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Magazine Publishers Believe These 10 Celebs Sold The Most Ad Pages In 2012

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Jessica Chastain Sept. 2012 Vanity Fair Cover

Fall magazine issues tend to be the biggest and most important of the year — fat with ad pages. Magazine publishers thus try to get the hottest celebrity possible to grace their fall covers.

Oscar-nominated actress Jessica Chastain, who was buzzworthy this year for her role in "Zero Dark Thirty," nabbed the desirable September cover of Vanity Fair. Magazines she was on the cover of sold almost 700 pages of advertisements this year. That's no small feat.

But Chastain doesn't hold the coveted top spot of most ad pages sold, though. That title goes to another young actress who starred in the eighth highest-grossing movie of the year. (And if you're interested in more, see our ranking from 2011.)

*Special thanks to MagazineRadar for gathering our data. The company at these 14 top magazines: Vogue, InStyle, Marie Claire, People StyleWatch, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, W, Playboy, Glamour, Cosmo, Allure, Self, Vanity Fair, and Rolling Stone.

10. Adele: 515 ad pages

Adele appeared on an October issue of Rolling Stone and the March issue of Vogue.



9. Gwen Stefani: 529 Ad Pages

Gwen Stefani graced the September issue of Harper's Bazaar and the October issue of Marie Claire.



8. Taylor Swift: 559 Ad Pages

Taylor Swift appeared on February's Vogue, November's Glamour, December's People StyleWatch, and December's Cosmopolitan.



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20 Inspiring Rags-To-Riches Stories

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do won chang forever 21

In a time of rising inequality and sluggish growth, rags to riches stories are harder than ever to come by. Indeed, many of the richest people in the world were born into their wealth. 

That makes it even more essential that we remember the people who started with nothing, and through hard work, talent, grit, and a bit of luck, managed to rise to the very top.

These 20 stories remind us that it's possible to overcome just about anything, from parents passing away, to extreme poverty, and more. 

Maria Das Gracas Silva Foster escaped a Brazilian shantytown to become Petrobras' first female CEO

The current head of Brazilian oil giant Petrobras spent her childhood in Morro do Adeus, an extremely poor neighborhood that became a shantytown. Her mother worked constantly and her father was an alcoholic. She collected cans and paper to make extra money. 

She started as an intern at Petrobras in 1978, but broke through barriers to become the company's first female head of field engineering. Bloomberg reports that her tireless work ethic has earned her the nickname Caveirao, for the armored vehicles police use to clean up crime ridden Brazilian neighborhoods. She became the company's first female CEO in February. 

Source: Bloomberg



Do Won Chang worked three jobs to make ends meet before starting Forever 21

Do Won Chang and his wife, Jin Sook, moved to America from Korea in 1981. When they first arrived, Do Won was forced to work three jobs at the same time to support them, as a janitor, a gas station attendant, and in a coffee shop. Eventually, they were able to open their first clothing store in 1984.

That one store grew into Forever 21, which pioneered fast fashion and is now a multi-national, 480 store empire that generates around $3 billion in sales a year. It's a family business, with the couple's daughters Linda and Esther helping to run the company.

Source: Forbes



Harold Simmons grew up in a shack without electricity and became a multi-billionaire

Now a billionaire several times over, Harold Simmons grew up in the extremely rural town of Golden, Texas, where he lived in a "shack" that had no plumbing or electricity. He still managed to make it to the University of Texas, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. and masters in Economics.

His first venture was a series of drugstores, the first of which was almost entirely financed with a loan. That became a 100 store chain that he sold to Eckerd for $50 million. From there he went on to become a master of the corporate buyout. He currently owns 6 companies traded on the NYSE, including Titanium Metals Corporation, the world's largest producer of titanium.  

Source: ForbesD Magazine



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11 Of TV's Most Memorable Christmas Episodes

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green acres christmas

Holiday episodes tend to be a bit generic.

How many times can you rework A Christmas Carol or The Gift of the Magi into a sitcom plot?

Here are a smattering of episodes worth mentioning either because they’re rare, different or just because we like them.

A Very Special "Bewitched"

Bewitched had many traditional Christmas episodes during its eight season run, but 1970′s “Sisters at Heart” was controversial enough to require a special introduction by Elizabeth Montgomery at the behest of the show’s sponsor, Oscar Mayer.

The plot that was making the network so jumpy was young Tabitha’s desire to be sisters with her African-American friend, Lisa. In order to make them look alike, Tabby zaps black polka dots onto her flesh, and white ones on Lisa’s. No doubt the episode would still be controversial today, thanks to Tabitha’s brief appearance in blackface. The original story was submitted by a 10th grade English class at L.A.’s Thomas Jefferson High School.



"Married With Children": Woah, Jablonsky!

It’s Christmas time at the Bundy house, which means Al is feeling more depressed than ever: “The stockings were hung round Dad’s neck like a tie, along with a note that said ‘Presents or Die.’” As he plugs in a string of faulty lights he grumbles and wishes he’d never been born. Quicker than you can say “It’s a Bundyful Life,” guardian angel Sam Kinison pops in to show Al what his family would be like had he never existed.

Married…with Children put an evil twist on the classic James Stewart film, revealing a universe in which Peggy cooked wholesome meals, Bud was a gracious young gentleman, and Kelly was a chaste college student. Al decides he wants to live after all… just to make sure his family stayed as miserable as they’d always made him.



"Fraser": Miracle on 3rd or 4th Street

Many of us forget that December 25 is a regular work day for a lot of folks — nurses, fire fighters, police…and radio disc jockeys. Thus in the episode entitled “Miracle on Third or Fourth Street” we find Dr. Frasier Crane in the studio on Christmas day, taking calls from (as his disgruntled producer Roz predicted) the loneliest and most depressed people in the listening area.

After his shift ends, Frasier (uncharacteristically dressed in old jeans and a torn sweatshirt) finds a diner that’s open and treats himself to a turkey log with mashed potatoes. When he discovers that he’s left his wallet at the station, his down-on-their-luck fellow diners — thinking he’s homeless — pool their coins to pay for his dinner. Of course, Frasier is so touched by this “true meaning of Christmas” moment that he has to walk home in the snow rather than risk being seen climbing into his BMW.



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Six Times It Pays To Shop At The Last Minute

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car dealer

Type-A consumers are apt to book hotel accommodations months in advance or make sure they're first in line to buy concert tickets. Does this ensure they're getting the best possible price? Not necessarily.

"People often think (they) get the better deal if they buy early," says Teresa Mears, editor-in-chief of the Living on the Cheap blog network. "Sometimes you do, and sometimes you don't."

Putting off a purchase can add an element of risk — for instance, that hotel could fill up, or the concert could sell out — but in some cases, it might lead to bigger savings than buying right away.

Here's a look at several areas where procrastination can actually pay off.

Clothing

Consumers who snatch up the season's hottest fashions as soon as they hit the racks will often pay full retail price, while those who have the patience to shop the clearance section can save money.

"The rule of retail is that old needs to make way for new if it doesn't sell," says Rosalyn Hoffman, author of "Smart Mama, Smart Money: Raising Happy, Healthy Kids Without Breaking the Bank."

"If you wait until later in the season and things need to move, they start to mark it down. If you have the time and you like to shop, you can watch when goods arrive and watch something through a cycle."

To maximize the savings, Hoffman suggests procrastinating and looking for markdowns during seasonal clearance periods.

Pete D'Arruda, president of Capital Financial Advisory Group LLC in Cary, N.C., says, "Seasons come and go, but styles don't change that much. Why not buy the styles from last season?



Cars

If the vehicle you drive still runs reliably, putting off a trade-in could save you big bucks. When you do decide to buy a new vehicle, D'Arruda suggests you wait until at least the second year of a new model.

"Many times, it has to have minor adjustments," he says. "You see a lot of recalls in the automobile industry because they launched a car before they got all the kinks out."

However, you probably don't want to procrastinate on car maintenance, as that could create safety issues or lead to even bigger bills in the future.

Once you pay off your vehicle, D'Arruda says to set aside the money you would have spent on monthly car payments with the goal of paying cash for your next vehicle instead of getting financing. He also suggests looking at cars from the previous model year.

"Major automotive companies start changing their model year halfway through the year, and dealerships can't get the new models in until they clear the old models," he says.

"Buy new cars that are slightly out of favor because they're not the newest model year."



Social Security

Delaying Social Security benefits can increase your monthly benefits check.

The earliest you can start receiving Social Security benefits is generally age 62, but your monthly check is reduced by about 25 percent to 30 percent if you start receiving benefits then. Delaying benefits beyond full retirement age increases your monthly benefits.

According to the Social Security Administration's website, a person retiring at age 62 in January of this year with average indexed monthly earnings, or AIME, of $8,199 would receive a monthly benefit of $1,855.

A person retiring at age 65 with an AIME of $7,973 would receive $2,310 per month, and a person retiring at age 70 with an AIME of $6,852 would receive $3,266.



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27 Amazing Photos Of The White House At Christmas

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betty ford mr. t santa

For decades the White House has had a festive, star studded holiday season.

There are annual parties for Congress and the White House staff, there is the annual tree lighting and a crowd of celebrities stalking the halls. 

Going back to early in the Roosevelt administration, these pictures prove that the White House is the very best place to spend Christmas. 

FDR gave the address at the lighting of the massive White House Christmas Tree on Christmas Eve, 1934



President Roosevelt and Winston Churchill leave the White House on Christmas in 1941 to attend services



President Truman voraciously opens a present form the radio and newspaper corespondents on Christmas Eve, 1950 — it's a gold framed engraving of the settlement that preceded Kansas City, Missouri.



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Outfit Your New iPhone With These Awesome Cases (AAPL)

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iphone 5 case shapeways

If you were lucky to score a new iPhone this holiday season you'll want to make sure its protected, especially if you're accident prone.

We've been seeing a lot of Apple's latest device out in the wild recently. 

The problem is, many of them are uncovered. 

Lack of protection leaves your precious new phone susceptible to nicks, scratches, water, and worst of all, drops.

Most older cases won't fit the taller iPhone 5. So we put together this list of cases that provide both style and protection.

This unique 3D printed case offers protection but also leave space on the back, so that all of the phone's antennas are free to broadcast.

Price: $21.09



The Ready Case is the Swiss Army knife of cases, with a USB storage drive, knife, kickstand, headphone clip, and much more.

Price: Starts at $45



Makr has crafted a beautiful, handsewn, oxblood leather pouch. The holder fits the iPhone 5 and older models too.

Price: $95



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The Hottest Travel Destinations For 2013

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yeti mountain home lodges nepalA pristine bay in Costa Rica has been a secret favorite of backpackers and migrating whales. But it couldn’t stay under that shroud of cloud forest forever.

The opening of an eco-resort makes Bahia Ballena more inviting and accessible, and 2013 the right moment to visit.

Jump ahead to see the hottest destinations for 2013 >

The world is still vast, and even as you check iconic places off your bucket list, there’s a craving to set sail for the new, the next, the undiscovered.

To determine which destinations like Bahia Ballena are coming up on the radar, T+L asked safari experts and art dealers, cutting-edge chefs and even branding agencies where they’re seeing a new neighborhood emerge or wineries getting more acclaim.

What started with 40-odd places we distilled down to a baker’s dozen: the hottest travel destinations of 2013.

Two countries written off in recent years—Zambia and the Philippines—are safe to visit once again, and thriving with cool new safari camps and island thatched-roof villas.

The archipelago of Palawan, a UNESCO biosphere reserve in the Philippines, just added a resort with a scuba center; hop a two-hour flight from Hong Kong, and you’ll soon be diving with the sea turtles.

In Amsterdam, reachable by nonstop flights from many U.S. cities, the Rijksmuseum emerges from a 10-year renovation in April 2013, with a wing devoted to Vermeer and Rembrandt, steps from the recently redone Stedelijk Museum.

And a 7,000-year-old historic region in the arch of Italy’s boot may finally see its moment in the sun thanks to the debut of a Hollywood legend’s family home as a hotel.

Even in our backyard, we’ve found places that offer compelling new reasons to visit this year. In San Juan, Puerto Rico, two chefs are shaking up the food scene, while Minneapolis has embraced the foraging-and-farming ethos of Scandinavia—Bachelor Farmer has the city’s first-ever rooftop garden, and an alum of Noma restaurant has set up shop at Union.

So get out your map, block out some vacation time on your calendar, and make 2013 a year of travel discoveries. We promise at least a few of these places to go next will surprise you. 

Jump ahead to see the hottest destinations for 2013 >

More from Travel + Leisure:

Best of 2012 >

Ultimate Ski Guide >

World's Best Cities 2012 >

World's Best Airlines >

New Year's Resolution Trips >

Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica

Surrounded by mountains and jungle-fringed beaches on the Pacific, this pristine bay bordering a national marine park was long the secret of surfers and backpackers — and migrating whales.

Now there’s Kura Design Villas ($$$$), an upscale eco-resort whose six minimalist villas are open to the tropical air.



Basilicata, Italy

It’s a mystery — no, a miracle — why this coastal region in the instep of Italy’s boot has remained so overlooked for so long.

Known by Italians for its 7,000-year-old cave dwellings, peasant-style cuisine, and thermal springs, it grabbed global attention last year when Francis Ford Coppola opened a hotel, Palazzo Margherita ($$$), in his grandfather’s hometown of Bernalda.

Now beachfront tavernas are getting paint jobs and sleepy agriturismos such as the 370-acre Tenuta Visconti-San Teodoro Nuovo ($) are waking up.



Puerto Rico

His tenure at 1919 ($$$— the new restaurant inside San Juan’s historic Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, whose rooms will reopen in mid-2013 — has been brief.

But native son Juan José Cuevas has already created something other Puerto Rican chefs only talk about: a menu dedicated almost entirely to island ingredients.

Cuevas is one of the reasons food lovers are homing in on P.R.

Another? Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve ($$$$$) — which opened last month 30 miles west of the capital — where culinary wizard José Andrés showcases his own versions of such classic dishes as lechón asado (roast suckling pig).

Puerto Rico



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The Best Cases For Your New iPad (AAPL)

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Now that you've got a fancy new iPad, it's time to think about how to keep it protected.

Cases are a smart investment for a device that you're already invested in—whether you got it as a present or as a gift for yourself.

With that in mind, we gathered up some of our favorites and other high-rated cases.

Switcheasy Canvas for iPad

We had this beloved case on our iPad 2 and loved it. The combination folio-and-stand cover is still perfectly compatible with any third- or fourth-generation iPad and we recommend it without hesitation.

Price:$49.99



Switcheasy Canvas for iPad Mini

Also check out the Switcheasy's little brother for the iPad Mini. Just as functional and protective.

Price:$39.99



Logitech Solar Keyboard Folio

This case includes a solar-powered Bluetooth keyboard. You'll never need a battery again.

Price:$130



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Who Knew General Electric Made All These Cool GIFs? (GE)

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plane GE gif

General Electric is currently running a campaign (by BBDO) titled "brilliant machines," which celebrates the robots it helps make.

But did you know that GE is quietly mastering the world of memes and photoblogs, too?

It has a handsome Tumblr account on which it promotes a huge cache of Instagram beauty shots of its products. If you like engines, trains and planes — this is the blog for you.

Best of all, GE has a lot of GIFs you can share, many of them in the eerie "cinemagraph" style we told you about back in September.

Here's a gallery of GE GIFS, many of them shot by Adam Senatori. Give them a few moments to load.

This is a shot from the "Juice Train" that runs North out of Florida.

tunnel ge gif



Here, a northbound Juice Train passes a train returning to Florida.

GE train gif



Thrush pilot Terry Humphrey flying his GE H80-powered 510G aircraft in Georgia.

plane GE gif



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Apple's Most Important Executives Detail Everything That Stinks About The TV Industry (AAPL)

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Tim Cook

For over a year now, we've been waiting for an Apple television.

And if the current line of reports is accurate, we might be waiting another year before it materializes.

Whenever it's finally released, it will have been years in the making. Apple has been thinking about the television market for a very long time.

We have updated our collection of quotes from Steve Jobs and Tim Cook about the TV market in light of the newest developments in the last twelve months.

We think reading this stuff over helps to illustrate Apple's thinking about how it might approach the TV market, which really seems like its due for a major makeover.

This video of Steve Jobs from 1998 is a perfect look at the challenges of making an interactive TV

In this fuzzy video, Jobs explains what's wrong with "convergence" of the TV and the PC. The TV is used when we want to turn off our brains. The PC is used when we want to turn on our brains. The TV is for leaning back. The PC is for leaning in. How do you make these two gadgets play nice when they're designed for two totally different uses?

And here's a loose transcription of his conversation: "Your television is going to make toast. What is the most successful consumer product in the last 10 years? It's the PC. Here's all these PC companies running around looking for a consumer product when that's what they make! Right?

It's the most successful consumer product of the last 10 years, so naturally we want to combine it with the television. I've spent enough time in entertainment now with Pixar, and with Disney, who's just a terrific company to work with, by the way, is that people go to their television primarily to turn their brain off. I used to think like many of you might have thought that there was this giant conspiracy from the networks to but mediocrity on television and dumb us down, did you ever think that? I thought that. It thought that was giant conspiracy to rob the American populace of their mind if not their soul. I then found out the truth which is far more depressing. The networks give people precisely what they want. The reason people want this stuff. They come home from a long day. They have dinner with their kids and they're fighting and they get them into bed and they just want to turn their brain off for half an hour. Do you ever do that? I mean, I must admit I don't watch much TV, but I can admit I will turn on the TV for a half hour, and it really does turn your brain off. People got to their TV to turn their brain off. People go to their PC to turn their brain on. These things aren't going to be together, they perform completely separate functions. So I think it's as crazy as other combinations you can imagine. And I don't think it's going to happen, you know.

I also think people want to interact with their computers. Keyboards, mice, up close better resolutions, they want to sit back from their televisions. Web TV has been an utter failure so far, so I just do see it happening. Now, sure, everybody would like a better online TV guide, ok. Sony should build in an online TV guide to their TV sets, I grant you that. But is this digital convergence? So, that's what I think of it."



Jobs thought about it, and delivered the Apple TV. Ironically it was introduced on the same day as the iPhone. Jobs said, "We think this is really going to be something really quite special."



It wasn't. The $299 Apple TV box didn't sell very well. But, Jobs never pretended it was going to be a huge seller.



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The 20 Most Expensive Homes Sold In America This Year

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one57 rendering exterior

The high end of the luxury real estate market had a great 2012, with real estate records being broken from coast to coast.

We combed back through our archives to find the biggest residential real estate transactions reported in the past 12 months.

Buyers on our list include tech CEOs, finance moguls, and celebrities.

#20 An unfinished mansion in San Francisco sold for $34.5 million.

In December, Yammer CEO David Sacks reportedly bought a mansion on San Francisco's "Billionaire's Row" for $34.5 million, making it the most expensive home ever sold in the city, according to Trulia. The unfinished, 21,888-square-foot French limestone mansion was sold by Peter Sperling of the Apollo Group, which owns the University of Phoenix.san francisco home unfinished, $38.5 million



#19 An oceanfront mansion on "Billionaire's Beach" in Malibu, California, sold for $37 million.

Oracle CEO Larry Ellison continued his property-buying spree on Malibu's "Billionaire's Beach"when he picked up a modern home from ex-Yahoo CEO Terry Semel in September for $37 million.

terry semel house



#18 A Beverly Hills, California compound sold for $37 million.

TV personality Ryan Seacrest bought a sprawling compound in Beverly Hills from celebrity couple Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi for $37 million in May. The home had previously been listed for $49 million.

ryan seacrest ellen degeneres house



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14 Unforgettable Science Stories From 2012

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SpaceX

2012 was a memorable year for Science. 

From an Austrian 's record-breaking jump to Earth to the death of two space pioneers, here are the unforgettable science news stories that are worth reviewing before the calendar year rolls over.

Also, check out the biggest research breakthroughs of the year.

NASA's Curiosity rover successfully lands on Mars.

After 253 days of travel, a one-ton robot named Curiosity touched down in Mars' Gale Crater in August. Curiosity has been rolling around the Martian surface for five months now, tweeting a lot and snapping loads of pictures.

So far from her travels we've learned that Mars's Gale Crater used to be flowing with water, the Red Planet's soils look like Hawaiian sands, and astronauts could tolerate radiation on the surface of Mars, for at least a few months. The $2.5-billion robot will continue to look for signs of life on Mars during the rest of her two-year planned mission.  

Mars Rover

How A Team Of Scientists Dropped A One-Ton Science Lab On Mars Completely Unscathed >



Bobak Ferdowsi becomes an international celebrity after the Mars Curiosity rover landing.

Bobak Ferdowsi, a flight director for the Mars rover mission, became the surprise star of the Curiosity landing, mainly because of his stars-and-stripes Mohawk. He also cried after touchdown was confirmed.

Now widely known as "Mohawk Guy," Ferdowsi has picked up more than 50,000 Twitter followers since NASA's live streaming of the rover landing and seems to be handling international fame well

Bobak

Meet NASA's Mohawk Guy Who Stole The Show From Curiosity >



Felix Baumgartner breaks the speed of sound in 24-mile plunge to Earth.

Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner trained for five years to become the first person to break the speed of sound without an aircraft. In October, Baumgartner captivated millions of people by riding a balloon-hoisted space capsule 128,000 feet above Earth and then jumping. Preliminary data shows that he reached of top speed of 833.9 mph and succeeded in breaking the sound barrier. 

Felix Baumgartner

One Fear Nearly Destroyed Felix Baumgartner's Bid To Break The Sound Barrier >



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The Fabulous Life Of CNN's Erin Burnett — Who Just Married A Citi Exec

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erin burnett outfront

Hearts across Wall Street are breaking...

CNN anchor Erin Burnett, affectionately known as the "Street Sweetie" during her CNBC days, married a Citigroup managing director before Christmas, People reported.

Her husband is David Thomas Rubulotta, managing director in high-yield sales at Citibank. 

The couple got married at City Hall on Friday.  

Congratulations to them!

Now as a tribute, let's take a tour of Burnett's fabulous life and career.  

The 36-year-old news anchor grew up in rural Maryland.

Erin Isabelle Burnett was born on July 2, 1976.

She grew up on a farm in the small town of Mardela Springs, Maryland.

Source: prestosports.com



She's the youngest of three girls.

She is the youngest daughter of corporate attorney Kenneth King Burnett and Esther.  Her father even gives her a shout out in his law firm bio. 

Burnett is the youngest of three girls.  Her sisters are Mara and Laurie.  

Source: Salisbury Corporate Law



She attended boarding school at St. Andrews School in Delaware where she graduated in 1994.



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The 20 Most Inspiring Companies Of 2012

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Mountains

Many local and global companies make it a priority to give back to their communities, whether it is a core part of their mission or not.

This year, we've seen many companies go above and beyond to protect the environment, help people in need, and solve the world's biggest problems.

We compiled a list of the 20 most inspiring companies based on their actions for good this year. These inspiring organizations, listed alphabetically, are role models for their efforts in social responsibility year-round.

Airbnb

Who they are: A billion dollar startup which lets people rent out their apartments to other people for short periods.  

Why they're inspiring: Last year saw some less than flattering headlines about destroyed or ransacked apartments, but the company's more than made up for it this year. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Airbnb not only waived its fees for hosts and guests in the affected area, but created a whole new platform for discounted and free listings for refugees. 



Clever

Who they are: A startup launched in June of this year, which helps third party developers integrate school data with their apps. 

Why they're inspiring: From attendance records to grades and test scores, students produce a great deal of data, which schools keep electronically. Unfortunately, there's no standard way that this data's organized. Clever is attempting to solve that problem and create an API for education, so developers can create products that are tailored to individual students.




Code for America

Who they are: An organization that pairs professional coders with city governments to create accessible and efficient apps. 

Why they're inspiring: Code for America brings innovative ideas and cutting-edge technology to local government. Programs like these are increasingly important for areas looking to serve their citizens well with reduced budgets. 

The group's professional coders have already developed 28 apps for cities from Philadelphia to Chicago and beyond. This year, the organization launched an accelerator for disruptive civic technology startups and over 235 companies applied. 



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The Coolest Amateur Photos We Found On Reddit This Year

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girl-falling-off-Grand-Canyon

We spent a lot of time clicking through Reddit this year, and -- like any other year -- we came across a lot of great stuff.

From one girl hanging onto the edge of the Grand Canyon to others driving towards the wildfires of Colorado and Utah, these are the best amateur photographs taken by Reddit users.

'My new profile pic, compliments of Hurricane Sandy.'



A giant cat terrorizing a regular house? Or a regular cat terrorizing a tiny house?



A father and daughter stumble upon a real life Optimus Prime in an antique/gift shop in Fort Hope, Ontario.



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Here's How Celebrities Celebrated Christmas [Photos]

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Kim Kardashian Kanye West Khloe Kardashian

Stars, they're just like us!

Hollywood was no exception as the masses gathered around the tree to exchange gifts on Christmas.

While the Kardashian clan tweeted pics of gingerbread houses and courtside seats at the Clippers game, Katy Perry showed off John Mayer's Santa suit and Rihanna proved she is on-again with Chris Brown.

See what gifts celebrities received, how bad some are at wrapping presents and how much everyone appreciates family.

Brody Jenner posted this photo with his Kardashian step-siblings along with the caption, "Christmas Eve Family Time."



Kim Kardashian posted a throwback photo of her sisters, writing "Nothing says 'Christmas Eve' like sisters in matching Christmas tree dresses!"




And then this picture of a "Kim and Kanye" gingerbread house.



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33 War Strategies That Will Help You Achieve All Your Goals In 2013

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Marines Artillery Awesome Shot

Best-selling author Robert Greene brought us the book The 33 Strategies of Warand so 33 clearer ways to accomplish your goals in 2013.

In the book, Greene writes "the problem for us is that we are trained and prepared for peace, and we are not at all prepared for what confronts us in the real world - war."

Whether it's an office rival, an overbearing boss, or lack of teamwork — Greene's book is a guide to victory in all things conflict.



The Polarity Strategy

Life is endless battle and conflict, and you cannot fight effectively unless you can identify your enemies. Learn to smoke out your enemies, to spot them by the signs and patterns that reveal hostility. Then, once you have them in your sights, inwardly declare war. Your enemies can fill you with purpose and direction.

 

An excerpt from Robert Greene's The 33 Strategies of War.



The Guerrilla-War-Of-The-Mind Strategy

What most often weighs you down and brings you misery is the past. You must consciously force yourself to react to the present moment. Be ruthless on yourself; do not repeat the same tired methods. Wage guerrilla war on your mind, allowing no static lines of defense — make everything fluid and mobile. 

 

An excerpt from Robert Greene's The 33 Strategies of War.



The Counterbalance Strategy

In the heat of battle, the mind tends to lose its balance. It is vital to keep you presence of mind, maintaining your mental powers, whatever the circumstances. Make the mind tougher by exposing it to adversity. Learn to detach yourself from the chaos of the battlefield. 

 

An excerpt from Robert Greene's The 33 Strategies of War.



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15 Tips And Tricks For Your New Android Phone You Need To Know About (GOOG)

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Part of the beauty of smartphones running Google's Android operating system is that they allow a deeper level of customization. 

That can be pretty confusing for some people.

If you got a new Android phone for the holidays, here are a few quick tips to get you started.

Note: All Android phones are different. Each manufacturer alters the software a bit, so the screenshots here may look a little different than the phone you have. Just keep in mind that the basics are essentially the same on most devices. We used HTC's One X+ for this demonstration.

When you first turn on your Android phone, you should sign in using your Google Account. This is the same account you use to log into Gmail. When you sync your phone with your Gmail account, your browsing history, calendar, email, etc. will be waiting for you.



You should also agree to back up your phone's data to your Google Account. That way if you lose or have to reset your phone, you can quickly retrieve your settings.



Whenever you download a new app from the Google Play store, you should check the box that says "Allow automatic updating." That way your apps will update to the latest version without asking permission. It'll save you a lot of time.



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Did You Notice These Famous Logos Majorly Changed In 2012?

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Some of the biggest brands in the country ditched their old logos for new ones this year.

Microsoft ditched its logo after 25 years, and Wendy's changed up its girl with the pigtails for the first time since 1983.

But even though a company's logo is one of its most valuable, and certainly visible, marketing tools, we're willing to bet that you missed a few of the major changes.

In August, Domino's logo ...

Read more about the logo change here>



... lost the pizza part.

Read more about the logo change here>



In January JC Penney transformed into ...

Read about the logo change here>



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UNVEILED: Morgan Stanley's 10 Smartest Trades For 2013

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Morgan Stanley's global cross-asset strategy team, led by Greg Peters, is out with its Top 10 Asset Allocation Trades for 2013.

The trades sum up investment bank's macro views and are fairly straightforward: all of the trades consist of stocks, bonds, and currencies.

One interesting aspect of the team's recommendations: they are mostly skewed away from investing in U.S. assets, as Morgan Stanley sees other areas they think represent bigger opportunities.

Overweight stocks in Asian markets (ex-Japan)

The logic:"Attractive relative valuation, the prospect of macro improvement, and consequently, relatively lower risk to current consensus earnings forecasts"

Source: Morgan Stanley



Moderately overweight stocks in European markets

The logic:"Europe has attractive valuations relative to the US and better leverage to EM growth; we also believe stress will continue to fall in the periphery"

Source: Morgan Stanley



Underweight US stocks

The logic: "We believe that this is a crowded trade, with the most earnings risk in a relatively expensive market"

Source: Morgan Stanley



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