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16 of the biggest leaders in Silicon Valley reveal the one thing they would tell their teenage selves

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Tim Cook

The people we've come to associate with the most successful technology companies were once relatively unknown names with big dreams. So if they could do it all over again, would they do it any differently?

The answer to this commonly-asked interview question tells us what we want to learn from the people who have, in our eyes, "made it." And leaders in the tech industry are successful because they created something — or saw potential in something — in a way that no one else did. The advice they would give their younger selves, then, is often informative and motivational. 

Digital advertising company AdView compiled quotes from across the internet to create these inspirational posters for a series called "What Would You Tell Your Teenage Self?" We found our favorites and pulled a few others from various interviews over the years.

Here's the advice these 18 leaders in the tech industry told interviewers they would tell their younger selves:

"Smartness is not single dimensional and not quite as important as I thought it was back then."

In Bill Gates' Reddit AMA last year, user UncomfortableChuckle asked "If you could give 19 year old Bill Gates some advice, what would it be?"

The second richest man in the world responded, "I would explain that smartness is not single dimensional and not quite as important as I thought it was back then. I would say you might explore the developing world before you get into your forties. I wasn't very good socially back then but I am not sure there is advice that would fix that - maybe I had to be awkward and just grow up...."



"Find work you love. Believe you can do anything. There is no straight path to where you are going."

The question was posed by a Quora user, and Sandberg took the time to lay out a detailed response, in the form of three pieces of advice instead of the one.

  1. Find work you love. When you believe in what you are doing, you can combine passion with contribution – and that is a true gift. Keep trying and you will find what you love to do… and once you do, you will crush it.
  2. Believe you can do anything. This is important for everyone and especially for women. Don’t let anyone tell you can’t have both a meaningful professional career and a fulfilling personal life. When you hear someone say you can't do something, know that you can and start figuring out how. Ask yourself, “What would I do if I weren’t afraid?”
  3. There is no straight path to where you are going. If you try to draw that line you will not just get it wrong, but you will miss big opportunities. As Pattie Sellers of Fortune Magazine says, careers are not ladders but jungle gyms.  You don't have to have it all figured out. I recommend adopting two concurrent goals.


"A healthier lifestyle ultimately makes me more creative and allows me to think more cohesively."

That was Dorsey's simple response when Y Combinator interviewed Jack Dorsey in 2016.

"When I was young I didn’t understand the value of exercise or health and how that affected my intellect," he added. "I think it was useful for me to go to all the extremes to find the balance I have now, but I wish I focused more on being healthier in the past. A healthier lifestyle ultimately makes me more creative and allows me to think more cohesively."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Shake Shack is adding more cashless kiosks to its newest locations. Here's what they're like to use.

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Shake Shack Kiosk 4096

  • Shake Shack opened its first cashierless location in Manhattan in October 2017. The intention was to move towards cashless stores with digital ordering and payment systems. 
  • By mid-2018, the fast-casual burger joint had abandoned these plans, in part because of customer backlash. 
  • In the future, Shake Shack restaurants will have automated kiosks in conjunction with cashiers.
  • We visited the cashless Shake Shack restaurant in New York City, and found that the experience was a lot easier than the reviews made it out to be.  

In late 2017, Shake Shack set out to go cashless, opening its first kiosk-only location in New York City. 

Though the intention was to transition to a more seamless operation and become more digitally inclined, the plan backfired — by May 2018, the chain had already abandoned its plans to go cashless.

On an earnings call in May, CEO Randy Garutti said"Some of the things we've clearly seen is that our guests do often want to pay with cash."

He continued: "In the first rollout at Astor Place, we did not accept cash at all, and there are people who have told us very clearly, 'We want to pay with cash.'"

One Yelp user wrote in a review of the Astor Place location, "The new kiosk ordering system is the worst. It makes this Shake Shack 'card only' and you can barely customize your food the way you can when you order with an actual human being. The kiosks are also supposed to make things go quicker, but the wait is even longer than at a Shake Shack where you can order with an actual person."

Though the plans to go cashless were abandoned, the fast-casual chain still plans on adding kiosks in its newest locations, though those kiosks will be in conjunction with cashiers who accept cash. Shake Shack said in its May earnings call that it planned to open four or five new locations with kiosks by the end of the second quarter. 

We visited the Astor Place Shake Shack in New York City to see what it was like to order at the kiosks. Here's what we found: 

SEE ALSO: We ordered from McDonald's new kiosks to see if they're better than real cashiers — and the winner is surprising

The Shake Shack on Astor Place has replaced all of its cashiers with kiosks. Upon walking in, I was directed to the kiosks by two employees who were stationed near the entrance.



There were close to 10 kiosks at the front of the store, and they were set up in a semi-circle. I went pretty early in the day, and no one who walked in had to wait in line.



The welcome screen on the kiosk directed me to tap on a category. My options were drinks, retail, flat-top dogs, burgers and chicken, crinkle-cut fries, shakes and custard, and beer and wine.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

14 popular startups you didn't know were backed by celebrity investors

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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.

bloomthat

While some startups are bootstrapped, many others seek external funding to help with operating costs and growth plans. Big venture capital firms like Andreessen Horowitz or Sequoia Capital and accelerators like Y Combinator dominate most people's conceptions of the "typical" investor. 

A number of popular retail startups, however, have investors who you might recognize from ventures that couldn't be more different from the world of Silicon Valley: movies and TV, music, and sports.

When they're not starring in your favorite shows, singing on stage, or winning championships, these celebrities are funneling their money into up-and-coming companies. They see potential in and care about the startups that are helping people live the lives they want to lead.

Learn more about each startup, its total funding amount, and its celebrity investors below. 

 

Casper

About the company: Casper is an undisputed leader in the online mattress world, with the sales, funding, and name recognition to prove it. Aside from making really comfortable mattresses, it also makes sheets, pillows, and even dog beds

Total funding amount: $239.7 million 

Celebrity investors: 50 Cent, Kevin Spacey, Kyrie Irving, Shaun White, Andre Iguodala, Tobey Maguire, Adam Levine, Leonardo DiCaprio, Scooter Braun 

 



Stance

About the company:Stance was the NBA's official on-court sock for the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons, so it's not surprising it counts an NBA player among its investors. Its athletic socks are specially designed to help you perform your best, but it also has plenty of comfortable, stylish casual socks you can wear during everyday life. 

Total funding amount: $116 million 

Celebrity investors: Will Smith, Dwayne Wade, Nas, Jay-Z 

 

 



Daily Harvest

About the company: Daily Harvest makes sipping on delicious, healthy smoothies easy by sending you pre-portioned cups of ingredients that you can just throw in the blender. Unique flavor combos like Dragonfruit and Lychee, Acai and Cherry, and Pineapple and Matcha confirm these aren't just any smoothies you'd ordinarily put together yourself. 

Total funding amount: $43 million 

Celebrity investors: Bobby Flay, Haylie Duff, Shaun White 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

What marijuana really does to your body and brain

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woman smoking marijuana out of a pipe at home

On July 19, Canada's senate voted to legalize marijuana nationwide. That makes it the second nation, after Uruguay, to fully legalize cannabis. Marijuana has been legalized in a number of US states as well, with more likely to join soon.

Yet marijuana's official designation in the US as a Schedule 1 drug— something with "no currently accepted medical use"— means it has been pretty tough to study.

Despite that, a growing body of research and numerous anecdotal reports link cannabis with several health benefits, including pain relief and the potential to help with certain forms of epilepsy. In addition, researchers say there are many other ways marijuana might affect health that they want to better understand.

Along with several other recent studies, a massive report released last year by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine helps sum up exactly what we know— and what we don't — about the science of weed.

SEE ALSO: Silicon Valley's LSD habit is exploding, and now a 27-year old is offering how-to tutorials over Skype

DON'T MISS: A scientist leading the largest marijuana study in history says it's '5x stronger' than in 1980 — but there's a catch

Marijuana can make you feel good.

One of weed's active ingredients, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, interacts with the brain's reward system, the part primed to respond to things that make us feel good, like eating and sex.

When overexcited by drugs, the reward system creates feelings of euphoria. This is also why some studies have suggested that excessive marijuana use can be a problem for some people — the more often you trigger that euphoria, the less you may feel during other rewarding experiences.



In the short term, it can also make your heart race.

Within a few minutes of inhaling marijuana, your heart rate can increase by between 20 and 50 beats a minute. This can last anywhere from 20 minutes to three hours, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The NASEM report found insufficient evidence to support or refute the idea that cannabis might increase the overall risk of a heart attack. The same report, however, also found some limited evidence that smoking could be a trigger for a heart attack.



Marijuana's effects on the heart could be tied to effects on blood pressure, but the link needs more research.

In August, a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology appeared to suggest that marijuana smokers face a threefold higher risk of dying from high blood pressure than people who have never smoked — but the study came with an important caveat: it defined a "marijuana user" as anyone who'd ever tried the drug.

Research suggests this is a poor assumption — and one that could have interfered with the study's results. According to a recent survey, about 52% of Americans have tried cannabis at some point, yet only 14% used the drug at least once a month.

Other studies have also come to the opposite conclusion of the present study. According to the Mayo Clinic, using cannabis could result in decreased — not increased — blood pressure.

So while there's probably a link between smoking marijuana and high blood pressure, there's not enough research yet to say that one leads to the other.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

6 signs you and your partner are ready to get married

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relationship just married couple

  • Relationship expert Andrea Syrtash shared some of the top signs that you and your partner could be ready for marriage.
  • Those signs include having shared values and goals and having open conversations about sex.
  • Ultimately, you and your partner are the only people who can decide whether you're ready to commit long-term.


Today's young couples aren't making rash decisions when it comes to marriage.

A report by dating site eHarmony reveals that 25- to 34-year-olds across the US (not just eHarmony users) knew their partner for an average of 6.5 years before tying the knot. That's compared to an average of five years for all age groups surveyed.

You could, theoretically, spend all of eternity trying to decide whether your partner is the right partner for you. But who has all of eternity to wait?

We asked Andrea Syrtash, a relationship expert, founder of Pregnantish, and author of "He's Just Not Your Type (And That's a Good Thing)", for the top signs that you and your partner could be ready to make a lifelong commitment to each other.

Here's what she told us:

SEE ALSO: Divorce isn't a failure, therapists say. In fact, it could mean the marriage was a success.

You're the best version of yourself when you're with your partner

"It's amazing how often we put the focus on the other person — what he or she is offering," Syrtash said. "We don't look at who we are with them."

She went on: "You know you're ready to be in a long-term partnership when you can honestly say, 'This person is bringing out my best. I'm a good version of myself with this person.' That's a really good litmus test."

Syrtash's insights recall those of Ellen McCarthy, author of "The Real Thing" and a former weddings reporter for The Washington Post. McCarthy writes that the one word she heard couples use over and over again to describe their relationship was "comfortable."

As McCarthy puts it, a solid partner is like a "good pair of pajamas."



You have shared values and goals

"Hopefully, you're not getting married or thinking about long-term commitment before you've talked about future goals," Syrtash said.

Discussion topics should include kids, religion, and finances.

"If you feel that you've talked through significant future goals together and you're aligned, that's also a good sign."

Karl Pillemer, a professor of human development at Cornell University, spoke with a series of older Americans for his book "30 Lessons for Loving" and learned about the importance of shared values.

One 86-year-old man told Pillemer that it's important to find out from your partner: "What do they care about? How do they think about the world? What matters to them?"

 



You've talked openly about your finances

Money is a common source of conflict in a marriage, Syrtash said. "So we want to have open conversations before we are legally bound to each other."

For example, is one person coming into the relationship with significant student loans or credit-card debt?

According to Michelle Brownstein, Vice President of Private Client Services at Personal Capital, every couple should have three important money conversations: how they spend and save, how they envision a potential child's future, and whether to rent or buy a home.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

McDonald's employees share 7 things they learned from working at the fast-food giant

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mcdonald's employee store

  • McDonald's jobs — like all jobs — provide employees with plenty of learning opportunities.
  • McDonald's crew members shared what they've learned from working at the restaurant chain with Business Insider.
  • The lessons ranged from treating everyone with kindness to learning to work with others.


The food at McDonald's might be largely the same all over the world, but the experiences of its employees can vary quite a bit.

Of course, the atmosphere of each store depends a lot on the customer base, the crew, the management, and the franchise-owner. But there's one commonality that links at McDonald's jobs. Like all jobs, McDonald's gigs serve as a learning experience, for better or for worse.

Business Insider spoke with several current and former crew members to find out what they learned from working at the restaurant. Former McDonald's employees have also posted on Quora about their work experiences.

Here's what McDonald's crew members have learned from the job:

SEE ALSO: McDonald's employees share the 6 menu items they'd never eat

DON'T MISS: McDonald's employees reveal their 20 favorite menu items — and one bonus secret menu item everyone should try

SEE ALSO: McDonald's employees share 11 annoying things they wish customers would stop doing

The job is a crash course in the basics of how a restaurant works

"McDonald's can provide essential workforce skills and people can use this to their advantage in their next resume," former McDonald's crew member Sherwin Balugo wrote on Quora.

He said such skills included:

• Operating and maintaining restaurant equipment.

• Teamwork and effective communication.

• Food and kitchen safety.

• Task prioritization.

"This can be easily overlooked, as most see McDonald's as nothing that special, in terms of profession," Balugo wrote.



Team work makes the dream work at McDonald's

One former crew member who worked at the chain for five years told Business Insider that they learned about "teamwork" through their tenure at the company.

They added that they developed many friendships with their fellow crew members.

"Besides learning about the actual tasks at McDonald's — making burgers, fries, customer service — one learns how to work together with other people," former McDonald's employee and Quora user Chuck Chan wrote. "This is usually not the top-tier of people who 'want' to be working, but usually the people who are working there as a means-to-an-end and this job might have been their last resort."



Employees learn to 'show no fear' when dealing with customers

Working in the fast-food industry can be rough, sometimes. Some customers will give you a hard time.

But one crew member from Minnesota told Business Insider that they learned how to "show the customers no fear."

The employee added that they've become adept at acting as "happy" as possible while working a shift.

McDonald's manager Cody Zeman wrote on Quora that employees should always try as best they can to engage with customers to dispel any possible tension.

"Ask them how their day is going," Zeman wrote. "Always smile. Always walk into work with a clean uniform. Always have an open mind."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The wildest hats worn by royals and commoners to the Royal Ascot 2018

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle'sroyal wedding saw its fair share of extravagant hats, there's one event that may just give it a run for its money: the Royal Ascot.

The weeklong series of horse races encourages attendees to dress to the nines, and it's the perfect opportunity for them to pull out their most extravagant hats.

Members of the royal family were in attendance, and they definitely didn't disappoint with their hats and fascinators. However, several other attendees also pulled out all the stops with some exquisite and impressively glamorous designs that ended up stealing the show. 

Here are the 20 wildest hats from the 2018 Royal Ascot.

Meghan Markle arrived wearing a black and white design by Philip Treacy.

It's one of her most extravagant hats yet, which she paired with a white Givenchy dress.



Prince Harry also looked dapper in his top hat.

While it's not the most extravagant hat, he's certainly pulling it off just as well as Prince William did during the queen's garden party.



For the first day of the Royal Ascot, the queen went with her signature shade of bright yellow.

Her hat featured a bright blue floral design in the center.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

All four major US carriers have promised to stop selling your location data after a company was caught providing unauthorized data to law enforcement

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Google Maps Location Sharing

  • The four major US cellular network carriers have pledged to stop selling customer location data to data brokers after a glitch was found in one of the broker's websites. 
  • The glitch gave access to customers' real-time location data to anyone. 
  • It was also alleged that law enforcement was using the data in a way that the carriers did not authorize. 

All four of the major US carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint have declared that they'll stop selling customer location data to certain data brokers on Tuesday after it was discovered that the data was being mishandled, according to Ars Technica.

The carriers' announcements come in response to an investigation by Senator Ron Wyden's (D-Ore.), as well as the beginnings of an FCC investigation.

Prison telecommunication firms Securus and 3Cinteractive were accused of mishandling location data they bought from data aggregator LocationSmart. LocationSmart brokers smartphone location data for "specific,
approved purposes, like roadside assistance, cargo tracking and elder safety," the company told Business Insider. 

Securus and 3Cinteractive were only approved to provide smartphone location data for prisons to confirm that "call recipients were not within a certain distance of the prison from which the collect phone call was placed," Verizon said in a letter to Wyden. But Securus and 3Cinteractive also provided the data to law enforcement for investigative purposes, according to Verizon and AT&T's letter to Wyden"Use of location information for investigative purposes was not an approved use case in our agreement with LocationSmart," Verizon added in its letter.  

Here's how each company has responded to the issue:

SEE ALSO: Verizon will stop selling cell phone location data to information brokers

Verizon

Verizon responded to Wyden's request in a letter on Tuesday saying that it will stop selling its customers' location data to the two data brokers it deals with, including LocationsSmart and Zumigo. 

By preventing the sale of customer location data to LocationSmart, Verizon is also restricting Securus and 3C from accessing the data, too. 

In a statement to Business Insider, Verizon said "When these issues were brought to our attention, we took immediate steps to stop it. Customer privacy and security remain a top priority for our customers and our company. We stand-by that commitment to our customers."

 



AT&T

AT&T is no longer selling its customer location data to location data aggregators. 

In a statement to Business Insider, AT&T said "Our top priority is to protect our customers’ information, and, to that end, we will be ending our work with aggregators for these services as soon as practical in a way that preserves important, potential lifesaving services like emergency roadside assistance."

The company also said in its letter to Wyden that it "shut down 3Cinteractive and Securus's access to AT&T customer location data."

 



T-Mobile

The company also shut down Securus' access to T-Mobile customer location data, as well as other location data brokers per the company's statement to Business Insider:

"We ended all transmission of customer data to Securus and are terminating our location aggregator agreements." 

 

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

9 colleges with the lowest tuition in the US

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graduation_college_student_debt

From frat parties to football games to awesome adventures with great friends (and a little bit of studying, of course), college is an amazing experience. But all of the fun can come with a hefty price tag.

According to a U.S. News annual survey, the average tuition and fees for the 2017-2018 school year was $34,999 for private universities. The cost to attend a state university was $9,528 for residents and $21,632 for out-of-state students.

The exorbitant cost of college often forces families to make tough choices. Some students have had to give up on attending their dream school for a cheaper alternative. A study by the EAB found that 40% of students rejected their first choice college for financial reasons.

The other alternative is taking out massive student loans that students may end up paying for long after they earn their degree. Student loan debt is the second-highest consumer debt category, behind mortgage debt and ahead of credit cards and auto loans, according to Forbes.

But the prospect of massive debt doesn’t have to keep you from having an amazing college experience. There are some colleges and universities across the country that are more affordable than the national average. With all of the money you'll save, you can eat more than ramen noodles while you’re there.

Chadron State College

Chadron State College is a public college located in Chadron, Nebraska. Students can choose from over 50 undergraduate programs, including Criminal Justice and Graphic Design. Class sizes are small, with an average of 14 students. In 2017, a 12-hour course load was $2,872 for in-state students, $2,884 for non-residents, helping the school earn the title of lowest out-of-state tuition for 2017 from Bestcolleges.com.



Minot State University

Bestcolleges.com ranked Minot State University 3rd in the nation for lowest out-of-state tuition. For the 2017 - 2018 school year, out of state tuition and fees were $6,809. The school, located in Minot, ND, offers a small campus environment, with just under 2,000 full-time undergraduate students enrolled.

There are a wide variety of academic majors, including Elementary Education, Theatre Arts, and International Business. The school also makes it a priority to help underserved communities, with a program which offers tutoring, academic advising, and career exploration workshops for first-generation college students and students with disabilities.



Mississippi Valley State University

Founded as Mississippi Vocational College in 1946, Mississippi Valley State University was established to train teachers and provide vocational training. Today, students can choose from a variety of academic programs, including Fine Arts, Social Work, and Mass Communications. Out of state tuition for the 2018-2019 school year is $3,275.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

'Fortnite: Battle Royale' just got updated — here's what's new

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Fortnite on switch

For months now, "Fortnite: Battle Royale" has kept players on their toes with weekly — and sometimes daily — updates to the game, including new character skins, limited-time game modes, and fun and interesting challenges.

Some of those updates have been just for fun, and some actually change the way the game is played. For example, in the days leading up to the beginning of Season 4, the game hinted that a meteor shower would change the island forever. When the meteor did hit, it caused a large crater in the enter of the map, turning Dusty Depot into the craterous Dusty Divot. Later, there was even a limited-time tie-in with "Avengers: Infinity War."

The developers have also introduced or removed a few truly game-changing tools, including jetpacks, guided missiles, and even a rideable shopping cart

This week had just one notable addition, a Stink Bomb throwable weapon. Here is it, along with everything else that's been introduced to the game in the last few weeks:

SEE ALSO: How to find and use the new shopping cart in 'Fortnite: Battle Royale,' whether you're playing solo or with your friends

The Stink Bomb was the only new item in the June 20th update.

The newest throwable item has arrived! Stink Bombs create a green cloud that causes five damage every half a second for nine seconds.

Check out the official trailer:

Youtube Embed:
//www.youtube.com/embed/wXjFlFARq1A
Width: 560px
Height: 315px

 



SEASON 4, WEEK 8 CHALLENGES

The new challenges unlock every Thursday, but like most things in Fortnite, they almost always leak a few days beforehand. 

These are the leaked Season 4, Week 6 challenges, according to Fortnite Insider:

  • Deal Headshot damage to opponents (250)
  • Search treasure chests in Salty Springs (7)
  • Search 7 chests in a single match (7)
  • TBD
  • Search between… (HARD) (1)
  • Suppressed Weapon eliminations (HARD) (3)
  • Eliminate opponents in Pleasant Park (HARD) (3)

This week, it looks like the developers left two of the challenge spots empty (literally listed as "TBD" and "Search between...") in the game's code, probably in an effort to keep them a secret until they actually launch on June 21. Whatever the reason, the cryptic listing makes it hard to predict what those who challenges will actually be. 



And here's a look at what came to "Fortnite" last week: Thermal Scope Assault Rifle

From here on out, we're talking about stuff that came in last week's update.

The newest gun was introduced to the game last week, and social media is already ablaze with videos like this one of players testing it out:

The thermal scope causes other players to shine bright yellow against a dark purple background, and is already proving to be one of the most accurate guns in the game. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I tried intermittent fasting for 10 days — and I understand why people in Silicon Valley love it

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Intermittent Fasting

  • Intermittent fasting is a practice that involves giving up food for a specific period of time each day or week.
  • I decided to try the 16/8 intermittent fasting method, so I ate normally for eight hours and then fasted for 16.
  • After 10 days, my GERD improved, and I shed a few unexpected pounds.
  • Here are seven things I learned from intermittent fasting for 10 days.

For over a decade, I have maintained a gluten-free diet, because I have celiac disease. Although my weight has remained fairly stable over the last 10 years, every so often I will gain a few pounds that I want to lose. Because I already restrict what I eat, diets that include food elimination are challenging for me.

I recently gained a few pounds due to a shoulder injury that prevented me from participating in my daily barre class, so I wanted to change my eating habits to shed the extra two or three pounds. I came across an article about intermittent fasting, a practice that involves giving up food for certain periods of the day or week.

Intermittent fasting, a diet popular in Silicon Valley, can produce a number of health benefits whether you shed pounds or not. By restricting calorie consumption to a specific time period each day or week (for example, only eating between 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.), you could lose weight, decrease your risk of cancer, reduce blood pressure, and improve blood-sugar control, as Business Insider previously reported. Intermittent fasting is unlike most diets in that it allows you to eat whatever you want, as long as it's within the consumption period.

Intermittent fasting can take many forms. Some people fast for 24 hours every third or fourth day of the week, according to Healthline. Others opt for the 5:2 diet, meaning they take in a normal amount of calories for five days, then only eat 500 or 600 calories for two days.

Because I am prone to migraines, I worried about choosing a fast that would be too drastic a change from my normal diet. I chose the 16-8 method, where you fast for 16 hours and eat for eight. Here’s what I learned after 10 days of intermittent fasting.

SEE ALSO: I'm a carnivore who ate vegan for a week, and it changed the way I think about my normal diet

1. It’s normal to be really hungry at first

I decided to do my daily fast from about 8 p.m. until noon the next day. This meant all of my eating for the day occurred between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. At first, I woke up starving.

I discovered that eating a high-protein snack around 8 p.m., like egg whites or cheese, prevented the hunger pangs that came the following morning, making it significantly easier to fast until noon.



2. I got headaches the first few days, but they slowly went away

Although I (luckily) didn't have a migraine during the experiment, I did get a handful of dull headaches the first few days, particularly toward the end of my fast around 11 a.m. or noon. After three or four days, my body adjusted to the diet and the headaches dissipated.



3. It’s a good diet if you already skip breakfast

I don’t eat breakfast and never have, which made this form of intermittent fasting fairly easy for me. The stretch from about 10 a.m. to noon was difficult, but I always made it.

I did drink coffee with creamer every morning upon waking up. (Some experts suggest only drinking black coffee when intermittent fasting, though opinions vary, according to Popsugar.) I can go 16 hours without eating, but I definitely can’t write without my usual morning cup of java.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 9 weirdest jobs of America's Founding Fathers

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United States Founding Father America Constitution

  • In honor of the Fourth of July, let's reflect on the weirder aspects of the origins of the US.
  • Take the Founding Fathers, for instance.
  • Some of them held down some pretty odd jobs before they helped to found a new country.


This Fourth of July, we'll celebrate the anniversary of the United States of America's independence from Britain with fireworks, car deals, and grilled meats.

It's also a good time to think about American history— namely, the people who made the decision to break away from the Mother Country and found a new nation. Everyone knows the Founders were largely a socially elite and wealthy group of politicians, lawyers, and military men.

Still, some members of this group took on some pretty weird jobs, too.

Here are nine particularly unexpected gigs that the Founding Fathers held before (or, in some cases, after) they founded the US:

SEE ALSO: The amazing true story of America's coolest founding father

DON'T MISS: A look at the daily routine of Thomas Jefferson, who rose early, drank coffee, and wrote a lot

SEE ALSO: A look at the daily routine of John Adams, who woke before dawn, walked 5 miles at a time, and drank hard cider at breakfast

Alexander Hamilton was a 13-year-old shipping prodigy

If you've been lucky enough to see "Hamilton," Lin-Manuel Miranda's smash Broadway hit, you already know this story.

Alexander Hamilton had a rough childhood. His father abandoned the family and his mother died of a fever. To support himself and his brother, Hamilton started clerking at Beekman and Cruger, an import-export firm on the Caribbean island of St. Croix, according to City Journal.

He was only 13 at the time. This teenager ran the entire firm while its owner was at sea. 

Hamilton was basically a child prodigy of maritime commerce. 

 



Thomas Jefferson was a hemp farmer

Don't believe everything you read on the internet. Thomas Jefferson wasn't a pothead.

Along with George Washington and other Virginia planters, Jefferson grew hemp on his plantation, Monticello. He even received a patent for a machine to break hemp and extract fibers, according to Robert Deitch's "Hemp: American History Revisited: The Plant with a Divided History." 

But that doesn't mean he was out celebrating 4/20. Monticello's official website notes that the quote popularly attributed to Jefferson that mentions "smoking hemp" has not been found in any of his writings.



Benjamin Franklin was a rebellious printer

Philosopher, statesman, inventor, author — Benjamin Franklin was a true Renaissance Man.

His curious and independent nature was clear early on in his career. Franklin had been apprenticed to his older brother, a printer. This meant that he was legally bound to serve in the role for a set number of years. 

The static situation wasn't ideal for him. 

According to "Bonds of Citizenship: Law and the Labors of Emancipationby Hoang Gia Phan, Franklin wrote that he "lik'd [the printer's profession] much better than that of [his] Father, but still had a Hankering for the sea."

So he ran off. Franklin absconded to Philadelphia, where he worked as a rogue printer, before traveling to London to work as a typesetter.



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6 things you should actually do if you think your partner is cheating

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Infidelity is something you hope you never have to deal with —then one day you spot a text on your partner’s phone that is just a little too friendly. But, before you smash all your partner’s belongings and kick them out of the house, take a moment to reflect on the best way to react to the situation.

Even though your emotions might try to sway you towards having an aggressive, screaming confrontation with your partner, that’s not always the best way to resolve the issue. You’re a mature adult and, although the situation isn’t ideal, you should time to slow your roll, because you and your relationship will be better off for it.

So, without further ado, here are the best things to do if you think your partner is cheating, according to psychotherapist and relationship expert Alex Carling.

Make a pros and cons list.

It might seem trivial, but making a for and against list can help you face reality head-on. Is the relationship worth pursuing if your suspicions of cheating are confirmed? Can you move forward after a cheating incident? These are all important questions to ask yourself, and a pros and cons list can definitely help put that reality into perspective.

“Sometimes a suspicion, if left, can grow and grow," Carling said. "We may be seeing validation where there isn't any because we become so consumed, we can start to twist our reality. Drawing a list helps you externalize (get it out of your head) and see it from a different perspective — this may be enough to soothe you or encourage you to take direct action."



Analyze your list for "red flags."

Taking a look at your past relationships can help give you clarity in the here and now. Are there any notable thoughts or experiences on your pro-con list that you’ve encountered in the past? What do these actions and feelings mean to you? You might be able to better understand your own projections and suspicions by reflecting on what went wrong in your past relationships.

Sometimes we can project our past experiences onto our new partners or we can project our own insecurities onto them too," Carling said. "When we do this, we're subconsciously looking for ways to reinforce our beliefs about people or ourselves. Taking some time to look at your list beyond face value may help you see some familiar patterns in your relationships and your actions within them — knowing these things can give you more choices when moving forwards."



Seek out supportive friends.

Finding people in your life that are supportive and willing to give you advice (whether or not you want to hear it) is an important and mature action to take, especially if you think your partner is cheating on you.

“Sometimes saying things out loud can change the power of the thought and if they've known you long enough, they could help you make some familiar links (i.e. confront your negative thinking and remind you how often you do this). Supportive friends also have you as a priority in situations like this, they don't have an ulterior motive for drama, for example. Let's say you decide after speaking to your friend, to confront your partner; if they have been cheating, then you already have someone there who knows and who can help you pick up the pieces — this will reduce the risk of you isolating yourself and suffering in silence," Carling said.



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Check out these photos of the US military drills in Europe that have Russia spooked

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Multinational soldiers sit on top of military vehicles and equipment to watch culmination training exercise of Saber Strike 18 at the Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland on June 15, 2018.

The US-led multi-national military exercise known as Saber Strike 2018, which a Kremlin spokesman said "Moscow always closely tracks," finished up this week. 

"Saber Strike is the platform to validate our collective capability to rapidly respond to and reinforce Allies in a time of crisis,"according to a US Army statement. "This exercise will facilitate unmatched cooperation between Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and 17 additional participating allied and partner militaries."

Saber Strike 2018 was held between June 3 and June 15 in multiple Eastern European and Baltic countries, and the key "training events of the exercise included an air assault operation in Lithuania, a convoy of the US 2nd Cavalry Regiment from Germany to Latvia, and multiple bridge and river crossings,"according to NATO. 

Here's what it looked like:

SEE ALSO: The US Air Force flew a specially painted A-10 over Normandy to mark 74 years since D-Day

SEE ALSO: We toured the heavily-armed and stealthy warship that may be the US Navy's next frigate

One part of the exercises included an assault on a mock town in Lithuania on June 11...



... in which A-10s provided the close air support seen below.



Warthogs took part in multiple aspects of Saber Strike.



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24 TV shows that were canceled and never got the closure they deserved

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  • Not all shows can be hits — and those that aren't usually end up canceled.
  • Sometimes writers aren't given advance notice of their show's cancellation, so the show will simply end on a massive cliffhanger writers meant to explain.
  • For example, "Hannibal" ended with the show's two main characters flinging themselves off a cliff, while "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" ended with Lois and Clark receiving a mysterious Kryptonian baby from a time-traveler.


Warning: Spoilers ahead for many different TV shows.

TV cancellation season is coming to a close. This was a tumultuous year for TV lovers — "Brooklyn 99" and "Lucifer" were both saved from cancellation by NBC and Amazon respectively, while fans of MTV's "'Shadowhunters" are still praying for a last-minute renewal from another network. And don't even get us started on "Timeless," whose fans are still waiting with bated breath to find out the show's future.

Some shows remain "on the bubble" for the most of their run, meaning that they may or may not get canceled. This means that writers often write season finales as potential series finales, leaving the episode just open-ended enough for a renewal (see the sixth season finale of "New Girl").

But sometimes shows are canceled unexpectedly, giving their creators no time to wrap up the story effectively. Other times, a show will swing for the fences with a wild cliffhanger in an attempt to force their network into giving them one more season — though this doesn't always work.

These 24 shows were brutally cut short in the middle of their runs (or sometimes, in the beginning), leaving fans wondering what might have been if they had been allowed to complete their stories.

"Pitch" was canceled after a critically acclaimed (but low-rated) first season, leaving viewers to wonder what happened to Ginny, her relationship with Mike, and her potential injury.

"Pitch," the story of the first female pitcher in the MLB, has a stellar 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, and was loved across the board by critics. Unfortunately, it couldn't find its audience, and Fox announced its cancellation in May 2017, a few months after the first season had wrapped.

For fans, this couldn't have come at a worse time. The season finale's last shot was of Ginny, the pitcher, entering an MRI machine after pitching a no-hitter and potentially injuring her elbow. Ginny and her will-they-or-won't-they relationship with Mike, the team's catcher, was also teetering towards a they-will by the end of the season — too bad we'll never know.



"No Tomorrow" ended with Xavier, an apocalypse truther, finally being taken seriously, and announcing to the world that an asteroid was on course to collide with Earth... and then it was canceled.

"No Tomorrow" was about a girl (Evie) who meets a guy (Xavier) who believes that the world is going to end in eight months and 12 days. They fall in love, and decide to spend the rest of their "remaining" months together, checking items off of their "apoca-lists." Hijinks ensue.

The first (and only) season of "No Tomorrow" ends with Xavier being proven right by NASA, and moving to Washington, DC, in order to save the world, while Evie meets a cute doctor. Obviously, the end of the world is a ridiculously huge cliffhanger, and The CW broke a lot of hearts when they canceled the show — even though they did end up releasing a three-minute epilogue tying up some loose ends.



"The Family" had more than a few twists and turns in its 12 episodes — and the finale was no different.

"The Family" was a polarizing look at what happens to a family after one of their kids is kidnapped — and then returned years later. Of course, the show became much more complicated when it was revealed that Adam, the miraculously returned son, wasn't actually Adam at all, but a different missing boy named Ben. And that wasn't even the finale.

The finale set up two big cliffhangers. First, that the real Adam, who had been presumed dead, was actually alive and well (and understandably angry at Ben). Second, that Willa, the morally dubious daughter of the Warren clan, murdered a journalist named Bridey because she was going to release all the dirt she had on the Warrens. Plus Bridey had been sleeping with both Willa and Willa's brother Danny. Too much drama, perhaps?



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14 of the most-hated series finales of all time, according to fans

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It's not always easy to bring a beloved show to a worthy conclusion. 

After devoting hours to watching a series, fans expect to feel satisfied by the ending. But sometimes, the show struggles to finish. "Lost" upset many viewers with its purgatory turn, and "How I Met Your Mother" felt out of touch with what fans wanted. 

Here are 14 of the worst finales according to fans. 

"How I Met Your Mother"— Season nine, episode 23 and 24, "Last Forever"

Fans waited nine seasons to finally meet the titular mother only to have her die shortly after because of a terminal illness. To top it all off, Barney, who went through some immense character growth throughout the seasons, reverts to his playboy self and he and Robin divorce. And after their whole back-and-forth, Ted and Robin somehow go back to each other and nothing makes sense.



"Roseanne"— season nine, episodes 23 and 24, "Into That Good Night"

The final season of the original "Roseanne" was wacky from start to finish. But nothing was as surprising as the finale, when it was revealed that Roseanne "made up" most of the events following Dan's heart attack for a book she was writing. Oh, and the Dan people thought had cheated on his wife actually died from a heart attack. The finale was such a disaster that the entire ninth season was basically ignored when the show returned in 2018 for a revival. 



"Dexter"— Season eight, episode 12, "Remember the Monsters?"

The "Dexter" finale ended with Dexter somehow sailing into a hurricane and surviving, while his boat was a total wreck, and making it to the Pacific Northwest where he changed his identity and became a lumberjack. Fans were angry with this final image. The serial killer should have gotten caught or died in the storm or gone out fighting — anything except the bleak ending he was given. 



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10 wireless tech accessories that make our lives a lot easier — by keeping our homes and desks more organized

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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.

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When I think about the biggest changes in the world of technology over the past 10 years, one that stands out is the global transition to wireless gadgets. We've ditched landlines for smartphones, cable boxes for media streamers, and desktops for laptops.

Our speakers and headphones play music that's streamed over Wi-Fi or a cellular network from a phone via Bluetooth, which is good because it probably doesn't have a headphone jack anymore. We don't need to plug our smartphones to a power source with a cable anymore, nor do we have to plug our gaming consoles into a router over ethernet to play games with our friends online. 

This future is great for a lot of reasons, but my favorite is having a nice, clean desk that's free of cords that are slowly fraying despite me trying to keep them in good shape. It also means fewer cables in trash cans, landfills, and junk drawers.

If you're trying to embrace this cord-free world, the Insider Picks team can help. We've rounded up all of the wireless technology we use on a regular basis to help you get started. Whether you're looking to get your first pair of Bluetooth headphones, want a rock-solid Wi-Fi system, or need a subtle way to integrate wireless chargers into your home, you'll find what you're looking for below. 

SEE ALSO: 20 must-have tech accessories under $20

A Sonos wireless speaker

Sonos PLAY:1 Speaker, $149, available at Amazon

I absolutely love the Sonos PLAY:1 speaker, which sits in the living room of my apartment. It’s small, but powerful enough to fill the room with rich sound, particularly the bass. Sonos' app, which controls the speaker, is easy to use, and it works with of all the popular music streaming services. — Connie Chen, Insider Picks reporter



A small, waterproof Bluetooth speaker

JBL Clip 2 Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker, $41.99 , available at Amazon

JBL’s palm-sized Clip 2 speaker is lightweight and comes with a handy carabiner. While it’s not exactly a boombox, the speaker plays loudly and crisply enough for my ears. I take it out on the water and, frankly, abuse the hell out of it. It regularly gets wet with mucky, brackish saltwater, and has been dropped and scraped across my fiberglass deck on more than one occasion. It holds a good charge all day (at least 12 hours, though probably a good bit longer), and automatically pairs with my iPhone when I turn it on. — Owen Burke, Insider Picks buying guides writer



On-ear Bluetooth headphones

Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones, $197, available at Amazon

The benefit of wearing wireless headphones doesn't typically outweigh the headache of constantly charging and pairing them. But the Beats Solo3s are different. They're my favorite Bluetooth headphones because of how easy they are to use and how good they sound.

The Solo3s also have a 40-hour battery life, so I can go days without charging them, and they automatically pair to my iPhone without me having to manually search through my Bluetooth devices. Although I haven't needed to use it yet the included auxiliary cable, it's a solid fail-safe in case their battery dies, or if I decide to use them with a non-Bluetooth device. — Amir Ismael, Insider Picks reporter



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The most mesmerizing photos from the World Cup so far

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Cristiano Ronaldo World Cup 2018 Photos

The 2018 World Cup in Russia is off to a great start, and the tournament has already produced incredible moments and photos.

Russia is a gorgeous background for some amazing sports photography.

From goal celebrations to great saves, gut-wrenching own goals, and crazy fans, here are the most mesmerizing photos from the World Cup so far.

Russia's Yury Gazinsky scores the first goal of the 2018 World Cup.



Aziz Bouhaddouz of Morocco lays on the ground after his own goal gave Iran a 1-0 lead.



Morocco's Younes Belhanda laments his team's own goal.



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Here are your favorite TV shows that are coming back for another season

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As some TV shows get the axe, others get picked up for more seasons.

Series including "Veep" and "Game of Thrones" are coming back for their final seasons, while "Grey's Anatomy" was picked up for its 15th. 

Here are your favorite shows that are returning to TV from summer 2018 to 2019. 

"The 100th" season six (The CW) returns fall 2018.

It's loosely based on the novel of the same name.



"13 Reasons Why" season three (Netflix)

The controversial show is returning. 



"9-1-1" season two (Fox) return is TBD.

The first season was 10 episodes. 



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I went to the World Cup for the first time — and it was even better than I imagined

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FIFAWorldCup2018 Russia (19 of 43)

  • Attending the FIFA World Cup has been on my travel bucket list since I fell in love with the sporting event in 2010.
  • I was able to get tickets for the 2018 FIFA World Cup through a friend who has attended the last three World Cups.
  • I attended the Poland versus Senegal group stage match. It was incredibly exciting to watch the first African team to win at this year's tournament.

Like a lot of sports fans, I’ve always dreamed of going to the FIFA World Cup.

Few sporting events conjure up the mix of top-of-the-line talent, global togetherness, and just flat-out unbridled joy that the World Cup does.

I won’t lie — the first World Cup that I really watched was in 2010. At the time, I was traveling through Europe and got to watch the games on giant screens in public squares in Germany, Spain, and the Czech Republic. The enthusiasm that European fans brought to the tournament was contagious and I was hooked. Attending the World Cup went on my travel bucket list.

When a friend of mine from college told me that she and her husband were heading to the Cup this year in Russia, and that they had some extra tickets, I jumped at the chance.

On Tuesday, I attended the Poland versus Senegal match at Spartak Stadium in Moscow, Russia. It was even more exciting than I imagined. You can be sure I’ll be getting to another Cup soon.

Here’s what it was like:

To get to the game, I took the Metro. Moscow's metro system is one of the biggest and busiest in the world, with a ridership of 2.442 billion in 2017.

Source: Moscow Metro



The trains to the Spartak Stadium, where the Poland versus Senegal game was to be played, had TV screens in each car broadcasting the current game.



The Spartak station was packed when my train got in at around 3:30 p.m. The game wasn't until 6 p.m., but I wanted to make sure I got in early.



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