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An Entrepreneur Who Inspired A 'Wolf Of Wall Street' Character Is Selling His Crazy Tribeca Condo For $43.5 Million

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3 Hubert St Alan Wilzig $43.5 million

Alan Wilzig, a real-life inspiration for a character in Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street,” is selling his Tribeca condo for $43.5 million without a broker, The Real Deal reports.

The entrepreneur and semi-professional race car driver posted the home on Zillow.com as well as Facebook. 

“Feel free to share this with your luxury real estate friends for anyone interested in a Manhattan super-residence,” Wilzig posted on his Facebook account, according to The Real Deal. “All brokers protected. I have no problem paying or sharing in paying a commission(s) – but I’m not willing at the present time to grant an exclusive with any one broker or firm. (Especially since a dozen of my good friends are all NYC brokers.)” 

The 7,500-square-foot townhouse at 3 Hubert Street has a 2,500-square-foot roof deck, backyard, six bedrooms, and an attached garage where Wilzig currently stores his insane amount of motorcycle memorabilia. It also has bulletproof windows and a lighting system that would give Miami clubs a run for their money.

In the Scorsese film, Wilzig inspired the character at the pool party scene who introduced Leonardo Di Caprio’s character to his future wife. Wilzig originally took issue with his portrayal, lamenting that his red Ferrari Testarossa was left out of the scene.

An earlier version of this post said Wilzig had sold his home. The post has been corrected.

Entrepreneur and semi-professional race car driver Alan Wilzig is selling his townhouse for $43.5 million — with no broker.



In total, the home has 7,500 square feet of space.



It also has a 2,500-square-foot roof deck.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The Most Famous Animal In All Of Greece — Loukanikos The 'Riot Dog' — Has Died

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Athens Riot Dog

Loukanikos, the stray dog that became famous for joining anti-austerity protestors in Greece a few years back, has died, according to I Avgi, a left-wing daily newspaper in Greece. 

The dog, whose name translates directly as "sausage," has probably been the most prominent single participant in Athens' riots, especially between 2010 and 2012. He made it as a runner-up in Time's person of the year 2011.

He was a media darling two years ago, provoking regular admiration from the small army of journalists sent to report on the eurozone's crisis from Athens.

Loukanikos died this week, according to I Avgi, following health troubles that some people believe stemmed from his repeated exposure to tear gas. Here are some of the best pictures of Loukanikos in his rioting prime. 

Loukanikos was probably the most photographed participant in Athens' years of riots and protests.



Even if you're not sure if you know Loukanikos, you have almost certainly seen him in a picture of Athens' riots.



He was usually found in the thick of the action, at the front of the crowds.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

12 Donald Trump Businesses That No Longer Exist

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donald trump

Donald Trump catapulted himself into the spotlight with his gilded real estate ventures and vibrant personality.

The latter is what has made his show "The Apprentice" such a huge success.

And over the years, he's had an opinion or two about the business world.

"In the end, you're measured not by how much you undertake but by what you finally accomplish," Trump once said.

But like any successful business person, Trump has had his share of setbacks.

Here, we present to you 12 Trump businesses that went belly up or no longer exist.

Trump Mortgage (announced in 2006 - closed in 2007)

What happened:
Trump launched his own mortgage company, and his son predicted that it would be the No. 1 home-loan lender in the US. And then ... the housing market completely crashed in 2007. Trump's mortgage company was shut down after a year and a half.

Shortly after the company's launch Trump said on CNBC:
"I think it's a great time to start a mortgage company ... who knows about financing better than I do?"

Source: Time



Trump Steaks (2007 - unknown)

What happened:
Trump launched his name-brand steaks specifically for Sharper Image (and naturally graced the cover of the Sharper Image catalogue) in 2007. They have since been discontinued.

The prices ranged from $199 for a pack of 12 steak burgers and four steaks, all the way up to $999 for a selection of 16 top cuts.

Bonus: The Trump Steakhouse in Las Vegas was briefly shut down following 51 health code violations, including expired yogurt and five-month old duck.

What Trump said about his namesake meats
"When it comes to great steaks, I've just raised the stakes! ... Trump Steaks are the world's greatest steaks ... Treat yourself to the very, very best life has to offer ... One bite and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. And believe me: I understand steaks. They're my favorite food."

Source: Business Wire



Trump Vodka (2006 - circa 2011)

What happened:
Trump dipped his toes into the "super premium" vodka industry around 2006. It's unclear when exactly Trump Vodka was shut down, but by 2011 the drink was no longer being produced "under the Trump trademark because the company failed to meet the threshold requirements," Trump's people said, according to Gothamist.

However, perhaps Trump should have considered expanding into the global "super premium" vodka market. Much to his annoyance, in 2011 Trump's name-brand vodkas were being sold in Israel without authorization.

What Trump said about the vodka when it launched
"By the summer of '06, I fully expect the most called for cocktail in America to be the T&T or the Trump and Tonic."

Source: Gothamist



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Everything We Know About 'The Walking Dead' Season 5

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the walking dead rick daryl

Warning: There are spoilers ahead!

Season 5 of "The Walking Dead" premieres Sunday, Oct. 12 on AMC at 9 p.m. 

The last time we saw Rick, Carl, and the rest of the gang, they were reunited at the mysterious Terminus before getting trapped in a boxcar. 

A record 15.7 million people tuned in for the season 4 finale earlier this year. Expect Season 5 to set another record this weekend.

Not caught up with the show? Here's what you should know about the new season before its return.

There will be 16 episodes.

Once again, the series will be split in two halves. 

The first eight episodes will premiere Sunday, Oct. 12 with the final episode airing Nov. 30. After that, fans will have to wait through the winter for the series to return in 2015.  



The first six minutes of the season premiere are supposed to be excellent.

Don't tune in late to season 5.

At San Diego Comic-Con, Cinemablend was told by multiple people on the cast and crew the first six minutes of the season premiere will be "seriously intense."

Lead actor Andrew Lincoln said he was shocked that some of the stuff they filmed even made it to screen.

"All of us were just dumbstruck and said, ‘We’re not going to be able to show this. We’re not going to be able to show this.’” said Lincoln.



The zombies will look even grislier.

Special effects makeup artist Greg Nicotero is going to make the walkers look even more decayed this season. 

"Greg is introducing a new state of decay to the walkers,"showrunner Scott Gimple told CinemaBlend. "He does walkers without noses and it doesn’t look fake."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

15 Incredibly Impressive Students At Stanford

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catalin voss, stanford

Stanford is easily considered the best college in the west. It's also the best in the country, taking the No. 1 spot on our list of the Best Colleges in America this year.

Known in particular for its exceptional computer science and engineering programs, Stanford is an active hub for talented and impressive students in all fields, from art to tech to business.

We've profiled 15 incredibly impressive undergrads at this top "dream college". They're starring in feature films, playing with the U.S. National Soccer Team, teaching kids to code, and a whole lot more.

Catalin Voss developed a facial recognition app that revolutionizes the way we learn.

Class of 2016

By the time he was 15, Catalin Voss produced the No. 1 podcast on the German iTunes store and commuted back and forth between his native Heidelberg and Silicon Valley to work with Steve Capps, one of the designers of the original Apple Macintosh computer.

By freshman year he founded Sension, a visual interface company seeking to revolutionize the way we learn. Voss and his team of roughly eight employees developed a lightweight facial recognition software, one that could track and understand many points in a person's face.

Their software can be used in testing and web lectures to improve the user experience (it might prompt you with a question if it senses you're not paying attention, or explain something further if you appear confused), and provide analytics to instructors about which test questions stumped students the most. Voss expects the product to be adopted by most major standardized test associations and universities in the next year.

His passion project, however, is Sension's groundbreaking Google Glass app, which allows the wearer to recognize people's facial expressions in real-time. It begins clinical trials with young people diagnosed with Autism later this month.



Clancey Stahr raises seven-figure sums as a partner at a Silicon Valley venture capital firm.

Class of 2015

At 21 years old, you're probably more likely to expect Clancey Stahr to be pitching to venture capitalists, rather than being one. But Stahr has been working at cross-border venture capital firm ZenShin Capital for the last two years, advising startups on product design, business strategy, intellectual property, and general legal advice. He was recently made partner at the firm — the third after the company's two co-founders.

Stahr leads the firm's investments in two major startup clients, Iotera and Simple Emotion, and sits on Simple Emotion's board of directors. Stahr has also raised significant capital, an undisclosed seven-figure sum, for the first close of ZenShin's Core Technology Fund.

School doesn't stop for the Management Science and Engineering major, who still manages to get all his coursework done while working anywhere from 30 to 40 hours a week in Silicon Valley.

Stahr graduates in May and plans to continue in his role as partner at ZenShin, but hopes to someday start his own company.



Garima Sharma is working to end the child bride epidemic in India.

Class of 2015

This past summer, Garima Sharma set off to teach human rights education to girls in Forbesganj, India on a Stanford fellowship. While there, she interviewed 80 mothers in order to better understand why they force their daughters into early marriage.

India is home to 24 million child brides, according to the New Delhi native. The consequences of marrying so young can be devastating: A child bride is twice as likely to suffer from spousal domestic violence and 1.5 times more likely to die in child birth.

"The aspirations that parents have for their daughters shape decisions around education, marriage, and career choices," Sharma says. "I want to better understand the incentives that drive parents' decision-making process[es]." She designed a research study and spent more than 100 hours interviewing the mothers.

Sharma, who also designed and implemented a curriculum to engage adolescent girls in Forbesganj who are at risk of trafficking, plans to pursue a joint MBA/MPA-ID degree and one day run an organization that provides sustainable livelihoods to girls and women in small-town Indian communities.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

18 Haunting Photos Of Deserted Sears Stores

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Dead sears mall

Sears is in trouble. 

The retailer has been bleeding cash and closing hundreds of stores for years.

Now the stock is taking a beating following a Bloomberg report that a vendor had halted shipments to Sears stores due to liquidity concerns.

"That's typically the start of a retail death spiral," writes Yahoo News' Jeff Macke."Merchants that can't afford to put goods on the shelf tend not to survive for long."

In response, Sears called the Bloomberg report "misleading" and said the company has "significant financial flexibility" and that it "continues to meet all of [its] obligations."

But that did little to reassure investors. 

Nicholas Eckhart has been tracking Sears' downward spiral on his blog DeadAndDyingRetail.com.

The company has closed more than 300 stores since 2010 and at least a half dozen more closures are planned before the end of the year. For this post, we compiled Eckhart's images of abandoned or dying Sears stores.

This abandoned Sears in North Randall, Ohio, closed in 2009. It's part of the now-defunct Randall Park Mall, which opened in 1976 and once housed more than 200 stores before closing in May 2009.



The Randall Park Sears, seen from another angle, was the last remaining anchor in operation before the mall closed in 2009. The JCPenney closed in 2001, followed by Dillard's in 2003 and Macy's in 2008.



The Woodville Mall in Northwood, Ohio, opened in 1969 with JCPenney, Sears, Lasalle's, and Woolworth as anchors, Eckhart notes. The mall closed in 2011 and this Sears is now the last remaining operating business on the site.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

MORGAN STANLEY: Here Are 42 Stocks That'll Thrive Even If The Economy Gets Worse

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Catbells_Northern_Ascent,_Lake_District_ _June_2009

Morgan Stanley has released a new report on secular growth stocks.

The 42 stocks are companies they believe will grow irrespective of fluctuations in the business cycle.

Tech companies like Facebook and Google dominate the list. There are also a lot of healthcare companies, which are benefiting from the aging population.

"We believe that the names selected for this report can grow strongly even if the global economy grows more slowly than our current GDP forecasts," the report states. "Indeed, growth stocks on the whole tend to be less impacted by cyclical forces, one of the reasons that, over time, they’re more likely to meet or beat estimates than their value counterparts."

Note: The EPS growth is the projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2013-2016, the PE estimates are based on 2014 Morgan Stanley research expectations, and the PEG ratio refers to the price-earnings to growth ratio which is an indicator of the stock's valuation. Growth stocks with lower PEGs are generally considered cheaper.

Albany Molecular Research, Inc.

Ticker: AMRI

EPS growth: 25%

PE 2014: 24.6

PEG ratio: 0.7

As a "provider of outsourced contracted manufacturing and discovery research services to the Biopharma industry," Albany Molecular research is "well positioned to benefit from secular trend of increased outsourcing," according to Morgan Stanley's Ricky Goldwasser.

Source: Morgan Stanley



Alexion Pharmaceuticals

Ticker: ALXN

EPS growth: 42%

PE 2014: 33.6

PEG ratio: 0.6

"Alexion’s key drug Soliris continues to expand into additional indications," according to Morgan Stanley's Matthew Harrison. "We look to indications for transplant support to drive additional growth over the next few years." 

Source: Morgan Stanley



American Tower Corp.

Ticker: ALXN

EPS growth: 14%

PE 2014: 43.9

PEG ratio: 1.0

The company will see "strong secular growth trends driven by the demand for mobile data in the US and emerging markets," according to Morgan Stanley's Simon Flannery.

Source: Morgan Stanley



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The Amazing 70-Year Evolution Of The Batmobile

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Batman Batmobile

Since the 1960s, one man has been able to protect Gotham from the myriad of enemies that have besieged the city.

He's Bruce Wayne by day, Batman by night.

And just like how the Caped Crusader's logo has changed over the last 70 years, his vehicle has gone under a similar evolution.

From the original Batmobile to the Tumbler of the recent Dark Knight films, the car has changed massively to suit whatever adventure Batman is on.

With Comic Con coming to New York this weekend — and with "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" hitting theaters in 2016 — we figured this would be a good time to revisit the iconic Batmobile's history. 

We consulted withbatmobilehistory.com to figure out some of the hottest rides the Caped Crusader has used over the the last 70 years.

[An earlier version of this post was written by Travis Okulski.]

The first car to be referred to as a 'Batmobile' appeared in Detective Comics #48 way back in 1941. It was far more subtle than any of its successors; It just had a small gold bat on the hood. The car looks to be based on a Cord Roadster.

Source: www.batmobilehistory.com



Perhaps the most famous Batmobile comes from the 1960's TV series starring Adam West. Based on a Lincoln Futura, king customizer George Barris designed this bat-ride with a number of cool gadgets and unique features.

Source: www.batmobilehistory.com



The Batmobile from the 1970's 'Superfriends' series is an evolution of the 1960s Futura. Color went from black to blue and the now iconic Bat-logo made an appearance.

Source: www.batmobilehistory.com



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Bill Gates Reportedly Dropped $18 Million On This Southern California Horse Ranch

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bill gates ranchMicrosoft billionaire Bill Gates has reportedly purchased a 228-acre horse farm in Rancho Santa Fe, California, the Wall Street Journal reports. According to property records, the purchase price was a cool $18 million.

The estate formerly belonged to weight-loss expert Jenny Craig, who initially listed the property for $30 million several years ago. 

The property, known as the Rancho Paseana, includes a 3/4-mile racetrack, guesthouse, office, veterinarian's suite, orchard, and five barns. 

Gates' daughter Jennifer regularly participates in equestrian competitions, and the family owns another horse farm in Wellington, Florida.

Rancho Paseana is located about 20 minutes north of San Diego, in a valley in Rancho Sante Fe, California.



The horse-training facility had been owned by the Craig family for more than a decade.



They had hoped to sell to someone who also had a passion for horses.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Life Can Be A Burden — These People Are Carrying A Lot Of Stuff!

GOLDMAN SACHS AND TEEN VOGUE: Here Are The 50 Brands That Young Women Love

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Converse

Goldman Sachs' equity research team and Teen Vogue's fashion experts teamed up to produce the definitive "Teen Vogue-Goldman Sachs Love List"— a list of the top 50 brands that "It Girls" love.

They focused specifically on the "It Girl" consumer  because she is "more educated on the brands, owns more of them, talks about them more, and has stronger opinions on them."

"Our 2013 'Brands Rising' index included brands that It Girls gave high marks for but were still off the radar for the National Sample," they wrote. "In 2014, 75% of these brands had significant increases in National familiarity and scored high on affinity, supporting the idea that It Girls set the tone for others."

To find the top 50 brands, Goldman polled over 1,200 Teen Vogue 'It Girls' on approximately 350 brands.

The survey takes into account three metrics, each of which was given a score out of 100. 

Two of the metrics were pretty standard: familiarity and affinity. Familiarity measured whether or not the respondent knew the brand, and affinity measured whether or not the respondent liked the brand.

The third metric was "word of mouth," which measured how much respondents discussed a brand relative to others. This metric is especially important today when young millennial women are increasingly discussing brands via social media like Instagram and Pinterest.

Goldman Sachs writes that "familiarity", "affinity" and "world of mouth" all directly impacted "ownership" of a given brand.

50) Vera Wang

Familiarity: 78.7%

Affinity: 73.8%

Word of Mouth: 44.6%

Composite: 65.7%

Source: Goldman Sachs



49) Charlotte Russe

Familiarity: 84.4%

Affinity: 58.4%

Word of Mouth: 54.5%

Composite: 65.8%

Source: Goldman Sachs



48) Pandora Jewelry

Familiarity: 79.3%

Affinity: 64.3%

Word of Mouth: 54.0%

Composite: 65.9%

Source: Goldman Sachs



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

These Images Will Make You Regret Sleeping In And Missing Yesterday's Eclipse

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lunar eclipse 2014

Yesterday morning, on Oct. 8, Earth passed directly between the sun and full moon leading to the final total eclipse of this year.

The eclipse began at 4:17 a.m. EDT (1:17 a.m. PDT) and lasted through 9:05 a.m. EDT (6:05 PDT). If you were too busy in your bed, dreaming of lunar eclipses and missed it, don't worry.

Some of our awesome readers in Australia, California, Utah, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere were up and ready with cameras

Check out some of the amazing photos they took!

Between 2:30 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. PT, Russ Opdahl took a series of images from full moon, to partial eclipse, and finally to total eclipse. He combined the images here in this gorgeous compilation that ends with a brilliantly bloody moon.



Levi Santana, who is an amateur photographer in Quakers Hill, North South Wales, Australia, captured the lunar eclipse in its full blood-red mask as seen in the bottom right of the image compilation.



You can see the eclipsed moon in the background to the left of this great pre-morning shot of the Indiana State Capitol Building taken by Missy Scarlett.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

How To Make The Most Of Your iPhone's Camera In iOS 8 (AAPL)

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frontback iphone camera app

The iPhone's camera has been regarded as one of the best smartphone cameras in the industry.

However, some other smartphone manufacturers offer more editing and software features tailored to photography than Apple does.

But with iOS 8, Apple gives you some more tools to work with.

You can now record time lapse videos, adjust the exposure more easily while shooting, and edit specific lighting elements more closely.

Here's are some tips that help you take advantage of these additions. 

Use time lapse to record video that emphasize changes over time. Time lapse works best when you keep the camera still for a long period of time.



Adjust the exposure by tapping the image and moving the slider. You can increase the exposure to brighten your subject in dark conditions. In this photo, the flower is too dark since there's a shadow over it.



After increasing the exposure, you'll notice the flower looks brighter and more colorful. The leaves in the background are a little too exposed, but this could work if you plan to crop the image to focus on the flower.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

CITI: Here's What The World's Big Economies Will Do In The Next 4 Years

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colorful chocolates

There's a big divergence going on in the global economy right now.

Growth in the US is picking up as Europe, Japan, and the emerging markets slow.

In its latest monthly Global Economic Outlook and Strategy report, Citi's Willem Buiter and his team downgrade the firm's expectation for global growth after "notable downgrades" to several emerging markets including Brazil, China, and Russia.

"Our global growth forecasts continue to drift down, and we are cutting 0.1 percent off our 2015 forecast this month, and now look for global GDP growth of 2.8% this year and 3.3% for 2015 (at current exchange rates)," Buiter wrote. "This is the second consecutive monthly downgrade to our 2015 growth forecast, while in total we have cut our 2014 forecast by 0.5 percent (from 3.3% to 2.8%) since January."

Buiter's 52-page note offers commentary on every major economy covered by Citi's army of economists. We highlight a few of the viewpoints for 36 major economies in the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. We also include GDP growth forecasts through 2018.

The US will see solid growth in the next few quarters.

GDP Growth Forecast

  • 2014: +2.3%
  • 2015: +3.3%
  • 2016: +3.2%
  • 2017: +2.7%
  • 2018: +2.2%

"Improving consumer and business fundamentals, along with supportive financial conditions (including a massive rise in wealth) are pointing to a solid 3 percent (or better) growth in the next few quarters," writes Citi's Peter D'Antonio. "The rebound in growth, especially in private domestic demand, should help drive the unemployment rate below 6 percent later this year."

Source: Citi



Japan's central bank will implement more easing measures.

GDP Growth Forecast

  • 2014: +0.9%
  • 2015: +0.6%
  • 2016: +1.2%
  • 2017: +1.2%
  • 2018: +1.0%

"We expect the BoJ will implement additional easing measures during the period between late October and January 2015," write Citi's Kiichi Murashima and Naoki Iizuka. "Recent sharp yen depreciation, along with the resultant rally in equity markets, has probably reduced the possibility of early easing (say, in late October). We believe that fresh easing in January 2015 — after PM Abe’s official decision to implement the tax hike — is most likely now.

Source: Citi



Germany's consumer confidence is weakening.

GDP Growth Forecast

  • 2014: +1.5%
  • 2015: +1.8%
  • 2016: +2.1%
  • 2017: +1.9%
  • 2018: +1.8%

"German sentiment indicators have continued to weaken and consumer confidence is now also weakening (from a very high level) in response to a string of weak data and external risks," writes Citi's Ebrahim Rahbari. "We currently expect 0.5% QQ Q3 growth, but acknowledge that the strong rebounds in industrial production and exports in July point to the possibility of a higher figure."

Source: Citi



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

How This Woman Became The Top Reviewer On Amazon And Started Getting Tons Of Free Stuff (AMZN)

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joanna danemanBeing Amazon's top reviewer comes with some sweet perks.

Just ask Joanna Daneman, a Delaware woman who has achieved Amazon's Hall of Fame recognition 12 different years, making her the #1 Hall Of Fame reviewer of all time.

She's part of the company's elite, invitation-only Vine program, which means that she gets boatloads of new products sent to her for free.

"It's almost an embarrassment of riches," Daneman tells Business Insider of the trove of stuff Amazon sends her at least once a month. 

Amazon started the Vine program seven years ago to help increase its number of useful reviews. Its only stipulations are that participants need to write reviews of the objects they receive and they can't resell the products afterwards. Companies pay a fee to Amazon to participate. 

Since joining Amazon, Daneman has written nearly 3,000 reviews, 97% of which other Amazon users have deemed exceptionally helpful and says that she averages one post a day, though sometimes it's much more.

Although she isn't the most prolific reviewer on Amazon (another Hall of Fame member has written more than 30,000), Daneman's reviews are insightful, easy to read, full of detail and personal touches, and occasionally funny

Here's her profile at the top of Amazon's rankings:

Amazon_s_Top_Customer_Reviewers

Daneman receives a wide range of free products through Vine, from the super-expensive to the strange, including strobe lights, green tea powder, a "zombie dissection kit," memory cards, knives, a printer, a soldering iron, baby toys, and a Japanese kitty litter system. Often they're things that Daneman never would have thought to purchase herself otherwise.

When Daneman spoke to Business Insider she had just received a welder, which she planned to test out on a friend's farm over the weekend.

The system used to be that Vine Voices would receive a list of goods to choose from every month, but now, Daneman says, she constantly has a queue of new products that she can browse. She can't guesstimate the value of what she's received over the last seven years. 

Here's a five-star review Daneman wrote about a toy bear (she has a friend with a young child) that's packed with colorful details:

Joanna Daneman

But Daneman doesn't always give our five stars. She says she has received a lot of really good kitchen stuff, but this strawberry slicer didn't make the cut:

Joanna Daneman

Daneman admits the Vine program has kindled jealousy in reviewers who aren't part of it, who will sometimes ding a review just because a "Vine Voice," as members are called, wrote it. Daneman insists that just because she gets products for free doesn't mean that she'll give them glowing reviews, and that there is no obligation to do so from Amazon or the companies who supply the products. 

Daneman's fast-paced review-writing habit started in the early 2000s. She was living in Germany at the time and fell in love with Amazon because it was the easiest way for her to get her hands on English books. Daneman is a voracious reader — whipping through 30 or 40 books a month — and since shipping costs so much, she'd carefully pick through reviews before ordering a book.

She always found community reviews to be the most helpful, so she started writing some of her own as a way to give back. Her fun, frequent, and thorough reviews attracted a following, and when she came back to the states, she actually had several people come visit her. She's still friends with several other reviewers. 

Daneman kept her habit going because she loves to write, but doesn't like to journal. She works as a financial advisor, so she keeps her skills sharp through Amazon. 

"Amazon created a community," Daneman says. "Wherever else you might buy things online, you're not talking to anybody. On Amazon, you're yakking away to a bunch of people."

SEE ALSO: Amazon Has New Kindle Fire Tablets, And They Start At A Dirt-Cheap $99

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PRESENTING: The Most Stylish People At This Year's Silicon Alley 100 Party

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BI SAI100 Select 0121

On Wednesday night, Business Insider invited the hottest names in tech to come party with us and celebrate our SA 100 list for 2014. Many of those on our list were in attendance, including Lulu founder Alexandra Chong, PopTip founder Kelsey Falter, and Ori Allon and Robert Reffkin, the cofounders of Urban Compass. Many other notables were there as well.

While everyone was dressed to impress, some folks really stole the show. Our photographer, Michael Soto, captured the scene. Here's our selection of some of the most stylish at the party. Who says tech and fashion don't mix? 

David Goldweitz mixed formal and casual for maximum coolness, as only the cofounder and COO of GLAMSQUAD can.



Alexandra Chong, founder and CEO of Luluvise, epitomized simplicity and style.



Camille Fournier, CTO at Rent the Runway, paired a feminine dress with motorcycle boots.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 22 Coolest Things To See At New York Comic Con

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megabots, nycc 2014

New York Comic Con brings out the inner geek in all of us.

It's hard not to fangirl or fanboy all over the place when you're in over 800,000 square feet of exhibit space, packed with limited-edition collectibles, yet-to-be-released video games, stunning artwork, and costumed fans, or cosplayers.

Thursday marked Day 1 of the ninth year of New York Comic Con. If you were lucky enough to land a pass to this weekend's extravaganza, these are the booths you can't miss.

Each year, Day 1 of Comic Con — which falls on a Thursday and typically boasts a lighter crowd — gets more and more impressive. This year certainly did not disappoint.



Outside, gigantic "Teen Titans" balloons loomed over the entrance to the Javits Center. Robin seems to be having fun already.



Inside the lobby, Chevrolet and Uber showed off their limited-edition taxi fleet, each wrapped in designs featuring beloved characters from various comic publishers, studios, and production houses. Chevrolet and Uber teamed up to give free rides to the Javits Center in a fleet of nine specially decorated themed Chevys.

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This App Developer Turned A Ford Van Into A Fantastic Mobile Office Space

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Australian Van Office

David McKinney is an Australian app developer who turned a Ford Transit van into a mobile work station.

"It has all the usual office things like Wi-Fi, AC power, and a desk for working," McKinney detailed over at his blog."It also has a couch for thinking, a view, and fresh air. And it's always near the ocean or a place for exploring."

McKinney currently uses the workspace for developing the Product Hunt app for iPhones.

"I think most things around us can be designed to be better for people," he said. "Here's my take on the modern office  a better place to do good work."

Note: All photos used with permission.

McKinney started with a Ford Transit van.



The old wooden floorboard needed to be removed.



The replacement boarding arrives.



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HOUSE OF THE DAY: Banking Heiress Bunny Mellon's New York Townhouse Is In Contract For $41 Million

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Bunny Mellon's TownhouseA gorgeous townhouse in the middle of New York's Upper East Side has just gone into contract for $41 million, according to the Observer

Tony and Claire White, the sellers of the townhouse, wanted $46 million for the property, but the asking price eventually fell to $41 million. 

Built in 1965, the 11,100-square-foot, 14-room townhouse was designed by Rachel 'Bunny' Mellon, the heiress to the Listerine fortune who was married to the banking legend Paul Mellon.

She was a close friend of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and a notable horticulturist who redesigned the White House Rose Garden — needless to say, she had impeccable taste. 

Her gorgeous UES townhouse with its own private garden, listed with Sotheby's International Realty, is a testament to that. 

Welcome to 125 East 70th Street, Bunny Mellon's former home on the Upper East Side.



Let's step inside the home. The townhouse has 11,100 square feet and a total of 14 rooms.



It was designed in a French neoclassical style, and is basically decorated like a palace.



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The 25 Best Restaurants In America, According To TripAdvisor Users

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America has plenty of fine dining choices to delight travelers from all over the world.

Only 25 could be chosen, however, as the best by TripAdvisor users for its 2014 Travelers' Choice Restaurants Awards.

These restaurants include everything from the theatrical inventiveness of Chicago's Alinea to the conservative Southern charm of Charleston's Halls Chophouse. 

And since TripAdvisor's users were behind the rankings, we decided to let their reviews speak for themselves.

#25 Girl & The Goat, Chicago

809 W. Randolph St.

"The menu was very creative with well prepared dishes appropriately priced. This was our first trip to Chicago and when we return, it will be on the top of our list of places to go. We met a couple who had been to the restaurant the night before and because they had such a fabulous meal, they came for an early seating the next day. If we had another day in Chicago, we would have done the same thing." - TripAdvisor reviewer tennis40love.



#24 Jean Georges, New York City

1 Central Park West

"We eat here every time in NYC and it seems to get better with every visit. Every course is a work of art, no wonder so many camera taking so many foodie pictures. That every single item tastes even better than it looks every single time says everything about quality and consistency. Lunches are a bargain. The wine list is exhaustive and the staff is first rate. This is a don't miss NYC experience no matter how many days in the city." - TripAdvisor reviewer Wayne N.

 



#23 The River Cafe, Brooklyn, New York

1 Water St.

"We chose the River Cafe as it was a special occasion and felt that the Manhattan skyline lit up at night would be a fantastic backdrop. The tasting menu was DELICIOUS. We all loved each course and the chocolate Brooklyn bridge dessert was perfect to end it all. At first it seemed like it was an older persons type of establishment (men need to wear a jacket), but the location and food mean it is perfect for everyone." - TripAdvisor reviewer LosElvinos.

 



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