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16 facts that show why bottled water is one of the biggest scams of the century

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hiker drinking bottled water in desert

There's nothing quite like the feeling of pure, ice-cold hydration. Some of us get our water for free from the tap. The rest pay for it — at the cost of roughly $100 billion a year.

At that steep a price tag, you might assume buying the bottled stuff would be worth it. In most cases, you'd be wrong.

For the vast majority of Americans, a glass from the tap and a glass from the bottle are virtually identical as far as their health and nutritional quality are concerned. In some cases, publicly-sourced tap may actually be safer since it is usually tested more frequently.

There are exceptions, however — people living near private wells do not enjoy the same rigorous testing as those whose water comes from public sources, and some public sources are not properly screened, as was recently seen in Flint, Michigan.

But there are plenty of reasons to stop shelling out for bottled water. Read on to find out all the things you didn't know about your drinking water.

SEE ALSO: 20 images that show how much we've reshaped planet Earth in the past 70 years

DON'T MISS: There's a medical problem that marijuana might be able to help that no one is talking about

The first documented case of bottled water being sold was in Boston in the 1760s, when a company called Jackson's Spa bottled and sold mineral water for "therapeutic" uses. Companies in Saratoga Springs and Albany also appear to have packaged and sold water.

Sources: GreatLakesLaw.orgFineWaters.com



Across the globe, people drink roughly 10% more bottled water every year, but Americans continue to consume more packaged H2O than people in other countries do.

Source: Container Recycling Institute



At 12.8 billion gallons, or 39 gallons per person, Americans today drink more bottled water than milk or beer.

Source: Beverage Marketing Corporation 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

RANKING: We tried all of Chick-fil-A's sauces — and the winner is clear

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Chick fil A Sauces 8

At Chick-fil-A, it's all about the sauce. 

Customers at the chicken chain are cultishly dedicated to condiments.

Some adore the signature Chick-fil-A sauce, which can't be found anywhere but the chicken chain. Others — perhaps with a sweeter palette — are die-hard Polynesian Sauce fans. And, some people were so furious when Chick-fil-A tweaked the recipe for its BBQ Sauce that they forced the chain to reverse the change. 

In an effort to see which sauces live up to the hype and which fell flat, we tried all seven of Chick-fil-A's legendary sauces. Here's the ranking, from worst to best:

7. Garlic & Herb Ranch

Look. I understand the need for a fast-food chain to offer ranch dressing, especially if spicy chicken is on the menu. However, the Garlic & Herb Ranch fails to be anything but... meh. 

It's more watery than I would like, and I certainly didn't get the garlic, onion, and herb flavors that were promised. If you're a ranch fanatic, my advice is to bring your own Hidden Valley. 



6. Sweet & Spicy Sriracha

Chick-fil-A added this new sauce last year, hoping to tap into a trending flavor. But people don't go to Chick-fil-A for trendy food. 

The Sweet & Spicy Sriracha tastes like someone mixed Polynesian sauce with sriracha. This could be useful to add some zest to a blander fast-food chain's offerings — but overwhelming Chick-fil-A's chicken with sweet Sriracha doesn't do it any favors. 



5. Polynesian

Chick-fil-A Polynesian sauce is famous — but I don't think it's actually very good. 

I know this is controversial. According to my informal Twitter poll on the subject, 22% of people say that Polynesian is their favorite sauce — the second most popular after Chick-fil-A sauce. 

But, ultimately, the sweet and sour sauce is just too sweet for my taste. The goopy sauce's super-sweet and syrupy flavor is instantly distinctive and beloved by many — but, in my opinion, the pink sauce is better left in your bag. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Indian's Springfield and Chieftain are driving a new American motorcycle rivalry with Harley-Davidson

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Indian Motorcycle 27

Since Polaris Industries acquired the storied Indian Motorcycle nameplate in 2011, the Minnesota-based powersports company has been working hard to revive Indian, which was founded in 1901 and has seen more than its share of ups and downs in the past 115 years.

Indian swung by Business Insider's New York headquarters last year (it wasn't the first time) to show off a couple of its most visually impressive bikes: the Springfield and the Chieftain Dark Horse, both "bagger" cruising or touring bikes that aren't designed for single-day weekend rides, but rather for extended getaways. These are the SUVs of the motorcycle world, and both bikes can carry a passenger.

If you're into fast sport bikes or some of the newer cafe-racer-type rides, these motorcycles are going to see too "old guy" for your tastes.

But if you just want to roll large down the highway or across some scenic back roads, hefty machines like these are the ticket. Interestingly, as big as they are (around 700 pounds), they're designed to be easy to handle. And they're a lot more relaxing that your average Yamaha or Suzuki sport rocket.

Check 'em out:

Photos by Hollis Johnson.

SEE ALSO: These 3 Awesome Motorcycles Rolled Up In Front Of Our Offices And Stopped Traffic

Neither motorcycle is subtle. These are big, bad cruisers — powerful, old-school bikes that are comfortable for the long haul and designed to attract attention wherever they go. They drew a crowd on the sidewalk in front of our New York City headquarters.



First up is the Springfield, named for the Massachusetts town where Indian was founded. This is a throwback classic touring motorcycle, intended to carry one or two riders on a serious road trip.



This is a familiar setup for the windscreen, headlights, and turn signals. But wow — check out all that chrome! The screen can be quickly removed, by the way.



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10 TV shows people think are about to be canceled

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2 broke girls ratings cbs

We're in the heat of the season of TV renewals and cancellations. And while the people behind the shows are awaiting the networks' decisions, viewers are also feeling the tension.

While Business Insider has already weighed in on the shows that we predict are going to be canceled, it's interesting to see what viewers are thinking (and worrying about).

Business Insider partnered with Amobee Brand Intelligence— a company that provides marketing insight and measures real-time content consumption across the internet — to find out which TV shows are most mentioned on social media as "on the bubble," which means the shows that are in danger of being canceled.

Here are the shows that people think are most in danger of being canceled:

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 13 most popular Netflix original shows

DON'T MISS: 18 TV shows you're watching that are probably going to be canceled

10. "Elementary" (CBS)

The clues for the cancellation of "Elementary" are all there and the viewers are clearly picking up on them. While CBS has been the most-watched broadcast network for years, its audience traditionally steers older than the under-50 crowd advertisers are aiming for, so it doesn't have much patience for low-rated shows, and "Elementary" is the network's lowest-rated returning show.

The network may let it finish its current fifth season because that makes it ripe for syndication sales. But it may not be worth keeping for a sixth.



9. "2 Broke Girls" (CBS)

People are probably seeing red flags for "2 Broke Girls" because it wasn't included in the 18 show renewals CBS announced in March. The fact is that "2 Broke Girls" has lost nearly 18% of its audience from last year and that's bad news. The good news is that CBS has plenty of other shows it needs to ax before "2 Broke Girls."



8. "Sleepy Hollow" (Fox)

It isn't hard to see that "Sleepy Hollow" should have been put to bed after its low-rated third season. Fox renewed the show anyway, with a pretty major reboot, but it didn't work. It's Fox's lowest-rated show, and it has lost nearly 40% of last season's audience.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

We asked 6 Wall Street recruiters about the hottest trends in hiring

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Wall Street Money Never Sleeps Shia

It's moving season on Wall Street.

Bonuses have landed in bank accounts, freeing up bankers and traders to move to new employers.

With that in mind, we asked six Wall Street recruiters about the big trends in hiring.

Here's what the recruiters had to say.

"Relationships still matter in this business."— David McCormack, DMC Partners

"The biggest trend in 2017 is who can pick stocks and make money? From equity sales and trading on the sell side to investment professionals on the buy side, we are looking for alpha-generators for our clients.

"Much was made of quant in 2016, and it remains a hot theme for the buy and sell sides, but with multiple headlines surrounding big data and more opaque investment themes. We remain 100% focused on exceptional talent and exceptional stock-pickers to help drive returns for our clients.

"Automation is changing Wall Street in parts of fixed income and equities, but not as dramatically as people think. Relationships still matter in this business.

"Wall Street can be three to six months ahead of their clients (buy side), not three years. In equities, demand is in Delta-1, derivatives, electronic trading, and prime, but also key areas in cash, driven by client coverage. In FICC, rates trading is an area of investment. M&A is active, given the pipeline. Banks aren't adding mass headcount, so a lot of hiring today is driven by upgrades.

"On the buy side, we are seeing lots of demand from our hedge fund clients across multiple strategies and sectors."

David McCormack is the founder and CEO of DMC Partners.



"We have seen a strong demand for senior leadership with new thinking in the new world order."— Richard Stein, Options Group

"There has been a seismic shift in the war for talent in the first quarter of 2017. You are either on one side of the fault lines or the other.

"Using movie analogies, forget 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold"– it's getting very, very hot on certain FICC desks and revenues, especially those at Morgan Stanley have been shockingly good.

"Upward rate hikes mean that many banks are now looking for additions and upgrades. The sell side is back, and the roller coaster has slowly left once again for its upward climb. The quest for the top 5% of the leadership for these businesses is still ongoing, and we have seen a strong demand for senior leadership with new thinking in the new world order.

"We have interviewed some of the most distinguished senior talent on the Street at C-suite and below that would never have even have thought of leaving even a year ago. At lower levels, there is still a dearth of talent at VP level, and we are seeing the best candidates receiving multiple offers.

"Investment bank boutiques have been eating more M&A market share and have increased appetite. They have been draping their flags in front of the global megabanks hoping to capitalize on the harsh reengineering efforts there still underway.

"Tech, media, and telecommunications is especially hot, as well as financial institutions groups. We are seeing big demand from the boutiques looking to add to their ranks from a growing disaffected group of successful bankers who feel they have been reduced to working in a Dickensian world order."

Richard Stein is the chief growth officer and head of OG iQ at Options Group.



"The demand for talented individuals has never been greater."— Michael Goodman, Long Ridge Partners

"What makes 2017 unique is that we are in an environment where redemptions and hedge fund closures are at an all-time high, yet the demand for talented individuals has never been greater.

"The 2017 trends we are seeing comes from credit funds, specifically in the direct lending space. In addition to credit, we have seen a significant uptick in recruiting at both real-estate and private-equity firms. Consistent with 2016, multi-manager, multi-strategy hedge funds are still seeking senior investment talent, including senior analysts and portfolio managers. Strategies most active at the multi-manager hedge funds include fixed income, macro, and commodities (financial, not physical).

"My advice to job seekers is twofold. If you are looking to move firms within the next year, look to identify funds that have longer consistent track records, ones that have had steady asset growth — they will offer the most stability.

"Additionally, culture and personality are often overlooked. Seek an environment where you are comfortable and feel that you fit in, one that you are able to research and get positive data points on. Not every firm is a good fit.

"Just because a firm is willing to pay you does not mean it is the right place for you. It is wiser to forgo short-term compensation for longer term stability and culture."

Michael Goodman is a managing partner at Long Ridge Partners.



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Here are some of the most bizarre things flight attendants have seen in their line of duty

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Flight attendants

From experiencing the thrill of adventure to taking amazing vacations at little or no cost, there are a lot of unique perks to being a flight attendant.

But the job comes with its challenges as well.

Delays and flight cancellations, 4 a.m. wake-up calls and sporadic hours, weekends and holidays spent working, and long work commutes top the list for many.

Flight attendants are also privy to a wide array of human behaviors, some of which would challenge anyone's people skills.

Here are some of the most trying work conditions flight attendants have been subjected to:

SEE ALSO: One woman takes us inside the mysterious world of a flight attendant, from unruly passengers to 3-inch heels

DON'T MISS: A flight attendant answers the 20 questions you've always wanted to ask

Dirty diapers in the seat

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Poo smelly enough to land a plane

The BBC reports that in March 2015, a British Airways flight from London to Dubai was forced to turn around because of a "smelly poo."

Abhishek Sachdev, who was on board the flight, told BBC, "The pilot made an announcement requesting senior cabin crew, and we knew something was a bit odd. About 10 minutes later he said, 'You may have noticed there's a quite pungent smell coming from one of the toilets.' He said it was liquid fecal excrement. Those are the words he used."

A BA spokesperson said the situation posed a health and safety problem because only half the air is recycled and cleaned on an airplane.

Passengers were put up in a hotel overnight since the next available flight was 15 hours later, according to the BBC.



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See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Tesla just delayed the roll-out of its solar roof — here's everything we know about the project so far (TSLA)

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elon musk solar roof

Tesla has delayed the roll-out of its solar roof.

The company originally said it will begin selling its solar roof in April, but CEO Elon Musk said that two of the four shingle options won't be made available until early 2018. A Tesla spokesperson declined to comment further on why the timeline had changed.

Tesla unveiled its solar roof product in late October, about a month before the company acquired SolarCity in a deal worth $2.1 billion. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said the solar roof will be cheaper than a normal roof even before factoring in the price of electricity.

Here's everything we know about the new solar roof product:

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk: Tesla is developing a special kind of glass for its Model 3

Tesla will offer four types of shingles to match different housing aesthetics in an effort to get homeowners to ditch clunky solar panel add-ons in favor of a beautiful roof.



Here you see Tesla's textured glass option.



See how it shimmers?



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

It's the GMC Canyon Denali and the Honda Ridgeline in a battle of the small pickups (GM)

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Ridegline Canyon11.JPG

Small pickups were once an essential part of the truck mix. A lot of young folks enjoyed them as an inexpensive starter vehicle.

But gradually, automakers phased them out in favor of crossover SUVs while concentrating on the full-size pickups that are their most profitable products.

In the past few years, however, smaller pickups — bigger than the modest Ford Rangers and Chevy S-10s of the past — have staged a comeback.

For US carmakers, Chevy's Colorado almost single-handedly revived the segment, which had been filled by trucks like the Toyota Tacoma and the Nissan Frontier. Soon, Ford will bring back the Ranger.

Of course, Honda has long had a small pickup in its lineup: the oddball Ridgeline. This wasn't a truck for truck people. It was more of an SUV with a pickup truck bed.Ridegline Canyon17.JPG

The styling was offbeat. But for the latest generation, perhaps sensing that small pickups are the comeback trail, Honda made the Ridgeline into more of a proper truck. We checked it out last year and were impressed.

So we thought it would be good to compare the new Ridgeline to more of a true pickup.

And then the GMC Canyon Denali landed in our driveway.

The Canyon Denali is the GMC version of the Chevy Colorado, given some further snazziness with the upscale Denali treatment.

On paper, it stacks up well against the Ridgeline, costing about the same and running a similar V6 engine. But there are some crucial differences:

SEE ALSO: It's the BMW X1 against the Buick Encore in a battle of the small SUVs

The 2017 Canyon Denali arrived early in the year, during a respite from snow and ice, but before the weather warmed. Truck conditions! Price? $44,255, as tested. The base GMC Canyon, without the upmarket Denali trim features, is about $22,000.

The Canyon Denali is outfitted with a 3.6-liter V6 that makes just north of 300 horsepower and pipes the power to, in the case of our tester, an all-wheel-drive system through an eight speed automatic transmission. 

The motor feels robust and quite trucky, which is to say a tad crude (the same engine is found in the Cadillac XT5 and comes off as much more refined). This is powerplant that can roar. The Canyon Denali also has a towing mode that can handle 7,000 pounds, about 2,000 more than what the Ridgeline is rated for.



Our 2017 Ridgeline tester tipped the cost scales at $41,370, and it landed at BI's suburban New Jersey test center after a light winter snowstorm in late 2016. The base pickup is about $30,000.

Read the review here.

The Ridgeline delivers a peppier, smoother ride than the Canyon Denali — much more car-like, which makes sense give its fully independent suspension. You just don't feel like you're in a truck, which for a lot of buyers will be a good thing. A problem with pickups in daily use is that they can beat you up a bit.

The Rideline's powerplant is a 3.5-liter, 280-horsepower V6. This is one of the world's great motors, perhaps the best V6 anywhere. Mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, this engine is more or less perfect and provides 21 mpg in combined city/highway driving. That's slightly better than the GMC's 21 mpg combined.



Our Canyon Denali was a crew-cab version with a "short box"— the bed is about five feet long, protected by a bedliner. If you're shopping for a Chevy truck, this vehicle can be had as the Colorado.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

6 ways to make your next flight less stressful

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Passengers board their flight at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, November 23, 2015. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

I'm on record saying that air travel is an awful experience for the most part and has been for my entire life. I came to this conclusion long before United Airlines' recent dismaying experience with a passenger who was dragged off a plane by police, sustaining injuries in the process.

As negative as I can be about the miseries of flight, over the years I've come up with some hacks that make it bearable. I put some of these to work on recent flights to Europe and Utah, in fact.

Here are my top six:

SEE ALSO: I've been flying for 40 years — and it's always been a terrible experience

1. Make a day of it.

Modern air travel is so much faster relative to what most people used to endure — long train, boat, or car rides — that we've come to believe that we'll be whisked from point A to point B with no deleterious effects.

This is foolish. Just because your flight is two hours doesn't mean that's all the time you'll be committing to the journey. You could get stuck in traffic on the way to the airport. You could be delayed at check-in or security. The flight itself could leave late. You could get bumped! You could miss a connection. And on and on.

Add to that the stress you'll endure if you fly coach, with a cramped seat, and you're confronting an ordeal. 

My practice is to write off the travel day. Even if my flight is just a couple of hours, I plan to spend the day on the move and unless there's a business commitment mixed in, I devote myself to the journey.

I get to the airport with hours to spare, have a bite to eat and something to drink, do a bit of reading, board the plane, take my flight, and then I don't rush at the other end. In effect, I impose leisure on something that for most people isn't leisurely.

All bets are off, of course, if I'm flying with my family. But when I'm, solo, I make it all about me. I didn't adhere to this rule on my most recent trip, mainly because the schedule wasn't completely under my control, and as a result I wound up a bit cranky by the end of my return flight.



2. Use the lounges.

Some travelers have airport lounge access thanks to their ticket or relationship with the airline or lounge through a credit card. But if you don't, I think it's worth it to pay for daily access. In fact, I routinely now do this.

I usually spend around $50, and if you figure that I'm already saving a fair amount of money by flying coach and would have to feed myself in any case, I think it evens out and actually can be a money saving expenditure.

Even if it isn't, it's much more relaxing to hang out in the lounge than it is in the terminal or by the gate. I'll often spend a few hours doing this, becoming a sort of temporary citizen of the airport.



3. Stay overnight at an airport hotel.

This often isn't as expensive as you might think. On a recent layover in Lisbon, I decided to spend the night at a nice boutique hotel across the street from the airport, and I spend around $100. 

Again, you're taking care of yourself with this move, reducing the stress of getting the airport on time. For early flights, I think this a total no-brainer. You wake up, maybe enjoy a free breakfast, and you either stroll over to the airport or jump on a shuttle.

This works our best if the hotel is in the airport itself. Or nearby. I stuck by this rule in Lisbon this year and in Paris last year and the results were great. I arrived for my flights with plenty of time to spare.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

15 Albert Einstein quotes that reveal the mind of a true genius

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Einstein 4x3

There's a reason the name "Einstein" is synonymous with "genius."

Albert Einstein was one of the greatest minds of the 20th century, and his contributions to human knowledge are unparalleled.

The physicist conducted groundbreaking research on how our universe functions, formulated the Theory of Relativity, and predicted the existence of gravitational waves a century before we observed them.

Einstein wasn't just brilliant, he was deep: a scientist-philosopher who knew just how to describe the human condition. That genius, combined with the Earth-shaking human highs and lows Einstein witnessed during his lifetime, made for a perspective on life that's yet to be matched.

We've compiled a list of Einstein's 15 best quotes, which teach us about the mind, learning, and that crazy thing called life.

 

Sean Kane contributed to an earlier version of this story. 

SEE ALSO: How Einstein became a suspected spy in a clip from the new TV show 'Genius'

On the passing of time



On being happy



On education



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A photographer spent 25 years documenting rich people — here's what she learned

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Award-winning documentary photographer and filmmaker Lauren Greenfield has been photographing and interviewing the wealthy since the early 1990s. After attending college at Harvard, Greenfield returned to her home in Los Angeles, and began documenting youth culture.

At that time, she didn't realize that she was photographing the beginning of "a period of rampant materialism and wealth obsession," as economist and sociologist Juliet Schor writes in the introduction of "Generation Wealth," Greenfield's newest book.      

Since then, Greenfield's work has expanded internationally — examining megamansions, extravagant bottle service at night clubs, a 24-karat solid gold toilet, America's obsession with plastic surgery, and much more.

"What I learned from many of [my subjects] is that chasing wealth is unending and ultimately unsatisfying. As the former Wall Street trader Sam Polk recognizes, it’s an addiction like any other, and the more you have, the more you want and the more you think you need," wrote Greenfield in her introduction. Ahead, a look inside "Generation Wealth." Captions written by Greenfield.   

SEE ALSO: How Kellyanne Conway makes and spends her $39 million fortune

"Limo Bob, 49, the self-proclaimed 'Limo King,' wears thirty-three pounds of gold and a full-length fur coat given to him by Mike Tyson. His fleet of limousines, including a 100-foot-long Cadillac, are outfitted with crystal chandeliers, Jacuzzis, and stripper poles."



"Xue Qiwen, 43, in her Shanghai apartment, decorated with furniture from her favorite brand, Versace, 2005. In 1994 Xue started a company that sells industrial cable and has since run four more. She is a member of three golf clubs, each costing approximately $100,000 to join."



"Christina, 21, a Walmart pharmacy technician, en route to her wedding in Cinderella’s glass coach, drawn by six miniature white ponies and with bewigged coachman, Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The worst thing about dating someone from every astrological sign

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zodiac astrology

When it comes to being in a relationship, there are certain things that you should know about your partner. For instance, you should know their hopes, their dreams... and their zodiac sign.

Someone's sign can be very revealing. Signs can suggest how a person might act or think, meaning they can be indicators of how jealous, controlling, or needy a partner might become. 

That's why we sought out Ophira Edut, one half of The AstroTwins duo and co-author of "How to Get Along With Anyone (Yes, Even That Person)," to help us understand what each sign is like when it comes to being in a relationship. Or, as she puts it, "where [each sign] might shoot themselves in the foot." 

Here are each sign's worst trait when it comes to love, as well as who they're most compatible with

ARIES: They think mostly of themselves.

Aries "can be impatient and selfish," Ophira said. 

Famous examples: Kirsten Stewart, Robert Downey Jr., and James Franco.

Compatible signs: Virgo or Scorpio



TAURUS: They can be stubborn and always need to be right.

"They can also have a fear change," she said. 

Famous examples: Queen Elizabeth II, Channing Tatum, and George Clooney. 

Compatible partners: Libra or Sagittarius



GEMINI: They can be fickle.

"They’re never satisfied and always want another option. With their flirtatiousness they can seem untrustworthy, when really they’re just having a bit of fun," Ophira explained. 

Famous examples: Donald Trump, Kanye West, and Angelina Jolie. 

Compatible partners: Scorpio or Capricorn



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Trump may raise the gas tax to help fix America's crumbling roads

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LA Crumbling Roads

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would consider increasing the federal gasoline tax as long as the proceeds go to improvements for US highways, Bloomberg News reported. 

"It's something that I would certainly consider," Trump told Bloomberg. "The truckers have said that they want me to do something as long as that money is earmarked to highways."

Currently, the federal tax on gasoline is 18.4 cents per gallon and the tax on diesel is 24.4 cents per gallon. 

Hiking the gasoline tax would certainly be a hotly debated issue because of the impact it would have on US consumers' pocketbooks. But there's no getting around the fact that America's highways and other critical infrastructure systems are in dire need of costly repairs. 

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers' 2017 Infrastructure Report Card, which is published every four years, US infrastructure gets a D+ grade. It got the same grade in 2013. 

The ASCE estimates the US needs to spend some $4.5 trillion by 2025 to improve the state of the country's roads, bridges, dams, airports, schools, and more. 

The report breaks down the state of infrastructure in 16 different categories. Here's a look at how each segment of America's infrastructure scored, according to the ASCE report. 

SEE ALSO: The US will need to invest more than $4.5 trillion by 2025 to fix its failing infrastructure

Aviation: D

Airports and air traffic control systems are in serious need of an update, the report found. 

With some two million people per day coming through US airports, congestion is becoming a major problem. In fact, the report estimates that 24 out of the top 30 airports in the US could soon hit "Thanksgiving-peak traffic volume" one day a week. 



Bridges: C+

US bridges are aging. 

Out of the 614,387 bridges in the US, more than 200,000 are more than 50 years old. 

The report estimates it would cost some $123 billion just to fix the bridges in the US. 



Dams: D

According to the report, there were some 15,500 high-hazard dams in the US in 2016. 



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I spent years traveling for business — here's my 7-day timeline to keep from underpacking, overpacking, or forgetting what you need

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packing suitcase

This post is an excerpt from "How to Pack," by Hitha Palepu.

When you pack at the last minute, you likely will lack confidence that you have packed everything you’ll need.

I had a client who always checked an enormous bag, thinking that if she brought lots of items, there would be a lower chance of forgetting something.

What she ended up with was redundancies (think five black T-shirts), but without small essentials like hair ties. After she tried the packing timeline, she found she was packing in a fraction of the time and bringing a third of the stuff.

We often fear the unknown, and we use the items we pack as “security” instead of employing our best organizational and planning skills. You spend months planning a trip, right? So, why are you packing the night before? This is when the packing timeline comes in handy.

Let’s take a look—and don’t worry if you don’t know what some of these things are yet. You will.

The week before…

SEE ALSO: Making the same 2 decisions before any trip I take has helped me pack lighter for years

7 days before departure

Check your packing station. Decide which suitcase you’re bringing and make sure it is in good condition, with a luggage tag. Are the wheels tight? Is the handle working? Keep the bag open and out for inspection.

Make sure your toiletry bag is stocked.

Load your travel wallet. Add your passport. Print any travel confirmations you’ll need, as well as maps in the language of the country to which you are traveling, if appropriate. Print your itinerary.

Take a glance at your old photos from other trips and get excited!



6 days before departure

Check the weather at your destination for a preliminary idea of what’s ahead. Take out your blank packing list (more on that later) and start listing what your power pieces will be. Check to see that they’re all clean; if not, dry-clean or launder them. This day covers the biggest bulk of packing: you should gain a general sense of what clothes you’re bringing, so that you can choose your accessories tomorrow. For adventure trips, this includes gear.



5 days before departure

Pick out your accessories and shoes. Make sure everything is in good condition. Polish the shoes or drop them off at the cobbler. Clean out any extraneous things in your handbags.



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5 things you didn't know about 'Reservoir Dogs' from Quentin Tarantino and the cast

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Reservoir Dogs Cast

Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" turns 25 years old this week. To celebrate, the Tribeca Film Festival held a special screening of the film on Friday at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. 

Afterward, the director and cast — Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, Harvey Keitel, and Tim Roth — took the stage for a panel to discuss the film. They shared a few interesting stories about the movie.

Here's what we learned:  

The first ever screening at the Sundance Film Festival was a disaster.

When "Reservoir Dogs" played at the Sundance Film Festival for the first time, everything that could go wrong did. 

Tarantino allowed the film festival to screen the film despite the fact that the fest did not have a CinemaScope lens projector. Because the film was shot with a CinemaScope lens, the director explained that the screening looked like "caca" all the way through. 

But the nightmare was only getting started. 

"That would be bad enough, but then it gets to the final climax and all of the sudden the lights come up," Tarantino said. "And somebody realized, 'Oh s---, what's going on?' And they bring the lights back down. Then everybody has their guns pointed on everybody else and right at the height of that scene, there’s a power outage and all of the power goes out. It was a f---ing disaster." 

"I was at that first screening," Buscemi chimed in. "[Tarantino] didn't want me to go because he said it would be bad luck."



Steve Buscemi nearly didn't get the chance to audition for the role of Mr. Pink.

It's easy to forget, 25 years after the fact, that "Reservoir Dogs" was an indie film. The producers were working with a limited budget and, as such, were mainly casting actors from the Los Angeles area where the film was shot. 

Brooklyn native Harvey Keitel, who played Mr. White and also produced the film, insisted that Tarantino give New York actors a chance to audition. When Tarantino explained that they simply didn't have the money to go to New York, Keitel paid for their flights and hotels. 

It ended up being the right move, as they found their Mr. Pink that weekend. 

"I enjoy reminding Steve Buscemi that he owes me his career," Keitel said.



When "Reservoir Dogs" started screening on the festival circuit, Quentin Tarantino would count how many people walked out.

Before "Reservoir Dogs" became a cult classic, before Tarantino was a household name, he was just another director who had another film at a film festival. 

“The thing about it is, at a film festival screening sometimes no one really knows what they’re going to see,” Tarantino said. “They just get the program and hear a synopsis and that’s that. So it’s understandable somebody gets a ticket at a film festival and maybe this is not what they want to see and they have to leave.”

For some viewers, the infamous torture scene was too much to bear. When it premiered at Sundance, Buscemi informed Tarantino that people were saying the torture scene ruined the film. 

"What are they talking about?" the director replied. "It's the best scene in the f---ing movie! Did you see how many people walked out? That's the s---!" 

So divisive was the torture scene that Tarantino started keeping track of how many people walked out of each screening as he took the film on the festival circuit. During one screening, the director counted 33 audience members who got up and left. 

When he took the film to the Stiges Horror Film Festival, Tarantino thought he had finally found an audience that would sit through it. Alas, five audience members left once Michael Madsen started his shuffle, including the king of horror himself: Wes Craven. 

"The f---ing guy who did 'The Last House on the left' walked out?! My movie was too tough for him," Tarantino said. 



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7 shirts that will keep guys cool and comfortable during a workout

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

9k=Keeping yourself cool and comfortable during a workout can be tough.

Whether you're going on a midday run or working out in a packed gym, your choice in athletic apparel can be the difference between a successful workout and a miserable one.

To help, we put together a list of our favorite men's workout shirts. From brands you've known for years, to newer companies using innovative techniques and materials, there’s a little bit of everything here.

READ MORE: This is the one item you need to buy if you don’t want your shoes to smell this summer

DON'T MISS: These undershirts solve one of the biggest problems guys have with them

Bonobos

Launched in 2007, Bonobos quickly grew from a niche online retailer to one of the biggest names in men’s apparel.

Its Core Short Sleeve Tee is a simple, breathable option guys can take with them to the gym or the basketball court, or on a long run. 

Bonobos Core Short Sleeve Tee, $68



Under Armour

Under Armour is a mainstay of every athlete's wardrobe. 

If you've had positive experiences with the brand in the past, its affordable workout tee won't let you down.

Under Armour Threadborne Streaker, $29.99



QOR

QOR caught our attention when we discovered it had created an entire line of workout gear out of Merino wool.

As we found out, the natural fibers of wool are surprisingly great at regulating temperature, providing UV protection, and reducing odor. You can read our review QOR's workout shirts here.

QOR 17.5 Merino V, $89



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This online startup is one of the best places to buy fine jewelry for Mother's Day

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

unnamed 2As part of an ongoing series, Insider Picks features products or stores poised for big things. The subject of this spotlight is a direct-to-consumer fine jewelry company called Mejuri.

Most women associate getting fine jewelry with special occasions, like anniversaries, engagements, and birthdays.

But that doesn't have to, and frankly shouldn't, be the case if you ask Noura Sakkijha and Justine Lançon, the cofounders of Mejuri, a Toronto-based jewelry startup.

Sakkijha and Lançon launched Mejuri in early 2015 with the idea that women don't need to wait for someone else to give them fine jewelry; instead, they wanted to put the purchasing power in the hands of women, giving them the opportunity to buy contemporary, fine jewelry for accessible prices.

"We wanted to create a class of jewelry for women who shop for themselves the way they shop for their shoes and bags," Sakkijha told Business Insider. "Women don’t want to spend their whole paychecks on high-quality jewelry; they want to have a choice to buy high-quality, non-overpriced jewelry for their day-to-day lives. And we are giving them that choice."

Women currently account for 89% of the company's transactions. As a woman, I totally get why it's resonating with this demographic so well.

The jewelry market looks crowded, but if you pay close attention, it’s mostly divided into very classic and expensive fine jewelry or affordable costume jewelry that won’t last. Women want something in the middle, and Mejuri fills the gap with its delicate collection of rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets, which retails for as low as $25 for a solid gold stud to as high as $325 for a solid gold evil eye necklace

To that end, Sakkijha and Lançon told me Mejuri has already exceeded over 1 million dollars in year two of operation and reports 20-30% of monthly transactions are from repeat customers. "We've established a great level of loyalty with customers in a product category that is perceived as a non-frequent purchase," said Lançon.

The company's direct-to-consumer business model, which allows it to keep price markups low, and its commitment to customer service are largely to credit. Since launching, Mejuri has relied heavily on customer feedback to improve its jewelry. 

"We involve our customers in product feedback, since this helps in the evolution of our quality and choosing what we introduce to the market," Sakkijha and Lançon told me. "We also give them the ability to reach out to us via email and text, and will be integrating more and more technology to speed up our response times. We’re really driven to provide a luxury experience to every single customer."

9k=

After getting to wear a few pieces from Mejuri's current fine jewelry collection for a few weeks, I'd recommend the company as one of the best places to buy fine jewelry online. Not only is Mejuri constantly putting new pieces into production (it's established a lean and quick supply chain that allows it to get products from concept to store in 3-4 weeks), its message, high quality, and transparent prices are all things I can get behind. 

The company sent me a pair of hoop earrings ($125), choker-style necklace ($255), and ring ($170) so I could get a sense of the jewelry's overall quality, and each piece feels and looks a lot nicer than its price suggests. They're my new everyday go-tos, and I'm already eyeing a couple other pieces I want to eventually buy for myself.

Mejuri is smart addition to the jewelry market and one that's going to be great for customers, be they women who are shopping for themselves, or people who are looking to find great gifts for the women they love that don't put a huge dent in their wallets.

Have a closer look at some of my favorite jewelry from Mejuri below: 

DON'T MISS: This is the work bag professional women everywhere have been looking for

SEE ALSO: 23 gifts your mom actually wants this Mother's Day

READ THIS: This Brooklyn shop makes jewelry you'll want to wear every day

Whether you prefer white, rose, or yellow gold, Mejuri has something to suit your taste. 

The Letter Ring, $98Solo Diamond Ring, $175 

 



These hoop earrings offer women a modern, sophisticated silhouette, and they're perfect for everyday wear.

Twist Hoops, $125

 



Wearing a choker with another slightly longer necklace is a subtle way to step up your jewelry game. 

Spheres Choker, $255 Diamond Necklace, $290



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The new 'Mario Kart' is the best 'Mario Kart' game ever made

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It's been 25 years since the first "Mario Kart" game launched on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System: A quarter century of cheap, last-second red shells; of increasingly-complicated drifting; of yelling and laughing alongside friends; of Luigi death stares.

Given all that time, it's amazing that the latest entry in the "Mario Kart" series is also the greatest entry in the long-running racing franchise. Few games perpetually best their predecessors.

"Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" is a delightful exception to that rule.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch)

Here's why "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe," a brand new Nintendo Switch game that just launched, is so incredibly good.

SEE ALSO: 7 reasons Nintendo is discontinuing its ridiculously popular $60 game console, the NES Classic

First and foremost: Maybe you're not acquainted with "Mario Kart" somehow? It's an arcade-style racing game starring Nintendo's most popular characters.

Listen, if you've managed to make it this far without learning what "Mario Kart" is, we're impressed. 

The long and short is this: It's a racing game starring Nintendo's most popular characters, from Mario to Donkey Kong to Link. You and 11 other racers (either controlled by actual humans or by a computer) compete for first place on a variety of race tracks. In the process, you pick up usable items — like a heat-seeking red shell, or a limited-time fireball, among others — to slow other racers. It's a game of skill, no doubt, but it's also a game of luck.

Do yourself a favor and play any of the half dozen "Mario Kart" games that've arrived in the past 25 years. They're all pretty similar, and they're all pretty wonderful. The series appeals to so-called "hardcore" game players and more casual players alike. The latest iteration, "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe," is no exception. 



If you already played "Mario Kart 8" on Nintendo's last console, the Wii U, you've already played the main section of "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe."

If, on the other hand, you're getting some serious déja vu from hearing about "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe," it's likely that you spent some time with the Wii U game. That feeling you have is spot-on — "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" is very similar to the 2014 game for the Wii U. In fact, "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" is the same game. The difference is in a handful of tweaks, and a new Battle Mode (we'll get to that in a minute).

Here's what isn't different about the "Deluxe" version of "Mario Kart 8": No new race tracks.

That might be huge to you. If you played "Mario Kart 8," and played the additional content Nintendo sold after the game came out, you shouldn't expect a bunch of new race tracks here. Nintendo's banking on you not having played the game on Wii U, and that's a pretty good bet considering how few Wii U consoles were sold. 



So, what's new? The major addition is a Battle Mode.

Yes, the original version of "Mario Kart 8" came with a Battle Mode, but it was a shadow of its former self. Instead of dedicated Battle Mode courses, Nintendo simply walled off a few race tracks and hoped that would be enough. It wasn't — fans and critics celebrated how wonderful "Mario Kart 8" was at launch, but lamented the hobbled Battle Mode. Previous games in the series included dedicated Battle Mode maps, but they were absent in "Mario Kart 8."

"Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" fixes that in a beyond-satisfying way: by creating five new Battle Mode maps, and re-making three beloved ones from previous games.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe



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Here's what the cast of 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' looks like in real life

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gamora saldana

The Guardians are back and ready to save the universe again in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2."

From spending hours in the makeup chair to being fully CGI, there's a lot of effort that goes into creating creatures and aliens in the galaxy. 

Sure, Chris Pratt might look like an average human outside of his Star-Lord mask, but most of the cast look unrecognizable from their normal selves.

Catch the film when it hits theaters May 5, and check out what the cast looks like in real life below:  

SEE ALSO: 'American Gods' star Ricky Whittle describes his 'crazy' 16 auditions for the coveted role

Chris Pratt returns as Peter Quill, also known as Star-Lord, for the second installment.



He's much more recognizable without his mask on.

Pratt also famously got very in shape for his role.



Zoe Saldana gets painted green to play Gamora.

Applying the prosthetics and all that green makeup took two to three hours, and around 30 to 45 minutes to clean off, according to an interview the special-effects makeup designer for the film, David White,did with Allure.



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The 8 best IT jobs for new college grads and other tips on landing a job in tech

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MIT Graduation

The brutal job interview processes at great tech companies like Google and Facebook are legendary.

So, if you are a new college grad, it may comfort you to know that landing a great job in tech, and negotiating a salary, might be easier than you think.

IT consultant and IT staffing provider TEKsystems surveyed 250 hiring managers across the US. These are people who hire college grads for tech jobs.

They offered feedback on everything from what types of things in your background to emphasis (it's not necessarily your GPA) and which job titles to pursue.

SEE ALSO: 7 common mistakes most college grads make on their resumes (and how to fix them)

SEE ALSO: Inside the turbulence in Alphabet X's drone delivery Project Wing

It turns out that your GPA isn't nearly as important for your first job out of school as you might think, the 250 hiring managers who participated in this survey say.



86% of them say the most important thing is your work experience and internships. So be sure to play those items up in your resume.

Here are some tips on how college grads can do a resume when they don't have much work experience.



The next most important thing is your referrals and references. 50% of hiring managers say that having top-notch references is either the most important or second-most important thing in landing a job.



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