With May right around the corner, this is just about the time when the college class of 2013 starts to sweat.

For seniors lucky enough to have already lined up a first job, kudos. The hard part is over.

For the other 99% of 20-somethings on the cusp of launching their career, there's just one question to answer: Where do you want to go next? 

The ideal city should have a few things going for it: A strong youth job market (as of March, the unemployment rate for 18-29 year olds in December was 11.7% –– not pretty), a good vibe for young professionals, and a low cost of living.

Whether you're more interested in picking a town flush with jobs in your field of study or are looking for a place where you won't have to live hand to mouth, here's a list of 10 cities that appeal the most to post-graduates, with help from Rent.com.

*All labor stats are based on the Bureau of Labor Statistic's Feb. 2013 report on Unemployment Rates for Metropolitan Areas.

Atlanta, Ga.

Mean annual income: $46,570

Median price for a one bedroom: $880

Unemployment rate: 8.3% (lowest rate since December 2008)

The vibe: A mix of Southern and international flare give Atlanta the kind of diversity that may appeal to small town graduates looking for a change.

Bonus: Housing is cheap and the city is a major hub for anyone looking for work in media, technology and entertainment.

Source: Rent.com

Boston, Mass.

Mean annual income: $57,520

Median price for a one bedroom: $1,585.00

Unemployment rate: 6.0%

The vibe: Boston is buzzing with smart, talented 20-somethings thanks to its stellar postsecondary education opportunities.

Bonus: Young professionals aren't quick to leave after graduating, which means the social scene is strong. 

Source: Rent.com

Houston, Texas

Mean annual income: $47,490

Median price for a one bedroom: $819

Unemployment rate: 6.3%

The vibe: Forget the incredible tex-mex. Houston has long attracted young professionals from across the country with its low cost of living and ample job market.

Bonus: As the fourth largest city in the U.S., the fact that Houston has one of the lowest costs of living on this list is impressive in and of itself.

Source: Rent.com

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There remain a lot of misunderstandings and all-out myths out there about the state of the U.S. economy.

The Bureau Economic Analysis is here to help.

They've put together a presentation (via Barry Ritholtz) to sort through what's real and what's hearsay.

Taxes, debt, offshoring and wages are all covered.

It's pretty eye-opening.

Taxes are not that high.

Spending is up, but not at a record high.

Our debt is way up, but not at a record high relative to GDP.

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Huawei is one of those companies that most people don't know about, or care about.

That's a shame because it's one the more interesting global stories in technology.

The reason most people don't know about Huawei is that it's a highly secretive Chinese company that is essentially banned from the United States. It's accused of stealing tech from Cisco and Motorola.

Despite the ban, it's the biggest in its field of networking technology.

We've put together a quick beginner's guide on Huawei.

Richard McGregor, author of "The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers," said that Huawei is "perhaps China's most globally successful company."^[39]

It's the number one company for 4G wireless technology. It's the backbone of networking and communications around the world.

3 billion phone calls around the world run through Huawei's switches.

Source

Its founder is Ren Zhengfei, formerly an engineer with China's People Liberation Army.

Source

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Martha Stewart may be growing tired of her 153-acre Cantitoe Corners estate in Bedford, N.Y., because according to the NY Post, she checked out another amazing Bedford estate belonging to financier Marvin Schwartz.

Schwartz is a managing director and portfolio manager at Neuberger Berman. His eclectic house, known as Twin Ponds, is on sale for $30 million.

The place is called Twin Ponds  because one of the ponds is under the house. The 6 bedroom, 3,600 square foot house sits on 21.7 acres of land and boasts floor to ceilings windows, but it's really the grounds that will take your breath away.

The pool and massive wine cellar aren't too shabby either.

Sally Slater at Douglas Elliman has the listing.

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With high fares, costly fees, and now the prospect of endless delays caused by sequester-mandated FAA budget cuts, flying economy is often a horror show.

But not all airlines are created equal, and some treat all their passengers very nicely.

To find the best of the best for flying at a reasonable cost, we devised a ranking system based on the two most important factors for a pleasant trip: An enjoyable experience in the plane, and timely departure and arrival.

We looked at dozens of major international airlines that fly long-haul routes.

We valued in-flight experience based on ratings for seat comfort, in-flight entertainment, cabin cleanliness and condition, quality of meals served, and service efficiency, from leading airline reviewer Skytrax.

Flightstats.com provided the on-time performance figures (from February 15 to April 15) for each airline.

We then averaged scores for in-flight experience and the on-time performance of the airlines equally to come up with an overall score. Ratings are out of 100 points.

20. Etihad Airways

In-Flight Experience: 80

On-Time Performance: 74

United Arab Emirates-based Etihad is barely ten years old, but it is growing rapidly: It said its profits tripled from $14 million in 2011 to $42 million last year.

Its has been named the World's Leading Airline at the World Travel Awards for the past four years.

In-flight experience score is an average of ratings for seat comfort, in-flight entertainment, cabin cleanliness and condition, quality of meals served, and service efficiency, provided by Skytrax.

On-time performance is for February 15 - April 15, and is provided by Flightstats.com.

19. Lufthansa

In-Flight Experience: 80

On-Time Performance: 75

With hubs in Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, and Munich, Germany's Lufthansa is the largest airline in Europe.

To compete in today's tough airline industry, the carrier has improved its business class seating, but economy is still excellent.

In-flight experience score is an average of ratings for seat comfort, in-flight entertainment, cabin cleanliness and condition, quality of meals served, and service efficiency, provided by Skytrax.

On-time performance is for February 15 - April 15, and is provided by Flightstats.com.

18. Air Astana

In-Flight Experience: 74

On-Time Performance: 82

Air Astana is the flag carrier of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and started commercial flights in 2002.

It may not top our list, but it did win "Best Airline in Central Asia and India" at the 2012 World Airline Awards.

In-flight experience score is an average of ratings for seat comfort, in-flight entertainment, cabin cleanliness and condition, quality of meals served, and service efficiency, provided by Skytrax.

On-time performance is for February 15 - April 15, and is provided by Flightstats.com.

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The most elite helicopter unit in the world — the 160th SOAR (Special Operations Aviation Regiment) — is just one of many combat units that has opened up to women.

Women are no strangers to aerial combat though. Air Force Colonel Martha McSally (ret.) has flown several combat sorties as an A10 jet pilot.

Still, SOAR is a huge step for women to enter into more direct combat roles.

"The Nightstalkers" as they are called, are the only special operations aviation unit in the Army — deploying almost continuously since 9/11 to provide drop-off for U.S. military elite at their targets. They also provide close air support (actually shooting at the enemy) while they are on the ground.

"We are a force ready to move at a moment’s notice anytime, anywhere, arriving on target plus or minus 30 seconds," Col. Clayton Hutmacher told Special Operations Technology.

But an elite air unit for special operations missions didn't always exist ... until that mission in Iran ...

It was only after serious issues were found during the disastrous mission to free the hostages in Iran, that the 160th formed in 1981.

Since then, the program has selected very few applicants. The standards are high — they like to have aviators with at least 500 flight hours, or at the top of their class at flight school.

Put simply, it's the exceptionally skilled pilots and crew who set the 160th apart.

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Japanese clothing chain Uniqlo has become the envy of retailers worldwide.

The company has exploded in  the past decade, becoming Asia's biggest clothing retailer. And Uniqlo's leaders have ambitious goals to make the brand the leader in retail worldwide, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Uniqlo, which focuses mass-producing affordable basics in dozens of colors, got its start in the Japanese suburbs. Less than 20 years later, it's laid its stake along swanky shopping streets in major global cities.

What's the story behind the company's success?

The first Uniqlo opened its doors in Hiroshima, Japan in 1984.

The company is a division of Japanese retail holding company Fast Retailing, with Tadashi Yanai at the helm.

The company originally called itself "Unique Clothing Warehouse." By joining those words together, Uniqlo was born.

The name is pronounced "YOU-nee-klo" in English. 

In the early 1990s, the Japanese economy hit a major slump. And Uniqlo's cheap clothes got popular fast.

The Japanese economic downturn is often called "The Great Recession" and lasted for an entire decade. It was bad news for the country as a whole, but Uniqlo reaped major benefits by catering to citizens who were trying to cut back on spending.

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The NFL Draft is moving closer and closer towards becoming an awards show.

And like the Oscars or the Golden Globes, the fashion choices of the stars involved is now a huge part of the larger spectacle.

Some guys looked great, but there were a few absolute disasters.

BEST: No.2 pick Luke Joeckel wore a three-piece suit

WORST: No.29 pick Cordarrelle Patterson wore a white tuxedo jacket

DOUBLE WORST: Cordarrelle Patterson's belt

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A manned mission to Mars could happen by the end of this century.

The Mars Desert Research Station, located in a remote region of Utah, is helping scientists prepare for this challenging deep space expedition.

The desert landscape has been used to simulate the conditions on Mars because of its striking resemblance to the Red Planet's terrain.

Scientists and students come from all over the world to spend two weeks exploring canyons, cliffs, and rockscapes, while dealing with the constraints they would face on Mars.

There are no supermarkets, repair shops, or hardware stores. The only available resources and tools are what each team brings into the desert with them. 

The variety of experiments conducted by different crews adds to the growing body of research and knowledge that will be used to send the first humans to a world that so far, only robots have known.  

The Mars Desert Research Station is located in a remote region of south-central Utah known as the San Rafael Swell.

The Swell is a 2,000 square mile area of public land, known for its canyons and sandstone formations — a terrain that is very similar to Mars.

The Mars-like environment makes this area the perfect spot to carry out simulated Mars missions.

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One of the best ways for foodies to truly experience the world's best restaurants is by ordering a multi-course tasting menu.

But these carefully crafted and elaborate meals can easily cost upwards of $150 a head, not including wine, tax, or gratuity.

And that's a modest estimate. Most of the 26 restaurants on this list blow that cost out of the water, with prices ranging from $200 to over $600 per person.

These are the 25 most expensive tasting menus we could find, but if you know of another, tell us in the comments!

NOTE: We calculated the cost of a meal for two people, and included the price of a wine pairing where applicable. Unless otherwise indicated, the listed cost does not include gratuity or tax. Foreign prices were converted at today's conversion rates.

23. (TIE) The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, Calif.

$450 for two people; 9-10 courses (wine pairing additional $225 per person)

And you thought bespoke was just for clothes. The Restaurant at Meadowood caters to every guest's individual preferences so that the tasting menu perfectly reflects your tastes.

And even though the dishes may vary from night to night (or customer to customer), they are all guaranteed to be presented and cooked by chef Christopher Kostow and his team with impeccable attention to detail.

23. (TIE) Minibar by José Andrés, Washington, DC

$450 for two people; 25+ courses (wine pairings range from $75-$200 per person)

With over 20 courses, one might think the tasting menu at José Andrés's Minibar could get boring. But dishes like sweet BBQ eel cocooned in peppery cotton candy or "dragon's breath" frozen popcorn that causes steam to come out of the diner's mouth keeps things different and exciting.

And the finale dessert is worth waiting for — coconut milk ice cream, frozen peanut powder, and lemongrass-tamarind gelee.

23. (TIE) Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare, Brooklyn, N.Y.

$450 for two people; 20+ courses

No jeans, sneakers, flip-flops, shorts, or short sleeved shirts are permitted at Brooklyn Fare, Brooklyn's only three Michelin-starred restaurant.

But the 18-seat space is worth the dress code with its 20+ elaborate, bite-sized courses of fresh seafood made and garnished right in front of you by Chef Cesar Ramirez and his team.

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Credit card search site CardHub.com is out with its Best & Worst Cities for Wallet Wellness study, in which it features places where consumers aren't just financially fit but mentally fit as well.

"You’re obviously not going to feel your best if you can’t find a job or you get stuck in traffic for hours on end every day" explains Card Hub CEO Odysseas Papadimitriou.

For that reason, Papadimitriou and his team rated* cites based not only income and cost of living, but factors that can cost consumers in other ways –– namely, transportation, commute times and stress levels. Almost every city on the list has a commute time of less than 15 minutes, but keep in mind we're talking about residents living within city limits.

*Annual income is based on the Bureau of Economic Analysis 2011 data. Cost of living is based on the 2013 ACCRA Cost of Living Index, which measures regional differences in the cost of consumer goods and services. Stress and transportation rankings based on the American Psychological Association data and information from the Center for Neighborhood Technology’s Housing and Transportation Affordability Index.

21. Boston, Mass.

Average annual personal income: $57,893

Cost of living index: 140

Stress scale (1-10 scale): 5.2

Rate of annual job growth: 0.74%

20. Washington, D.C.

Average annual personal income: $59,345

Cost of living index: 145

Stress scale (1-10 scale): 5

Rate of annual job growth: -0.53%

Washington D.C.'s commute time is worst on the list, at just over 17 minutes, and transportation costs account for 21% of residents' incomes.

19. Denver, Colo.

Average annual personal income: $48,980

Cost of living index: 105

Stress scale (1-10 scale): 5.5

Rate of annual job growth: 0.46%

Denver natives commute about 12 minutes to work, and transportation costs account for 26% of their incomes.

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There are certain items that you should always haggle for, like flea market finds or when purchasing a new car.

However, there are some less obvious situations where your bargaining chops may come in handy. 

We've compiled a list of nine times it pays to haggle –– and how to do it right.

Late fees

Cars

Mortgage rates

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The 96-year-old actress Zsa Zsa Gabor and her ninth husband Prince Frédéric van Anhalt have had quite the real-estate year.

First they found a buyer for their Bel Air mansion and the property went into escrow.

Then a judge decreed earlier this month that the couple — behind in their mortgage payments — could stay in the home for three more years or until Gabor's death, Reuters reported.

Now, it seems the property is back on the market, for $14.9 million through Rodeo Realty, according to celebrity real estate blog The Real Estalker.

The couple had recently turned to renting out the place as a film set to help pay for Gabor's medical costs. The 8,900-square-foot property appears in "Argo" and "Behind The Candelabra," an upcoming HBO film about Liberace, according to Reuters.

Zsa Zsa Gabor has lived in this Bel Air mansion for the last 40 years.

Source: IMDb

Gabor has hosted Ronald Reagan, Elizabeth Taylor, and Queen Elizabeth in this home.

Source: Rodeo Realty

It has 8,878 square feet of space.

Source: Rodeo Realty

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If you've ever listened in on air traffic control tower chatter or seen pretty much any movie about the military, you've heard people using the NATO phonetic alphabet.

It's a method that substitutes a word for each letter of the English alphabet, so no one confuses letters that sound similar, like "e,""b," and "c."

Using this alphabet, the word "beacon" is spelled out, "bravo - echo - alpha - charlie - oscar - november."

It may seem complicated, but once you get to know it, you eliminate the risk of hearing the wrong letter — and sending a plane to the wrong runway.

To get you familiar, you can check out the alphabet's Wikipedia page.

But we suggest you use our guide, which comes complete with images to help you study.

ALPHA

BRAVO

CHARLIE

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On Tuesday, charges were dropped against professional Elvis impersonator Paul Kevin Curtis after he was falsely accused of sending letters containing "a suspicious granular substance" called ricin to President Obama, a senator and a judge.

The bizarre news story brought a sometimes-forgotten profession into the forefront of people's minds: celebrity impersonators.

From Elvis and Michael Jackson to Kate Middleton and Brad Pitt, many make their living simply because they resemble a famous face.

Elvis Presley impersonator Jesse Garon performs in Las Vegas.

Dads del Rosario and Joseph Tuazon get ready in a bathroom in the Philippines before an Elvis impersonation contest to mark the 30th anniversary of the singer's death.

Singer Grahame Patrick performs dressed as Elvis during a show in Berlin.

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Reddit is awesome.

The self-titled "front page of the internet" is loaded with communities of people sharing links and communicating with each other about nearly any topic you can imagine.

The site is currently home to 238,310 different communities, or subreddits.

With all that going on, how do you get started and find what you like?

r/LifeProTips

What they talk about: How to optimize and improve specific aspects of daily life. Productivity and time-saving tips a la Lifehacker.

Who it's for: Anyone wanting to save time and get more done with less.

What you'll learn: How to use boric acid to cure a yeast infection.

Check it out here >

r/Technology

What they talk about: If you're reading this site, then you probably have a good guess. This is a place to talk all things tech and tech-related.

Who it's for: People with strong opinions on mobile operating systems, 3D printers, and startup valuations.

What you'll learn: How The Pirate Bay managed to stay operational by switching to an Icelandic hosting company.

Check it out here >

r/UpliftingNews

What they talk about: News items with happy or nostalgic themes.

Who it's for: Anyone who wants a reminder that the world is still a pretty cool place.

What you'll learn:How a burglar repaid money he had stolen from a convenience store 30 years ago...with interest.

Check it out here >

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Fracking, a process in which fluid is pumped into oil and gas wells to increase their productivity, remains mysterious and controversial.

It involves a lot of weird, arcane equipment. 

You can't see it happening (since it occurs underground).

And it has developed an air of danger around it. There is evidence it has contaminated water; that spent frack fluid injected into the ground causes earthquakes, and that spilled wastewater has neutered farm animals, though the industry vigorously disputes this. If you've been affected by it, you're sometimes not allowed to talk about it.

At the same time, the increased use of fracking has massively increased U.S. energy production. Oil imports are plummeting. The shale boom has boosted employment. It's reducing energy costs. And many people are convinced the U.S. will soon become energy independent.

We've also argued it helped President Obama get reelected. 

And some say it's actually helping the environment by reducing emissions. 

Houston-based Cabot Oil and Gas recently agreed to give us a tour of their main outpost in Northeast Pennsylvania, in a sweet spot of the gas-rich Marcellus Shale formation, to see fracking up close. 

Cabot's regional office is about 10 minutes south of the town of Montrose in northeast Pennsylvania, near Scranton. It's remote country.

We arrived at the drilling site, this one called The Bray. All pads are protected by security, and visitors must sign in and out.

Here's a drilling pad nearing completion. This one's called The Bray. Even from afar, it's pretty breathtaking.

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The Economist's U.S. editor Greg Ip directs us to this comprehensive slideshow from CBO director Doug Elmendorf on the state of the federal budget.

It jibes nicely with a presentation we published earlier Friday from the BEA on misconceptions about the economy. 

Elmendorf breaks down federal spending's sources and destinations, then discusses different paths the budget could take depending on whether House Republicans or Senate Democrats get their way.

Although he emphasizes the CBO does not advise on policy, he repeatedly stresses the dangers of failing to get a handle on our growing debt.

Here's what we're talking about.

Discretionary spending is one of the smaller parts of the budget, compared with things like Medicare and social security.

Among other mandatory spending (so not social security or Medicare), the largest share goes to low-income households.

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Women are (relatively) few and far between in the tech industry.

They make up less than 10% of venture capitalists, and they leave the industry at twice the rate of men, according to a recent study by the Kauffman Foundation. 

There's also a shortage of women pursuing engineering, particularly software engineering.

But the women who do choose to enter the tech industry in one way or another are doing incredibly important work. 

Over the last couple of weeks, Business Insider accepted nominations for the most important women 30 years old or under in tech. We combined those nominations with our own research to give our readers a definitive list and ranking.

We were truly blown away by the number of young, successful women in the tech industry. These women hold a variety of roles in the industry: founder, CEO, engineer, venture capitalist — you name it.  

30. Ruzwana Bashir

Co-founder, Peek

Age: 29

About: Ruzwana Bashir is a rising star in the startup industry. Her startup Peek attracted investments from two top-notch tech execs: Jack Dorsey of Twitter and Square, and Google chairman Eric Schmidt. 

Bashir started her career at Goldman Sachs, and then went over to Blackstone. She got her first taste of the startup world when she joined Gilt Groupe, working under Kevin Ryan. She later went to Artsy where she was a member of the founding team.

29. Samantha John

Co-founder, Hopscotch

Age: 26

About: Samantha John founded Hopscotch Technologies in 2011. The startup recently launched its flagship app, where kids program their own games and animations. Before Hopscotch, John worked as a developer at Pivotal Labs.

What people are saying about her: Samantha John is "a generally badbass programmer and advocate for people of all ages learning to program."

28. Callie Schweitzer

Director of Marketing and Communications, Vox Media

Age: 24

About: Callie Schweitzer oversees corporate brand management and awareness, and audience growth for SB Nation, The Verge, and Polygon. Prior to joining Vox Media, Schweitzer worked as deputy publisher at Talking Points Memo. While at Talking Points Memo, Schweitzer played a key role in the company's efforts to increase traffic through distribution deals with Google and Yahoo. Last month, Time magazine named her Twitter feed one of the world's best last month.

What people are saying about her: "I don't think I'm overstating things when I say Callie will likely be running the media world by the time she is thirty (or whatever the 'media world' looks like by that point). She is literally the future of media." 

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It's easy to think of the hacking group Anonymous as a group of punk troublemakers, raising hell online.

Some have even debated whether their extra-legal protests should be labeled terrorist acts.

But that would overlook some of the genuinely good deeds the group — whose members identify themselves with the Vendetta mask— has done.

Whether it's retaliating against kiddie porn sites, helping to identify Chinese military cyber-attacks, or targeting the digital properties of various hate groups, Anonymous can sometimes be a force for good.

8. In December 2006, Anonymous took down the website of white supremacist radio show host Hal Turner. The attack ended up with Turner paying some very expensive bandwidth bills and dropping a lawsuit a year later.

7. Beginning in January 2008, Anonymous kicked off "Project Chanology," its attack on the Church of Scientology, a cult-like religion which allegedly imprisons its dissident members. They launched denial of service attacks against the organization's websites, gamed the link-sharing site Digg to more prominently display anti-Scientology pages, and even physically protested — showing up in person — many church events.

6. Anonymous released user information from a major hacking forum in February 2011, and security firm Mandiant was able to use this data to link the Chinese military to cyber-attacks against the U.S. this year.

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