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A Dubai Resident Shares What It's Like To Participate In The City's 'Gold For Weight-Loss' Contest

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ryan dubai challenge

In an effort to curb the obesity epidemic in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai has launched a new weight loss program where it will literally give people gold if they lose weight.

The city is offering residents 2 grams of solid gold (roughly $45) if they lose at least 2 kilograms (or 4.4 pounds) within 30 days. An additional gram is offered for every additional kilo they drop, with no limit to how much gold you can pocket.

35-year-old Ryan, an Executive Director at real estate company Khidmah who has lived in Dubai for five years, decided to take the challenge. He told us what the process has been like for him so far. Answers are in his own words, but have been condensed and edited:

What signing up was like:

The announcement was very sudden and was a week before the event. All the news agencies were running stories locally here so we all knew where to go. [Ed note: There were five locations in the city for participating residents to register and get weighed.]

We had to wait from 8 PM to almost midnight to sign up, and many were turned away at the registration that I visited. We are in the middle of summer and Ramadan is here, so you had people fainting from the heat and dehydration as they waited in line to be weighed.

The actual process, after waiting, was very fast and just required our UAE ID along with taking our measurements.

On obesity in Dubai:

Many people talk about the "Dubai Stone," which you tend to put on after living here for a few years. Working hours can be long here and many of us drive over 200 kms (124 miles) each day to and from Abu Dhabi to work.

The sedentary lifestyle along with the numerous easy food options here make for a weight watcher's nightmare.

Why he's participating:

I have a fairly hectic lifestyle and don't tend to take time out to eat properly or exercise, usually leading to a late night dinner and limited sleep. The gold weight loss competition came along at the right time to kick-start those changes for me.

It was not so much about the gold, but more about the competition.

Ryan's diet so far:

We are right in the middle of Ramadan at the moment, so during the daylight hours there is no public eating or drinking in the UAE. Many people eat right through to 3 or 4 AM to ensure they have the energy throughout the day.

As a non-Muslim I just get up a little earlier and ensure I have had breakfast and plenty of water for the day. This has been a big benefit as I am not typically a breakfast person so I am really feeling the difference now.

SEE ALSO: The 20 New Most Popular Cities For Tourists

Join the conversation about this story »


I Was Surprised By How Much I Loved Driving Cadillac's Luxury Station Wagon

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Cadillac CTS-V wagon

The 2013 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon is an unusual car.

It's a luxury station wagon with a supercharged V8 engine.

It's little-known and rarely seen, making up just 3% of CTS sales.

And it's a pure joy to drive.

For five days, the CTS-V Wagon served as our ride in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts.

It did the job perfectly, offering the control to handle winding mountain roads, the power to pass slowpokes on two-lane highways, and the spaciousness to comfortably fit four adults and their accompanying luggage.

The CTS-V Wagon starts at $63,215, the well-equipped version we tested came out to $75,885.

I wasn't sure about how I would feel driving a station wagon. It's far from my favorite type of car.



One friend's reaction: 'It looks like a Hearse.' Fair point.



But this Caddy has a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine under the hood, good for a whopping 556 horsepower. That's about 8 Smart cars worth of ponies.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

10 Real Wall Street Stories That Should Be Movies

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icahn brooksMartin Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street" will hit theaters this fall, giving moviegoers a stylized glimpse into the corruption and opulence that can plague the finance world.

The film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, promises to be a classic.

It wouldn't be the first great Wall Street movie. From "Trading Places" to "American Psycho," we can't get enough of Wall Street culture on the silver screen.

But there are some "based-on-a-true-story" tales that have yet to become blockbusters.

So here are the 10 true Wall Street sagas — and the corresponding must-cast actors — that should be movies.

10. 'The Rise and Fall of Jon Corzine.' Corzine went from top dog at Goldman Sachs to a senator and governor to seeing his firm MF Global collapse in spectacular fashion.



Starring Charles Dance (AKA Tywin Lannister)



9. 'The Collapse of Bear Stearns.' The top brass at Bear were known for their wild boys club, but it all came crashing down when JP Morgan almost bought the bank for $2 a share as the market crashed.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

GOLDMAN SACHS: Here's Our Outlook For 13 Key Commodities

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aluminum factory worker

Mounting controversy and alleged market manipulation has led Washington legislators to take a stronger look at major banks' hold over commodities, with the Fed to possibly reevaluate regulation in the coming months.

But for investors, the case for holding commodities as a strategic move is still clear, according to Goldman Sachs commodity strategist Jeffrey Currie.

Currie tells clients three reasons why: "1) commodities as a hedge against hostile markets amid rising geopolitical risks, 2) significant roll-yields on the back of the tightness in Cushing which will likely support backwardation in energy markets into the autumn, and 3) an increasing decline in correlations across returns, both within commodity markets and against other asset classes, making the case for commodities investments as a way to diversify portfolio risk."

In their latest Commodity Watch report, the analysts at Goldman provide forecasts and commentary for 25 major commodities.

We highlight 13 of those.

Brent Crude Oil

12-month price forecast: $105.00/bbl 

Current price: $108.00

"In the absence of the current production shortfalls, particularly should the Libyan labor disputes be resolved, we expect the market to be amply supplied in 2H2013 as significant non-OPEC supply is expected to come online and recent weak Chinese trade data signals that demand remains relatively weak even as global growth continues to recover."

Source: Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg



RBOB Gasoline

12-month price forecast: $2.70/gal

Current price: $3.00/gal

"While the tightness in the RIN market remains an upside risk for RBOB prices, we expect the underlying gasoline fundamentals to remain under pressure in 2H13 and going into 2014 as OECD demand for gasoline continues to decline and we will likely need to see further refinery shutdowns in order to balance the market." 

Source: Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg



NYMEX Natural Gas

12-month price forecast: $4.25/mmBtu 

Current price: $3.70/mmBtu

"We believe... that the better than expected production growth is likely to be temporary as it is driven by debottlenecking of infrastructure with rig counts remaining at low levels. As a result, we continue to expect that prices will need to increase to $4.25/mmBtu as we move into 2014 to bring back rigs and keep the market balanced given the ongoing structural demand growth."

Source: Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

18 Of The Most Outrageous Military Ethics Violations

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disbursing marines money military iraq

The U.S. Department of Defense just updated its Encyclopedia of Ethical Failure, and boy does it contain some doozies.

Taking a Blackhawk to lunch? Russian-bride scam? Faking your own death? It's got them all.

There are more than a hundred case studies included in the publication, so we picked 18 that were particularly eye-opening. 

The following accounts are taken directly from encyclopedia, and none of the language or the (sometimes humorous) titles were changed.

An offshore safety inspector traded repair contracts for time with a lady of "dubious morals."

Abuse of Position: "But, Judge, I didn't get anything!" 

"An offshore safety inspector found much of the Government’s equipment to be in need of repairs to meet safety standards. He then referred the business to his brother-in-law's repair shop. The rig operators smelled a rat and called the FBI. They discovered that, in return for each referral, the brother-in-law was treating the inspector to an evening with a lady of dubious morals.

The case was brought to trial. In his defense, the inspector claimed that he had not received a "thing of value" in return for the referral. The judge didn't buy it - and neither did his wife."

Source:Encyclopedia of Ethical Failure, U.S. Department of Defense



Employees bought electronics on government card, then sold them for profit.

Bribery: Fraud, Conspiracy, and Bribery … Oh My!

"Criminal charges put a computer contractor out of business and landed government employees in jail.  Two civilian employees at a Military Depot, along with the contractor’s government sales manager, were convicted on various conspiracy and bribery charges for defrauding the U.S. Government under multiple contracts in return for cash and merchandise. 

The employees were part of a scheme in which they used government funds to purchase laptops and recycled computer components from the contractor’s sales manager at inflated prices, and split the overcharged amounts among themselves.  One employee received prison time, three years probation, and was ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution.  The other employee was sentenced to 22 months in jail, three years of probation, and ordered to pay $18,000. 

The sales manager received a similar sentence.  The computer contractor was indicted on nine felony counts and subjected to asset forfeiture of approximately $7.8 million.  The charges were later withdrawn after the company filed for bankruptcy.  The investigation also resulted in five other individuals charged with prison time and ordered to pay a combined $127,000 in restitution."

Source: Encyclopedia of Ethical Failure, U.S. Department of Defense



A Sergeant-at-Arms traded contract grants for flights to Hawaii.

Improper Compensation — Sergeant at-Arms of the United States Senate Takes Free Flight to Hawaii

"The Sergeant-at-Arms is the chief purchasing agent for the Senate and in that capacity he recommended that the Senate purchase and install a $219,000 AT&T telephone system for the U.S. Capitol Police. Three weeks later, he accepted a round‑trip Washington‑Honolulu airline ticket, valued at $2,700, from an AT&T employee.

He pled guilty on November 18, 1992, to one misdemeanor count of violating 18 U.S.C. 203 and was sentenced to one year of supervised probation, to pay full restitution of $2,700, and a $5,000 civil fine."

Source: Encyclopedia of Ethical Failure, U.S. Department of Defense



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A Family Spent $100,000 On Beanie Babies To Put Their Kids Through College

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bankrupt beanie babies film chris senior

In 1993, the world went crazy for Beanie Babies, small, plush animals by toy company Ty.

Heralded as valuable collectibles, people would rush out to buy the $5.95 toys for their children or themselves, eagerly waiting for them to appreciate in value.

But then the Beanie Baby bubble burst.

As far as bubbles go, it wasn't bad  at worst, most collectors were stuck with a few worthless stuffed animals they'd overpaid for.

But one family found themselves sunk by the toys.

The Robinsons of Los Angeles currently have tens of thousands of Beanie Babies, all stacked neatly away and labeled in boxes. The family estimates they spent roughly $100,000 on the collection, thinking it would eventually appreciate in value and pay for their kids to attend college.

But the spending was only the tip of the iceberg. For a time, the family let the dolls rule their lives, hopping from one "Beanie joint" to another, trying to side step the "one-per-family rule" by recruiting neighbors make purchased for them and going to extreme lengths to catalogue and preserve their Beanie Baby hoard.

In 2009, their oldest son, Chris Robinson, decided to direct a short documentary (resurrected by Dazed Digital, which recently interviewed Chris) called "Bankrupt by Beanies" about his family's experience.

He interviewed his brothers Christian and Taylor, his mother Lesleigh, and his father Chris Robinson Senior to find out more about how the obsession started and the impact it had on his family.

When Taylor was three or four, he wanted a Beanie Baby. After his father Chris Sr. learned that they were valuable, he began to take the kids to different "Beanie joints" to get as many of the toys as possible.



"This is like admitting to a drug addiction," Chris Sr. now says of the Beanie Babies. He knew the schedules of when new toys were being released, and had an inside source about how much they would be worth.



Chris Sr. admits that when certain specialty items would come out, he'd buy more than one for each of his 5 children. He bought a total of 50 "Soar" Bald Eagle Buddies because they would only be sold for a day.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Photos Of Boxers Before And After Fights Show How Brutal The Sport Can Be

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Pablo Cesar Cano Erik Morales

Boxing is one of the world's most punishing sports. On the surface it is a battle of brutes banging each other until one drops. But underneath, boxing is a study of angles and timing; anticipation and guile. 

The boxing ideal is to punch without being punched, but rare is the boxer who does not find himself battered and bleeding at some point in his career. 

With his struggle so exposed the boxer can inspire by fighting through, exhibiting an indomitable spirit capable of expanding beliefs of what a human being is able to endure. 

We warn viewers that the following images are graphic. 

Pablo Cesar Cano (right)



Pablo Cesar Cano fighting Erik Corrales.

Cano lost the fight in a tenth round TKO.



Hasim Rahman



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

9 Publicity Stunts That Went Horribly Wrong

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chipotle fake hacked tweets

When bizarre tweets started emanating from Chipotle's Twitter handle Tuesday — like, "twitter Find avocado store in Arv"— the public thought that it had been hacked. This theory gained traction after Chipotle later tweeted "Sorry all. We had a little problem with our account. But everything is back on track now! - Joe."

Then Chipotle admitted to Mashable that it was a publicity stunt to gain more attention and followers for its 20th anniversary. Chipotle usually gets 250 new followers a day, but during the stunt it gained 4,000 followers.

While the fake hacking was strange and jeopardized consumer trust, it wasn't a PR disaster of epic proportions.

We've collected a list of some marketing stunts that went horribly wrong.

LifeLock's CEO gave out his social security number and challenged people to steal his identity. They did. A lot.

LifeLock CEO Todd Davis was really asking for this one.

In 2006, Davis posted his social security number on billboards, online ads, TV commercials, everywhere, to prove that LifeLock's service — which costs $10 to $15 a month — would protect his identity.

A couple years later, word got out that his identity was stolen. Thirteen times. There were 87 failed attempts.

While Davis said that this proved LifeLock worked since identity thieves were only successful 13 times, the Federal Trade Commission disagreed and fined the company $12 million for deceptive advertising in March 2010.



Gunmen stormed an "Iron Man 3" screening

A theater in Missouri thought that it would be a good idea to have a group of actors dressed in tactical gear, and sporting fake guns, to storm a theater screening "Iron Man 3" in May.

In light of the "Dark Knight Rises" shootings that occurred less than a year before, this was a horrible idea.

The local police station received multiple calls and an Army vet said that the stunt triggered his PTSD.

The theater soon apologized on its Facebook page. Although it assured the public, "This was not a publicity stunt ... We didn't clearly tell our customers and some people didn't realize it was for entertainment purposes only."



The South Australian government sent 55 dead goldfish to media agencies.

The South Australian government approved a publicity stunt in 2011 in which 55 goldfish were sent out to media executives to promote a tour by Advantage SA. A message was penned on the fishbowl: "Be a big fish in a small pond and come and test the water."

The only problem: In spite of providing enough food to last each fish 6 months, most of the fish that arrived were already dead.

"South Australia does have a reputation for the worst water in Australia but this is going too far," an executive told The Australian.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 20 Safest Cities In America

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Violent crime reports rose in America for the first time in 2006, according to FBI statistics.

However, the recent 1.2% increase belies a long-term trend: America is becoming a much safer country.

To find out which parts of America are the safest, we looked at the FBI's latest report on crime and found cities with violent crime rates substantially below the national average. 

We only included cities with populations of more than 200,000 to exclude suburban areas. Many of the cities are repeat winners from our 2011 report on America's safest cities.

Irvine, Calif. has been the safest city in the country for the 9th consecutive year. The city of just more than 200,000 has one of the country's top-ranked school systems, a median household income well above the national average, and a crime prevention method that includes keeping a thorough record of violence.

Nine of the 20 safest cities are located in the Southwest, with another six located in California. Conversely, on our list of the 25 most dangerous cities, there were no Southwestern cities and only two California cities.

Clearly there's a geographic trend here. It should be noted, however, that different crime reporting policies among police departments may make some cities appear safer or more dangerous than they really are.

Neighboring cities Virgina Beach and Chesapeake, VA, are the only two on the list with murder rates equal to or above the national average. However, rape and robbery rates substantially below the national average compensate for this difference.

El Paso, Texas, one of the safest cities, is located directly across the Mexico-U.S. border from Juarez, Mexico, one of the world's most violent cities. Officials there say that drug cartels keep their base of operations in Mexico to avoid encounters with U.S. law enforcement.

It also turns out safety has its trade-offs: four of the safest cities (Chula Vista, Calif., Hialeah, Fla., Chandler, Ariz., and Henderson, Nev.) also appear on Forbes's list of the 10 most boring cities in America. 

These were the safest cities in 2012:

1. Irvine, Calif. had a murder rate 80% below average; rape rate 86% below average; robbery rate 86% below average.

2. Fremont, Calif. had a murder rate 81% below average; rape rate 76% below average; robbery rate 47% below average.

3. Plano, Texas had a murder rate 92% below average; rape rate 28% below average; robbery rate 65% below average.

4. Madison, Wisc. had a murder rate 73% below average; unreported rape data; and robbery rate 11% below average.

5. Irving, Texas had a murder rate 72% below average; rape rate 55% below average; and robbery rate 47% below average.

6. Scottsdale, Ariz. has a murder rate 71% below average; rape rate 26% below average; and robbery rate 55% below average. 

7. Boise, Idaho has a murder rate 90% below average; rape rate 35% above average; and robbery rate 73% below average. 

8. Henderson, Nev. has a murder rate 68% below average, rape rate 13% below average; and robbery rate 43% below average. 

9. Chandler Ariz. has a murder rate 65% below average; rape rate 1% below average; and robbery rate 46% below average.

10. Chula Vista, Calif. has a murder rate 32% below average; rape rate 50% below average; and robbery rate 20% below average. 

11. Hialeah, Fla. has a murder rate 63% below average; rape rate 36% below average; and robbery rate 2% below average.

12. Virginia Beach, Va. has a murder rate equal to average; rape rate 52% below average; and robbery rate 36% below average.

13. Garland, Texas has a murder rate 37% below average; rape rate 25% below average; and robbery rate 12% below average. 

14. El Paso, Texas has a murder rate 28% below average; rape rate 2% above average; and robbery rate 39% below national average. 

15. Fontana, Calif. has a murder rate 47% below average, rape rate 42% below average; and robbery rate 27% above average. 

16. Oxnard, Calif. has a murder rate 5% below average; rape rate 85% below average; and robbery rate 32% above average. 

17. Reno, Nev. has a murder rate 35% below average; rape rate 46% below average; and robbery rate 25% above average. 

18. Chesapeake, Va. has a murder rate 12% above average; rape rate 41% below average; and robbery rate 22% below average. 

19. Laredo, Texas has a murder rate 31% below average; rape rate 24% above average; and robbery rate 34% below average. 

20. San Diego, Calif. has a murder rate 25% below average; rape rate 15% below average; and robbery rate 0.3% below average. 

SEE ALSO: The 25 Most Dangerous Cities In America

Join the conversation about this story »

9 Things iPhone Users Say That Drive Android Owners Bonkers (AAPL, GOOG)

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iphone ad

Google's Android and Apple's iOS are the two most popular smartphone platforms in the world.

And their users love to taunt each other. 

Apple fans are especially in to bragging about their beloved iPhones. Here are some of the most common things you hear them say to Android users.

I get all the best apps first. You have to wait for the Android version.



I get new software updates from Apple as soon as they're available.



My iPhone doesn't come pre-loaded with a bunch of apps from my wireless carrier that I don't want.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 20 Toughest Job Interview Questions Heard At Apple, Google, Amazon And Others

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Job interviewThere's nothing worse than being caught off guard during a job interview.

Luckily, with the help of Glassdoor's Interview Questions & Reviews section, you can experience the strangest possible interview questions of the last year — all from the safety of your chair.

This year's weirdest questions come courtesy of Apple, Goldman Sachs, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and a few others.

Trust us, none of these questions would be a breeze to answer.

If you were given a box of pencils, list 10 things you could do with them that are not their traditional use.

Job: Google Administrative Assistant



How would you test an elevator?

Job: Software Development Engineer at Microsoft



How would you solve problems if you were from Mars?

Job: Senior Recruiting Manager at Amazon



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Forget Anthony Weiner, The Biggest Sex Scandals In Tech Are Much More Interesting

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jodie fisher 2

The New York Post accused Google chairman Eric Schmidt of "womanizing" today in an article about his new Manhattan penthouse. Schmidt's wife lives in Nantucket while he travels the world, and the Post said he likes to “decorate his yacht” with other women.

Separately, last week, the wife of the CEO of search engine Cha Cha accused him of having an affair.

Over the last few years, the tech industry has seen a few sex scandals embroiling such blue-chip names such as HP,  Oracle and venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

Sex scandals can get you fired, but don't guarantee to do so. It's amazing how many of these execs have rebuilt their careers after having their private lives exposed.

Hewlett Packard CEO Mark Hurd resigned in 2010 after Jodie Fisher claimed he sexually harassed her.

In August 2010, HP chief executive Mark Hurd resigned in the wake of sexual harassment allegations by a contract worker (who was also a former Playboy model).

An investigation by outside legal counsel found that Hurd did not violate HP's sexual harassment policy, but did violate HP's Standards of Business Conduct. Hurd had invited Fisher to dinner with him after corporate events.

Today, Hurd is the president of Oracle.  



The wife of Scott Jones, CEO at ChaCha, publicly accused him of adultery.

ChaCha CEO Scott Jones's wife Vee recently claimed on Twitter and on her blog that he cheated on her with a ChaCha employee. 

Jones has denied the allegations, and his wife has since expressed distaste that her blog post and tweets became news. Based on the content of her blog post from yesterday, it appears that the two have patched things up. 



Ellen Pao sued VC firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield for sexual harassment last year.

Ellen Pao is the venture capitalist who accused Kleiner Perkins of retaliating against her for reporting an incident of sexual harassment. 

Pao ended up losing her job about five months after she filed a lawsuit. Kleiner denied all of Pao's claims. 

Back in April, Reddit announced that it hired Pao to help build strategic partnerships that benefit the Reddit community. 

Late last month, lawyers for Kleiner asked a judge to throw the gender discrimination case out of court, and let them negotiate settlement in arbitration. But Pao still wants her day in court. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

How Tech's Richest People Spend Their Vacations

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Richard Branson vacationTech millionaires and billionaires vacation a little differently than the rest of us.

Many have an assortment of homes to choose from all over the world, like Larry Ellison. 

Some vacation like regular people despite having deep pockets, like Mark Zuckerberg.

Check out how tech's wealthiest people vacation >

Additional reporting for this story was done by Andrea Huspeni

Bill Gates recently purchased an $8.7 million vacation pad in Florida. It's 4.8 acres and has a 20-stall horse barn for his daughter, who is a horseback rider.



Google's Eric Schmidt is hunting for a home in London. But in the meantime, he owns Ellen DeGeneres' old house, which he acquired in 2007 for $20 million.

Source: Financial Times



The master suite is 1,300 square feet and takes up an entire floor. It's a 4-acre estate with beautiful gardens.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The Oxford Dictionary Is Changing The Definition Of 'Marriage' To Include Gay Couples

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Portugal gay marriage

In light of gay marriage being legalized in the UK, the Oxford English Dictionary editors are changing the definition of marriage.

Currently, the prestigious dictionary defines marriage as the "formal union of a man and a woman, typically as recognized by law, by which they become husband and wife."

A secondary definition adds, "(in some jurisdictions) a union between partners of the same sex."

Now, the new definition will include both heterosexual and homosexual couples to reflect the changing times.

"We continually monitor the words in our dictionaries, paying particular to those words whose usage is shifting, so yes, this will happen with marriage," an Oxford University Press spokeswoman told Gay Star News, which broke the story.

There's no word yet on what the new definition will be, but the Oxford English Dictionary is not the first to get in on the trend. The French Larousse dictionary changed the definition of marriage to a "solemn act between two same-sex or different-sex persons, who decide to establish a union" before gay marriage became legal in France back in April.

And Canada defines marriage without gender: "The state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)."

SEE ALSO: Big, Beautiful Pictures Of The Jubilant Gay Pride Parade In New York City

Join the conversation about this story »

The Author Of The 'Eat-A-Bug' Cookbook Explains How To Make Tarantulas Taste Good

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Gord_Eat a Bug compDavid George Gordon is a self-described naturalist who's made a career of writing about and eating bugs. His famed "Eat-A-Bug Cookbook" is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, and now Gordon has released a revised and updated version, complete with new recipes and beautiful photos of dishes that actually make bugs look delicious.

Gordon was working on his 1996 book "The Compleat Cockroach" when he first realized how truly edible cockroaches are  they're full of protein and, as most New Yorkers know, are especially crunchy, he said in an interview with Business Insider.

Gordon soon began working on a cookbook that would include recipes for all bugs, not just roaches. It was published two years later.

These days, Gordon spends much of his time traveling around the country cooking bugs for daring audiences of hundreds (you can check his schedule here). 

He's been featured in Time and The Wall Street Journal, and he's been a guest on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, ABC's Nightline and The View. But perhaps Gordon's most impressive feat is making insect dishes seem attractive and even appetizing.

The bees in his Three Bee Salad could almost be mistaken for beans. Of course, they're not, and most people wouldn't dream of topping their salad with insects, but Gordon is quick to point out just how silly that is.

"80% of the world eats bugs in some form," Gordon said. "We're really the weirdos because we don't eat bugs. Western ideas about taste are pretty narrowly-defined."

Besides being nutritious, bugs are a sustainable form of food. In May, the UN released a report urging people around the world to eat more bugs, as doing so might help to fight world hunger.

For beginner bug-eaters, Gordon recommended crickets, which he said are crunchy, light, and easy to find at pet stores. He himself buys them by the thousands from a supplier in Louisiana and then freezes them, "so they don't hop around in the saucepan."

Wax worms, his personal favorite, spend their lives eating honey and as a result they taste surprisingly sweet. You can buy them cheap at bait and tackle shops. When they're cooked into his white chocolate and wax worm cookies, he told me, they taste "a little bit like pistachio nuts." 

But what about the stuff that's harder for people to swallow (in more ways than one), like tarantulas? Gordon's solution: deep-fry them.

"I singe off the hairs, dip them in tempura batter and then deep-fry them," he laughed. "I always say I'll eat anything deep-fried!" 

Beneath the surface, the spiders have a unique texture. "Tarantulas have a body armor that's very pliable," Gordon explained. "Their legs are full of this long white muscle, and people are always surprised by how chewy they are."

When I brought up the hordes of cicadas that blanketed much of the East Coast during May and June, Gordon had a lot to say. 

"Cicadas are full of vitamins, minerals and proteins," he told me. "The best time to get one is just after it's emerged from the ground but before it's begun to grow a hard shell. Some people say they taste like soft-shell crab." His book includes a recipe for a cicada-and-artichoke-topped pizza that's called Piz-zz-zz-za.

As far-out as his recipes may be, Gordon himself is very down-to-earth, especially when it comes to his expectations for bugs as food.

"Do I expect the whole world to start eating bugs? No, but I want to make people question their ideas about what's acceptable to eat and where those ideas come from," he said. "We eat chicken eggs, and that's kind of weird when you really think about it."

He may be onto something.

Gordon shared three of his bug recipes with us. The rest are in his book, available on Amazon.

Three Bee Salad (yields 4 servings)

Three Bee Salad

1/2 cup (about 40) frozen adult bees; 1/2 cup (about 60) frozen bee pupae; 1/2 cup (about 60) frozen bee larvae; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 6 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste; 1 ounce bee pollen granules; Lettuce for serving; Nasturtium petals or other edible flowers for serving.

1. Bring two quarts of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the adult honeybees and return to boil for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bees from the water. Pat dry with paper towels and allow to cool.

2. To the same water, add the honeybee pupae. Repeat the procedure for cooking the adult bees (but watch how you pat these little guys with the paper towels!), also allowing the pupae to cool.

3. Repeat the same process with the honeybee larvae.

4. In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the cooked adult bees, followed by the pupae, then the larvae.

5. Immediately before serving, add the bee pollen granules, stirring the mixture to ensure that the granules are evenly distributed.

6. Serve on a bed of lettuce, decorated with the nasturtium petals, a bee-utiful touch for this bee-atific dish.

Sheesh! Kabobs (yields 6 servings)

Sheesh Kabobs Bugs

12 frozen katydids, grasshoppers, or other large-bodied Orthoptera, thawed; 1 red bell pepper, cut into 11/2-inch chunks; 1 small yellow onion, cut into 8 wedges

Marinade

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon honey; 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs, such as parsley, mint, thyme, and tarragon; 1/4 teaspoon salt; Pinch of freshly ground pepper.

1. Mix all ingredients for the marinade in a nonreactive baking dish. Add the katydids, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

2. When ready to cook, remove the katydids from the marinade and pat dry. Assemble the kabobs by alternately skewering the insects, bell pepper, and onion wedges to create a visually interesting lineup.

3. Brush the grill lightly with olive oil. Cook the kabobs 2 or 3 inches above the fire, turning them every two or three minutes and basting them with additional olive oil as required. The exact cooking time will vary, depending on your grill and the type of insects used. However, the kabobs should cook for no longer than 8 or 9 minutes.

Deep-Fried Tarantula Spider (yields 4 servings)

Deep Fried Tarantula Spider

2 cups canola or vegetable oil; 2 frozen adult Texas brown, Chilean rose, or similar-sized tarantulas, thawed; 1 cup tempura batter (scroll down); 1 teaspoon smoked paprika. 

1.In a deep saucepan or deep-fat fryer, heat the oil to 350°F.

2.With a sharp knife, sever and discard the abdomens from the two tarantulas. Singe off any of the spider’s body hairs with a crème brûlée torch or butane cigarette lighter.

3.Dip each spider into the tempura batter to thoroughly coat. Use a slotted spoon or your hands to make sure each spider is spread-eagled (so to speak) and not clumped together before dropping it into the hot oil.

4.Deep-fry the spiders, one at a time, until the batter is lightly browned, about 1 minute. Remove each spider from the oil and place it on paper towels to drain.

5.Use a sharp knife to cut each spider in two lengthwise. Sprinkle with the paprika and serve. Encourage your guests to try the legs first and, if still hungry, to nibble on the meat-filled mesothorax, avoiding the spider’s paired fangs, which are tucked away in the head region.

Tempura Batter

1 medium egg; 1/2 cup cold water; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.

1.To make the batter, beat the egg in a small mixing bowl until smooth. Slowly add the cold water, continuing to beat until evenly mixed. Add the flour and baking soda and beat gently until combined; the batter should be a bit lumpy.

2.Let the batter sit at room temperature while heating the oil. 

Recipes reprinted with permission from The Eat-A-Bug Cookbook, Revised by David George Gordon (Ten Speed Press, © 2013). Photo Credit: Chugrad McAndrews.

SEE ALSO: These Insect Dishes Could Help Solve World Hunger

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The 10 Most Hospitable Cities In America

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people drinking in a truckbed in tampa florida

When you're traveling, hospitable locals can make you feel welcome with a simple gesture like a home-cooked meal or some good advice.

Apartment rental site Airbnb found the 10 most hospitable cities in the U.S.

To compile this list, they looked at over a million user reviews, which evaluated hosts in different cities for cleanliness, check-in, communication, value, and accuracy.

Tampa, FL, took the number one spot on the list, proving that southern hospitality still reigns. Other southern cities made the list, including Nashville and Raleigh, but several cities in the American west also proved to be hospitable. Perhaps not surprisingly, no large cities in the northeast made the list.

#10 Lake Tahoe, California



#9 Tucson, Arizona



#8 Nashville, Tennessee



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A Rare Look Inside The $8.3 Billion Construction Project Below Grand Central Terminal

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The Next Level. Hiroyuki Suzuki

In a series of 55 dramatic black-and-white photographs, Japanese photographer Hiroyuki Suzuki offers a rare look at what it's like to work deep underground in his new series "The Next Level: East Side Access."

The Metropolitan Transit Authority's ongoing East Side Access project will allow Long Island Rail Road trains to enter Manhattan by way of a vast new station that will be built 18 stories below Grand Central Terminal. The $8.3 billion project has been in the works since the late 1960s, and the MTA expects it to be completed by 2019.

Grand Central Station is celebrating its centennial anniversary, and the New York Transit Museum will display Suzuki's photos from July 23 to Oct. 27, 2013. The images are visually astounding and show just what it takes to embark upon a massive construction project like this one.

The Chrysler Building glows in the night as Grand Central looms large.



The tunnels are vast enough to hold cranes and other large construction equipment.



Three men cast shadows and provide a frame of reference that shows just how enormous the tunnels are.



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Here Are All The New English Premier League Uniforms For Next Season

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manchester united 2013 uniforms

English Premier League teams typically change their shirts every year as a way to generate more revenue. 

Unlike in major American sports, the vast majority of uniforms aren't considered sacred, and teams change styles and even color schemes (on away kits) all the time.

With about three weeks to go until the start of th 2013-14 season, we collected all the new kits from the 20 EPL teams.

Arsenal, away (they kept the home one the same)



Aston Villa, home and away



Cardiff City, home



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Aaron Paul And Bryan Cranston Drove The 'Breaking Bad' RV To The Show's Premiere [PHOTOS]

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bryan cranston aaron paul rv

The "Breaking Bad" cast rode in style to the premiere of the final eight episodes of the series.

The crew ditched the limos and arrived to the Los Angeles Sony Lot in an RV from the show.

Once they arrived, it was all fun and games as Bryan Cranston and co-star Aaron Paul got silly on the red carpet with cast and crew.

"Breaking Bad" returns to AMC August 11.

Forget limos. The "Breaking Bad" crew drove onto the Sony lot in none other than the show's iconic meth-cook RV.



Look who's driving!



Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman) took the wheel while Bryan Cranston (Walter White) sat shotgun.



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The 14 Most Impressive Women In The US Military

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Maria UrsoLess than a century ago, it was rare to see women in the military, and yet now women fight in combat, command airstrikes, pilot fighter jets, and oversee medical operations.

We've found the 14 most impressive women in the U.S. military right now.

These women have saved lives in the operating room, rescued fellow servicemembers while under enemy attack, set record times in triathlons and races, and come up with innovative ways to treat blast injuries, proving that women will forever have a place next to men on the battlefield.

Maj. Lauren Edwards led more than 150 Marines and several vehicles in defensive maneuvers during the invasion of Iraq.

Branch: Marine Corps

Rank: Major

Why she's impressive: A combat engineer, Edwards was leading a company of combat engineers during the invasion of Iraq when her unit's convoy was attacked in 2003. It was the first time she had ever been shot at, according to Why Marines Fight, a book by James Brady, but she led more than 150 Marines and several vehicles in defensive maneuvers, earning an award for valor in the process.

Edwards' physical strength is equally impressive; she can run a perfect male physical fitness test, which includes running three miles in 18 minutes, doing 20 pull-ups and 100 sit-ups in two minutes, a feat even males find it incredibly difficult to do.



Sgt. Sherri Gallagher is one of the top long-range rifle marksmen in the country, and was named Soldier of the Year.

Branch: Army

Rank: Sergeant

Why she's impressive: Gallagher, a shooter in the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, beat out 11 other competitors for the title of Soldier of the Year. She bested her competition — mostly male — in events such as hand-to-hand combat, urban maneuvers, detainee operations, casualty evaluation, weapons familiarization, and night firing.

Firing a weapon is Gallagher's specialty; she is one of the top long-range rifle shooters in the country and, as of last year, a member of the Golden Knights, the U.S. Army Parachute Team. 

For her accuracy and steady hand, Gallagher was named the 2010 Army Soldier of the Year by the Military Marksmanship Association, the first woman to claim this title.



Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester killed several enemy combatants while under attack in Iraq, saving American lives.

Branch: Army

Rank: Sergeant

Why she's impressive: Hester is one of the few women to be awarded for valor in close-quarters combat. When she and her squad came under fire by enemy combatants while stationed in Iraq, Hester helped repel more than two dozen Iraqi insurgents. 

Amazingly, Hester walked directly into the line of fire to kill at least three enemy combatants at close rangeaccording to a Washington Post article

Because of her swift heroism, Hester saved the lives of numerous convoy membersHer actions led her to become the first woman since World War II to earn the Silver Star Medal, the third highest award exclusively for valor in combat.



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