shane/Carl & Woody/Buzz/Andy triangles, I started to dig deeper." 

Wray says he initially tried putting together a mashup video of "The Walking Dead" footage with "Toy Story" audio, but it deemed it too much effort for the amount of impact.

"I had to edit the scenes so heavily that it actually highlighted the differences rather than the similarities," said Wray. "So then the plan was to just do 5-10 funny side-by-side comparisons, but when I scrubbed through the footage I kept finding more and more material. I took the best ones and put together the album as it exists now. There are actually more that I didn't include, and I'm almost certain there are good ones that I missed."

Familiar with both works, Wray said the entire album of 40 images took him about a day and a half to compile.  

"Most of that time was spent scrubbing through episodes of TWD[The Walking Dead] and the "Toy Story" movies. Once I knew what I wanted, piecing together the images didn't take much time at all." 

Wray's album will change the way you look at both stories.







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A Former Mortgage Broker Is Selling His Unbelievable Lakefront Palm Beach Mansion For $13.9 Million

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340 Royal Poinciana Way Ste 337

Former mortgage broker Franklyn de Marco is selling his unbelievable 7-bedroom lakefront Palm Beach home for $13.9 million, the WSJ reports.

That means we get to look at it — The pool, the awesome geometric layout, the wet bar/man cave, the foyer, the dock...

We could go on, but you should just take a look.

Betsy Fry of Sotheby's International has the listing.

Drive in.



Check out the lovely entrance.



Living room has a gorgeous view.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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10 Of The World's Most Delicious Breakfasts

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Cafe Central Vienna

Maple-bacon biscuits. Chocolate-dipped donuts. A lavish spread of eggs. Is there any meal more comforting than breakfast?

Whatever time zone you wake up in, the best breakfasts will brighten your mood, fortify you for the day, and give you a taste of daily life in that destination.

See the best breakfasts around the world >

Our short list of memorable breakfasts, part of T+L’s coverage of the Best Places to Eat Like a Local, includes a Middle Eastern–inspired London café where platters of baked breads are served with the morning newspaper and a Tokyo fish market where early risers clamor for the freshest breakfast sushi.

Each was chosen not just for its standout food, but also for being a part of its hometown’s cultural fabric. So don’t settle for the hotel buffet; these breakfast joints are worth the trip.

More from Travel and Leisure:

Al Soussi: Beirut, Lebanon

For more than 50 years, this pint-size kitchen in West Beirut has been serving an irresistible version of fatteh, made with layers of toasted pita, chickpeas, yogurt, and pine nuts.



Tasty Congee & Noodle Wontun Shop: Hong Kong

Wake up with a bowl of rice porridge at this Happy Valley institution—and pair it with an order of fabulously crisp youtiao (Chinese crullers).

tasty.com.hk.



Mangerie: Istanbul

It’s the best breakfast on the Bosporus: a lavish spread of eggs, sheep’s-milk cheeses, olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, warm sourdough bread, local honey, and chai, on a rooftop terrace with postcard-worthy views.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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If You Work On Wall Street, Download These Apps

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Tie a Tie

Wall Streeters, we know your lives revolve around time.

Days in the office swing between dramatic periods of having to save time and waste time. So in an attempt to help you survive it all, we've picked a bunch of apps for making it and killing it.

We've also tried to forego the typical news apps and what-not for apps that suit your every day life.

Like for when you have to wake up refreshed after 4 hours of sleep or when you need to make a presentation... yesterday.

Normal, banker things.

Mailbox

Why you should get it: If your dream is to attain "inbox zero" this app can help you with that. It connects to your Gmail and makes it very easy to organize or delete your messages with a simple swipe of your finger.

Available on:iPhone and iPad, Free



Haiku Deck

Why you should get it: You can make presentations on the go. 'Nuff said.

Available on: iPad, Free



Bloomberg

Why you should get it: Get breaking news, market data, and track your portfolio all from your mobile device or tablet. You can personalize it too.

Available on: iPhone,Blackberry,Android,Nokia,Windows phone, iPad,Android tablet, Free



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Construction Of Sao Paulo's $400 Million Soccer Stadium Might Be Halted 14 Months Before The World Cup

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brazil world cup 2014 stadium construction overhead

With a little over a year to go until the 2014 World Cup kicks off in Brazil, the builders of Sao Paolo's new Itaquerao stadium are threatening to halt construction, Reuters reports.

The builders say they have not been given the $200 million government loan they were promised, and threatened to stop work on the stadium if it isn't paid.

The Itaquerao is supposed to host the first game of the event on June 12, 2014.

The run-up to the World Cup has been marred by reports that construction and infrastructure problems will throw the event into disarray.

As you can see from these stunning photos, there is still a ton of work to be done.

The Itaquerao has it stands right now

Source: Reuters



The stadium sits 10 miles from downtown Sao Paolo

Source: Reuters



It cost $400 million to build, but the public financing loan has not been delivered yet, according to the builders

Source: Reuters



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Tour The Gorgeous, $28 Million Lake Tahoe Mansion Larry Ellison Is Selling (ORCL)

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larry ellison house

Larry Ellison is selling his 9,242 square foot Lake Tahoe home for $28.5 million.

The house sits on 2.62 acres. It has six-bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a soundproofed media room, a fitness room, and billboard room. There are two piers, a lakefront hot tub, and "230 feet of picturesque white sandy beach and shoreline," according to the listing. There is also a guest house.

Ellison is selling the property because he's building a new home elsewhere in Lake Tahoe. One that's three times bigger.

He rebuilt this property "from the studs up," according to a press release on the sale of the home.

Some of the features he added are "a fully heated driveway and entry, heated patios and walkways, wall-to-wall pocket glass doors, humidifying system, security system, guardhouse, and park-like landscaping with granite boulders and water features."

We have photos of the property from the real estate agent selling the property, Jennie Fairchild.

Here's a panoramic view of the home



One of the many fireplaces in the home.



A view of the shoreline.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Everything You Need To Know About The New Internet—The 'Internet Of Things'

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iPad crystal ball

On June 6, 2012, a brand-new version of the Internet was turned on.

Chances are you didn't notice anything different that day, as we switched over to Internet Protocol Version 6, or IPv6. Engineers worked for years so the new Internet could be turned on without causing problems.

But in the coming years, this new Internet will change your life dramatically. It will lead to the realization of a concept called "The Internet of Things," where everything—not just computers—gets connected.

And it's going to be awesome.

A giant new Internet gives rise to the Internet of Things

We needed a new Internet because the old Internet was running out of address space. Behind domain names we're used to typing in like "amazon.com," there's a set of numbers that represents an Internet-connected machine. The servers running websites need addresses, but so do the computing devices we use to access them—and the old Internet only had 4.3 billion unique addresses.

That sounds like plenty, until you think about everyone in the world getting a smartphone and other Internet-connected devices proliferating.

While there are stopgap measures we could take to add new devices, it would get harder and harder to have new smartphones, websites, data center servers, and other devices join the Internet.

The new Internet, IPv6, is "trillions upon trillions of times larger" than the old one, says the Vint Cerf. He should know. He's not only the chief Internet evangelist at Google, he's also an inventor of the original Internet Protocol.

The size of the new Internet is what will lead to the Internet of Things. Any object can be tagged with a microprocessor or sensor that takes on an IP address and connects to the Internet—from dog collars to railway cars.



Sensors are also key to the Internet of Things

In addition to the new Internet, another technological development is making the Internet of Things possible: low-cost, low-power sensors.

Sensors can be programmed to sense the environment and share that information over the Internet, such as the location of items, their temperature and so on.

Vint Cerf has famously built a wine cellar with sensors. It makes sure bottles don't get lost and alerts him if the cellar gets too hot or too cold.



The Internet of Things will start to become more visible every year

We can see inklings of the Internet of Things today as all sorts of devices get "smart," from your home's thermostat to your water meter.

Every year, more smart devices will be invented and connected to the Internet. Soon there will be more devices on the Internet than there are people on Earth.

In five years, by 2018, Earth will be home to 7.6 billion people, says the United Nations. By contrast, some 25 billion devices will be connected by 2015, and 50 billion by 2020, says Cisco.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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The 13 Books That Every Young Conservative Must Read

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Ronald ReaganAt any book store in the country, you can find hundreds of titles from right-leaning authors — and they are selling like hotcakes.

Over the past few years, the Tea Party groundswell and the presidency of Barack Obama has fueled a new and growing crop of conservative authors, as well as renewed interest in the canon of nonfiction works that have shaped conservative thought in American culture and politics. 

The following is a list of 13 books that are staples to any Republican bookshelf. While the list by no means comprehensive, its a good starter guide for any young conservative looking to get his or her feet wet in the movement. 

"The Conscience of a Conservative" by Barry Goldwater

The 1960 publication of Goldwater's book is often credited with reigniting the conservative movement and boosting the Arizona Senator's 1964 bid for the White House. 

In the opening chapter, Goldwater makes a clear distinction between the right and left, writing, "the conscience of the Conservative is pricked by anyone who would debase the dignity of the individual human being. Today, therefore, he is at odds with dictators who rule by terror, and equally with those gentler collectivists who ask our permission to play God with the human race."

More than 50 years since its publication, The Conscience of a Conservative, has endured and continues to inspire conservative thought. 



"Democracy in America" by Alexis de Tocqueville

In 1831, Alexis de Tocqueville and Gustave de Beaumont embarked upon a nine-month quest across the American landscape. Leaving behind their post-revolutionary homeland, they saw a flourishing democracy they believed could serve as a model for other nations (including their own).

They traveled to 17 out of the 24 states in the union, interviewing settlers, lawyers, bankers, and even two presidents, finally recording their observations in one of the most insightful and influential analyses of American political society.



"Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand

The fourth and final novel by Objectivist founder Ayn Rand, Atlas Shruggedis considered her magnum opus, and a must-read for any budding conservative. 

The book describes a dystopian America, in which society collapses under increasingly oppressive government intervention, as the most productive members disappear, led by the hero John Galt. The story lays out the basic tenets of Rand's philosophy, championing reason, individualism, capitalism, and "rational selfishness." 

Despite being very long and very, very dark, Atlas Shrugged has enjoyed enduring popularity since its 1957 publication. Sales of the book have spiked since the 2007 economic downturn, and the opening line, and its opening line, "Who is John Galt?" has become a common slogan on Tea Party signs and bumper stickers. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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How An Entrepreneur Gets Ready For The Most Important Day Of Her Life

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Kendall slide 4Y Combinator is one of the most competitive startup incubators in the country. Thousands apply, but only 47 startups are in the current class.

One of those startups is StyleUp, co-founded by Kendall Herbst and Ryan Choi. The site is essentially a style assistant: Every morning, users get an email with an outfit that matches their personal style and works with the local weather. 

"We help women who are interested in fashion but don’t have time to read a 500-page magazine," says Herbst, who met Choi at MIT Sloan and moved from Cambridge, MA to Mountain View, CA this January to attend Y Combinator.

The intense three-month program culminates in "Demo Day," where startups pitch to investors, which was on Tuesday. Herbst took a camera around with her this past week and offered to share her experience with Business Insider.  

You can follow Kendall at @kendall_to_go.

8 AM: After waking up, I immediately check out StyleUp's progress: how many new members we’ve added, how many women liked their styles from the day before, etc.



I read all the user comments on our website. They serve as a daily report card of how well we're doing.



9:15 AM: Normally, I’d just continue working on StyleUp, but Fridays are lighter, so I take the time to jog instead. They tell you at the start of Y Combinator to fit some healthy habits into your life; three months is too long to exist on crummy food, no sleep and no exercise.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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These Charts Reveal The Secrets To Motivation

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nyc marathonWhen it comes to motivation and performance, few focus on what they're doing or how to improve it. They might respond to specific feedback from a boss, but rarely examine what motivates them to do their best at their job or in life. 

Luckily, there's a large body of research focusing on how people can get the most out of themselves, and how managers can unlock employee potential. 

For example, making too many decisions in a day depletes your willpower, setting goals can backfire, and employees have a hard time working for managers who emphasize their own power. 

We've included 42 charts that are a great visual representation of some of these core concepts, which provide tips for increasing motivation, give information on biases to avoid, and have ideas for making employees more engaged and productive.   

You can't be pressured into taking initiative; performance is highest when people take it themselves.

Source: Adam Grant



High rewards motivate you, but not when they're seen as unattainable.

Source: Utrecht University



Motivation is at its lowest point at the mid-point between the start and end of a goal.

Source: Kellogg School Of Management



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13 CEOs Who Get Paid Shockingly More Than Their Employees

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Walmart CEO Michael DukeIn the past 30 years, compensation for chief executives in America has increased 127 times faster than the average worker's salary.

An annual list from Payscale compares the ratio of CEO to employee pay for the largest 100 companies as ranked by Fortune last year. (CEO pay is gathered from Fortune's list and includes salary, bonus and profit sharing, but does not include equity.)

The gap is most extreme at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., where CEO Michael Duke gets paid 1,034 times more than his average worker. This ratio is twice as much as the second company on the list, Target (597:1).

Payscale found that worker satisfaction tends to be low at companies with an extreme CEO-to-worker pay ratio.

Alan R. Mulally gets paid 304 times more than the average Ford employee.

The ratio for CEO pay to average employee pay at Ford Motor is 304:1 with a CEO annual compensation of $20,830,000 and median annual employee compensation of $68,500.

Ford Motor pays its employees 3 percent above market relative to companies in the same industry and 70 percent of its employees say they are highly satisfied.

In 2012, the company reported $20,213 million in profits and is ranked number nine on the Fortune 500 list.

This ranking of Fortune 100 companies was created with data gathered and crunched by Payscale.



John H. Hammergren gets paid 313 times more than the average McKesson employee.

The ratio for CEO pay to average employee pay at McKesson is 313:1 with a CEO annual compensation of $19,070,000 and median annual employee compensation of $61,000.

McKesson pays its employees 1 percent above market relative to companies in the same industry and 71 percent of its employees say they are highly satisfied.

In 2012, the company reported $1,202 million in profits and is ranked number 14 on the Fortune 100 list.

This ranking of Fortune 100 companies was created with data gathered and crunched by Payscale.



Larry J. Merlo gets paid 316 times more than the average CVS Caremark employee.

The ratio for CEO pay to average employee pay at CVS Caremark is 316:1 with a CEO annual compensation of $18,160,000 and median annual employee compensation of $25,800.

CVS Caremark pays its employees 3 percent below market relative to companies in the same industry and 60 percent of its employees say they are highly satisfied.

In 2012, the company reported $3,461 million in profits and is ranked number 18 on the Fortune 100 list.

This ranking of Fortune 100 companies was created with data gathered and crunched by Payscale.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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The Most Expensive Homes You Can Buy In New York City

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60 Million Dollar Penthouse NYC

The New York City real estate world is abuzz over two properties reported to be hitting the market for well over $100 million in the past couple of days.

One belongs to SAC Capital honcho Steve A. Cohen; the other was owned by late investor Martin Zweig.

In light of these two blockbuster properties, we're taking a look at the 10 most expensive homes that are currently for sale in New York City, based on publicly available listings.

#10 A 7-story townhouse on the Upper West Side is on sale for $50 million.

This townhouse on West 86th Street was built in 1900 in the Beaux Arts style.

It was gut-renovated in 1998, and has eight bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, and a roof garden. 



#9 A duplex penthouse on the Upper East Side is on sale for $50 million.

The penthouse at the all-new 135 East 79th Street has six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and multiple terraces.

The apartment, a duplex, is 8,987 square feet, and is located on the 19th floor of the building.



#8 The penthouse atop the Mandarin Oriental in Columbus Circle is listed for $50 million.

The penthouse at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Columbus Circle's Time Warner Center has bounced on and off the market for more than a year. It was previously listed for $42.5 million, according to Curbed.

The 4,825-square-foot condo has a 30-foot gallery and a wine cellar, as well as access to the hotel's concierge service and amenities.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Chinese Designers Sent Some Absurd Looks Down The Runway At Beijing Fashion Week

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China Fashion Week 2013

China's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week AW 2013/2014 was held in Beijing this past week, and the clothing was equal parts intricate, beautiful, and absurd.

While some of the 30-plus participating designers sent relatively tame outfits down the runways, fashion students from Maogeping Image Design Art School and Minzu University of China took some bigger risks.

Attended twice yearly by China's wealthy elite and movie stars, China's Fashion Week has been growing in popularity since it first launched 15 years ago in 1997.

From gorgeous face appliques to wearing an elaborate bag over one's head, here are some of the most jaw-dropping moments from the past week in Beijing.

Last minute adjustments are made to this crazy space lieutenant's outfit.



Alien couture is also hot right now.



The most intricate, expensive way to wear a bag over your head.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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10 Stunning Views From Hotel Room Windows

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gorgeous view from hotel bermudaDuring our travels around the globe, we have stayed in some pretty gorgeous rooms.

But a beautiful room means nothing if it looks out at a brick wall.

On the other hand, a drab room can be seriously lightened up by an amazing view.

So we rounded the 10 best hotel room views we’ve ever seen.

Hotel Duquesne Eiffel, Paris

Hotel Duquesne is a comfortable 34-room hotel in the 7th Arrondissement within walking distance to Left Bank tourist sites, such as the Musee d’Orsay and the Eiffel Tower. Some rooms even boast exceptional views of the iconic structure, built in 1889 by on the occasion of the World’s Fair in Paris.



Villa la Estancia, Los Cabos

Villa la Estancia is the high-end hotel in a cluster of three sister resorts, and offers a nice reprieve from the crazy, party hotels Cabo is known for — the grounds are pristine, the pool isn’t teeming with underaged partiers, and the rooms are large. Some rooms look out over the crystal-clear ocean towards Land’s End, a rock formation located right where the Sea of Cortes and the Pacific Ocean meet. Seals and sea lions can be seen sunbathing in the area.



Spring Creek Ranch, Jackson Hole

Set in a wildlife refuge more than 700 feet above the Jackson Valley, the Spring Creek Ranch is a great choice, during all seasons, for an outdoor getaway. Winter activities include sleigh rides and snowshoeing across the properties vast grounds, and summertime brings horseback riding and hiking. But no matter the season, the views from the condos of the majestic Tetons are jaw-dropping.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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A History Of The Gay Rights Movement, One Of The Most Successful Political Enterprises In History

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gay rights

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court heard arguments for two landmark gay rights cases — California's Proposition 8 and the federal Defense of Marriage Act. 

The cases came amid a huge surge in public support for gay marriage over the past decade. 

But this is just the latest fight in a near 40-year battle fought by LGBT Americans to gain recognition and rights. Here's the timeline of how that successful journey progressed. 

The Gay Rights movement burst onto the public scene with the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City, but the groundwork existed even before that. Here are demonstrators protesting in front of Philadelphia's Independence Hall on July 4, 1967.

Source: Infoplease, AP



This demonstration took place a week before the first Christopher Street Day, the commemoration of the Stonewall Riots. The riots — which took place on June 28, 1969 — were a retaliation by members of the gay community following a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a bar in Greenwich Village.

Source: Infoplease, AP



Throughout the early 1970s, the gay rights movement expanded, specifically in New York and San Francisco. In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from their definitive list of mental illnesses.

Source: Infoplease, AP



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'Game Of Thrones' Geeks Will Love This NYC Exhibit

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iron throne game of thrones"Game of Thrones" has come to New York. 

HBO and Time Warner Cable partnered to put together a free exhibit of the hit series before its season 3 return. 

The event is part of a five-stop traveling exhibit in five international cities including Toronto, Sao Paulo, Amsterdam, and Belfast. 

From costumes, to set pieces, and the Iron Throne itself, the exhibit features more than 70 original items from seasons one and two, and a few from the upcoming season as well. 

The free event runs from March 28 through April 3.

If you're in the area, here are the details on where and when to go:

3 W. 57th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenue)

Weekdays: 10:00AM - 8:00PM

Weekends: 11:00AM - 7:00PM

Easter Sunday: 10:00AM - 4:00PM

If you can't make it, we headed over to the exhibit to see what's inside. 

The "Game of Thrones" exhibit is being held in midtown on 57th in between 5th and 6th avenues.



Before the exhibit opened at 10 a.m., the line was already running down the block.



4,800 people showed up yesterday for the opening of the exhibit.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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A Stoned Cop Explains Why He Doesn't Stop Crime In Dystopian Cairo

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Cairo Police Officer Interview March 29 2013When a crime occurs in the part of Cairo near Tahrir Square and American University, people here have no one to call for help, a police officer explained to me last night.

Cairo Police Officer Interview March 29 2013 7Mohammed (not his real name) joined the police in 2003 when he was 19-years-old and says the job was more dangerous than he expected. After the Egyptian revolution two years ago, it's gotten so dangerous he can't even do his job.

Cairo Police Officer Interview March 29 2013 6That's why he's at my hotel at all, on the community balcony watching the gunfire in Tahrir Square, pointing out known troublemakers to us with a green laser pointer that had been making me very jumpy on the street when I'd been down there moments before.

A friend of my translator, Mohammed supposedly smokes a lot of marijuana, like many Egyptians.

Cairo Police Officer Interview March 29 2013 5A small group of us walk from the balcony to the hotel's small lobby, drink tea, and I start asking questions through my translator to Mohammed who does indeed have the red, glassy eyes of a classic stoner.

Cairo Police Officer Interview March 29 2013 3But who can blame him for a little bit of weed, when, without support from the government or the military, the police lack the strength to fight the anarchy sweeping the city. If they arrest someone, he explained, the person's family, friends or associates will storm the police station and release them.

Cairo Police Officer Interview March 29 2013 4The outlaws of the city have so much power over the police that Mohammed doesn't even carry his gun with him after he leaves the station, he drops it off with a friend who owns a clothing store. Though the 9mm FEG Hungarian pistol is a 55-year-old antique with half the serial number scratched off, if it were stolen it would mean his job.

Cairo Police Officer Interview March 29 2013 4 2And it would take little to steal a police officer's gun here. He could be overwhelmed by a small group of men at any time, he says, and have no recourse at all but to hand it over or be killed. 

Cairo Police Officer Interview March 29 2013 10Mohammed's most dangerous moment, he says, occurred a few weeks ago during his unit's response to gunfire a couple of blocks away in the shopping district.

His van pulled into a street and criminals blocked them off at each end. They engaged in a protracted gun battle that ended with the police running out of ammunition and receiving no support or back up. The police got to safety, but he says it's the last time he'll put himself in that situation.

Cairo Police Officer Interview March 29 2013 11My translator offered to provide some marijuana for me to smoke with Mohammed. I thanked him and instead asked if we could see the drug that is helping tear apart Cairo and driving the violence around Tahrir Square: Chinese Tramadol.

Despite media reports that the square is filled with protesters and revolutionaries, it's not. Tahrir Square is a criminal epicenter, a camp from which to operate and coordinate prostitution, theft, and the flow of illicit goods throughout the city.

It's also a major distribution point for Chinese and Indian-made Tramadol, a drug that is 
sweeping the city. Unlike Egyptian Tramadol, this street-level variety from China and India is supposed to be packed not only with painkiller, but amphetamines as well. I'm told the drug is creating many addicts and fueling a vast black market network.

Mohammed tells me the police know all this but do nothing. They know of the prostitution, thefts, beatings, and shootings that occur on a regular basis in the square. The police have a network of confidential informants but do nothing with the information.

"Morsi could clear the square in 10 minutes," the police officer tells me, referring to Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi. And from what I'm told he has. During special visits by foreign dignitaries or meetings, the square is empty, and stays that way until someone drops off a load of expensive canvas tents and it gets rebuilt again.

"A lot of people benefit from the square," Mohammed tells me, and to prove it I ask if he can get us some Tramadol. "No problem," he says without expression. 

The LA Times reports the rising level of Tramadol addiction affects children as young as 11 in Cairo, and drug use by 15-year-olds and older is as high as 30 percent. I've already been violently threatened by a man my translator claimed was high on the drug. The man had been selling t-shirts on the street that he'd supposedly gotten on credit from the Muslim Brotherhood who smuggled them into the country from China.

I've read that Tramadol sells on the street for as cheap as two Egyptian pounds or thirty cents apiece, but the police officer wants me to buy a pack of ten for 150 Egyptian pounds or about $22 U.S. dollars.

I give him the money and he hurries off to the square to make the deal. Even the lucky people with jobs here make very little money. The desk clerk at my hotel makes 750 pounds a month ($110) and a journalist about 2,000 pounds ($294).

Sweaty and a little out of breath from the six flights of stairs up to the hotel lobby, Mohammed returns with the strip of pills. They're packaged as described, but the language on the back is English and they have a street quality logo called Fox Dol, with what looks more like a wolf than a fox, in mid-stride across the back.

I give him a moment to sit down and light a Marlboro, the expensive brand of cigarette here, and he's the only person I've met in the city so far who smokes them.

When I ask him if he feels the police system in Cairo is corrupt, he says, "Yes, President Morsi was a prisoner himself until the revolution And the head of internal affairs is a Morsi appointment."

That means the man policing the police is from the Brotherhood. Thought the cop doesn't say it, many I've talked to suspect the Brotherhood of smuggling in shipping containers filled with the knockoff clothes, electronics, and drugs.

"A lot of people benefit from Tahrir Square the way it is," he says again.

I thank him and explain through my translator we have a 10 p.m. appointment and must go.

The group of us leave the hotel, down the fatally uneven, ancient, curved marble steps to the street, my translator, Mohammad, an Egyptian who emigrated to Japan and his 16-year-old daughter with died pink-and-orange hair, and me wearing a winter shell to hide the camera strapped around my back.

We walk the same way as Mohammed, who's fetching his pistol, and the girl's father invites me to his family's home in the most criminal section of Cairo on Sunday. If I want to see what the city is becoming, that is where I should look, he says. It's a neighborhood whose population is exploding, and there isn't an honest soul among them he claims.

I thank him, get his number, and with a glance from my translator, tell him I will let him know as we all shake hands and say good night. It'll take some convincing, but my translator will eventually agree to come.

Ten minutes later Mohammed calls and says he wants fifty pounds for the interview. My translator  asks if that's okay. I ask if he thinks it's smart not to provide the police officer who just sold us illicit drugs the fifty pounds he's asking for.

They're friends and all, but he smiles and tells him no problem. Mohammed and the Japanese emigrant went to a cafe known for its inexpensive, five Egyptian pound prostitutes, and we never met up for that payment.

Which gives me a great reason to stop by the station on Sunday and see what that's like.

SEE ALSO: Things Get Scary In Tahrir Square >

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The 9 Best Performing Stocks Since The Last S&P 500 All-Time High

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miss usa pageantThe S&P 500 hit a new all-time closing high yesterday.

The last time that happened was on October 9, 2007.

You often hear about the best-performing stocks since the market hit its post-crash low in March 2009.

But what about the stocks that have done the best since the last market top?

Some of the names may surprise you, but several probably won't.

Mastercard: +232%

What they do: Leading global credit card provider.

Market cap: $66.3 billion

Ticker: MA

Source: Bloomberg



Tenet Healthcare: +245%

What they do: Chain of hospitals and outpatient treatment centers across the United States.

Market cap: $5.0 billion

Ticker: THC

Source: Bloomberg



Dollar Tree: +247%

What they do: Dollar store chain.

Market cap: $10.9 billion

Ticker: DLTR

Source: Bloomberg



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