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The 13 cheapest destinations for a beach holiday in Europe

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Algarve, Portugal

Post Office Travel Money has released the findings of its latest Holiday Costs Barometer, revealing the cheapest beach destinations for a summer break in Europe.

The 10th annual survey is based on the total cost of 10 typical holiday expenses in 20 European beach resorts, ranked from the most to the least expensive.

Holiday items considered in the survey include a cup of coffee, suncream, insect repellant, and a three-course meal with a bottle of wine for dinner.

Prices for each item were sourced from national or regional tourism offices, where possible. Costs for Bulgaria were provided by budget holiday booking company Balkan Holidays and the low-cost airline Monarch supplied prices for Turkey, while additional online research was conducted to verify prices.

Though British travellers have plenty of affordable beach holiday options to choose from, the Sterling has fallen from its 7-year high against European currencies, according to a press release from Post Office Travel Money.

"There is no escaping the fact that sterling is weaker this year than last, resulting in price rises in 80% of resorts surveyed," Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money said in the press release. "However, looking back to previous years, European resort costs have still fallen quite significantly in the longer term."

With that in mind, check out the cheapest destinations to visit, along with a breakdown of holiday costs, below.

13. Menorca, Spain — £74.40 ($105.54)

Cup of coffee:£1.15 ($1.63)

Bottle of local beer:£1.64 ($2.33)

Bottle/can of Coca-Cola:£1.72 ($2.44)

Glass of wine: £1.64 ($2.33)

1.5 litre bottle of mineral water: £0.33 ($0.47)

Suncream: £4.92 ($6.98)

Insect repellent: £2.46 ($3.49)

English tabloid newspaper: £1.48 ($2.10)

2-course prix-fixe lunch for 2: £24.61 ($34.91)

3-course evening meal for 2 with a bottle of wine: £34.35 ($48.73)



12. Corfu, Greece — £72.26 ($102.50)

Cup of coffee:£2.05 ($2.91)

Bottle of local beer:£2.87 ($4.07)

Bottle/can of Coca-Cola:£2.05 ($2.91)

Glass of wine:£2.87 ($4.07)

1.5 litre bottle of mineral water: £0.49 ($0.70)

Suncream: £6.97 ($9.89)

Insect repellent: £4.10 ($5.82)

English tabloid newspaper: £1.64 ($2.33)

2-course prix-fixe lunch for 2: £16.41 ($23.28)

3-course evening meal for 2 with a bottle of wine: £32.81 ($46.54)



11. Marmaris, Turkey — £70.81 ($100.45)

Cup of coffee:£1.57 ($2.23)

Bottle of local beer:£2.62 ($3.72)

Bottle/can of Coca-Cola:£1.83 ($2.60)

Glass of wine:£2.88 ($4.09)

1.5 litre bottle of mineral water: £0.39 ($0.55)

Suncream: £7.07 ($10.03)

Insect repellent: £2.62 ($3.72)

English tabloid newspaper: £2.09 ($2.96)

2-course prix-fixe lunch for 2: £10.47 ($14.85)

3-course evening meal for 2 with a bottle of wine: £39.27 ($55.71)



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Champagne, vodka, glamour models and 'doing battle' — Inside the mad world of white-collar boxing

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raffles rumble 7

Think boxing and your mind probably jumps to one of two scenarios. A huge prize fight in Las Vegas with millions of dollars and world title belts on the line.

Or a down at heel neighbourhood boxing gym where working class men pummel bags and spar with grizzled old guys holding pads.

But there's a different kind of boxing emerging — white-collar boxing, featuring matches between middle and upper-class people who have good jobs, often working in the City of London.

They fight in fancy venues while their friends sip expensive cocktails and eat gourmet burgers as they watch.

There are no statistics on how many people in Britain take part in white-collar boxing, but its popularity appears to have exploded in the last few years.

So Business Insider set about finding out more about the training camps, nightclubs, and expensive events that make up white-collar boxing.

We were given the chance to go along to two of London's most highly anticipated white-collar boxing events over the course of a weekend, and it was pretty fun. Check out what went on when we delved into the crazy, decadent world of posh, white-collar boxing.

The first event we went to was the Raffles Rumble, hosted by the super-fancy nightclub Raffles on Chelsea’s Kings Road. The event was held just down the road in the Old Post Office.



When Business Insider first arrived the event was fairly quiet, but things kicked off pretty quickly.



The basic premise of so-called ‘white-collar boxing’ is that people working in normal jobs train like professional fighters for a few weeks, before getting in the ring for three 2-minute rounds of boxing.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The story behind the man who ran the distance of 422 marathons in 1 year

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White House RAUSA finish

One Sunday morning in April 2014, 31-year-old Rob Young lay splayed on his living room sofa. He was bickering with his partner Joanna Hanasz.

Young insisted that he would rather stay in and watch the TV coverage of the London Marathon, rather than go for a walk in the park with their son Alexander.

At that time, running wasn't really Young's thing. He thought it was "boring." He would run the occasional 5K on the weekend, but nothing more.

So Hanasz teased him. "You'll never run a marathon," she said.

"I will," He replied. "I could run fifty."

"Fifty marathons!?" Hanasz laughed.

"I'll bet you twenty pence (about thirty cents) I can," Young said, offering his hand. 

A marathon is 26.2 miles. 

The next morning, Young's alarm rang at 3:30 a.m. He got up, printed off the Richmond Marathon route, and ran it. Afterward, he went to work at the car parts business he managed as normal. He felt so good that instead of returning exhausted after finishing his shift, Young went straight back to the park to run another. 

That week he completed a total of 262 miles — or 10 marathons.

He was addicted.

"On one day I realized that all of my dreams and passions that I've always wanted, pretty much all my life, could all just happen," he told Business Insider.

During the 365 days of the last year, Young ran 370 races that were at least 26.2 miles long. Some of these races were "ultra-runs," which are even longer than 26.2 miles, meaning he actually ran the equivalent distance of 422 marathons.

Fascinated by Young's story, I decided to go for a run with Young around Richmond Park in London. The plan was to interview him while running. However, given my apparent inability to speak after a few kilometers of jogging, it was fortunate that Young also welcomed me into his apartment, where he told more about his story.

SEE ALSO: Inside the anti-advertising movement that's recruiting ad agency workers to destroy billboards and replace them with art

Sitting in Young's bright flat, with Rob, his partner Joanna, and their two children, I was met with a perfect family scene. This only made it more difficult to imagine the cruel and dark beginning of Young's life.

He was born in a small village in Yorkshire, where, as a child, he was physically and psychologically abused regularly by his father.

As Young writes in his book, "Marathon Man," he was locked in a suitcase and thrown down the staircase on multiple occasions. Another time, he was nearly hung to death. Young, his sister and mother escaped their violent, drunk father when he was six-years-old.



Young says he "forgave" his father "a very long time ago" and he has "almost forgotten" the abuse. However, physical and mental scars remain.

Young talked about the one positive consequence of the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father: "I think the pain is the only thing that I take from my past which I can utilize in the running. I’m just able to shut off pain. If you do something to me now I’ll feel it, but if I know it’s coming I can just switch it off."



Aged eight, Young was sent to his first orphanage, after his mother had a breakdown. Here he felt compelled to get into fights with older boys and often skipped school.

Fortunately, aged 12, Young was taken in by a kind man he described as his godfather: Peter Wells.

Young credits Wells, a knowledgeable deputy headmaster who eventually became his foster parent, with educating him and turning him into a decent, respectful person.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

10 morning habits the most well-balanced people share

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morningThis post from Nelson Wang originally appeared on Quora as an answer to the question "What are some interesting morning habits of well-balanced people?"

Over the last 10 years, I've made observations of my friends (whom I respect and admire a ton), coworkers and executives on their morning habits.

To give you some quick context, they've worked at companies like Box, Kaiser, VMware, Optimizely, Cisco, Deutsche Bank, or they've started their own companies.

They're also mostly funny, caring, smart and thoughtful.

So I would consider them to be well-balanced.

Here are the top 10 morning habits:

SEE ALSO: T. Boone Pickens' morning routine will inspire you to plan your days better

1. They're crushing it on commutes

While everyone else is taking a nap on the train or twiddling their thumbs, they're crushing it on their laptop and changing the world, one letter at a time. They also don't make excuses.

For example: "Nelson, how could I do this? I have to drive to work, I can't create something while I'm driving!" Sure, that's true, but you could be learning with audiobooks.

• Did you know that a lot of my blog posts were written on my commute when I took the train south?
Sometimes I even write on my phone while waiting in line for food.
• Seriously, just yesterday I wrote most of this post on my phone while waiting in line and it has 5,900+ views already.



2. They wake up early, around 6 a.m. or 7 a.m.,and are excited for the day

Because they understand their time here is limited.



3. They simplify their wardrobe choices

... So that they don't spend hours agonizing what to wear for the day. Mark Zuckerberg does this and I'd say he's done pretty well for himself.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's what 'Game of Thrones' stars look like in real life

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Getty Images emilia clarke game of thrones premere

The "Game of Thrones" stars can look very different when they're not in their costumes and makeup for the hit fantasy drama.

The show's cast turned out for HBO's premiere screening for "Game of Thrones" season six in Los Angeles recently, which gave fans a chance to see the actors dressed to the nines.

Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Sophie Turner, and Maisie Williams were in attendance.

Sadly, Kit Harington, whose character, Jon Snow, has been the center of much fan discussion, wasn't there.

Nevertheless, here's the "Game of Thrones" cast as they look in real life:

SEE ALSO: Here's the odd way 'Game of Thrones' actors find out their characters are about to be killed off

DON'T MISS: A former 'Game of Thrones' star has harsh things to say about his time on the show

John Bradley-West plays Samwell Tarly on "Game of Thrones."



Here's West all cleaned up at the premiere.



Hannah Murray plays Samwell's life partner, Gilly.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

NBA PLAYOFFS: Here are our predictions for who wins in Round 1

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russell westbrook kevin durant

The NBA playoffs are finally here.

In some ways, the Eastern and Western conferences have flip-flopped from last year. The West was less competitive than expected this season, and while the Cavs still rule the East, it's wide open beneath them.

Meanwhile, in the West, the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs look poised to steamroll to the semifinals, likely to meet the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers.

Nonetheless, anything can happen in the NBA playoffs, and an exciting series could pop up where we least expect it.

Here are our picks for the first round of the playoffs:

Cleveland Cavaliers (1) vs. Detroit Pistons (8)

Head-to-head record this season: 3-1 Detroit

One thing to know If the Cavaliers need five games to beat Detroit, they will bump Justin Bieber and his Purpose World Tour out of the Quicken Loans Arena on April 26. Sorry!

Emmett: The Cavaliers are an extremely fragile No. 1 seed. Expect Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond to dominate in the pick-and-roll. No matter. LeBron has hit that next gear over his past 10 games. Cavs in 5.

Scott: The Pistons match up well with the Cavaliers on paper, and Stan Van Gundy's game-planning can't be discounted. But LeBron and the Cavs are rolling, and the Pistons' starting lineup has a combined zero games of playoff experience. Cavs in 5.



Toronto Raptors (2) vs. Indiana Pacers (7)

Head-to-head record this season: 3-1 Toronto

One thing to know: The Raptors' playoff hopes could be tied to DeMarre Carroll, who returned from knee surgery in April. If healthy, he represents a wing defender the Raptors haven't had and unlocks more options on offense, including small-ball possibilities.

Emmett: I want to talk myself into Paul George, Myles Turner, and the Pacers, especially since the Raptors have crashed out of the playoffs in the first round for the past two seasons. But I don't think Toronto will do it three times in a row. Raptors in 5.

Scott: The Pacers' offense has fallen off after a hot start, and their stingy defense could muck this up to give the Raptors a challenge. But this Raptors team, unlike years past, can defend right back, even if their offense stalls out. Raptors in 6.



Miami Heat (3) vs. Charlotte Hornets (6)

Head-to-head record this season: 2-2

One thing to know: The Heat were lucky to lock up the No. 3 seed. They lost their last game of the season, even after leading by 26 points, and needed some help elsewhere to finish third in the East. Will their recent loss affect them come the playoffs?

Emmett: I have to talk myself into at least one upset, right? I'll take the Hornets, who are sneakily really fun to watch. There's not much play-off experience in #BuzzCity, but Kemba Walker has that special something in the big games. Hornets in 7.

Scott: The Hornets are one of the feel-good stories in the East as a reimagined, pace-and-space, borderline superstar-less offense with a tough defense. This could be a close series, but ultimately, the Heat have the bigger stars and more experience to grind it out. Heat in 7.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

We tried a new startup that lets you order daily lunches for $99 a month and quickly discovered a huge catch

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mealpass inday

The struggle of finding the perfect work lunch is an old and tired tale that we all know too well.

Much like finding your one true love in the sweaty, filthy sea of humans that is New York, finding a lunch plan that works is a challenge filled with emotional turmoil. Tupperware lunches rarely measure up to coworkers' aesthetically appealing orders, but buying food can be expensive.

On a recent dismal weekday, however, we heard about a new startup called MealPass that attempts to solve this issue. Mary Biggins, one of the founders of ClassPass, teamed up with MealPass cofounder Katie Ghelli to create a business model inspired by the fitness startup that fulfills work lunch-related needs for $99 a month (it will soon get bumped up to $119 for New Yorkers, though).

mealpass pick up

Paying $5 a meal in the city of the $12 salad sounded almost too good to be true.

"What's the catch?" we asked ourselves as we signed up for MealPass, earning a spot in the startup's first round of invites sent out to New Yorkers on March 30.

After a week of membership, we now understand how the system works — and have identified a few major flaws.

SEE ALSO: I tried eating fast food for a week while eliminating a cornerstone ingredient — and it highlighted a huge problem in the industry

For starters, MealPass aims to do right in the world of lunches gone wrong.

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It has already successfully launched in Boston and Miami.

With MealPass, users pay a flat fee at the beginning of their monthly cycle. For example, if you joined MealPass on April 9, you would be charged $99 on May 9, when your next cycle begins. 



Here's how it works.

The meal-ordering process starts at 7 p.m., when you get an email telling you it's time to order your next day's lunch (in case you forgot about it), and you have until 9:30 in the morning of your lunch to pick your meal. But be warned: popular meals, like items from Dos Toros, sell out quickly.



Most of the New York restaurants are in Flatiron or Chelsea — perfect for Business Insider's headquarters.

Each restaurant offers just one meal option, so while users have more than 100 options to choose from, each restaurant only needs to worry about preparing one dish. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

LinkedIn HR chief recommends 3 books to all new managers

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susan cain and pat wadors at the new work summit

As the head of HR for LinkedIn, the professional social network with more than 400 million active users around the world, Pat Wadors is constantly having conversations about what tools and resources managers and their employees need to succeed.

She says learned two fundamental truths about management:

1. Great managers need to be passionate about developing the talents of others, but they don't need to fit into a certain personality type.

2. To make the most of a team, its leader needs to discover what motivates each employee, and then be transparent about ensuring their needs are met.

We recently spoke with Wadors, and she shared the "trifecta" of business books she recommends all new managers read.

SEE ALSO: LinkedIn's HR chief shares her best career advice for 20-somethings

'Quiet' by Susan Cain

Wadors, a self-described introvert, said that she learned in her early 30s that she wouldn't have to pretend to be a different person if she wanted to succeed as a leader.

At LinkedIn, Wadors wanted to let other introverts know that they could follow in her footsteps even if they weren't loud, outgoing, and aggressive. Last fall, she partnered with "Quiet" author Susan Cain to implement a leadership program at LinkedIn for introverts, and it launched this month.

Whether you're an introvert yourself or about to lead a team with introverts, Cain's book from 2012 will dispel socially ingrained myths of what a successful person must behave like

Find it here »



'The Alliance' by Reid Hoffman, Ben Casnocha, and Chris Yeh

Reid Hoffman, the billionaire cofounder of LinkedIn, is rethinking the relationship between managers and employees.

In his 2014 book "The Alliance," he and his co-authors argue that we're long past the age of spending an entire career at a single company. But, they say, our workplaces haven't adapted to the change.

They explain that by establishing an alliance between the company and its employees through "tours of duty," tailored to what the employee wants to get from his or her time at a company, it can "invest in the long-term future without sacrificing adaptability," much the way a dominant professional sports team operates.

"'The Alliance' shaped career conversations in a way that was way more visible and healthy than I'd ever seen done," Wadors said.

Find it here »



'Drive' by Dan Pink

Pink is the bestselling author of some of the past decade's most popular and insightful career guides, and Wadors has found his work tremendously helpful in finding ways to connect with her employees on a more personal level.

In his 2011 book "Drive," he argues that the typical rewards-based approach to motivating people through something like a bigger paycheck is insufficient on its own, and that people instead are driven by an increase in autonomy, a path to mastery, and work with purpose.

Find it here »



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Yahoo's biggest problem explained in 15 charts (YHOO)

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Marissa Mayer, yahoo, sv100 2015

A lot of investors were happy when Yahoo hired Marissa Mayer as its new CEO back in 2012.

But in less than 4 years, the tide has turned.

Yahoo's growth has been stagnant under Mayer, and now some investors are calling for her replacement.

These 15 charts show why Mayer's lost their support.

SEE ALSO: 17 charts that show just how scary Amazon's $275 billion business really is

Mayer was hired as Yahoo's new CEO on July 16, 2012. Since then, Yahoo's stock price has more than doubled, but it's been dropping after hitting its peak in November 2014.



Yahoo's stock price decline coincides with Alibaba's IPO in late 2014. Yahoo holds a 15% ownership stake in Alibaba, and the market still ascribes most of its value to its Alibaba holdings. As Alibaba shares dropped, so did Yahoo's.



A bigger reason why the market is losing confidence in Mayer's Yahoo is that the core business has not been growing. Yahoo's revenue has fallen 11% since 2010, and its adjusted profit (before taxes, amortization, and certain other expenses) has been cut almost in half.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A couple who quit their jobs to bike across the US explains how they stretched $6,000 over 4,000 miles

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ventura hoosier pass colorado

Kathleen Ventura, 31, started planning her bike ride across the US in 2011.

"We didn't even have bikes!" she remembers. "When we decided to rid, it started with micro actions — and first, we had to get bikes."

She and her husband Brock Delinski, 33, were living just outside Chicago at the time, her working as an account executive in sales at Groupon and him working as an operations supervisor for a waste-services company. They had their hearts set on an extended period of international, nomadic travel and figured a cross-country adventure, where they spoke the language and knew the currency, would be a good place to start.

Ultimately, they ended up biking over 4,200 miles in around five months. Ventura spoke with Business Insider to share the victories, challenges, and costs of traversing the US on a bike.

SEE ALSO: A couple who quit their jobs to spend 7 months traveling the world explain how they stretched $8,000 across 13 countries

The spring of 2012 was full of change for Ventura and Delinski: They got married in March, their Chicago lease was up in May, and they left for their marathon ride on June 7.

Before they set off, they spent a month living with Ventura's parents in order to stockpile a few paychecks' worth of savings. Between a year of saving and planning, selling their cars and furniture, and the last-minute influx of cash, they had about $50,000 saved for their bike trip and whatever came next.



Using maps from the Adventure Cycling Association, they plotted their way through the TransAmerica Trail, starting in Yorktown, Virginia and ending in Astoria, Oregon.

"When I say maps, I think people think I was on trails," Ventura says. "We were on streets and roads and in some cases, the interstate." The maps the nonprofit association provides describe not only the route, but also an elevation chart and notification about local cycling-friendly resources.

"They'll say in this town there's a grocery store, in this town there's fuel," Ventura says. "The route we took was the most established, so they could be like 'There's a grocery store in this town that lets cyclists camp in the backyard, or this church will let you use the kitchen and take a shower for a donation.' We were able to plan based on that."



"I felt like the whole thing was like a video game," Ventura remembers. "Every day was a new day with new challenges: dogs trying to bite you, headwinds trying to knock you over, 105 degrees."

They carried a small camping stove and most days would make ramen or other noodles along with some vegetables, for nutrients. Most nights, the pair would pitch a tent — in a campground out west, or in a church, or in a city park in a small town, where they were usually lucky enough to find outlets to plug in their phones.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

11 career lessons that got me 7 job offers

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When I first stepped onto Cal Poly’s campus, I felt completely lost. The school wasn’t my first choice — in fact, it wasn’t even in my top 10.

Of the 13 colleges I’d applied to, I’d gotten rejected from all but my three safeties.

It’s not like I was an under-achiever: I’d applied with a 4.4 GPA, tons of extracurriculars and charity work, great recommendations, and solid essays.

But these rejections showed me following the "traditional" path didn’t always work. If I wanted to be successful (which I did, more than ever), I needed to do something different.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve known I wanted to be a writer. So, I decided that I couldn’t count on a four-year education to get me there. If I wanted a guarantee that things would work out the way I wanted, I’d have to go after it myself.

So, during the first month of freshman year, I started applying for writing gigs — despite having no professional experience. While the student paper seemed liked the natural place to start, they weren’t looking for contributors.

Instead, I began applying for all the college advice sites I’d read in preparation for coming to Cal Poly. Most of these never got back to me, but I kept trying. Finally, a few did.

SEE ALSO: KFC manager allegedly rescinded a job offer once he realized the candidate was transgender

1. Don’t let the first "nos" stop you

By October, I was an unpaid contributor for four publications. Plus, after continually checking in with the editor of the newspaper, he finally agreed to let me write for a new section.

My writing clips started piling up. However, even though this aspect of my career seemed to be going well, I’d already started looking toward the next step in my career: getting an internship.



2. Keep setting new goals

None of the people in my classes were talking about internships yet, and I only knew getting one was important because all the sites I was writing for kept mentioning them.

It made sense to apply as an intern for one of these very sites: Her Campus. If I’d have known the company got hundreds of applications per year for less than 10 spots, I might’ve aimed a little lower. But I didn’t, so I didn’t — and thanks to all the writing samples I now had, I got the job.



3. Learn from the people around you

That Her Campus internship ended up being a game-changer. I was the youngest intern by far, and being around a bunch of older women taught me so much about workplace communication and behavior. Plus, I was working on articles all day long and working with two great editors, so my writing improved more in three months than it had all year.

Since I was learning so much, I decided to start emailing random professionals in the city and asking to buy them coffee. I had no idea these meet-ups were usually called "informational interviews," I just knew people usually liked helping students and giving advice.

This strategy totally paid off. When I flew back home at the end of the summer, I’d gotten together with award-winning journalists, freelance writers, editors, startup founders, PR reps, and marketers. I didn’t know it, but I’d begun building my network.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

10 conspiracy theories in sports that drive fans nuts

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LeBron James

During the San Antonio Spurs win over the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the 2014 NBA Finals the air conditioning at the AT&T Center stopped working, eventually causing LeBron James to cramp and have to be carried off the court.

After the game, it didn't take sports fans long to speculate that the malfunction was actually intentional to give the Spurs an even bigger home court advantage. This was just the latest in a long history of conspiracy theories that many sports fans want to believe.

One Redditor started a thread asking others for their favorite sports conspiracy theories. Here are some of the best and most popular in no particular order.

1. Cal Ripken Jr.'s record streak of games played was saved by an intentional power outage.

Why fans believe it is true: In 1997, two years after breaking Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played, a game between the Orioles and Mariners was postponed because of a electrical failure that affected the lights at Camden Yards. This led to a wild rumor that the team intentionally caused the failure to save Ripken's streak when they learned Ripken would be unable to play after he got into a fight with Kevin Costner.

Why it is probably bunk: News reports at the time show that Ripken was at the stadium and sitting in the dugout prior to the power outage.



2. The 2005 NHL Draft was rigged so the Pittsburgh Penguins could draft Sidney Crosby to save the troubled franchise.

Why fans believe it is true: Shortly after escaping bankruptcy, the Pittsburgh Penguins were still in trouble as a franchise and threatening to move to Kansas City. The team then won the 2005 NHL Draft lottery for the rights to draft the wunderkind, Sidney Crosby, and shortly afterwards, an agreement was in place to build a new arena.

Why it is probably bunk: The Penguins were one of four clubs tied with the best chance of winning the lottery. One of the other teams was the New York Rangers. While Crosby may have saved the Penguins it would have been better for the league if he ended up with the Rangers who at the time were one of the worst teams in the league.



3. Michael Jordan's first retirement was actually a secret suspension for gambling.

Why fans believe it is true: Just months before Michael Jordan announced his first retirement in 1993 and eventually pursued a career in baseball, the NBA had launched an investigation into Jordan's gambling habits. In addition, Jordan joked during his retirement press conference that he may come back to the NBA "if David Stern lets me back in the league."

Why it is probably bunk: The question conspiracy theorists struggle to answer is, why would the NBA cover up Jordan's gambling misdeeds and kick the best and most popular asset out of the league for two years? For all the NBA conspiracy theories — and there are plenty — they always involve a conspiracy that benefits the league. Getting rid of Jordan did not benefit the NBA. The more likely scenario is that Jordan, one of sports' fiercest competitors no longer felt challenged by basketball and needed something else. He was also dealing with the recent death of his father, who had been murdered just months before his son's retirement.

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The Jaguar XF proves growing up doesn't mean you can't have fun anymore

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Jaguar XF 43

Over the past few years, Jaguar Land Rover has been one of the fastest-growing car companies in the US market. However, most of this growth has been thanks to the Land Rover part of JLR. In 2015, JLR's US sales surged 26% to more than 85,000 cars, but only about 14,000 of them were Jags. In fact, the Jaguar brand's sales fell 8% last year. 

For 2016, Jaguar is making an all-out push to even things up with its corporate sibling. At the core of Jag's strategy is the introduction of three new cars. 

The new second generation XF is the first of Jaguar's new lineup to land on our shores. The new XF will soon be joined by the BMW 3-Series-fighting XE sedan and the highly anticipated F-PACE crossover SUV.

Although the first generation XF remains very aesthetically pleasing, after nearly a decade in the public eye, it was time for a change. 

"Since we now produce the smaller XE, the XF has to grow up a little bit," Jaguar design director Ian Callum told Business Insider in an interview. "Perhaps become a little less sporty and a little more practical."

"My balance was to really keep it as sporty as possible, but at the same time give it a lot more room on the inside," Sir Ian added. 

So, the question must be asked: "Is the youthful sports car still alive in the soul of this grown up Jag?"

The 2016 Jaguar XF starts at $51,900, while the XF S starts at $62,700. Our well-appointed XF S test car left the showroom with the price tag of $74,655. 

Jaguar recently dropped off a glacier white 2016 XF S for Business Insider to sample. Let's find out. 

Photos by Hollis Johnson unless otherwise credited.

SEE ALSO: I drove Chevy’s answer to that Tesla everyone is going nuts over

Jaguar debuted the first generation XF to rave reviews in 2008.



After nearly a decade on the market, it was time for a new XF. For 2016, Jaguar's midsize luxury sedan arrives in the US with a whole new look.



The new XF is the work of Jaguar design boss Ian Callum, whose résumé includes ...



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9 signs you'll never be rich

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Contrary to popular belief, "Everyone has the same opportunity to acquire wealth,"says self-made millionaire Steve Siebold. But is wealth in the cards for you?

To help you evaluate that, we've rounded up nine red flags to watch out for. While no one can predict the future, the following choices most likely won't accelerate your path to riches.

SEE ALSO: 15 ways to guarantee you won't become a millionaire

You put too much emphasis on saving — and not enough on earning

Saving is crucial to building wealth, but you don't want to focus so much on saving that you start neglecting earning, which is what rich people focus on.

"The masses are so focused on clipping coupons and living frugally they miss major opportunities,"Siebold writes.

There's no need to abandon practical saving strategies. However, if you want to start thinking like the rich, "Stop worrying about running out of money and focus on how to make more,"Siebold advises.

Some experts say that "it's not about how much money you make, it's about how much you keep," but this shouldn't be an excuse to disregard earning completely. To keep money, you have to earn it in the first place. A common thread among millionaires is that they develop multiple streams of incomeand have smart savings habits.



You haven't started investing

One of the most effective ways to earn more money over time is to invest it, and the earlier you start, the better.

"On average, millionaires invest 20% of their household income each year. Their wealth isn't measured by the amount they make each year, but by how they've saved and invested over time," writes Ramit Sethi in his New York Times best seller, "I Will Teach You to Be Rich."

The more you can set aside, the better, but even a little bit can go a long way, thanks to compound interest. An easy way to dip your toe into the investing pool is to start saving for retirement using accounts where your money is invested, like a 401(k) or IRA.



You're content with a steady paycheck

Average people choose to get paid based on time — on a steady salary or hourly rate — while rich people choose to get paid based on results and are typically self-employed.

"It's not that there aren't world-class performers who punch a time clock for a paycheck, but for most this is the slowest path to prosperity, promoted as the safest,"Siebold says. "The great ones know self-employment is the fastest road to wealth."

While the world-class continue starting businesses and building fortunes, "The masses almost guarantee themselves a life of financial mediocrity by staying in a job with a modest salary and yearly pay raises,"Siebold explains.



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12 photos of Obama discovering his inner child at the White House science fair

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President Barack Obama has hosted the annual White House Science Fair every year since 2010, when he launched it to honor kids from kindergarten to 12th grade who submit projects from the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines.

The fair is an opportunity for Obama to let loose and have fun with kids who come to Washington, DC, to demonstrate their inventions to the president, who says he wants to "celebrate outstanding work by young people in science at least as much as we do Super Bowl winners."

Check out the photos below:

SEE ALSO: 54 pictures of President Obama discovering his inner child for his 54th birthday

The president got in touch with his inner child by blowing bubbles from a bubble maker made by 9-year-old Jacob Leggette with a 3-D printer.



Leggette also created a mini replica of the White House with his 3-D printer.



He tested this project by 9-year-old Kimberly and 11-year-old Rebecca Yeung, two sisters from Seattle.



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A Paris auction will feature some of the world's most valuable comics

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The value of an item, the adage goes, is never less than what someone is willing to pay for it.

And for rare comic books, that value is skyrocketing.

At a sale at French auction house Artcurial on April 30, comics — especially those written by the famous Belgian cartoonist Hergé — will receive attention and prices rivaling those usually reserved for fine art.

"The world of comic strips has recently witnessed a renewed enthusiasm," said Eric Leroy, an expert in comics at Artcurial.

"Collectors come from all backgrounds; some of them have previously been collecting contemporary and modern art and appreciate the graphical and historical side of collecting comic strips," Leroy said.

Artcurial set up a dedicated comic strip division in 2005, responding to a rapidly expanding market and a growing need for in-house expertise to identify, authenticate, and curate some of the most desirable comics in the world.

"Quality works are getting harder and harder to find, but some aspects of comics are always important: the rarity, the album it originates from, whether the hero is depicted, the talent of the artist and the condition of the work," Leroy said.

The auction this month will include items from the personal collection of French pop singer Renaud. It heavily features the work of Hergé, creator of "The Adventures of Tintin," a series of graphic novels depicting the worldwide escapades of a young Belgian reporter.

The series has to date sold well over 200 million copies in more than 70 languages, and remains in wide circulation.

SEE ALSO: Millennials have an odd habit when it comes to their cars

At the top of the docket is a rare double-plate from the "Tintin" comic "King Ottokar's Sceptre," estimated by the house to sell for between $650,000 and $865,000.



A similar, double page from a different episode sold for an astonishing $1.5 million last year, doubling its presale estimate, the BBC reported.

Hergé, who died in 1983, is certainly one of the most important names in the European comic-book tradition.

"Hergé had a career spanning 40 years with a formidable output," Leroy said. "Many generations have grown up reading 'The Adventures of Tintin.'"

The devoted attention Hergé paid to European cultures, as well as those of the many places to which Tintin traveled, made the series a veritable record of the twentieth century.

In the 23 completed works, Tintin trekked in the Himalayas, witnessed Native Americans evicted by the United States Army, saw Japanese soldiers occupy Manchuria, and even walked on the moon.

While the "Tintin" comics have revived only a limited following in the US, the series was developed into a 2011 Hollywood feature film by Steven Spielberg, an avid fan of the books.



Unlike the European tradition, in North America comics have always favored an array of superheroes.

"Actually, US comic books are not really very different from European comics," Leroy said. Even if the subjects may differ.

In fact, comic strips were born in North American newspapers in the 19th century, only later migrating across the Atlantic.

Today, early American comics, especially those that feature the genesis of some of the most famous superheroes, attract similar prices to their European counterparts.

"In a way, comics are timeless and, moreover, universal," Leroy said.



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1 MILLION MILES: From Moscow to Cambodia, John Kerry has seen it all

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John Kerry recently became the most traveled US secretary of state in history, narrowly edging past a previous record set by Condoleezza Rice under President George W. Bush. 

As of April 7, Kerry traveled 1,055,000 miles for the job. To have traveled that far, Kerry has spent 2,297.03 hours in flight, which works out to 95.7 days.

In total, he has had 466 travel days so far in his tenure and has visited 80 countries.

We have put together some of our favorite photos of Kerry's travels below. 

SEE ALSO: Meet Ground Force One, the president's $1.1 million armored bus

RUSSIA: Kerry poses in front of St. Basil's cathedral during a walk at the Red Square in Moscow on May 7, 2013.



KENYA: Kerry takes a selfie with a baby elephant while touring the Sheldrick Center Elephant Orphanage at the Nairobi National Park on May 3, 2015.



UZBEKISTAN: Kerry tours the Registan cultural site in Samarkand, November 1, 2015.



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These 15 features sell homes the fastest and at the best price (Z)

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It turns out homebuyers are really into barn doors.  

When Zillow looked at design features that sell homes at the best price and with the shortest listing time, that feature topped the list. 

Anything craftsman-style, like rectangular farmhouse sinks, also got homes off the market at a premium. 

Zillow Digs screened over 2 million listings for homes sold between January 2014 and March 2016 and looked for the keywords that had the best effect on how much more than the expected price and how much faster they sold.  

Here are the top 15 design features:

Outdoor kitchen

Percent of homes that sell for above expected values: 3.7%

How many days faster than expected the home sells: 19

Most common metro: Tampa, Florida



Tankless water heater

Percent of homes that sell for above expected values: 4%

How many days faster than expected the home sells: 43

Most common metro: Los Angeles, California



Backsplash

Percent of homes that sell for above expected values: 4.1%

How many days faster than expected the home sells: 46

Most common metro: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania



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Facebook is hiding messages from you in a secret inbox — here's where to find it (FB)

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Mark Zuckerberg

Facebook Messenger has a secret folder for storing messages that you probably didn't know existed.

Some of them can be vitally important, with one Facebook user, Daniel Emery, only discovering his friend had died after checking this folder.

When you receive a message from someone on Facebook who isn't your friend, Facebook alerts you to let you know. But the social-media network doesn't do this for every message you receive from a non-Facebook friend.

If Facebook thinks the message is spam, it will tuck it away into a hidden vault.

Several Business Insider journalists found the vault, and all of us had messages in there that we didn't know we had ever received.

Here's how to find the secret vault:

1. Open the Facebook Messenger app.



2. Tap "Settings" in the bottom right-hand corner.



3. Select the "People" option.



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London's elite is taking up a new exclusive fitness regime which involves a £50,000 mechanical horse

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London has a new elite fitness service that it involves a £50,000 mechanical horse — it's called Equicise.

The equestrian related exercise and fitness services not only incorporate some of the latest technology but are also unique and created entirely from scratch. 

In fact, the founder and horse riding veteran Carol Andrews has pretty much staked her life on this new venture.

After deciding to forgo a bank loan, she crowdfunded the money from friends and long term clients of hers from the Wimbledon Village Stables, and re-mortgaged her house to the maximum in order to fund this.

"I've been riding for decades but I realised how unfit I was," she told Business Insider.

"In order to ride, a lot of strength and fitness is needed and it's hard to replicate what you need in the gym. After working out with Vanessa [Stanfield — a personal trainer, former professional dancer and now one of Andrews' key staff at Equicise], I decided to create a unique experience for riders to become stronger, fitter and more flexible. You ride better when you're fit. That's how the idea was born."

Business Insider spent an afternoon in the affluent Wimbledon Village and went to see what the fuss is all about.

Equicise is situated in the affluent area of Wimbledon — famous for the tennis — which is full of boutiques, brasseries and bars.



Tucked behind the shops and the bars is the the Wimbledon Village Stables which is owned by Carol Andrews. Here she is with her horse Pod.



The riding school and livery stables in South West London is home to dozens of horses.



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