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Best Buy's Presidents' Day deals include up to $250 off MacBooks and $50 off iPads

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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.   

iPad in useIf you've been in the market for an iPad or MacBook, Best Buy's Presidents' Day deals are the perfect time to finally pick one up. 

Through February 19, you can save $50 on a 9.7 iPad,$200 on a MacBook Pro, or $250 on a MacBook Air.

We have guides to help you decide which iPad or MacBook model is best for you, but I've also listed a few key points along with each grouping below.

SEE ALSO: 50 must-have tech accessories under $50

The iPad

Although it's a little smaller and less powerful than its Pro siblings, the 9.7" regular iPad is still an excellent tablet for everyday use. It has a high-resolution screen, operates the latest version of iOS, has access to millions of apps, and runs for about 10 hours between charges.

iPad (32GB), $279.99 (originally $329.99) [You save $50]

iPad (128GB), $379.99 (originally $429.99) [You save $50]



The MacBook Air

The MacBook Air is the best value in Apple's laptop lineup, especially at these prices. It doesn't have a retina display, or USB-C ports, but it will work with all of your current accessories without a dongle. The only reason to step up to a MacBook Pro is if you really need the extra power for intense tasks, like high-resolution photo or video editing. 

13" MacBook Air (8GB of RAM, i5 processor, 128GB of storage), $749.99 (originally $999.99), available at Best Buy [You save $250]

13" MacBook Air (8GB of RAM, i5 processor, 256GB of storage), $949.99 (originally $1,199.99), available at Best Buy [You save $250]

13" MacBook Air (8GB of RAM, i5 processor, 512GB of storage), $1299.99 (originally $1549.99), available at Best Buy [You save $250]

 



The MacBook Pro



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11 of the best books you can read in a week

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woman reading

If you want to emulate some of the most successful people in the world, you can start by reading books — lots of them.

From Elon Musk to Mark Cuban to Oprah Winfrey, the most powerful innovators in the world all read several hours a day.

But starting a new book can be a daunting task if you don't have a lot of free time. With that in mind, we've selected 11 insightful, rewarding books around 250 pages or less that you can finish in a week.

Read on for the full list:

SEE ALSO: 15 books Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk think everyone should read

'Wild Ride: Inside Uber's Quest for World Domination' by Adam Lashinsky

Page count: 240

Amazon description:

"Wild Ride is the first truly inside look at Uber’s global empire. Veteran journalist Adam Lashinsky, the bestselling author of Inside Apple, traces the origins of Kalanick’s massive ambitions in his humble roots, and he explores Uber’s murky beginnings and the wild ride of its rapid growth and expansion into different industries."

Buy it here »



'Animal Farm' by George Orwell

Page count: 124

Amazon description:

"Manor Farm is like any other English farm, expect for a drunken owner, Mr Jones, incompetent workers and oppressed animals. Fed up with the ignorance of their human masters, the animals rise up in rebellion and take over the farm. Led by intellectually superior pigs like Snowball and Napoleon, the animals how to take charge of their destiny and remove the inequities of their lives. But as time passes, the realize that things aren't happening quite as expected. Animal Farm is, one level, a simple story about barnyard animals.

"On a much deeper level, it is a savage political satire on corrupted ideals, misdirected revolutions and class conflict-themes as valid today as they were sixty years ago."

Buy it here »



'Fight Club' by Chuck Palahniuk

Page count: 224

Amazon description: 

"In his debut novel, Chuck Palahniuk showed himself to be his generation's most visionary satirist. Fight Club's estranged narrator leaves his lackluster job when he comes under the thrall of Tyler Durden, an enigmatic young man who holds secret boxing matches in the basement of bars. There two men fight 'as long as they have to.' A gloriously original work that exposes what is at the core of our modern world."

Buy it here »



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GOLDMAN SACHS: These 17 stocks offer the best bargains in the market right now

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bargain sale shopping buying

  • The equity market correction has created plentiful opportunities in stocks that are now trading at their most attractive valuations in months. 
  • Goldman Sachs has singled out the 17 companies that are the most mispriced, relative to their beta-implied return since the selloff started.


Big selloffs create big opportunities.

It's a tried and true tenet of the stock market, and one that's highly relevant to the situation currently unfolding in markets on the heels of recent turbulence. With all major US indexes fresh off 10% corrections, many single stocks are far more attractively priced than they've been in recent months.

And according to Goldman Sachs, investors want to keep buying stocks. In a client note from late last week, the firm said that conversations with clients have revolved more around what to buy, rather than what areas to flee.

On a sector basis, Goldman recommends cyclical ones like materials and industrials. But which single stocks offer the best deals?

To figure this out, Goldman ran a screen for buy-rated companies that have lagged the most relative to their beta-implied returns since the stock selloff began in earnest on January 26. In other words, it located the market's biggest bargains.

Without further ado, here are the 17 stocks that best fit the bill, arranged in increasing order of how much they're trailing those implied returns:

17. McDonald's

Ticker: MCD

Industry: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $127 billion

Performance since January 26 vs. beta-implied returns: -4 percentage points



16. Alphabet

Ticker: GOOGL

Industry: Information technology

Market cap: $603 billion

Performance since January 26 vs. beta-implied returns: -4 percentage points



15. Molson Coors

Ticker: TAP

Industry: Consumer staples

Market cap: $16 billion

Performance since January 26 vs. beta-implied returns: -4 percentage points



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'Shark Tank' investors Mark Cuban and Barbara Corcoran just invested $400,000 in an avocado-only restaurant — here's what it's like to eat there

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  • On a recent episode of ABC's "Shark Tank," Mark Cuban and Barbara Corcoran invested in avocado-based Brooklyn eatery Avocaderia.  Each investor offered $200,000 for a 10% stake, giving the restaurant a $2 million valuation.
  • The Brooklyn-based restaurant serves a wide variety of dishes that all use avocado, seeing success since day one with millennials lining up to get a taste of the avocado dishes.
  • To understand the hype around the soon-to-be-chain restaurant, I went there for myself to try out some of its avocado-based dishes. 

 

 

On February 11, "Shark Tank" investors Mark Cuban and Barbara Corcoran invested a combined $400,000 for a 20% stake in the Brooklyn eatery Avocaderia. The fast-casual restaurant, founded by the Italian trio of Alessandro Biggi, Francesco Brachetti, and Alberto Gramini, is making the most of the millennial avocado craze by serving avocado-based salads, sandwiches, bowls, smoothies, and desserts.

Biggi came up with the idea just two years ago, when he was based in Seattle. "I wasn't the best chef ... but one thing I could make was avocado toast," Biggi told Business Insider.

He called Brachetti, living in Mexico at the time, and within a year the concept of opening "the world's first avocado bar" had turned into a popular restaurant in Brooklyn. The restaurant has been successful since it started in 2017, running out of  200 ripe avocados within three hours on its opening day. On average, it serves around 250 people per day — that's at least 25 cases of avocados per week. 

The 450-square-foot Brooklyn location is just the start, with Biggi hoping to open 20 more locations in the next five years. He told Business Insider that in the next six to nine months, another two locations will be opening in Manhattan, starting in Chelsea. He said that in expansion, he hopes to "keep an authentic vibe" and continue "making people aware of healthy and good food ... the key words are happy and healthy." 

I went to its Industry City, Brooklyn location and tried it out for myself — this is what I found:

SEE ALSO: This chain wants to be the McDonald's of vegan fast food — here's what it's like to eat there

The restaurant is located in the Industry City food hall in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.



The restaurant itself is pretty small, and it's open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.



I got to the restaurant around 1 p.m., and the lunch-rush line nearly stretched out the door.



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The 24 best science movies and shows streaming on Netflix that will make you smarter

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Michael Pollan cooked

If you're looking for something entertaining and beautiful that'll also inform you, there's an incredible variety of science- and nature-focused documentaries and TV shows on Netflix right now.

These films and series showcase the beauty of the planet, delve into the details of how food arrives on your plate, and explore the mysterious and alien underwater world in oceans around the globe.

The downside to all of those options is that there's a lot to choose from. To make it easier, Business Insider reporters and editors have picked some of our favorites from Netflix' selection.

Films come and go from the platform every month, but as of the date of publication, everything on our list should be available. We'll update the recommendations periodically to reflect currently available documentaries.

Here are our favorites, in no particular order:

SEE ALSO: 24 health 'facts' that are actually wrong

"Icarus" (2017)

What it's about: In 2014, filmmaker and amateur cyclist Bryan Fogel contacted Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, the director of the Moscow anti-doping center, for advice about how to get away with using performance-enhancing drugs. In 2015, Rodchenkov was implicated in state-sponsored doping efforts by the World Anti-Doping Agency. So he decided to flee Russia, travel to the US, and to reveal everything he knew about the widespread Russian doping program. 

Why you should see it:  The film mixes crime, sport, international intrigue, and the science of manipulating human performance. It's both thrilling and disturbing — and is especially relevant given the recent ban on Russian athlets competing for their country in the 2018 Winter Olympics. Because of Rodchenkov's revelations, the world will never look at sports — the Olympics especially — the same way again. [Click to watch]



"Cooked" (2016)

What it's about: In this four-part docu-series, journalist and food expert Michael Pollan explores the evolutionary history of food and its preparation through the lens of the four essential elements: fire, water, air, and earth. 

Why you should see it: Americans as a whole are cooking less and relying more on unhealthy, processed, and prepared foods. Pollan aims to bring viewers back to the kitchen by forging a meaningful connection to food and the joys of cooking. [Click to watch]



"Blackfish" (2013)

What it's about: This film highlights abuses in the sea park industry through the tale of Tilikum, an orca in captivity at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida. Tilikum has killed or been involved in the deaths of three people while living in the park. 

Why you should see it: This documentary opens your eyes to the troubles of keeping wild animals in captivity through shocking footage and emotional interviews. It highlights the potential issues of animal cruelty and abuse involved with using highly intelligent animals as entertainment. Sea parks have historically made billions of dollars by keeping animals captive, often at the expense of the health and well-being of animals. This documentary played a huge role in convincing SeaWorld to stop their theatrical "Shamu" killer whale shows. [Click to watch]



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Amazing images of Tokyo before it was a city

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1914 Lotus Lake in a Tokyo Park Gazing where the lilies blowBefore Tokyo matured into the gleaming, dense city it is today, it was a small fishing village called Edo.

Now home to over 13 million people, the Japanese capital has changed dramatically since its beginnings in the 12th century.

These maps, woodcuts, and old-time photographs show the journey of Tokyo from small village to today.

SEE ALSO: Amazing images of New York City before it was a city

Tokyo was originally known as Edo, which means "estuary." In the late 12th century, Edo was fortified by the Edo clan, which built a castle and military capital (pictured below). Some of the estate's moats and walls still survive to this day.

Source: National Geographic and Open Buildings



By the 1630s, Edo had a population of 150,000.

Source: Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology



And over the next century, the small fishing village grew into the largest metropolis in the world, with a million residents by 1721.

Source: Urban Networks in Ch'ing China and Tokugawa Japan



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The top 30 prospects of the 2018 NBA draft

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trae young

This year's NBA Draft is considered deep and talented.

Several versatile, athletic big men are making bids as the top picks in the draft, while Oklahoma point guard Trae Young has exploded onto the scene.

And across the Atlantic, playing for Real Madrid, is Luka Doncic, a point-forward who looks like an extra-special prospect.

With both the NBA and college seasons in full swing, here's a look at the top 30 prospects, judged using experts' mock drafts.

The experts: Jonathan Givony of ESPN, Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, Reid Forgrave of CBS, and Chris Stone of Sporting News.

1. Luka Doncic, PG

Age: 18

School: none — Real Madrid, Slovenia

One thing to know: From Wasserman: "Though he's only 18 years old and is playing against tougher competition compared to the NCAA, Doncic has been as consistently effective as any top college prospect."



2. Deandre Ayton, C

Age: 19

School: Arizona

One thing to know: From Givony: "Ayton has elevated himself into the conversation as a top-two pick with his incredible natural physical tools and high skill level."



3. Marvin Bagley III, PF

Age: 18

School: Duke

One thing to know: From Vecenie: "Marvin Bagley III is just one of those players who will be productive regardless of situation. He’s averaging more than 21 points and 11 rebounds for Duke."



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20 incredible photos from one of the most legendary war photographers of all time, who was killed on assignment during the Arab Spring

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Nic Bothma_Liberia 2003_2 Hondros

  • Photojournalist Chris Hondros was killed while photographing the conflict in Libya in 2011.
  • He was a renowned photojournalist who covered the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Sierra Leone, Egypt and elsewhere, believing it was his responsibility to bring the story of those impacted to the world.
  • His childhood friend and fellow journalist Greg Campbell was with Hondros during his final assignment, and directed a documentary tracing his life called HONDROS.


After 15 years covering major conflict zones, Pulitzer Prize-nominated photojournalist Chris Hondros was killed by a mortar shell on April 20, 2011 while traveling with rebels in Libya.

It was and still is an unmitigated tragedy.

Hondros' photos from conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Egypt, and Liberia, among other places, constitute one of the most affecting bodies of work in photojournalism.

His childhood friend, fellow journalist, and frequent story companion Greg Campbell had left Libya just a week before.

"He cared a lot about the people he shot," Campbell told Business Insider. "He always brought the focus to the people impacted by the events he covered. He became well-known for being able to find the human thread through everything."

In a war-zone for the first time in years, Campbell began filming Hondros at work to occupy his mind. After Hondros's death, Campbell decided to collect that footage and to go back to many of the places Hondros photographed to trace his life and work. The documentary, called HONDROS, will be released in March.

Campbell spoke with Business Insider about his relationship with the legendary photographer and shared some of Hondros' most iconic images.

Editor's Note: Some of the images below show graphic scenes of blood and war.

SEE ALSO: This collection of war photography has some of the most haunting images you'll ever eee

DON'T MISS: A photographer who spent 5 years at Nevada's brothels found legal prostitution was nothing like what he thought

Campbell and Hondros first met freshman year of high school. The two bonded instantly. "He had this unnatural confidence that you don’t see in kids that age ... That self-assurance that he exuded became his trademark throughout his life," Campbell said.



Campbell described Hondros as a person who "set his own rules" and had a "unique ability" to look at a goal, like becoming a foreign correspondent, and set out the building blocks to get there.



"It's empowering to have someone in your life like that." he said. "He was always there to give you a shot in the arm."



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The secret history of McDonald's Filet-O-Fish, which was almost killed from the menu before becoming Trump's staple sandwich

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McDonald's Filet-O-Fish Fast Food Fish Sandwich 8

McDonald's Filet-O-Fish sandwich — the first new non-hamburger item added to the fast food giant's menu — went nationwide in 1965.

• It was the brainchild of Cincinnati-based McDonald's franchise owner Lou Groen.

• Groen came up with the idea when he found that the Catholic practice of abstaining from meat on Fridays was hurting his business.

• At first, McDonald's CEO Ray Kroc hated the idea of "stinking up" the restaurant with fish.

• He reconsidered when the Filet-O-Fish trounced Kroc's "Hula Burger" sandwich in a head-to-head contest.



Believe it or not, the Filet-O-Fish almost missed the menu.

Nowadays, the sandwich is iconic, and responsible for a whole bunch of piscine imitators. Business Insider's Mary Hanbury reported that the Filet-O-Fish is a massive hit during Lent, when many Catholics fast from meat on Fridays.

It's one of President Donald Trump's favorites, too. He's known to put away two of the fish sandwiches at a time, along with two Big Macs and a large chocolate shake.

But the sandwich's enduring success contrasts with its floundering start. Former McDonald's CEO Ray Kroc initially thought that he had bigger fish to fry when Cincinnati franchise owner Lou Groen first proposed the idea in 1962. 

Here's a look at the early history of the Filet-O-Fish, which owes its briny existence to Cincinnati-based Roman Catholics and the fact that most people don't find pineapple-and-cheese sandwiches all that appealing:

SEE ALSO: Underdog McDonald's is defying ridicule to become the ultimate fast-food burger chain

After seeing a McDonald's ad in a magazine, Groen opened his first golden-arched restaurant in Cincinnati in 1959. He also purchased the franchise rights for the city and northern Kentucky. McDonald's was far from the only burger joint on the block in those days, and the market was crowded and competitive.

Source: Business Insider, "Historic Restaurants of Cincinnati: The Queen City's Tasty History"



Before the Second Vatican Council took place in the mid-1960s, Roman Catholics were supposed to abstain from eating meat on Fridays. As it happened, Groen's hamburger-centric eatery happened to be located in a predominantly Catholic neighborhood.

Source: The Catholic Telegraph, The List Show TV, The Baltimore Sun



Groen's son Paul told The List Show that the restaurant was really beginning to struggle because his father 'wasn't doing any business on Fridays.' Meanwhile, the Cincinnati-based Frisch's Big Boy chain was clobbering McDonald's by offering a fish sandwich.

Source: "Historic Restaurants of Cincinnati: The Queen City's Tasty History," The List Show TV



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We went to Manhattan's most luxurious department store to see how the 1% shops — and it revealed no one's immune to the retail apocalypse

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Barneys Sale Rack.JPG

Department stores across the country are doubling down on discount options to offset slowing sales, but not Barneys New York.

Established in 1923, Barneys is an exclusive department store known for having some of the sharpest and most expensive clothing items from the world's top luxury brands. 

The retailer rarely releases earnings reports, so it's hard to tell how the company is doing. 

We visited the Barneys Madison Avenue location in New York City to see how the luxury brand is doing.

 

We visited Barneys NY's flagship store on a Sunday morning and found all 8 floors strangely quiet.



The women's section was particularly empty, but offered a very cathartic shopping experience.



Despite the serene atmosphere, a quick look at the registers proved that a lack of customers didn't necessarily mean poor sales for the luxury retailer.



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13 American presidents who escaped attempts on their lives

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Gerald Ford assassination attempt

  • In American history, four out of 45 US presidents have been assassinated.
  • However, many more presidents have escaped attempts on their lives, including Andrew Jackson, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush.
  • Below, learn more about which presidents survived — and how.


Four out of 45 US presidents have been assassinated over the course of American history.

But many more chief executives escaped assassination attempts thanks to heroic bystanders, diligent guards, misfiring pistols, and crazy luck.

Even two presidents who were eventually assassinated escaped previous attempts on their lives.

On a hot August night in 1864, a sniper shot Lincoln's hat off his head — missing his skull by inches — as he took a solo ride on his favorite horse "Old Abe," according to "1864: Lincoln at the Gates of History." Lincoln was later shot and killed by Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth, just five days after the surrender of Robert E. Lee.

Almost a century later, in 1960, retired postal worker Richard Paul Pavlick crammed his car with dynamite and plotted to ram the vehicle into Kennedy's limo in Palm Beach, Florida, according to Smithsonian magazine. He was motivated by his intense hatred of Catholics and the Kennedy family, but backed off when he saw that the president was with his wife and young children. Pavlick was later arrested and institutionalized until 1966, three years after Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald while visiting Dallas, Texas.

But these 13 other presidents all experienced serious assassination threats and ultimately survived — and these are only the most dramatic, most-publicized instances. Undoubtedly, the Secret Service has thwarted many more over the years.

Here are 13 presidents who escaped attempts on their lives:

SEE ALSO: 14 US presidents who were members of one of the most powerful secret societies in history

Andrew Jackson

On a misty January day in 1835, Richard Lawrence, an out-of-work house painter who believed he was the 15th-century English king Richard III, walked into the US Capitol Building.

President Andrew Jackson was leaving the funeral of a House representative when the English national confronted him in the East Portico, brandishing a pistol.

He raised the gun at Andrew Jackson and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened.

"Let me alone! Let me alone!" Jackson yelled at Lawrence, according to Smithsonian magazine. "I know where this came from."

Lawrence discarded the weapon, produced a second pistol, and aimed the new gun at Jackson. It also misfired.

According to legend, Jackson subsequently flew at the man and thrashed him with his cane. Whether or not that's true, Lawrence's assassination attempt was unsuccessful. Smithsonian magazine reported that national anthem lyricist Francis Scott Key prosecuted his trial, where he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Lawrence spent the rest of his life institutionalized.

As Time reported, the chance that both perfectly functional pistols would misfire was about one in 125,000. Jackson's survival may have depended on the dampness in the air that day.



Theodore Roosevelt

President Theodore Roosevelt was saved by the length of his speech after an assassin shot him in the chest with a .38-caliber revolver in 1912.

At the time, Roosevelt was running for the presidency on the Bull and Moose ticket. Saloon-owner John Schrank had begun stalking the former president after having an unusual dream.

According to "Killing the President: Assassinations, Attempts, and Rumored Attempts on U.S. Commanders-in-Chief," Schrank wrote: "In a dream I saw President McKinley sit up in his coffin pointing at a man in a monk’s attire in whom I recognized Theodore Roosevelt. The dead President said, 'This is my murderer — avenge my death.'"

Fortunately, Roosevelt had his notes with him when he was shot on October 14 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin — 50 pages of them, folded in his breast pocket next to his metal glasses case. These objects slowed the bullet and saved Roosevelt's life.

The ex-president continued to speak after letting his audience know he'd been shot, according to the Theodore Roosevelt Association:

"Friends, I shall ask you to be as quiet as possible. I don't know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot; but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose. But fortunately I had my manuscript, so you see I was going to make a long speech, and there is a bullet — there is where the bullet went through — and it probably saved me from it going into my heart. The bullet is in me now, so that I cannot make a very long speech, but I will try my best."

He finished the rest of his speech with a bullet in his ribs, where it remained until his death in 1919.



Herbert Hoover

In 1928, President Herbert Hoover was nearly killed while visiting the Andes.

Argentine anarchists attempted to blow up his train, but the would-be assassin was seized before he could plant the bombs on the tracks.

After learning of the thwarted plot, Hoover tore the front page story from the newspaper so his wife Lou Henry Hoover wouldn't worry, according to the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum. The 31st president is said to have quipped that while he was unconcerned, "It's just as well that Lou shouldn't see it."



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The top 20 presidents in US history, according to historians

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  • Abraham Lincoln was voted the best president in US history in a survey.
  • Nearly 100 historians and biographers rated 43 US presidents on 10 qualities of presidential leadership.
  • Notable best presidents include George Washington at No. 2, Thomas Jefferson at No. 7, and Barack Obama at No. 12.

It should come as little surprise that for the third time in a row, historians agreed that Abraham Lincoln was the best US president.

For C-SPAN's third Presidential Historians Survey, nearly 100 historians and biographers rated 43 US presidents on 10 qualities of presidential leadership: public persuasion, crisis leadership, economic management, moral authority, international relations, administrative skills, relations with Congress, vision, pursued equal justice for all, and performance within the context of his times.

Scores in each category were then averaged, and the 10 categories were given equal weighting in determining the presidents' total scores.

Notable top presidents include George Washington at No. 2, Thomas Jefferson at No. 7, and Barack Obama at No. 12.

While some historians weren't shocked that Obama didn't rank higher overall on the list — "That Obama came in at No. 12 his first time out is quite impressive," Douglas Brinkley of Rice University said — others were surprised by his lower-than-expected leadership rankings, including No. 7 in moral authority and No. 8 in economic management.

"But, of course, historians prefer to view the past from a distance, and only time will reveal his legacy," Edna Greene Medford of Howard University said.

Here are the top 20 presidents, according to historians surveyed by C-SPAN.

SEE ALSO: Abraham Lincoln didn't finish the Gettysburg Address until just hours before he spoke — and that might be why it was so great

DON'T MISS: The 17 weirdest jobs of US presidents

READ MORE: 29 American presidents who served in the military

20. George H. W. Bush

Best leadership quality and rank: international relations, No. 8



19. John Adams

Best leadership quality and rank: moral authority, No. 11



18. Andrew Jackson

Best leadership quality and rank: public persuasion, No. 7



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

6 things successful people do when they return from a long weekend

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couple winter romance fun happy relationship love

• Some people across the US received some extra time off thanks to Presidents' Day.

• Business Insider spoke with several productivity and work experts to get tips on how to bounce back from a long weekend.

• They recommended hitting the ground running on your first day back.



An extra day off makes snapping out of weekend mode that much harder.

Some people around the US receive an extra day off for Presidents' Day to commemorate the individuals who have served in the White House over the centuries.

There's a lot to be said about how you shouldor shouldn't— spend long weekends. But it's equally important to plan out the days that follow a long weekend.

When you're coming back from some time off and you have a shorter week to get everything done, it usually helps to hit the ground running.

With that in mind, here are six things that successful people do first when they return from long weekend:

DON'T MISS: 11 things unsuccessful people do over long weekends

SEE ALSO: 8 things successful people do after getting back from vacation

They get to work early

When it comes to some holidays, almost everyone has time off. So you won't be falling behind by showing up to work at your usual time.

But coming in early is a good idea if you want to be as productive as possible after a holiday weekend.

"That will mitigate the workload avalanche and give you a head start, sans distraction," Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job," tells Business Insider.



They scrutinize their to-do lists

Productive people know that long, unwieldy to-do lists are essentially useless. There's no better time to start cutting items from your list than the day you get back from long weekend.

"Now that you've spent a good bit away from your desk, you have tangible proof that those tasks you're always putting off aren't holding up your ceiling," freelance reporter Kevin Purdy writes in Fast Company.



They double check their schedules

Don't forget to double check your schedule. Remember, you'll likely be dealing with a shortened work week. Don't try to cram too many items onto your weekly schedule, or you might wind up burning yourself out.



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I tried cutting the cord with Sling TV for a month — here's why I returned to cable

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sling tv

After looking at my monthly cable TV bill one day, I thought: I'm paying $100 a month for cable TV, not including internet. $100 a month. And I watch about eight or so channels.

There must be another way to get TV without paying so much.

It was time to try out a live TV internet streaming service. Generally, services like these let you pick cheaper channel packages, which can give me greater control over what I pay for. And because I have a smart TV that's powered by Roku, I could choose most any service I want and still watch it from the comfort of my couch.

My first pick was Sling TV. I picked the $30/month Orange and Blue package, which included the complete list of core channels offered by Sling TV. Then I added a few $5 packages, including cloud DVR and News Extra, which includes more news channels. My SlingTV package would come to a total of $40 a month — compared to my $100-a-month cable bill.

Unfortunately, Sling TV was missing a few channels and DVR features that I've become used to. But I wanted to see if I could live without them, considering the $60 a month I'd be saving by going with Sling TV.

After a month, I went back to cable TV. Check out why:

SEE ALSO: This $650 TV should cost more than it does – and I'd recommend it to absolutely everyone

When I used Sling TV, it worked great.

My TV is powered by Roku software, so getting started was a cinch. I just had to download the Sling TV app, and I could watch it on my existing set with no extra hardware.

Live TV over the internet using Sling TV never had to buffer, and it never cut out for me, either.

The guides and menus took a little time to get used to. By default, Sling TV looks a little like Netflix, showing you a series of thumbnail icons to show you what's available to watch. I prefer to channel-surf the old-fashioned way, though, so I switched that in the settings.



There were three clear benefits to using Sling TV. The best was that It would save me $60 a month, or $720 a year, from my regular cable bill.



Secondly, I could stream live TV to three different media streaming devices, like a Roku, at the same time instead of renting a cable box from my cable company.

Those cable boxes are bulky and cost you to rent them from your cable company. My particular cable company charges me an absurd $10 per month per cable box. Using a sleeker streaming device like a Roku or Chromecast that can hide behind your TV is great, and they can be had for as low as $20.



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14 of the craziest knockoff fast-food chains from around the world

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BurgerFriends

  • There are many knockoffs of fast-food chains like McDonald's and Burger King around the world.
  • They often have funny names, like "McDoner" and "Burger Friends," and their menus are often similar to the stores they're copying. 
  • Sometimes the stores open because the countries don't allow franchises of the traditional chain. Other times, the reason why they exist is less clear.  


In many countries across the globe, you'll often see copycat fast-food restaurants named things like "Mash Donald's" or "McDoner" with the same font, logo, and colors as McDonald's. They aren't the only imposters: knockoff versions of Burger King, Starbucks, 7-Eleven, KFC, and more exist all over the world.

The names might be funny, but some of them were born out of deeper political issues. Mash Donald's, for example, opened because the Iranian government's anti-American sentiments make it impossible for the chain to open McDonald's franchises in the country, according to The New York Times. This is also the case for Pizza Hat (Pizza Hut), Burger House (Burger King), and other knockoff restaurants in Iran. 

China has imitated everything from individual products to world-famous landmarks, and fast food is certainly no exception. You'll find many knockoffs of McDonald's, KFC, and Starbucks throughout major cities in China.

Here are some of the craziest fast-food knockoffs from around the world:

SEE ALSO: 13 popular fast-food menu items that are surprisingly perfect for vegans

Iran: Mash Donalds

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Mash Donald's in Iran sells its own version of classic McDonald's meals, like the "Mash Donald's baguette burger," its "big mac" made with meat, cheese, and turkey ham.

 

 



China: Michael Alone

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China has a lot of interesting knockoffs, like Michael Alone, whose logo clearly is just an upside-down McDonald's logo. The restaurant uses the classic red-and-yellow color scheme as well. 



Kazakhstan: McDoner

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McDoner is another clear spin on the McDonald's brand.



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10 private and luxurious vacation rentals for the ultra rich

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Matugama, Sri Lanka (1)

  • Vacation rentals offer a level of privacy and intimacy that hotels cannot match.
  • When money is no object, renting a vacation home can be the ultimate in luxury.
  • A new book features photos of some of the most beautiful vacation rentals around the world. 


Some people stay in hotels while traveling abroad, but the ultra rich sometimes opt for private home vacation rentals with sweeping views, ultimate privacy, and on-site chefs.

In a new book out by Lannoo Publishers, "Mountain View The Perfect Holiday Homes; Nature Retreats Vol. I," a collection of these homes are hand-picked and featured by travel journalist Sebastiaan Bedaux.

With prime locations in the woods, on waterfronts, and atop mountain peaks, these homes are all available to rent — but come with a hefty price tag.

From inside a luxurious mountain dug-out in Switzerland, to a mirror house in Bolzano, Italy, these are one-of-a-kind homes that make any travel experience unique. 

Below, a selection of some of the most expensive homes featured in the book. 

SEE ALSO: Tour the mysterious members-only island where America's millionaires pay $250,000 just to participate

DON'T MISS: 10 luxury hotels around the world that are frequented by the ultra rich

Banks Peninsula, New Zealand — up to $5,147 per night.

The "Scrubby Bay House" in Banks Peninsula, New Zealand sits in a secluded private bay. Visitors can enjoy the views while sitting in a jacuzzi or swimming pool — or from inside through the large glass partitions while dining on a meal prepared by a private chef. This home is only accessible by SUV  — a 40-minute drive — or by helicopter from Christchurch.



Wanaka, New Zealand — up to $2,536 per night.

This home has sweeping views of Lake Wanaka and access to a New Zealand national park, Mount Aspiring. Cost for rental is $2,536 per night with up to six guests, and $145 per night for extra people.



Leti, Uttarakhand, India — up to $1,916 per night, per guest.

This home in a remote location — a two-day journey from New Delhi — offers panoramic views of the Himalayan mountains.



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The best-selling album the year you were born

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Michael Jackson

Each year, one album taps into the hearts and ears of the public on its way to topping the Billboard year-end album chart.

Times have changed, though. In the 2010s, pop stars like Adele and Taylor Swift have dominated the charts, while in the 1950s and early 1960s, musical soundtracks and Broadway cast recordings tended to top the list. 

Billboard has been tracking the top album of the year since 1956. From 1992 onward, total album sales were recorded by Nielsen SoundScan. Before 1992, the top album chart was "based on a survey of representative retail outlets that determined a ranking" and was "not a tally of actual sales."

Business Insider compiled all the best-selling albums and their respective notable singles, dating back to 1956, so you can see, and hear, which album was the soundtrack to your birth year (so long as you're between the ages of 1 and 62).

Check out which album made it to the top each year:

SEE ALSO: The 25 best songs of 2017 so far, ranked

2017: Ed Sheeran — "Divide"

Copies sold: 2,764,000

Notable singles:"Shape of You,""Perfect



2016: Drake — "Views"

Copies sold: 4,140,000

Notable singles:"Hotline Bling,""One Dance"



2015: Adele — "25"

Copies sold:8,008,000

Notable singles:"Hello,""When We Were Young"

 



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20 US presidents who belonged to shadowy secret societies

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President Harry S. Truman freemason

• A good number of US presidents have belonged to secret societies over the years.

• In fact, a whopping 14 presidents were Freemasons.

• But others belonged to a range of secret societies, from college groups to something called the "Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo."



Secret societies always get the ominous treatment in fiction.

Are there any movies with remotely benevolent secret orders? Most fictional secret societies are usually more bogged down with dressing in outdated robes, chanting ominously, doing sacrifices, or hatching nefarious global plots.

So, to the paranoid mind, it probably sounds somewhat startling that 20 out of 45 US presidents have been affiliated with some kind of secret group. Just keep in mind that many of these societies function a bit like social clubs, charitable organizations, and business networks. In many cases, beneath the secret handshakes and mysterious rituals, they're kind of like adult frats (or actual frats, in the case of the college groups on this list).

Here are the presidents who have belonged to a secret society at some point:

SEE ALSO: One of the worst US presidents in history wasn't just incompetent — it was his beliefs that led to failure

DON'T MISS: 14 US presidents who were members of one of the most powerful secret societies in history

DON'T FORGET: The 13 most powerful members of 'Skull and Bones'

George Washington, Freemasons

That's right. The first president of the US also happened to be rather involved in a secret society.

That's because George Washington was also the country's first ever Masonic president.

In Ron Chernow's "Washington: A Life," he notes that the future president may have been attracted to the Masonic Order's adherence to Enlightenment ideals.

Washington joined the Order of the Freemasons early in his life, entering Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4 at the age of 20, according to Mount Vernon's official website. Washington had lost his older brother Lawrence to tuberculosis only a few months earlier, effectively becoming head of the household.

Washington stayed in touch with his Masonic brothers for the rest of his life.

Masonic influences came into play at Washington's first inauguration. During the ceremony, he swore his oath on a Bible from St. John's Masonic Lodge No. 1 in New York (the book, as Mental Floss reports, was randomly opened to Genesis 49:13: "Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be to Zidon").

The first president's Masonic ties followed him his entire life — and beyond. There's even a George Washington Masonic National Memorial, which was dedicated in 1932 and finally completed in 1970.



Thomas Jefferson, F. H. C. Society

Thomas Jefferson may have been a member of the F.H.C. Society at the College of William and Mary, but that doesn't mean he was impressed by the group.

In one 1819 letter, the third US president reflected on his experience in the secret society: "... there existed a society called the F. H. C. society, confined to the number of six students only, of which I was a member, but it had no useful object. Nor do I know whether it now exists."

Ouch.

The initials F.H.C. stood for "Fraternitas, Humanitas, et Cognitio"— Latin for "brotherhood, humanity, and knowledge." However the group became known as the Flat Hat Club, probably a reference to the mortarboards all students wore in those days.

Members identified themselves with a secret handshake, along with a silver badge inscribed with the words "stabilitas et fides" (stability and faith, which is now the motto of William and Mary's campus newspaper). Perks included exclusive parties in the upper rooms of the local taverns, according to "Mr. Jefferson's Women. "

The group pretty much died out when the Revolutionary War interrupted classes. However, the name lived on with William and Mary's student newspaper and the secret society itself re-surged in 1972, under the name the Flat Hat Club.



James Monroe, Freemasons

Mason website The Masonic Trowel lists Monroe as entering the Williamsburg Lodge No. 6 in 1776. At that time he was a 17-year-old student at the College of William and Mary, and heavily involved in anti-Crown activities on campus.

He's recorded as paying dues to the lodge from 1776 to 1780, according to "A Comprehensive Catalog of the Correspondence and Papers of James Monroe: Volume I."

Over the course of those four years, the future fifth president would drop out of college to fight in the Revolution, nearly die after getting shot during the Battle of Trenton, and then return to William and Mary to study law.



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Trump's defense budget is a wishlist for a massive military buildup — these are the planes, ships, and missiles he wants

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AH 1Z Viper

President Donald Trump's fiscal budget request for 2019 includes $686 billion for defense spending.

While Trump has pushed for a larger military since he was campaigning for president, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said more recently that the "real growth" in the military buildup begins with the now-unveiled fiscal 2019 budget.

With this behemoth amount, the military is setting up contracts that will help the US fight the next war against near peer threats. This includes vehicles, aircraft, ships, and hundreds of thousands of munitions, much of which was used up in the fight against ISIS. 

Here are a couple purchases that stand out:

SEE ALSO: These are the 20 aircraft carriers in service today

DON'T MISS: Crazy videos show the A-10 Warthog doing what it does best — annihilating its targets

77 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters

The military seems set on rolling out the new fifth-generation stealth jet. The fighter has recently gotten some good news for future international sales, as tensions in Asia and the Middle East rise.

The purchase of 77 F-35s is expected to cost $10.7 billion.



B-21 Raider Long Range Strike Bomber

The B-21 Raider is a long range stealth bomber that is intended to replace the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit. Details of the B-21 are scarce, as even Congress doesn't know much about it.

$2.3 billion will be spent on further development of the aircraft, which is expected to be an important part of the future nuclear triad.



15 KC-46 tankers

Aerial refueling plays a massive role in operations against ISIS and the Taliban. The KC-46 Pegasus can carry 212,299 pounds of fuel, and has a maximum transfer load of 207,672 pounds. It is intended to replace the KC-135 Stratotanker.

The price tag for 15 new tankers is $3 billion.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's what it was like to be George Washington, who was dethroned as the richest president in US history

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george washington

Donald Trump is now the wealthiest person to ever become president.

• Before him, George Washington was considered the richest president in history.

• He had an estimated net worth of $525 million, in today's dollars.



Donald Trump is the wealthiest president in history.

Forbes estimates his net worth is $3.1 billion, although he's previously claimed to be worth much more than that.

And, since the president never released his tax returns, his financial situation is still somewhat unclear.

Still, it appears that he's the first ever billionaire to ascend to the White House.

Until now, the wealthiest president in US history also happened to be the first: George Washington.

The soldier, farmer, brewer, entrepreneur, and statesman is thought to have had an estimated net worth of $525 million in today's dollars. He not only earned more than other presidents — his salary was twice the total US budget in 1789, 24/7 Wall Street reports— but he owned over 50,000 acres of land.

Read on to learn more about the finances of the first US president:

This is an updated version of a post by Kathleen Elkins.

SEE ALSO: The 9 weirdest jobs of America's Founding Fathers

DON'T MISS: Visiting a modern-day salon where people discuss Ben Franklin's ideas showed me how valuable his insights can be 290 years later

Washington was born at Pope's Creek in Westmoreland County, Virginia, in 1732. He was the oldest of Augustine Washington and Mary Ball's six children and also had three half-siblings. When Washington was 11 years old, Augustine died, leaving the future founding father with a great deal of responsibility managing the family's plantation.

Source: mountvernon.org



Not much else is known about his childhood. His formal education ended around age 15. In 1749, he received his surveying license from the College of William and Mary before getting involved in the military.

Sources: mountvernon.org



In 1759 he married Martha Dandridge Custis, a young widow with two children and a great deal of wealth. When Washington was elected president — first in 1789 and again in 1792 — his family didn't live in the White House. It wasn't completed until after his death, and he's the only president never to have stayed there.

Source: mountvernon.org 



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