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These pictures prove how superstitious people are in Hong Kong

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In Hong Kong, good luck superstitions are part of daily life.

I saw these come to the forefront during my visit last February, which coincided with Chinese New Year. 

Walking around the city, I encountered golden cat statues in front of shops, and shrines inside to appease the gods. 

If locals need a “fortune boost,” they might journey to the big Buddha statue on Lantau Island.

Others turn to folk traditions like “villain hitting,” which involves beating up an effigy of your rival.

At Hotel sáv, I helped bring in positive feng shui by decorating a room with works of love.

For their grand opening, I watched lion dancers shake and jump, a ritual that brings success to new businesses.

Lion dancers perform at important occasions, such as festivals and business openings. The dance is supposed to bring good luck or fortune to the business or people who commissioned it. I learned that purple lions can stand up on their hind legs and swallow you whole!



Kowloon’s Hotel sáv hired traditional musicians and performers for their grand opening party.



The cymbals got louder and faster, and the lions twirled around in frenzy. Finally, they crouched and released a stream of confetti from their jaws.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Tour the world's coolest art museum without even leaving your bed

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louvre museum fountain little girl

The Musée du Louvre is the most visited art museum in the world — and it also might just be the most Instagrammed. 

More than nine million people visited the Louvre in 2014, according to an annual study conducted by The Art Newspaper. That's nine million opportunities for Valencia-filtered, perfectly square Instagram pictures of some of the world's finest art.

But some believe the use of cell phone cameras inside museums has gotten out of control. Many museums have started banning cameras and selfie sticks, in an attempt to create a more enjoyable experience for museum-goers hoping to enjoy the artwork without having to peer over dozens of amateur photographers. 

In 2005, the Louvre banned all photography, but the museum's policy has evolved since then. Today, the museum instructs visitors to "respect the collections" and allows non-flash photography inside its permanent exhibits.

Thanks to all the photos, it's easy to digitally get inside the Louvre without travelling to France. Searching Instagram for hashtags like #louvre, #louvremusuem, or even #louvreselfie will bring up thousands of these pictures featuring works by da Vinci, Bernini, and Michelangelo. 

SEE ALSO: Two of the women whose Instagram photos were hijacked by Richard Prince admit they didn't even shoot the originals

Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa," is undoubtedly the most famous piece in the Louvre and people take photos with it all day.

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Here's a look at the "Venus de Milo." Sculpted by Alexandros of Antioch, the statue stands over six feet tall. Note the selfie stick in the background.

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This is an Instagram picture of the "Winged Victory at Samothrace." Created in the second century BC, it's popular on Instagram in the 21st century.

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See the rest of the story at Business Insider

J.P. Morgan's secluded fairytale Adirondacks mansion is on the market for $3.25M

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J.P. Morgan s Adirondack Great Camp Uncas

You can now own a piece of the Adirondacks that has provided serenity for so many others for over a century.

The secluded Camp Uncas was built in 1895 by Brooklynite William West Durant, who is credited with perfecting the Adirondack “Great Camp” style.

While the compound is unquestionably a spectacular work, its claim to fame is that it was once owned by financier J.P. Morgan.

Morgan purchased the 1,500 acre property from Durant in 1897, and for the fifty years that followed, his family used it as a vacation home.

Though the property has traded hands several times since the Morgans graced its grounds, its roster of owners is no less interesting—nor is its rustic architecture.

Camp Uncas Property Line

After the death of the J.P. Morgan Junior in 1943, the family sold the lodge to Mrs. Margaret Emerson who used it to entertain distinguished guests from around the globe, including Secretary of State George Marshall, Madame Chiang Kai Shek and Bernard Baruch.

Camp Uncas’s history did however become somewhat less glamorous after 1965 when the property was sold to the Boy Scouts of Rockland County, New York. Years of hard use and little upkeep left Camp Uncas in desperate need of maintenance.

Fortunately for the storied property, Howard Kirschenbaum and Barbara Glaser restored the camp back to its former brilliance when they bought it in 1975. 

However, while the camp’s flame shined bright again, Kirschenbaum and Glaser’s faded. Following their divorce sometime in the 1980s, the property was split, and Kirschenbaum’s share of Camp Uncas is now on the market for $3.25 million.

main lodge gathering room

J.P. Morgan s Adirondack Great Camp Uncas lodge living

main lodge table

Although we are talking millions, for what’s being offered, this price almost seems to good to be true.

Camp Uncas was designated as a National Landmark by the U.S. Department of Interior in 2010 and is truly a masterpiece steeped in luxury and history.

In the main lodge you’ll find five-bedrooms, 3.5-bathrooms, and an intimate great room on the first floor—the perfect space for entertaining family and friends. A fieldstone fireplace serves as the focal point of the room, while exquisite built-in furniture throughout the lodge combine design and functionality. 

These original rustic furnishings are also included with the purchase, which should make it easy for the next owners to settle in.

main lodge master bedroom 2

J.P. Morgan s Adirondack Great Camp Uncas bed

J.P. Morgan s Adirondack Great Camp Uncas tub

Amenities in the home are for the most part modest, but can easily be given an update to meet modern needs.

On the other hand, little needs to be done to the decor and finishes, as they seem almost untouched by time.

Remnants of the camp’s past, which date all the way back to when Durant was a resident, are evident all throughout. For example the queen-sized bed in the master bedroom is dressed in an original Uncas blanket, and filling this same room you’ll find rare arts-and-crafts furniture including a Gustav Stickley night stand. 

JPMorgan Adirondacks 12

J.P. Morgan s Adirondack Great Camp Uncas 2

A few steps from the kitchen is the covered screened porch, which serves as a major room of the house three seasons of the year. One area seats 12 people for outdoor dining, while another area provides a sitting space filled with the original couch and porch rockers, plus additional couch.

In addition to the main lodge there are another two cabins on site, The Hawkeye and the Chingachgook, as well as a boathouse. The two cabins carry the same homey charm found in the main building and provide excellent private quarters for visiting guests.

Hawkeye cabin

Chingachgook cabin

Boathouse

camp uncas landscape

Camp Uncas is sited within the Great Camps Historic Recreational Area, a reserve designated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as part of the Moose River Plains Wild Forest and Blue Ridge Wilderness Areas.

Although there is plenty to do on the property, there is also an abundance of hiking trails surrounding the home, and a sandy beach just a few minutes walk away, and you can also go fishing for trout and northern pike in the 60-acre Mohegan Lake which wraps three sides of the land.

The lake is also perfect for swimming, canoeing, kayaking, rowing or windsurfing. And as a bonus, the buyer of the Camp Uncas will also get an Emerson Adirondack guide boat original to the compound, two modern canoes and a row boat.

[Listing: J.P. Morgan's Adirondack Great Camp Uncas by Michael R. Franklin of Franklin Ruttan Unique Property Specialists]

SEE ALSO: Jailed hedge funder Doug Whitman is trying to sell his California mansion again

SEE ALSO: Andy Warhol's legendary Hamptons mansion is back on the market for $85 million

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The best sharks on earth, ranked by unusualness

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Leopard shark in kelp

There are more than 400 known species of sharks and they have been on earth for 420 million years. That's about 415 million years longer than humans have been around!

Humans are afraid of sharks because they look scary and sometimes attack people. But sharks should be more afraid of us — a full quarter of all shark species have been hunted to extinction by humans.

So, to help you become more familiar with these beautiful but scary beasts, we've ranked the best of the sharks based on unusualness, leaving out all the boring ones.

17. The Goblin Shark: Not only is it the ugliest shark, it's also the pinkest. At 3 metres (10 feet) long, the goblin looks terrifying. It lives near the shore, too. But don't worry, it's a slow swimmer and doesn't eat humans.



16. The Sawshark: It's got a saw for a nose! These 1.7 m (5.6 ft) sharks swim in schools and use their scary snouts to dig for prey in the sand.



15. The Frilled Shark: The frilled shark lives deep near the bottom of the ocean, avoiding the attention of the media. It gets its name from the six sets of frilly gills that sit like a collar behind its head. It has 300 teeth and grows up to 1.8m (6ft.)



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 10 most disturbingly gorgeous dishes from NBC's 'Hannibal'

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hannibal cooking fixed

NBC's "Hannibal" is a series that is appealing for many reasons, but a big one is obvious from day one: The food.

"Hannibal" is lavish in its attentions to all things culinary, putting together better shot and more artfully presented food porn than anything you'll see on Food Network. 

Of course, food is also where the show gets most of its horror from, given its subject's horrific palate. The dishes cooked by Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) often appear succulent and lovely; revolting to the viewer only because they know where they come from (and sometimes, they still look good). 

Much of this is thanks to the work of "Hannibal"food stylist Janice Poon, who runs lengthy postmortems of the show's dishes—complete with non-cannibal recipes—on her blog, Feeding Hannibal. It's a page you may want to bookmark with "Hannibal" season 3 now upon us. 

("Aperitif," season 1, episode 1): Hannibal's first scene has him dining on what looks like veal. It's probably not veal.



("Amuse-Bouche," season 1, episode 2): Hannibal serves Jack Crawford what he calls Pork Loin with Red Fruit Cumberland Sauce. While we don't see him kill anyone, we probably shouldn't trust him.



("Oeuf,"season 1, episode 4): Hannibal calls this elegant dish "rabbit." It's a person. Surprise!



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

An investment bank made this epic presentation on the future of digital media (FB, GOOG)

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Investment banker Terrence Kawaja, founder and CEO of LUMA Partners, the company famed for its LUMAscapes, has a new, epic presentation on the state of digital media. 

It takes a specific focus on digital media and marketing. The central themes are around "open" platforms versus "closed" ones.

The top 5 trends LUMA picks out for 2015 and beyond are: Programmatic, mobile, omnichannel/personalization, identity, and convergent TV.

Here we go! LUMA's commentary is on the bottom of each slide.







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The 13 fastest-growing economies in the world

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Ethiopia farmers wheat Abay 2009

China's crazy growth has been one of the biggest stories over the past several decades.

But the Chinese economy certainly isn't the only one posting huge growth rates.

We compiled a list of 13 countries with the highest projected compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2014 through 2017 based on the forecasts from the World Bank's Global Economic Prospects.

Keep in mind that the fastest-growing economies typically aren't among the largest, most developed ones. In fact, most of these countries suffer from high income inequality, low levels of per capita gross domestic product, elevated political instability, and rampant corruption.

13. China

2015 GDP: +7.10%

2016 GDP: +7.00%

2017 GDP: +6.90%

2014-2017 GDP CAGR: +7.10%

Economy: China is a manufacturing powerhouse and exporter, and many believe that its economy will surpass that of the US within the next decade. The government faces major problems, however, as the country transitions into a consumption-based economy. Additionally, per capita income is below the world average.

Source: World Bank, CIA World Factbook



12. Rwanda

2015 GDP: +7.00%

2016 GDP: +7.00%

2017 GDP: +7.50%

2014-2017 GDP CAGR: +7.12%

Economy: Ninety percent of the population works in subsistence agriculture or mineral agroprocessing, while tourism, minerals, coffee, and tea round out Rwanda's economy. Though the country has taken significant steps forward since the 1994 genocide, 45% of the population still lives below the poverty line.

Source: World Bank, CIA World Factbook



11. Tanzania

2015 GDP: +7.20%

2016 GDP: +7.10%

2017 GDP: +7.10%

2014-2017 GDP CAGR: +7.15%

Economy: Tanzania has recently seen high growth rates because of gold production and tourism. The economy also runs on telecommunications, banking, energy, and mining, as well as agriculture. In terms of per capita income, however, the country is one of the poorest in the world.

Source: World Bank, CIA World Factbook



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

13 incredibly modest but insanely expensive homes for sale in Silicon Valley

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princess elleena court silicon valley

The current tech boom and mass migration to Silicon Valley have dramatically driven up home prices. 

Santa Clara County homes often sell for more than $1,000 per square foot. It's not uncommon for 1,000- or 2,000-square-foot homes that would be tear-downs anywhere else to sell for much more than $1 million here. 

Our friends at real estate listings site Point2Homes helped us compile a list of Silicon Valley homes that are listed for startlingly high prices.

You may be surprised to see just how little your money will get you. 

This $1.5 million home dates back to 1958.

Address: 15560 Blossom Hill Road, Los Gatos 

Price: $1.5 million

It has 2,355 square feet of space overlooking the hills. 



This house is "in need of repair," but it's listed for more than $1.5 million.

Address: 1565 Plateau Avenue, Loyola

Price: $1.595 million

According to the listing, it was built in 1938, and maintenance has been deferred for several years. 



This $1.8 million pad dates back to 1968 and has a solar-heated pool.

Address: 19766 Junipero Way, Saratoga

Price: $1.799 million

According to the listing, "it needs updating to make it your own." 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

THEN & NOW: The cast of 'Jurassic Park' 22 years later

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jurassic parkWhen "Jurassic Park" came out in 1993, it was a groundbreaking marvel. It revolutionized CGI while telling a compelling story.

With the next installment, "Jurassic World," out in theaters June 12, now seemed like as good a time as any to see where everybody from the original is today.

The actors and actresses who helped bring the original classic to life have found success long after escaping the clutches of the Velociraptors.

THEN: In perhaps the biggest role of his career, Sam Neill played leading paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant, who gets invited to the dinosaur-filled island home to Jurassic Park.



NOW: Neill reprised his role in "Jurassic Park III" and has appeared in TV series including "The Tudors." He now plays Inspector Chester Campbell in the British gangster drama "Peaky Blinders," which is preparing for its third season.

"Peaky Blinders" airs on BBC Two and can be seen on Netflix.



THEN: Laura Dern played paleobotanist Dr. Ellie Sattler, who accompanies Dr. Grant on his trip to Jurassic Park.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

19 iPhone-only apps that will make your Android friends jealous

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One of the best things about owning an iPhone is that you get a lot of the newest apps first before they arrive on Android.

It may not be fair, but it's a great perk for iPhone users. That means there's always something new to try.

You can enjoy exclusive apps from Instagram, cutting-edge photography apps, the best game we've seen this year, and even an app that will tell you the exact minute it's going to start raining.

 

Manual gives photography experts full access to all of your camera's settings.

Manual lets you open up the hood of your iPhone's camera, giving you full independent control of advanced settings like shutter, ISO, white balance, focus, and exposure compensation.

Price:$1.99



Robinhood is a no-fee stock trading app.

You don't have to pay any commission fees when you use Robinhood, a stylish new trading app that's backed by Marc Andreessen and Snoop Dogg. You can access market data and quotes in real-time, and Robinhood makes it easy to stay on top of your portfolio with its Apple Watch app and iPhone widget that you can check from your lock screen.

Price: Free



Fresh Air is our new favorite weather app.

Fresh Air is a gorgeous new weather app that emphasizes visuals with its minimalist weather graph. You can scroll forward in time to see how the weather will be in the future, and it also connects to your calendar app to give you forecasts on upcoming appointments.

Price: Free



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

9 brilliant business books you can read in an afternoon

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man reading book london

It's no secret that reading can help you get ahead. The most accomplished people tend to love to read.

However, starting a new book can seem daunting and overly time-consuming. The good news is there are several short business books loaded with powerful information about selling, managing, and investing. 

We compiled a list of the best business books with less than 150 pages that you can start and finish in an afternoon.

'Who Moved My Cheese?' by Spencer Johnson

"Who Moved My Cheese?" made it on "Shark Tank" investor Daymond John's list of business books that changed his life

Johnson's parable was an instant hit when it came out in 1998 and has continued to be a bestseller over the past decade. It tells the story of two mice, Scurry and Sniff, and two sprite-like people, Hem and Haw, living in a maze where the location of the cheese suddenly begins changing every day.

Johnson wrote the book as the internet started becoming more accessible, causing companies around the world to adapt and learn new ways of doing business. Its lessons on how to let go of a fear of change are timeless.



'As a Man Thinketh' by James Allen

This short classic should be on every entrepreneur's bookshelf. Published in 1902, "As a Man Thinketh" contains wisdom that transcends time. Author and coach Tony Robbins says he often recommends it to people "because it's so small and easy to read and so profound." He's read it at least a dozen times. 

In the book, Allen emphasizes that your life is completely under your control rather than in the hands of fate, luck, or external circumstances. To be successful, he says you must first be successful in your mind. 

 



'How to Lie with Statistics' by Darrell Huff

If "How to Lie with Statistics" worked for Bill Gates, it could work for you. The business magnate and bookworm included Huff's 150-page book about how statistics can be deceptive on his list of summer must-reads.

Although it was written in 1954, Gates promises it doesn't feel dated. Rather, it will make you feel smarter and more skeptical of the things you read.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Former Apple employee reveals his best tips for getting the most out of your Genius Bar visit (AAPL)

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Apple Genius Bar

One of the biggest things that makes Apple's retail experience so unique is its Genius Bar, a tech support station located inside its retail stores. 

It gives Apple device owners the chance to talk face-to-face with experts who can give them tips on what went wrong and how to prevent the same issues in the future.

But if you're getting ready to head over to the Genius Bar, there are a few things you should know beforehand. These tips should help you get the most out of your visit. 

This is an update of an article originally written by Dylan Love. 

Be honest about what happened to your device.

If you know why your device is broken, be upfront about it. An Apple Genius wants to help you, so don't sell yourself out by being deceptive.

Sometimes, a Genius will even reward you for being honest. Steve Black Jr., a podcaster who worked as an Apple Store Genius for five years up until 2013, said he once repaired a client's phone free of charge because she was honest.

First, she told him she had dropped her iPhone on a rug from one foot above the floor. But the damage was too extensive, and he knew that she was lying. So, he encouraged her to tell the truth, which she eventually did, and he covered the cost of the repair, which was $149.

"Be honest if you have a problem with the product because it's only going to help the technician in the end," he said. 



Especially when it comes to water damage.

A former Apple Store employee that spoke to Business Insider in 2012 said that people try to conceal water damage all the time, but "you can't hide water damage so don't lie about it. There's a sensor right inside the 30-pin connector that tells us if your device got too wet."



Back up your device before you bring it in to the Apple Store.

Make sure you back up all of your files before bringing it in. Black said that the Genius Bar will sometimes send a customer home if they haven't backed up their device, because they don't want to risk deleting the user's data. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Victoria's Secret just hired one of Taylor Swift's best friends to be a top model

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Martha Hunt

In April 2015, Victoria's Secret announced its newest lineup of "angels."

These 10 women would represent the famous lingerie company.

One of these women is Martha Hunt, a 26-year-old from the United States who counts herself among Taylor Swift's elite crowd of fashionable friends.

 

Martha was discovered in her home state, North Carolina.

Source: Vogue



She told Harper's Bazaar she was discovered at a modeling casting call when she was 18.

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 Source: Harper's Bazaar



She started with a smaller agency, and eventually, she worked her way up to the big leagues — IMG.

Source: Harper's Bazaar; IMG



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The 13 best tech companies to work for in the UK, according to employees

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Shazam Summer Party 2014

It's a great time to be working for a technology company anywhere in the UK. While London's tech scene is definitely booming, three quarters of Britain's technology companies operate outside of the capital. 

But out of all the people who work in the UK's tech industry, who has it best?

With help from job site Glassdoor, we've put together a list of the 13 best technology companies to work for throughout the UK. 

Only companies with UK head offices with 15 or more reviews on Glassdoor were included. 

While companies like Google and Facebook have topped lists of US companies favoured by employees, the UK's best-loved tech firms aren't all household names. 

What they do have are constructive growth plans, open and active management, and a great working atmosphere. 

13. Thomsons Online Benefits

Rating (out of 5): 4.4

About: Thomsons Online Benefits provides software to help businesses handle employee benefits administration and employee engagement. 

What employees say: 

"Lots of responsibility given if you are willing to take it on, strong leadership team, supportive and collaborative culture, good social scene."



12. Shazam

Rating: 4.4

About: Shazam reached "unicorn" status in January. The billion dollar company's music discovery app identifies music for its users through their smartphone's microphone. Since the company's 2002 launch it's grown to have more than 100 million monthly users across the globe

What employees say: 

"There are lots of opportunity for personal growth, and employees are encouraged to be continually developing themselves. Once or twice a month, team members will give "Tech Talks" where they present something that really stood out to them at a conference (which the company pays for them to attend), or something they're very passionate about."



11. Attenda

Rating: 4.5

About: Attenda is a cloud platform provider. 

Employees say: 

"Great people and culture, and a real opportunity to progress your career. It's big enough to ensure challenging work, but also small enough that you feel your views are listened to by the management team."

"Attenda is a fast growing company so lots of opportunity to progress. Great sports and social club, plus curry nights and beer o'clock every Friday afternoon, where the leadership team serve the staff!"



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

These 20 stars from blockbuster movies were replaced in the sequels — here's why

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Vegas Vacation chevy chase

When it comes to building franchises, Hollywood tries desperately to stay consistent. If the first movie is a hit, studios will try their hardest to keep the same directors and actors on board as long as possible.

But there are instances in which change is necessary. Sometimes for the betterment of a movie, but sometimes they leave viewers scratching their heads.

From "Batman" to The National Lampoon "Vacation" franchise, check out the most notable recastings in movie history.

In 1980's "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" we see the Emperor for the first time as he speaks to Darth Vader via holograph. The Emperor was actually played by Elaine Baker, then wife of special makeup effects legend Rick Baker. The voice was done by New Zealand actor Clive Revill.



For the next film in the saga, "Return of the Jedi," George Lucas recast the role with Scottish actor Ian McDiarmid, who not only went on to play the Emperor in the prequels, but was placed into the "Empire" scene when Lucas updated the films in the early 2000s.



Though Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for his performance as Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs" (and would play the part two more times), he wasn't the first to star as the good doctor.



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37 gorgeous pools everyone should swim in once

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pools

There are stunning pools all over the world, but some pools are worth trekking to. 

From the world's largest pool in Chile to a pool that makes it feeling you're swimming at the top of the Swiss Alps, here are 37 pools you'll want to cross off your bucket list. 

An earlier version of this post was written by Sara Bower. 

Rio de Janeiro's Hotel Fasano has a rooftop deck that overlooks Sugarloaf mountain and Ipanema beach.

Find out more about Hotel Fasano here >



The Hotel Haciende Na Xamena resort in Ibiza, Spain, is suspended 180 meters at the top of a cliff to offer amazing panoramic mountain and sea views.

Find out more about Hotel Haciende Na Xamena here >



The Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur, India, has a gorgeous pool that guests can swim in directly from their private rooms.

Find out more about The Oberoi Udaivilas here >



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

16 paradoxes that will make your head explode

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Jacques-Louis David death of socrates"I know one thing," Socrates famously said: "that I know nothing."

This statement is a paradox in itself, demonstrating the complexities of self-referential statements, but it also suggests a crucial insight from one of the founders of Western philosophy: You should question everything you think you know. Indeed, the closer you look, the more you'll start to recognize paradoxes all around you.

We've picked our favorites from Wikipedia's epic list of more than 200 types of paradoxes.

To go anywhere, you must go halfway first, and then you must go half of the remaining distance, and half of the remaining distance, and so forth to infinity: Thus, motion is impossible.

The dichotomy paradox has been attributed to ancient Greek philosopher Zeno, and it was supposedly created as a proof that the universe is singular and that change, including motion, is impossible (as posited by Zeno's teacher, Parmenides).

People have intuitively rejected this paradox for years.

From a mathematical perspective, the solution — formalized in the 19th century — is to accept that one-half plus one-quarter plus one-eighth plus one-sixteenth and so on ... adds up to one. This is similar situation to saying that 0.999... equals 1.

But this theoretical solution doesn't actually answer how an object can reach its destination. The solution to that question is more complex and still murky, relying on 20th-century theories about matter, time, and space not being infinitely divisible.



In any instant, a moving object is indistinguishable from a nonmoving object: Thus motion is impossible.

This is called the arrow paradox, and it's another of Zeno's arguments against motion. The issue here is that in a single instant of time, zero seconds pass, and so zero motion happens. Zeno argued that if time were made up of instants, the fact that motion doesn't happen in any particular instant would mean motion doesn't happen.

As with the dichotomy paradox, the arrow paradox actually hints at modern understandings of quantum mechanics. In his book "Reflections on Relativity," Kevin Brown notes that in the context of special relativity, an object in motion is different from an object at rest. Relativity requires that objects moving at different speeds will appear different to outside observers and will themselves have different perceptions of the world around them.



If you restored a ship by replacing each of its wooden parts, would it remain the same ship?

Another classic from ancient Greece, the Ship of Theseus paradox gets at the contradictions of identity. It was famously described by Plutarch:

The ship wherein Theseus and the youth of Athens returned from Crete had thirty oars, and was preserved by the Athenians down even to the time of Demetrius Phalereus, for they took away the old planks as they decayed, putting in new and stronger timber in their places, in so much that this ship became a standing example among the philosophers, for the logical question of things that grow; one side holding that the ship remained the same, and the other contending that it was not the same.



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A postman collected pebbles every day for 33 years and what he created is astounding

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More than 120,000 people travel to the commune of Hauterives in southeastern France every year to see the Palais Idéal du Facteur Cheval, a stunning palace constructed entirely from handpicked pebbles. 

ferdinand chevalOriginally called "The Temple of Nature," the man-made wonder was built one stone at a time from thousands of pebbles that postman Joseph Ferdinand Cheval collected for 33 years. 

He combined the stones with mortar and limestone to create the impeccably detailed castle.

chevalAt 26 meters long and 12 meters high on one end, and 14 meters long on the other, the palace is complete with pillars, buttresses, a terrace, and animals constructed from the postman’s memories of the postcards he delivered everyday. 

chevalThe palace has a fascinating history. 

When Cheval was 43 years old, he stumbled across an oddly shaped rock while delivering mail on the same 18-mile route he took through Hauterives every day. 

He was so fascinated by the rock’s shape that he put it in his pocket and took it home. 

"It was a stumbling block shape so bizarre that I put it in my pocket to admire at my ease ... I thought: since nature wants to do sculpture, I will do the masonry and architecture," Cheval wrote in his journal

That day began the next 33 years he spent collecting uniquely shaped pebbles to construct his palace, carrying them home first in his pants pockets and eventually in a wheelbarrow before beginning work alone overnight with an oil lamp for light. 

ferdinand chevalHe would mark the stones he found interesting while delivering mail, pick them up at the end of his work day, and take them to his collection garden, soon to be the home of his palace. 

After years of construction, the palace was officially opened to visitors in 1907. 

ferdinand chevalSince then, it has since been a treasured destination for visitors and a popular location for concerts by renowned pianists like Arthur H, quartets, and a variety of musicians during the end of June and July. 

chevalBut Cheval’s work with the pebbles did not end at his palace. You can also see the tomb he built for himself at the age of 78, known today as “The tomb of silence and endless rest.” The tomb is located 1 kilometer from the palace and free for visitors to see.

chevalCheval was able to build his magnificent creation without any formal artistic training, which is why his work has been a major source of inspiration for artists including Picasso, Jean Tinguely, and French writer André Breton, who dubbed the palace the precursor of surrealistic architecture. 

Today, the palace is open to the public year-round. Tours cost 6.50 euros for adults and 5 euros for children ages 6 through 16. 

If you have the chance to visit the palace, take a close look at the walls where you can see Cheval’s poetry, which he etched himself. Perhaps one of the most touching inscriptions is the one that reads, “The dream of one man.” 

SEE ALSO: The only way to see this incredible museum in Mexico is by scuba diving

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14 things successful people do in the last 10 minutes of the workday

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Man hailing taxi

Perhaps you spend the last 10 minutes of your workday staring at the clock, counting down the seconds until you're free.

Or, maybe you bury yourself in your work until the very last minute — then you grab your stuff and run for the door without saying goodbye to your colleagues.

If either of the above scenarios sounds familiar, it may be time to reassess your end-of-day routine.

"How you finish the workday is very important," says Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of "You Can't Be Serious! Putting Humor to Work.""It can set your mood for the rest of your day; it may impact your personal relationships, overall level of happiness, and how well you sleep that night; and it will set the stage for the next day."

1. They update their to-do lists.

Successful professionals always keep an eye on their ever-changing to-do lists, explains Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job." 

"But the last 10 minutes is when they also check their final progress against that day's objectives," she says. "They revise their final list accordingly while in the moment, rather than abruptly leave and hoping they'll remember all the nuances of that day in the morning."



2. They organize their desk and desktop.

Your projects take much longer to complete when you're not organized. "Having an orderly desktop and desk will help you think more clearly and prioritize more effectively. It'll also help you quickly find important documents when you need them," says Taylor. "File digital and hard copy documents for easier access and greater efficiency when you need them next."



3. They review what they achieved.

Taylor says in addition to focusing on what you still need to do, it's important to look back on what you've done

Kerr agrees. "Taking even one minute to review what you achieved can give you a sense of accomplishment, and on a particularly trying and busy day it can remind you that you got more done than you realized," he says. "Happiness research tells us that doing a simple routine like this, and taking the time to reflect on what you accomplished, is a key way to boost your overall level of happiness."



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NBA MOCK DRAFT: Here's what the experts are predicting for all 30 first-round picks

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karl towns

The 2015 NBA Draft class is considered a deep, talented class with several intriguing prospects.

With the draft rapidly approaching, experts are posting and updating their mock drafts, predicting which prospects will go to which teams on June 25.

We used mock drafts from nine experts as of June 10 to round up predictions for all 30 first-round picks.

The experts: NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper; ESPN's Chad FordDraftExpress's Jonathan Givony; Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix; CBS's Sam Vecenie, Gary Parrish, Zach Harper; USA Today's Derek Bodner; and NBADraft.net.

1. Minnesota Timberwolves — Karl-Anthony Towns, PF/C

Experts: 5 of 9

School: Kentucky

Other possibilities: Jahlil Okafor (4)

Key expert quote:Ford: "Towns has tremendous upside, no glaring weaknesses and he's a better fit in Minnesota, in my opinion, than Okafor."



2. Los Angeles Lakers — Jahlil Okafor, C

Experts: 5 of 9

School: Duke

Other possibilities: Karl-Anthony Towns (4)

Key expert quote: Givony: "The Lakers have been searching for a real low-post presence since they traded Shaq to Miami more than a decade ago. Enter Jahlil Okafor, the best back to the basket scorer in the 2015 NBA Draft."



3. Philadelphia 76ers — D'Angelo Russell, G

Experts: 8 of 9

School: Ohio State

Other possibilities: Kristaps Porzingis (1)

Key expert quote:Bodner: "Some league executives think Russell could be the best prospect in the draft, and he also fits a position and skill-set the Sixers desperately need."



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