It's been 26 years since Gordon Gekko of Wall Street pronounced greed is good. We won't take it that far.

What we would say, however, is that paying your bills on time is excellent. Saving some money each pay period is spectacular. Having resources to splurge from time to time is magnificent.

The key to enjoying those types of luxuries is finding a good-paying job. Our Best Jobs of 2013 features a buffet of remunerative occupations spanning the six industries we cover, even the stereotypically starving-artist filled creative industry. Here are those 19 jobs, where both earnings and employment opportunity are ample.

Web Developer

Average Wage: $81,670

A good developer understands a Web user's browsing habits and uses that to design functional, informative, and aesthetically pleasing websites. The position requires creative chops, but ample analytical skills as well, not to mention a command for various computer languages. The multifaceted job description ensures a lucrative salary, with the BLS reporting that Web developers earned about $81,670 in 2011.

Learn More About Web Developers >

Computer Systems Analyst

Average Wage: $82,320

This collaborative career involves the analysis of computer systems within a business. That could mean implementing new systems, ensuring their proper quality through testing and software updates, training on proper use, and recommending new systems when the current ones become obsolete.

The average salary for a computer systems analyst was $82,320 in 2011, but the highest-paid made substantially more—in Bridgeport, Conn., computer systems analysts earned approximately $100,900.

Learn More About Computer Systems Analysts >

Civil Engineer

Average Wage: $82,710

Civil engineers deal with infrastructure, and could be found working on the design side, knee-deep in construction, or heavily engrossed in research and education. The BLS predicts that this field will grow steadily for the next decade, with particular opportunity for engineers interested in rebuilding aging bridges, levees, dams, and transportation systems. For their work, prospective civil engineers can expect a salary of about $82,710.

Learn More About Civil Engineers >

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Ethan Hawke has listed his six-bedroom townhouse in New York's Chelsea neighborhood for $6.25 million, according to celebrity real estate blogger The Real Estalker.

The home measure 3,500 square feet with four floors, laundry machines, and a private backyard garden. The Corcoran Real Estate Group is selling the property, and the listing is potentially the most colorful of its kind that we've ever seen — the house is filled with bright red walls, yellow cabinets, and green bookshelves.

Hawke, made famous by the movies Training Day and Dead Poet's Society, has lived in the home since purchasing it back in April of 2005 for $3 million.

The house sits on a tree-lined street in NYC's Chelsea neighborhood.

Source: Corcoran Real Estate Group

Inside, the 3,500 square foot house is extremely colorful.

The parlor connects with the open kitchen and has a wood burning fireplace.

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Thousands of Ferrari lovers flocked to Palm Beach this weekend for the annual Cavallino Classic, one of the largest Ferrari conventions in the world.

The centerpiece of the event was the Concorso d'Eleganza at the Breakers Hotel on Saturday morning, where some 150 rare Ferraris from the past seven decades were on display on the front lawn.

Spectators milled around, snapping photos and watching as pairs of judges inspected each vehicle and awarded points for originality and elegance.

We were on hand to take in the scene, which was completely over the top.

The Cavallino Classic is one of the biggest and most important Ferrari gatherings around. Dozens of high-profile collectors display their cars and compete for the coveted titles that are handed out.

The event takes place at The Breakers in Palm Beach, a grand hotel that's temporarily turned into a massive car showroom.

General admission tickets are $75 — not cheap. But for diehard Ferrari fans, it's a small price to pay.

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Approximately 95 percent of world trade occurs by sea.  However, little is known about the world's shippers because only a fraction are traded publicly.

In her new book Dynasties Of The Sea, CNBC's Lori Ann LaRocco profiles 21 of the biggest players of the notoriously secretive shipping industry.

LaRocco also got the priceless insight of these players who are intimately familiar with what's going on in the world economy.

"One of the biggest themes that came out of this book is how these shipping titans are worried about the health of the global economy and the bloated balance sheets of the United States and Europe," LaRocco says.

From the book, we pulled some key quotes from the biggest players of the shipping industry.

The world has a leadership deficit.

"There’s not so much wrong with the global economy. What is wrong is that there are no leaders. No one seems to be able to take charge. In America, today they are just bickering about peanuts instead of getting together and discussing other changes that they can make, and find a common ground. But right now, they’re not doing anything, and now things are getting worse and worse. In Europe, it is even worse because we are 27 countries and we can’t agree on anything. Until someone is a leader. Until we have a Churchill or Eisenhower. We need people to take charge. If not, the impact of this lack of leadership will continue."

– Jacob Stolt-Nielsen, Founder of Stolt-Nielsen

Source: Dynasties Of The Sea

Europe's promise of greater employment is a lie.

"The biggest issue in Europe is, they were giving false promises to the youth. Anyone who knows anything about reality knew the promise of employment for life in the public sector would never to be fulfilled. Europe will have to change its attitude. This is a European problem, in essence. So we need an understanding that this lack of employment, with safety of government, does not exist. It’s a lie.”

– Angeliki Frangou, CEO of Navios Maritime Partners

Source: Dynasties Of The Sea

America's debt is a major concern.

"The only sovereign debt that worries me is America’s. My biggest concern there is at some point our creditors will call to question on us. If they do, it will re-orient the cost of capital...I do worry that someday I’m going to wake up and see America not paying zero percent for borrowing, but 6, 7 or even 8%.... In the future, the U.S. may still be paying at zero or if I woke up in 2014 and Uncle Sam was paying 8% for treasury bills, it wouldn’t knock me over. In planning my business, I’ve got to be prepared for, in my view, both eventualities."

– Charles Fabrikant, Chairman of SEACOR Holdings

Source: Dynasties Of The Sea

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For its gorgeous new headquarters in South San Francisco, SuccessFactors had a goal: an office that's as "frictionless" as the Web-based software it sells.

It's a concept called "office as a service," Roy Ng, senior vice president of business operations, told Business Insider. 

"Office as a service" is a play on "software as a service," the business of Web-delivered applications in which SuccessFactors is a huge player.

For SuccessFactors, a unit of software giant SAP, it means a space that you can use on demand, working as well for out-of-towners as for regular employees.

For example, the lobby is a cross between an airport terminal and a hotel check-in desk, with flight times, hotel information, and a concierge. (The location itself is minutes away from San Francisco International Airport.)

There's a bus service that picks up employees from all over the Bay Area, gadget-filled nooks and crannies, Cisco videophones on every desk, flat-screen TVs, and digital signs everywhere.

Thanks to CEO Lars Dalgaard's passion for fitness, the building includes a 5,000 square-foot gym with yoga, Pilates and spinning classes. To get between floors, they're encouraged to take the stairs.

And junk food, particularly soda, is banned. Beverage dispensers offer mineral water and tea. The food machines have granola and baked, not fried, chips. Organic fruit is trucked in daily.

And the reception area wall is made of plants.

SuccessFactors occupies three floors at the Centennial Tower building in South San Francisco.

Employees enjoy a view of San Francisco Bay. Two TV screens offer company updates.

The building has a modern feel as demonstrated by these light fixtures.

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Americans are known to bristle come April 15, but nearly 240 years after the founders threw a Boston Tea Party to protest unfair taxes, citizens are using less dramatic – but no less creative – ways to test the tax code. Modern-day challenges often end in U.S. Tax Court, where citizens can go to take on the Internal Revenue Service.

The basic questions that get brought up in Tax Court seem straightforward enough: What is income and what are its related expenses? The specifics can get, well, flat-out weird.

The IRS code may be full of loopholes and deductions as it is, but the IRS has also approved more than a few imaginative – even wacky – tax breaks.

If you have a huge deduction that you’d like to take but are unsure if it will pass muster with the IRS, talk to your tax preparer to see if a private letter ruling (PLR) makes sense, advises Gil Charney, principal tax researcher at the Tax Institute at H&R Block in Kansas City, Missouri. The PLR is written guidance from the IRS that provides an advanced decision on how it would treat the case. It does cost money, so make sure the deduction is worth it.

Maximizing the look of your muscles

The Tax Court ruled that a professional body builder who uses special oils to prepare for competition could deduct their cost.

What is not deductible are the wheat-grass shots and buffalo meat he eats to tone his form. Go figure.

Tax breaks for drug dealers

If you make your money dealing illegal drugs, getting your taxes right might not be high on your list of priorities, but just because the money is made illegally, doesn’t mean the IRS won’t accept taxes on it.

The Tax Court has clarified some potentially helpful details on the situation. (Remember, sometimes tax evasion is easier to prove than more insidious crimes. Think Al Capone.)

Baggies and soil for marijuana plants are not deductible. Neither is the apartment you work from or the cost of your security team. However, you can deduct the cost of your product.

Depreciating breast implants

A stripper known as Chesty Love was allowed to write off her breast implants because they’re considered a stage prop. As it applies to business expenses, those assets can now be depreciated each year, even if her clients’ appreciation for them never diminishes.

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Super Bowl XLVII is less than a week away, and more than 70,000 fans are preparing to swarm the Lousiana Superdome to watch the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers battle it out for the biggest prize in the NFL.

But at what cost?

Like any major sporting event, the Bowl brings unprecedented business with it to whichever city is lucky enough to play host, and that means businesses won't hesitate to take advantage of the bonanza of Game Weekend traffic. 

From food to flights, we've crunched the numbers to find out exactly what it would two fans hoping to take in the festivities in the flesh. 

Tickets: $2,000 to $300,000+

Yes, you read that correctly. Fans looking for optimal seating will shell out more than a quarter-million smackers.

The coveted 400 level suites are going from $112,000 to an astounding $300,000+, according to StubHub.

"This high end figure is more than double what the assistant coach on a Super Bowl team makes in a year, and it's also enough to buy this 5-bedroom, 4-bath home in Tampa, Florida with $30,000 to spare," says Matt Ong.

Of course, there are plenty of sites where fans can swap and buy tickets from re-sellers. StubHub and TiqIQ have hundreds of deals on upper deck level seating from $2,000 to $6,000. 

Your best bet: If possible, wait until Gameday. In 2012, asking prices plummeted 50 percent on the day of the Bowl, and TiqIQ predicts prices will drop the closer we get to the game.

Flight to New Orleans: $1,200 to $1,900 per person

San Francisco and Baltimore fans looking to book flights to will pay a pretty penny on travel to the Gulf. 

At our latest search, Expedia had flights from San Francisco to New Orleans starting at $1,851 for travel on Jan. 31 and returning Feb. 4 (including two transfers!). 

For only one layover, the price jumps to $1,917.

For Ravens fans, flights from Baltimore to New Orleans are starting at $1,268 with the same itinerary.

Looking to save? It might be worth it to research bus, train and rental car options. Greyhound offers bus service from Baltimore to New Orleans for $313 a head. The ride will take you more than a day, but if savings are what you're after, that's the price you'll have to pay.

Lodging: From $400 per night

At $394/night, the average hotel rate is four times usual for Super Bowl weekend, according to Hotwire.com.

Most hotels within walking distance of the stadium have long been sold out, though there are package deals to be had for fans with cash to burn. 

Vivid Seats is offering two-person, four-night packages at the Hampton Inn Metairie that include tickets to the game (prices starting from $7,788 to $16,946 for two people). That includes perks like fan memorabilia and other goodies. 

We were able to find a $1,500/night rate for two at the two-and-a-half star Royal St. Charles Hotel, but budget travelers will find the best deals beyond the city limits (just be sure to factor in the costs of renting a car). According to Priceline, a stay at the one-star Marina Motel Chalmette in Chalmette, Louisiana will set you back a fairly reasonable $350 a night.

Your best bet: Think outside the hotel. Try to find digs on AirBnB (private rooms starting at at $262 a night), CouchSurfing.org or Craigslist. Just watch out for possible scams. You should never agree to pay for stays by wire transfer or cash advance. We'd recommend putting your stay on a credit card when possible, as most companies will cover customers for fraud.

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If tomorrow's new release Mama— in which two adopted children are beset by a malevolent creature they call Mama — sounds familiar, it may be because you first encountered the film in its original three-minute short form when it was released in 2008 (You can watch that below).

Check out the films >

On the strength of the three-minute version, Guillermo del Toro (of Pan's Labyrinth fame) tapped director Andres Muschietti to expand the short into a full-length film of the same name. But Muschietti is hardly the first director to cut his teeth on self-produced shorts before moving up to a big directing gig.

Here, 12 early short films by famous Hollywood directors.

What's a Nice Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This? (1963)

Directed by: Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas, The Departed, Hugo)

As an NYU film student, Martin Scorsese made a series of well-received short films — including The Big Shave, a darkly satirical indictment of the Vietnam War — but the most accessible is this briskly paced short, which tells the story of a man who becomes obsessed with a picture on his wall.

Six Men Getting Sick (1966)

Directed by: David Lynch (Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, Inland Empire)

David Lynch's unsettling style, a trademark of his mature work, first made its appearance in a number of early short films — but none more so than Six Men Getting Sick, which is more or less what it sounds like.

Vincent (1982)

Directed by: Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Alice in Wonderland, Frankenweenie)

Like David Lynch, Tim Burton seems to have emerged as a filmmaker fully formed in his early work. Vincent is a beautifully executed, delightfully twisted stop-motion short that gleefully pays homage to the classic horror films that has inspired so much of Burton's oeuvre.

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This month, the World Bank cut its 2013 global growth forecast to 2.4 percent (from 3.0 percent), its 2014 forecast to 3.1 percent (from 3.3 percent), and it introduced its 2015 forecast calling for 3.3 percent growth.

The country-specific economic projections in the World Bank's Global Economic Prospects are clear about one thing: advanced economies won't be driving global growth.

We pulled the 20 countries with the highest projected compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2013 through 2015, based on the World Bank’s estimates.

A caveat – this isn’t a list of the world’s best economies, or countries with the highest standards of living. In fact, income inequality plagues many of these nations, which have extremely low levels of GDP per capita.  Some of these countries are 'frontier nations'  – with extremely low levels of GDP –  and as such have an easier time attaining a high growth rate over this selected period.

Most of the countries are underdeveloped, as evidenced by little infrastructure or mass subsistence farming. Five derive the majority of their export value from minerals; and four rely upon oil or gas as a key export.

#20: Uganda

2012 GDP: +3.40%

2013 GDP: +6.20%

2013-2015
GDP CAGR: +7.27%

Economy: About 80 percent of Uganda's workforce is employed in agriculture, though the country has significant mineral and oil reserves. Reforms instituted in 1990 continue to provide a sound foundation for growth, limiting inflation while enhancing earnings and production.

Source: World Bank, CIA World Factbook

#19: Cambodia

2012 GDP: +6.60%

2013 GDP: +6.70%

2013-2015
GDP CAGR: +7.39%

Economy: Cambodian textiles amount to over 70% of the nation’s exports. Recent oil discoveries and continued development of mineral resources will have a positive impact on GDP growth. A potential long-term barrier to growth remains: educating and creating jobs for Cambodian youth, as the majority of its population is under 25 years old. 

Source: World Bank, CIA World Factbook

#18: Tanzania

2012 GDP: +6.50%

2013 GDP: +6.80%

2013-2015
GDP CAGR: +7.43%

Economy: This 'frontier' nation is among the poorest in the world in terms of GDP per capita. Agriculture accounts for over 25 percent of GDP and 85 percent of exports while employing approximately 80 percent of the workforce. The country does possess significant stores of diamonds, gold, and iron.

Source: World Bank, CIA World Factbook

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Drone technology is about to take another huge leap.

The $18.5 million Autonomous Real-Time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance Imaging System (ARGUS) program is set to become the most advanced surveillance system in the sky.

Once attached under an unmanned aerial vehicle, an ARGUS camera can patrol at 17,500 feet and send back high resolution images of 1.8 gigapixels. 

The images are so crisp and clear that an analyst can actually see what color shirt a subject is wearing.

The following screen grabs from a PBS documentary feature lead BAE engineers saying this is the first time they've been granted permission to show ARGUS' basic features.

The BAE systems engineer says that the new system is "the next generation of surveillance."

He designed ARGUS, which boasts a camera capable of producing 1.8 billion pixels. That makes it the highest resolution camera in the world.

And instead of a camera that can only track in one direction, ARGUS attaches under a UAV to take photos of a wide area.

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Most young professionals who land their first job in New York City quickly learn that their salary is around $40k short of affording them to live on their own in Manhattan.

Unless they're sitting on a pile of money, newly minted New Yorkers usually find themselves living in the outer boroughs (i.e. Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx) or in the fringe of Manhattan on the Upper East or Upper West Side, where you are almost closer to Connecticut than you are to the East Village.

Click here to jump right to the photos >>

However, some open-minded New Yorkers who appreciate the value of a good trade-off can find their dream home in the heart of Manhattan.

Ashley Baldwin, a design professional, recently found a listing on Craigslist for an apartment in Chelsea for $990 a month.

Estimated floor space: around 120 square feet.

"Well, I know the width is about 6.25 feet," Ashley told Business Insider.

Sure, that sounds pretty tight.  But given the space, Baldwin has created a remarkably livable home thanks to some small life-adjustments and an incredible eye for design.

And after considering the trade-offs, you might find yourself convinced that 120 square feet isn't too bad.

Ashley gave us a tour of her home and explained why it's worth living in a tight space if it means living in Manhattan.

The unit has one window. But the sunlight-to-square-footage ratio is amazing!

A large mirror creates the illusion of much-needed, additional space.

Turn around and you'll see a typical entranceway. The space is large enough for a loveseat-style sofa.

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Born in 1881, Hans Sachs began collecting posters and ads as a teenage hobby and over the years became Germany's top acquirer, with 12,500 posters in his collection.

Some were painted by top artists of the day, like Toulouse-Lautrec and Kandinsky. They advertised cigarettes, cabaret, fashion and fast cars.

Then, in 1938, on Kristallnacht, the Gestapo confiscated them all. Sachs escaped the Nazis and died in 1974. He never saw the posters again.

Earlier this month, 4,344 of the posters surfaced at Guernsey's auction house in New York. They fetched $2.5 million.

This is how it happened, according to GalleristNY.

After the Nazis stole the Sachs posters, Hans Sachs was held in a concentration camp.

He eventually escaped to the U.S.

The posters, however, disappeared into East Germany, behind the Iron Curtain.

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Despite its huge rally from its March 2009 low, the stock market has effectively gone sideways for the last decade.

Many have characterized the current market as a secular bear market.

But in a new research report, Fidelity portfolio manager Jurrien Timmer writes that from a technical perspective, this secular bear may be turning into a secular bull.

Timmer examined how the S&P 500 has been performing since 1871 and discovered that on average, prolonged periods of below-average returns, or secular bear markets, last about 14.5 years on average.

By that measure, the secular bear market that we're currently in is "getting a bit long in the tooth" now that it's in its 13th year, and going by historical patterns, is likely to end.

But it's no sure thing that we are entering a bullish super-cycle.  Many investors, especially pension funds that have lowered their risk profiles dramatically, aren't really expecting the market to go into a secular bull market.

Nevertheless, Timmer thinks that the end of this bear market isn't too far off.

"This study of market history seems to suggest that maybe the worst is over," he writes. "If so, it will be important for investors to take a close look at their portfolios to make sure they are not too defensively positioned and that their investment mix is in line with their long-term goals."

Timmer took a close look at each of the previous secular bull and bear markets.

BEAR: 1902-1921

"The first secular bear market lasted from 1902 to 1921, spanning a little more than 19 years. During that time, the nominal total return was 3.7% and the real return was –0.4%. The P/E fell from 14.8 to 14.0."

Source: Fidelity Viewpoints

BULL: 1922-1927

"Then we got the relatively short-but-sweet secular bull market of the Roaring '20s. This period lasted only eight years, yet the S&P 500 gained 27.5% in nominal return and 27.8% in real return. The P/E ratio climbed from 14.0 to 20.2."

Source: Fidelity Viewpoints

BEAR: 1929–1942

"The stock market bubble of the late 1920s (along with many other factors, of course)  ushered in the Great Depression of the 1930s. That secular bear market lasted until 1942. During that time, the nominal return for the S&P 500 was –5.2% and the real return was –4.6%. The P/E ratio fell from 20.2 to 7.7. The hallmark of this period was, of course, a lack of demand and the resulting deflation. This is why the real return was not lower than the nominal return."

Source: Fidelity Viewpoints

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Yes, you make a lot of money when you work on Wall Street, but you're going to have to spend a lot of money to stay there.

To go to work every day you'll need to look the part — the suit, the shoes etc. To live every day with a banker's schedule, you'll need people to take care of you — maid service, dry cleaners etc.

And then there are the social obligations — trips, schmoozing, memberships ...

Wall Street is full of Joneses, and as the saying goes, they're hard to keep up with.

Here's how much money it takes to try.

Prepare to drop $3,000+ on an apartment in the Financial District

Rents may have slightly declined in Manhattan in 2012, but the average rent is still more than $3,300 a month according to Citi Habitats.

We searched two-bedroom apartments in the area and turned up a few for less than $3,000, but they were few and far between.

Luckily, the Financial District/Battery Park City area saw the biggest drop in asking prices –– down 12 percent at the end of the year from October.

And given the beating Superstorm Sandy subjected the area to last fall, you'll definitely want to budget for flood insurance.

Men need at least $200 to invest in a solid pair of dress shoes. That figure doubles for women, who will need at least two pairs.

What good is a $5,000 suit if you're rounding it out with the same pair of kicks you used to hit the streets in as an intern? 

Men, invest in a solid pair of black or brown dress shoes (like this classic pair from Johnston & Murphy) that meet these three critera: They won't scuff easily; they'll hold up to daily beatings running around the office; and you can go from work to cocktail hour without having to change. 

Ladies, unless you're willing to teeter over potholes and cracked sidewalks in 4-inch Manolo's, you'll need a sturdy pair of flats to trek to and from the office as well. 

Trust us. Nothing ruins a $300 heel faster than a puddle of mystery Subway sludge. 

And it costs at least $20 per month to keep your soles from caving in.

Unless you've nabbed a private office with a view by now, chances are you're not in any hurry to burn cash on shoe replacements every few months. 

For a few bucks, turn over your weary kicks to the plethora of time-tested cobblers on Wall Street.  Judging by dozens of glowing reviews, few are as beloved as Minas Shoe Repair. 

"[Minas Shoe Repair] is the only place I take my designer shoes for repair," writes one Yelp reviewer. "It can get pricey, but paying a little under $100 for resoling and re-heeling and fixing up a $700 pair of Chanel flats definitely beats shelling out another $700 for new ones." 

Wall Street's also one of the few places you can pop in for a $3 shoeshine at the corner drugstore.

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With 2012 receding in the rear-view mirror, what are the major trends shaping the mobile narrative this year?

We looked over the year-end data to highlight the trends we think will underpin the mobile industry in 2013.

• Tablet sales will skyrocket, driven by mini-tablets and falling prices.
• Smartphone penetration will slow in large, developed markets.
• Mobile app developers have yet to effectively monetize a huge and engaged user base; monetization will see renewed focus in 2013.
• Mobile advertising won't emerge as a viable monetization stream for most publishers until the ecosystem consolidates and streamlines.

We've posted the deck below. We hope you enjoy it.

Click here for a PDF version of the deck→

Click here for a PowerPoint version of the deck→

Click here to download all the charts and associated data in Excel→

You can flip through the deck as a slideshow (click on the link).

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UndercoverLovers.com, a UK dating website for married people looking to have an affair, has just released a list of the 10 most adulterous travel destinations.

The website asked 3,000 of its male and female members if they had been unfaithful while on vacation and if so, in which travel destination.

Of those surveyed, 71% had an affair while on vacation. The women were more likely than the men to stray while on a trip, with 74% of those polled admitting to cheating on their spouse versus 68% of male respondents.

These are the 10 destinations that the website called "most adulterous;" for the most part, they are known hedonistic playgrounds.

1. Ibiza
2. Thailand
3. Paris
4. On a Cruise
5. Las Vegas
6. Barcelona
7. Majorca
8. Cuba
9. Chamonix, France
10. Florida

DON'T MISS: The 20 Best Resorts In America

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For the second year in a row, Hong Kong is the most expensive city in the world in which to rent a luxury three-bedroom apartment.

According to the latest data from ECA International, a global consulting firm that releases the figures for companies sending employees to work abroad, Hong Kong's rental prices have dropped slightly from last year's high of $11,813, to $11,549.

But despite the decrease, Hong Kong still out-ranked the runners up — Caracas, New York, and Moscow — by a minimum of $2,000 a month.

So what makes for the sky-high rental prices?

"Strong demand and a limited supply of suitable rental properties are pushing up rents for high-end property – in some cases quite dramatically," said Lee Quane, regional director of ECA International in Asia, in a press release. "In other locations such as Hong Kong, demand has been considerable for some time, due to limited land or a burgeoning middle class."

Globally, rental prices for a three-bedroom have slipped from last year's average of $3,080 to $3,030 per month. Tokyo luxury rentals in particular are down 5 percent, and those in Mumbai have dropped an average of 12 percent in cost within the last year.

In Buenos Aires, the average rent for a 3-bedroom apartment is $4,170 per month.

Data refers to unfurnished, 3-bedroom apartments. Source: ECA International

The rental prices ECA used to make this list were collected in September 2012 and have been converted into US dollars for comparative purposes using the September 2012 exchange rate.

In Beijing, the average rent for a 3-bedroom is $4,203.

Data refers to unfurnished, 3-bedroom apartments. Source: ECA International

The rental prices ECA used to make this list were collected in September 2012 and have been converted into US dollars for comparative purposes using the September 2012 exchange rate.

In Paris, the average rent for a 3-bedroom apartment is $4,329 a month.

Data refers to unfurnished, 3-bedroom apartments. Source: ECA International

The rental prices ECA used to make this list were collected in September 2012 and have been converted into US dollars for comparative purposes using the September 2012 exchange rate.

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Mario Balotelli is leaving England and returning to Italy to play for AC Milan after two tumultuous seasons for Manchester City.

Balotelli is one of the single most entertaining athletes on the planet, on and off the field. It's a huge loss for American soccer fans, since there are more Man City games on TV than Milan games.

Fifteen months ago we started a series on the Craziest Things Mario Balotelli Has Ever Done. From October 2011 to November 2012, the list grew from 15 slides to 25 slides as Balo racked up crazy anecdote after crazy anecdote.

To celebrate his all-too-brief career at City, we picked out the 21 craziest things he ever did in England.

He will be missed.

He bought a camouflage Bentley (January 2013)

He got in a fist fight with a his coach during practice (January 2013)

He got a Genghis Khan quote tattooed on his chest after scoring his first goal of the season (November 2012)

Balotelli has been benched for most of the 2012 Premier League season. But he scored his first goal last weekend. To celebrate, he got this tattooed on his chest:

"I am the punishment of God. If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you."

Source: Daily Mail

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The island of Manhattan is home to the greatest concentration of private clubs in this country, and no, we are not talking about the velvet-roped club doors of the Meatpacking District.

These elite institutions date back to early nineteenth century, modeled after the gentlemen's clubs of London and retain the codes of behavior from that era.

The buildings are reverent but nondescript, the fees are astronomical, and the dress code is de rigueur.

Here are 7 members-only clubs, where the upper echelon of New York Society can freely mix business with pleasure.

The Union Club of the City of New York

The first private social club to claim Manhattan was The Union Club, established in 1836 in a landmark building known for opulence and details including five dining rooms, a humidor with 100,000 cigars, card room, library, lounge, and squash courts.

Location:East 69th Street and Park Avenue

Membership: This club is thought of as the most exclusive of the social clubs, even refusing admission to the sons of some prominent members. However, they remained fiercely loyal, refusing to expel their Confederate members during the Civil War.

Notable Members: Cornelius Vanderbilt, William Randolph Heart, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Ulysses S. Grant.

The Century Association

The Century Associationwas established in 1847 by William Cullen Bryant, a poet and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post to promote interest in the fine arts and literature. Consequently, the clubhouse, which is also the oldest surviving, is home to a notable art collection and acts as a venue for the contemporary art pieces of their members. The clubhouse also contains the Century Center for the Performing Arts, a 248 seat theater, ballroom, and studio.

Location:43rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue

Membership: The club intended to have only 100 men who were artists, literary men, scientists, physicians, officers of the Army and Navy, members of the Bench, Engineers, Clergymen, and merchants, but those restrictions evolved to consist of mainly businessmen, lawyers, and doctors, and then women in 1988.

Notable Members:Fredrick Law Olmsted (designer of Central Park), Franklin D. Roosevelt, Mayor Bloomberg, Jackie Onassis, and Toni Morrison.

The Brook Club

The Brook Club is one of the final clubs to retain its status as a private gentlemen's club. It was founded in 1903 by dissatisfied members of the Union Club and the Metropolitan Club. Legend tells, however, that it was formed by two young men who were expelled from the Union Club for trying to poach on egg on the head of a bald club member. The club is so exclusive, it's nearly impossible to find a photo of the inside...

Location: 111 East 54th Street

Membership: Aside from only accepting men, The Brook accepts only those with a large international presence.

Notable Members: John F. Kennedy, Fred Astaire, and Michael Bloomberg.

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There are a lot of little problems in life.

You lose your car keys. You're craving peanut butter but can't reach the last glob. You have one more slot on your power strip, but your cord is too clunky to fit.

None of these are big problems, but they're all really aggravating.

Thankfully, a few startups are working to make the little things in our lives better.

It's a big pain when you can't get every last drop out of a jar. MIT students have found a way to make even the stickiest substances glide to the top of containers.

Startup that's working on it:LiquiGlide

What it is: Founded by a few MIT students and their professor, LiquiGlide is a coating that can be put on most surfaces to repel even the stickiest liquids, from jelly to mayonnaise. It minimizes waste because you can literally squeeze every last drop out of a bottle. See it in action, here.

Soon, you won't have to shell out $30 for a new charger because your old one doesn't fit in your new device.

Startup that's working on a solution: uBeam

What it is: A device that wirelessly charges multiple devices at once. The devices don't have to touch the charger or be plugged into anything. uBeam uses ultrasonic waves to "beam" electricity through the air to the devices, and it works across multiple brands. Right now it's just a working prototype, but fingers crossed it comes to market soon. In the meantime, you can try the Duracell PowerMat.

Losing your car keys feels like losing your mind. Luckily, there's an app for that.

Startup that's working on a solution: GetAround (Zipcar has a solution like this too, so does Viper SmartStart)

What it is: GetAround is a car sharing service that lets you loan your car for cash to a neighbor when you're not using it. Since it's a little difficult to physically exchange keys with someone you don't know, GetAround is working on a mobile key exchange app that can turn on cars and unlock doors instead. Right now though, you still have to meet the car owner in person for the keys.

Zipcar has a similar mobile feature that lets users can lock or unlock doors and even honk the car's horn via mobile app. Viper SmartStart is a pricier alternative that lets you lock, unlock, locate and even start your car from a mobile app.

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