Translucent sea. Palm fronds waving in the breeze. Beachgoers lounging in the sun.

No region speaks to total relaxation quite like the Caribbean, with its castaway islands and idyllic resorts.

So how to choose? Leave it to the jet-setting readers of Travel + Leisure who highlight their favorite resorts in the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Bahamas as part of the annual World’s Best Awards survey.

Check out these top-notch resorts >

In 2012, the 20 best resorts are spread across 10 islands, from Bermuda to the British Virgin Islands, and from romantic all-inclusive sanctuaries to private rainforest verandas. There’s a top-notch Caribbean resort out there, whatever your idea of paradise.

Ever-popular Jamaica, for instance, claims the most properties (for the second year in a row) with four winners, including secluded Couples San Souci (No. 5) in Ocho Rios. The 150 colonial-decorated suites come with wicker furniture, Gilchrist & Soames bath products, and latticework balconies for taking in ocean views.

Further south, St. Lucia is beloved for its black-sand beaches, dramatic jungle-covered peaks, and, according to readers, three top-ranked properties, including Jade Mountain (No. 4), with its private infinity pools and panoramic views of the Pitons, and its 47-room, art-focused sister property, Anse Chastanet Resort (No. 19), tucked among coconut groves.

Though many of the top-ranked winners have appeared on the list year after year, one hotel made a big debut: W Retreat & Spa (No. 16) on Puerto Rico’s offshore island Vieques. Set among low-key fishing villages, the stylish W Retreat added a dose of luxe island flair to a destination that’s on the verge of becoming a popular hot spot (Vieques was the No. 1–ranked island in the Caribbean this year too).

But there’s one resort that has truly won travelers’ loyalty: this year’s No. 1 winner, The Reefs, Bermuda. It’s the type of property that travelers return to again and again, thanks to perks like the private rose-sand cove and world-class spa.

And here’s proof of its staying power: the cliff-side hotel has been on the list for the past 10 years in a row—it’s the only hotel that earned T+L’s Hall of Fame honor.

Ready to plan your own warm weather getaway? Read on for the top 20 winning resorts in the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Bahamas.

SEE ALSO: How To Book A Last-Minute Warm-Weather Vacation >

SEE ALSO: Top Florida Attractions >

SEE ALSO: Best French Fries In The US >

SEE ALSO: America's Coolest Hipster Hotels >

SEE ALSO: World's Best Islands >

The Reefs, Bermuda

You’ll find plenty of familiar faces at The Reefs on Bermuda’s south shore.

It’s the type of place that families and couples return to again and again — perhaps one reason why the property stocks four Flip Video cameras to capture those classic vacation moments.

After more than 10 consecutive appearances on the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards, this iconic cliff-side resort has clearly earned its top-ranked status.

Nisbet Plantation Beach Club, Nevis

At Nisbet Plantation, the Caribbean’s only historic plantation inn right on the beach, you’ll spot green vervet monkeys from 36 wicker-furnished cottages spread among palm trees and beachfront hammocks.

Active types will want to head out with Reggie Douglas, Nevis’s reigning cycling champ, for a two-hour bike tour (the hotel concierge will gladly arrange the excursion).

Eden Rock, St. Bart’s

On chic St. Bart’s, this is the hotel for celebrity spotting.

What draws the boldfaced names? Each of the 34 rooms has a different aesthetic, and can include such idiosyncratic details as a rock wall or a Philippe Starck–designed bathroom.

We especially love the art gallery with a rotating selection of works on display (the space doubles as a studio, where guests can paint, too).

Eden Rock

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The world didn't end this week, so we'll enter a brand new year in just a few short days.

And there are some things I'd like to see happen in 2013.

Let's make it a productive, interesting year for tech.

I want mobile payments to become more mainstream

It's time to start leaving wallets at home. Starbucks' in-store payment implementation is a pretty solid indicator that it's completely feasible to pay for things without a credit card, regardless of if your smartphone is equipped with NFC or not.

I want to see an Apple television set

In true Apple fashion, all the rumors and speculation have everyone whipped up into a near-religious fervor.

"What do we want?"The Apple television!

"When do we want it?"Yesterday!

Count me among the people who'd like to see it sooner than later, even though analyst reports suggest we won't see it until 2014.

I want to get out of the "dot matrix" era of home 3D printing

Hobbyist 3D printers almost always rely on melting plastic and laying it down layer by layer in a process called extrusion. Plastic extrusion will get you pretty far, but for fine detail work or printing without seams, it leaves a lot to be desired.

The future of 3D printing at home seems to be stereolithography, where lasers shape liquid resin without heat, a technology currently in use with the Form 1 printer.

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For most people, getting arrested isn't a good thing.

But it hasn't seemed to bother these celebrities – at least not in terms of their careers.

Many celebs have been brought down by an arrest or two, while others get arrested over and over again.

But some have overcome the stigma of a criminal record and go on to cash in super successful careers.

Rob Lowe

Before Lowe was arrested in the late 80s, he starred in cult classics like St. Elmo's Fire and The Outsiders.

He was arrested in 1988 after a videotape surfaced allegedly featuring the actor having sex with two women, one of whom was only 16, according to CBS News.

After his arrest, Lowe went on to star in The West Wing, one of the most popular political dramas in recent memory.

Khloe Kardashian

Kardashian was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in 2007 and was later sentenced to 30 days in jail for violating her probation stemming from the charge, People reported in 2008.

No one can deny the arrest did nothing to hamper the youngest Kardashian sister's reality TV career.

In fact, her legal drama was even featured on America's biggest guilty pleasure show.

Charlie Sheen

Sheen has an arrest record nearly as long as Lindsay Lohan's.

Two standouts: He was arrested in 2009 on domestic violence charges stemming from an alleged fight with now-ex-wife Brooke Mueller, People reported at the time.

He was also charged with misdemeanor battery in 1997 after an ex-girlfriend claimed he abused her, according to Babble. He pleaded no contest to that charge.

But through it all, and until recently, Sheen maintained a successful career, starring in everything from Platoon to Two and a Half Men.

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At first, you'll be mystified by the 20 most-liked Facebook photos posted by advertisers during 2012.

The giants of Facebook advertising -- Walmart, Amazon, Target, Samsung, etc. -- are completely absent. In their place are some tiny businesses and niche companies you've never heard of. Sure, a couple of major brands like Bed Bath & Beyond are ranked. But mostly it's small players who dominate photo likes on Facebook.

Go straight to the list →

There are lessons to be learned, too. First, keep it simple. Almost all the most-viral branded pictures were posted under the most basic concepts imagineable.

Second, go off-message. The most popular pics often have little to do with the companies that posted them.

And third, it may be the case that the pursuit of likes just isn't that valuable. (Unless your brand is so small it really needs the publicity). Sure, you can get a LOT of likes for posting a pic of some cute babies. But does that lead to sales?

The data was compiled for us by Likester, which operates a marketing platform called Likester AdCenter. The list does not consider entertainment brands, celebrities, or other social media companies, like YouTube.

Oct. 17. Fruitree: "Hit 'Like' if you'd like to dig into this right now..." 655,745 Likes.

Image cred: http://sundaynitedinner.com/ginormous-fruit-salad/

Sept. 11. Spencer's: "'Like' if you used to pass notes like this in school!" 665,651 Likes.

Sept. 4. SnapBacks & Jordans: "LIKE to Say RIP :(" 692,689 Likes.

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This post originally appeared at Oyster.com.

There are plenty of different ways to travel in Europe – from shoestring-budget trips to over-the-top getaways worthy of the British royals.

Here at Oyster we’ve been lucky enough to be able to do both (seriously, the budget hotels in Europe are pretty nice!), but the holidays are for wishing and dreaming, so we’re going to help you put together your own list of top places to get pampered in 2013.

Keep reading and discover our favorite luxury hotels in Europe!

Hotel Plaza Athenee, Paris

The world-renowned luxury hotel Plaza Athenee— a part of the Dorchester Collection — is synonymous with Parisian elegance and good taste. Iconic red awnings and chestnut trees welcome guests to the historic setting, on the upscale Avenue Montaigne location with direct views of the Eiffel Tower.

It’s all about luxury here, inside and out. The avenue is lined with high-end shops such as Christian Dior, Prada, and Chanel. And inside, the 146 rooms and 45 suites are decorated in classic Art Deco style with modern touches like flat-screen TVs and marble baths. With six distinct restaurants, a large fitness center, and a can’t-miss daily breakfast in a leafy garden, the Plaza Athenee doesn’t miss a beat.

Our favorite luxe amenity: Guests have access to the Dior Institute for a full range of quality beauty and spa treatments.

Draycott Hotel, London

This 35-room combo of Edwardian townhouses is warm and intimate with a country home feel, and in a great location for exclusive West End shopping.

With wonderful boutique perks such as the free English afternoon tea (guests at other hotels often have to pay at least a £15 premium to enjoy such a tradition), free pre-dinner champagne, and free hot chocolate before bed, it’s hard to find much at the Draycott Hotel to complain about.

Our favorite luxe amenity: The hotel has a quiet private garden, perfect for reading during warmer weather.

Hotel Silken Puerta America, Madrid

Hotel Silken Puerta America is known for its over-the-top design, from the colorful facade of the hotel to the rooms. Each of the 12 floors was executed by a different designer, and range from futuristic, space-like decor to sexy style with levitating beds and bold colors.

This funky hotel offers free Wi-Fi and a small indoor pool. Hotel features include a hip on-site restaurant and a top floor bar with expansive views.

Our favorite luxe amenity: The Skynight Bar, designed by Jean Nouvel, boasts great city views.

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There are some sure fire ways to reduce stress: sleep more, laugh more, eat better, exercise often. 

But for some leaders, it takes week-long vacations every few months or even sticking their bare feet in the soil to reconnect.

For others, a morning ritual of doodling on a napkin does the trick. 

Whatever their quirky routine, the goal is the same: stop stressing out. 

Bill Clinton takes private mediation lessons with a monk.

After Bill Clinton underwent a quadruple heart bypass surgery in 2004, he has taken extra precautions for his health by becoming a vegan.

Although it's been years since Clinton has dealt with being President, he still travels often as an ambassador for the U.S.

To keep his mental and physical stress in check, Clinton takes private classes with a Buddhist monk in order to learn the art of meditation, which he says helps him stay focused and calm. 

Robert Freedman, former CEO of ORC Worldwide, draws on napkins.

When Freedman was CEO of ORC Worldwide, now renamed as Mercer, he drew about 300 sketches on paper napkins each morning with his coffee.  He told us the napkins were in fun shapes and they inspired him to circle the shapes and doodle with his flare pen.

The ritual gave him a chance to clear his head and do something creative before the day began. 

After he retired he self-published the drawings in a book titled, "Morning Coffee: Drips and Drabs Musings from a Manger."

Patrice Tanaka, CEO of Patrice Tanaka & Company, manages her stress by ballroom dancing.

Tanaka's business, Patrice Tanaka and Company, was suffering post-9/11 and she fell into a depression from all of the stress. She came out of it and still manages her stress today by ballroom dancing.

Dancing was so effective for Tanaka that she wrote a book about it called “Becoming Ginger Rogers.” The book talks about re-energizing and re-engaging yourself when life has taken a toll on you. 

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Wintertime has become veritable breeding ground for debt.

Not only are we under constant pressure to finance all the usual trappings of the season –– gifts, travel, and parties –– with credit, but there's always a constant stream of friends and relatives to entertain as well. 

The good news there are still ways to get in the holiday spirit that don't mean starting off the New Year in the red. 

We've rounded up a list of fun freebies that'll bring you closer to friends and family without breaking the bank.

Make your own festival of lights

If you can't make it to these ten cities for the best holiday light shows, look no further than your own front yard.

Host a "lighting ceremony" with your friends and family at home, then pile into the car to check out your neighbors' handiwork. Use last year's lights or borrow extras from family or friends.

The suburbs are known for friendly holiday decoration wars, with frosted yards filled with more LED-lit reindeer and blow-up Santas than you can shake a peppermint stick at. 

If you really want a show, hit up the wealthiest 'hoods in your town. If homeowners are crazy enough to enlist professional decorators to deck their halls for $1,500, why let all their hard-spent cash go to waste?

Play your own winter games

If you're lucky enough to live in snow-friendly parts of the U.S., grab your gloves and a couple of able-bodied friends for some good old fashioned snow games. 

Find a good hill for sledding or hit the lake for ice fishing.

For those in warmer climates, ice rinks often offer free admission as long as you bring your own skates.

Host a film festival at home

Movie tickets can cost up to $15 a pop these days, but your home is far cozier, comes with your own parking spot and – the best part – all the snacks are free. 

Try hosting a film festival from your living room. These days, you can stream Netflix and Hulu straight to your TV or, if you've cut cable, invite friends to bring their own flicks. 

Pop popcorn, make hot chocolate and curl up next to people you know, rather than rows of gibbering strangers. 

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A year ago, Goldman's Jim O'Neill predicted 11 surprises for 2012.

"One thing for sure we can say about 2012 is that there will be no shortage of things to think about," he wrote. 

"In some ways, for the discerning analyst and the ambitious alpha generating fund manager, you couldn’t wish for a better environment. The only dilemma is that it is probably quite easy to get something(s) wrong!"

We scored O'Neill's surprises and found that he spent most of the year being right than wrong.

#1 We won't talk about Europe quite as much

WRONG

This one is a bit hard to measure. But the bottom line is that Europe continued to be a big deal in 2012. "With a bit of luck, it might go back to being as dull as it usually is," said O'Neill a year ago.  An argument can be made that the crisis has receded, but it's far from dull.

Score: 0.0/1.0

#2 Italy and the EMU do not survive with Italy's 6-7 percent 10-year yield

BASICALLY RIGHT

Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Italy's Mario Monti and the ECB's Mario Draghi, 10-year yields are down, and the EMU hasn't fallen apart...just yet.

Score: 1.0/2.0

#3 Euro falls against the US dollar

RIGHT

"The Euro is more likely to reach 1.10 next year, rather than 1.50. I doubt it will see both, and it might not see either, but 1.10 is more likely than 1.50," predicted O'Neill.

Directionally, he was correct as the euro spent most of the year below where it started than above.  It got as low as $1.20, but no higher than $1.34.

Score: 2.0/3.0

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A few weeks ago, Investing.com was sold for a whopping $2.45 million.

But that's not even close to the highest price someone's paid for a domain name.

We collaborated with DN Journal and put together a list of the 25 most expensive domains in the world.

Not surprisingly, sex and gambling-related domains were the biggest money makers.

NOTE:  Web businesses have other assets and are not domain only sales, so they were not eligible for this list. For example, Insure.com was bought for $16 million as a fully-operating, profitable company.

DN Journal only reports domain names sold after 2003 because prior sales are not verified by credible sources. Also, most buyers and sellers remain anonymous for legal reasons, so names/companies are not included in this article.

21. (tie) Cameras.com - $1,500,000

Year sold: 2006

"Cameras.com attracted the highest bid in the live domain auction conducted by Moniker.com at the recently concluded T.R.A.F.F.I.C. East Conference in Hollywood, Florida," The DN Journal wrote in 2006.

"The winning bidder, Sig Solares (the CEO of Parked.com), wasted no time ponying up the $1,500,000 due, making that domain the first from the live auction that we have seen change hands."

21. (tie) Russia.com - $1,500,000

Year sold: 2009

Sedo.com brokered the deal back in 2009. Paley Media, based in Seattle, sold the pricey domain off.

21. (tie) Tandberg.com - $1,500,000

Year sold: 2007

"Tandberg Data, a leading global supplier and manufacturer of backup and archiving solutions, decided to take the cash offer for Tandberg.com from Tandberg, a leading global provider of visual communication products and services with dual headquarters in New York and Norway," The DN Journal wrote at the time of the sale.

The deal was actually completed in December 2006 but wasn't made public until early 2007.

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The Rothschild dynasty is, without a doubt, the pioneers of international finance.

Mayer Amschel Rothschild, the first of the family to open a bank, was honored by Forbes as the seventh most influential businessman of all time and the inventor of modern banking who introduced "concepts such as diversification, rapid communication, confidentiality and high volume."

Simply, Mayer understood and was willing to spend money in order to make money.

But the family's rapid rise to wealth has earned them much animosity throughout the annals of history. A quick Google of 'Rothschild family' reveals a vast number of conspiracy theories surrounding the allegedly unsavory means used to attain their fortune, the breadth of their connections, and their influence over major world events.

To be fair, many elements of the family's history are unsettling enough to pique mass interest. For instance, Mayer's primary manner of hoarding the dynasty's wealth was to institute a policy of keeping friends close...and family even closer.

But, as William Langley notes, one question looms large:

How did a down-on-its-luck brood of German street traders emerge, seemingly overnight, to become the prime facilitators of modern capitalism, the wielders of immense political power and, as the historian Niall Ferguson puts it in The House of Rothschild, “the richest family in all of history”?

Here's the answer; the tale of how Mayer and his sons established an international banking dynasty.

The Rothchilds come from humble beginnings: the Jewish ghetto in Frankfurt known as the Judengasse.

Mayer Amschel Rothschild, original architect of the family fortune, was born in 1744. He lived above the family shop with up to 30 relatives in extremely cramped conditions.

Source: The House of Rothschild

Mayer Rothchild's father was a trader and money changer.

Mayer's father, Amschel Moses, worked as a money changer and silk cloth trader, and had Prince William of Hesse on his client list.

However, Amschel wasn't a rich man by any stretch of the imagination, as his meager dwelling suggests.

Source: The House of Rothschild

After his parents passed away at the age of 12, Mayer went to Hanover to learn finance.

Mayer left rabbinical school in Furth, and honed the craft he had dabbled in as a child. In a letter, he wrote "in my youth I was...a very active merchant, but I was disorganized, because I had been a student [of the Talmud] and learnt nothing [about business]." He worked as an apprentice at the firm of Wolf Jakob Oppenheimer, who provided credit to royalty and engaged in international trade, especially in bullion.

Source: The House of Rothschild

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Have you ever heard of a company called Luxottica?

We hadn't until we watched a 60 Minutes segment about them recently.

What we learned was pretty shocking!

The details:

• Luxottica is a $20 billion company. 
• It makes glasses and sells them.
• 500 million people wear its products.
• 65 million pairs were sold last year.
• It owns Ray Bans and Oakley. It makes glasses for other brands it does not own, including Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Prada, Burbury, Prada, Tiffany, and many more.
• It owns glasses stores Lenscrafters, Pearle Vision, Oliver Peoples, Sunglass Hut and others.
• It owns Eyemed, the nation's most popular vision insurance company.

Because it owns so much of the eyewear industry – from supply chain to distribution – Luxottica is able to charge very high prices for the glasses it sells.

The average frame plus lenses costs $300 at Lenscrafters. That's about 20X more that it costs to make them.

Some people think this is an unfair ripoff. 

Some people believe that Luxottica is a monopoly that cannot be defeated.

One company that does not feel this way is New York-based startup Warby Parker, which is on a never-say-die mission to destroy Luxottica.

Our friends at The Daily Muse recently took a trip to Warby Parker's office, and came back with a photo-heavy profile of the company.

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Sarah Park of Matador Network brings us some of the most dangerous, beautiful, and downright weird wonders of the natural world.

See the bizarre natural phenomena >

More From Matador Network:

14 Natural Wonders from South America

7 Beautifully Bizarre Beaches

18 Places to Feel Dwarfed by Nature

Bioluminescent Red Tide

When conditions are just right, ocean phytoplankton reproduce like bunnies, creating a thick, visible layer near the surface. These algae blooms (a.k.a "red tide") might look disgusting during the day, but in parts of California and other places where the bioluminescent variety of Noctiluca scintillans bloom, red tide nights look out of this world.

This particular variety of phytoplankton glows blue when agitated, transforming the dark ocean into a giant lava lamp. Watch the waves light up as they crash, run across the sand to see the ground glow under your feet, or dive in to be surrounded by the bizarre Timex-y glow. N. scintillans is also the culprit behind the Bioluminescent Bays in Puerto Rico.

Foxfire

During the late summer, a faint, eerie glow can be seen in forests around the world, where bioluminescent mushrooms grow on moist, rotting bark.

The greatest diversity of foxfire occurs in the tropics, where moist forests encourage fungal growth. The newest varieties of glow-in-the-dark mushrooms were introduced to the world just last year, after being collected from Ribeira Valley Tourist State Park near Sao Paulo, Brazil.

To up your chances of seeing this one, hunt in the forest during its wettest season and move as far as possible from any artificial light sources. And if you happen to see a patch of glowing shrooms, don't even think about it —they're not that kind of mushroom.

Fire Rainbow

Another summertime occurrence, fire rainbows appear when sunlight hits frozen ice crystals in high-altitude cirrus clouds. Because the fire rainbow actually involves no rain at all, scientists would rather we refer to this occurrence by its much less fun, but much more accurate title: the circumhorizonal arc.

Since the arc requires both the presence of cirrus clouds and for the sun to be extremely high in the sky, it's much more likely to be seen at latitudes closer to the equator. Conditions might be right for a fire rainbow in Los Angeles six months out of the year, but in a more northern city like London, that window drops to a mere two months.

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Companies tend to take full advantage of the old adage, "sex sells."

While most of the companies on our list, like Dolce & Gabbana and Calvin Klein, often go the sexy route, others, like a flower-delivery company and a car maker, may surprise you.

We also got to see the steamy side of celebs like Michael Phelps and Katie Holmes.

Olivia Munn for PETA – although she was heavily Photoshopped.

Michael Phelps for Louis Vuitton. He was accused of breaking Olympic rules to make this ad.

The rule, put into effect this year, stated that Olympic athletes could not be featured in advertisements for non-official sponsors from July 18 to August 15. This Louis Vuitton ad surfaced in early August. Phelps' agent said the Olympian did not violate any rules because the image was used without his authorization.

Katie Holmes for jeweler H. Stern. Her ex Tom Cruise, her ex was said to disapprove.

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It’s often said that New Year’s Eve is for amateurs.

To that end, there are some obvious destinations that any joker could tell you will be “fun” on New Year’s Eve.

Steer clear of the obvious and increase your chances of getting to the front of the line without having to use your elbows, and of course, your wallet.

A little research can unlock some equally exciting New Year’s Eve celebrations at slightly less traditional destinations.

Here’s our rundown of the most obvious New Year’s Eve hot spots and their off-the-beaten-track alternatives:

For the city that just missed making the list, check out the Hopper Blog!

1. Instead of Edinburgh, Try: Prague

Edinburgh is famous for its effervescent “Hogmanay” celebrations to wring in the New Year.

For a chilly European New Year’s in another incredibly gorgeous and historical city, why not Czech out Prague? Grab a spot on the banks of Vltava river to take in the incredible fireworks display that lights up the city at midnight.

For a crazier scene, join the crowds shooting off their own fireworks in Prague’s iconic Old Town Square.

The city is known for its lively club scene, and venues like trendy dance club Mecca are sure to be packed with people ushering 2013 in with a whole lot of electronica and euro-pop.

For an all inclusive evening, grab a ticket for an evening on a Party Boat, and spend the night toasting champagne and mingling on a cruise of through the heart of the City of a Hundred Spires.

2. Instead of New York, Try: Toronto

Sure, you could go smash yourself up against a million other people in Times Square or pay $200 to go to a nightclub, but why not ring in 2013 in another cosmopolitan city without the headaches that come with trying to hail a cab in Manhattan on Dec. 31 (trust us, it’s impossible).

Toronto offers the urban nightlife of Manhattan, with a little more breathing room and a more reasonable Canadian price tag (comparison: a deluxe room at the Four Seasons in New York for New Year’s Eve is $1,195 USD, a deluxe room at Toronto’s Four Seasons is $518).

Toronto’s equivalent to the Times Square Ball drop happens at CityTv’s celebration in Nathan Square, where celebrities gather for the countdown to midnight and fireworks.

Make sure to check out Toronto’s Distillery District, a lively area full of restored Victorian Industrial buildings and chock full of cafes, galleries and bars.

2. Instead of Amsterdam, Try: Reykjavik

Every year hundreds of thousands of partiers flock to Amsterdam for New Year’s to enjoy its lively club scene, the notorious cafes, and the incredible free-for-all that is Amsterdam’s fireworks display at midnight.

If fireworks are your New Year’s raison d’etre, consider Iceland’s Reykjavik instead.

Not only will you save on flight time and hotel cost (the average cost of a 4 star hotel in Reykjavik for New Year’s is $130 while Amsterdam’s four star hotels average at $300), but you’ll enjoy a similarly lively fireworks scene along with Reykjavik's signature bonfires.

Neighbors gather to light bonfires, toast the New Year and watch the sky light up with fireworks. Like the Netherlands, Iceland has an open policy regarding fireworks during New Year’s, which means they are liable to erupt from any and all corners of the city!

Later, everyone heads to the bars and clubs in Reykjavik's downtown center to ring in the New Year with live music lasting to 6 am on January 1st.

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In every neighborhood, there's always that one house that goes way overboard with the Christmas decorations.

We combed the internet for the wildest and wackiest Christmas lawn displays we could find.

It's great to have holiday spirit, but we'd hate to see these homes' electricity bills come January.

These homeowners in the San Francisco Bay area regularly have tourists flocking to their house.

This house has been featured on the Discovery Channel HD, showing off its 200,000 lights.

The owners of this house in Richmond, Va., must really love Christmas.

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After several years on the market and several price chops, ad mogul Jerry Della Femina has sold his sprawling Hamptons estate for $25 million, The New York Post reports.

Della Femina, who initially tried to get $40 million for the property, blamed President Obama for forcing him out of town.

“I want the proceeds of this sale to go to my kids and my grandkids,” he told The Post's Jennifer Gould Keil and Selim Algar. “I don’t want my money going to Obama, and that’s what’s going to happen in the New Year. That’s why I sold right now, that’s why I wanted to get this done.”

“I’m basically the loser in Obama’s class warfare,” he added.

Curbed Hamptons has heard that the buyer is David Zaslav, the CEO of Discovery Networks and the third-highest paid CEO in America.

The East Hampton house has eight bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms, and sits on nearly 1.7 acres.

The estate is on prestigious Lily Pond Lane in East Hampton.

There's a heated pool in case the ocean is too cold.

The 7,000-square-foot mansion is three stories high.

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The Naughty List isn't just for misbehaved kids — not in the world of retail anyway.

With the help of Consumer Reports, we've compiled a list of the top naughty and nice companies of 2012.

Topping our naughty list are companies like BMW and Forever21 which have unfriendly practices liked fine print fees and fewer "extras."

Names like Nordstrom and Kohl's, however, are applauded for their hassle-free returns and excellent customer service.

NAUGHTY: Forever21's return policies differ for in store and online purchases

Source: NPR

NICE: Kohl's has a hassle-free and "No Questions Asked" return policy

Source: NPR

NAUGHTY: BMW has stopped placing spare tires in their newest models

Source: NPR

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Do you ever wonder how people make it to Harvard?

So does Aaron Harris, co-founder and CEO of Tutorspree and a Harvard alum. He thinks high quality tutoring is an important part of achieving the academic success necessary for acceptance to the world's most prestigious universities. 

So Harris started a company with the mission of making high-quality tutoring accessible to all.

Tutorspree has built a growing roster of excellent tutors around the country, currently they are at about 7,000. Prospective students or their parents can go online and type in their zip code to get a list of potential tutors in their area. If they are interested they fill out a brief online form and a Tutorspree representative contacts them.

Tutorspree works with potential clients to find the best tutor for the job and then they set up scheduling with the tutors. The company handles the payment and takes a small cut, but part of their appeal to tutors is that most of the money actually goes to the tutor.

They work out of a chill office in hip SoHo and we recently stopped by to see what they are up to.

Tutorspree is working hard to make high quality tutoring highly affordable.

A small, dedicated team occupies one large room.

They had some festive holiday lighting up.

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We all view the world through different lenses. This has to do with our upbringing, our collective experiences, and our subconscious behavioral biases. 

Until we take a deep look into why we see the world the way we do, we'll never have the capacity for real change. 

Inherent biases cause us to make snap judgments based on bad information, to be unfair and to waste time. This is clearly problematic for investors, managers and people in general.

We've collected a long list of cognitive biases from the Singularity Institute, Tim Richard's Psy-Fi Blog and more, to bring these biases to light so we can disrupt our thinking and come to terms with reality. 

Attentional bias

When someone focuses on only one or two choices despite there being several possible outcomes. 

Read more about attentional bias.

Availability heuristic

Where people overestimate the importance of information that is available to them.

One example would be a person who argues that smoking is not unhealthy on the basis that his grandfather lived to 100 and smoked three packs a day, an argument that ignores the possibility that his grandfather was an outlier.

Read more about the availability heuristic.

Backfire effect

When you reject evidence that contradicts your point of view or statement, even if you know it's true.

Read more about the backfire effect.

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The "West Memphis 3" case has gripped the country since the early '90s. That's when three teens were arrested for the sexual assault and murder of three 8-year-old boys in Arkansas.

The teenagers always maintained their innocence and after nearly 20 years behind bars — and the help of some Hollywood heavyweights like Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson — Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelly, and Jason Baldwin walked out of prison free men in August 2011.

But the case is far from over. Defense attorneys for the West Memphis 3 have all claimed Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of Stevie Branch, one of the murdered boys, should be looked at as a suspect in the case.

Attorneys for Echols said in January Hobbs' nephew told friends "my uncle Terry murdered those three little boys," Fox 16 reported at the time.

Hobbs has fought the allegations, calling them "more of a publicity stunt" than anything else. In truth nobody really knows who killed the boys.

I was recently lucky enough to attend a screening of West of Memphis, the latest documentary about the case, produced by Jackson and Fran Walsh and directed by Amy Berg.

I was only 5 years old when the case first broke and truthfully never knew much about it other than the major developments that happened in the past few years. So going into the movie, I had no opinions about the trio's guilt or the case in general.

But the documentary was so moving and presented such a gut-wrenching picture of a town torn apart by a horrific crime and six young lives — the victims' and the West Memphis 3's — forever damaged that I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since.

The pictures that follow are all stills from the movie and tell the essential aspects of the West Memphis 3's long journey.

West of Memphis is the story of three teenagers: Damien Echols (L), Jessie Misskelley (M), and Jason Baldwin (R). The three were convicted in 1994 of the murders of three young boys.

Source: Wikipedia

The victims were found in a creek in West Memphis, Ark. Christopher Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore, all 8 years old, were found naked and "hog tied" in the water.

Source: Sony Pictures

The community was outraged at the murders and turned on the trio. The West Memphis 3 drew so much ire because they were different and were long suspected of belonging to a Satanic cult, according to the documentary.

Source: Sony Pictures

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