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'I was here the day of the rebellion': The birthplace of the gay rights movement celebrates the Supreme Court

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Minutes after Friday’s historic Supreme Court ruling that made same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states, Business Insider headed to The Stonewall Inn, a bar in New York City that's known as the birthplace of the gay rights movement. 

Stonewall was the site of a riot on June 28, 1969 after police officers raided the bar. Patrons responded by destroying police cars and barricading officers into the bar.

The following year, gay rights groups held an anniversary celebration, which eventually morphed into the worldwide Gay Pride festivities including the parade in New York that's scheduled for this weekend. 

On Friday, the Stonewall was the epicenter for a celebration of the Supreme Court decision. 

When we got there, there was already a small crowd in front of the bar.



There were also people gathering in a park across the street.



Martin Barna and his friend, Jaremey McMillan, came to celebrate the ruling.

Barna (left) said he isn’t married. When we asked what the Court’s decision meant for him, McMillan piped in.

“It means that, now, you are the only obstacle to your own happiness,” McMillan said to Barna.

“Can I say that I said that?” Barna asked. “It’s a great quote.”

Barna and McMillan said they have been friends for a decade.

“It’s exciting as a gay man and as an attorney … to be celebrating this outside the Stonewall where it all started,” Barna said, adding, “This is a right that every American should have and now does.”



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Young Wall Street went black tie on Thursday night

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Young Wall Street brushed off the tuxedos and ball gowns on Thursday night and came together for the first annual Paradise Fund Casino Gala in New York City.

Hosted by Paradise Fund co-founders Kent Anderson, H. Loy Anderson III, and Christopher DiSchino, the event was the first of its kind in New York, although they've been holding similar casino galas in Palm Beach since 2011.

Proceeds from the event will go to the Boys & Girls Harbor, a non-profit based in East Harlem.

The evening was a flurry of high fashion, live jazz music, and, of course, lots of blackjack and craps. Take a look inside.

Welcome to The Racquet and Tennis Club, where the Paradise Fund's first NYC gala took place.



VIP guests gathered for a reception before the gambling began. Alex and Leeana Smith-Ryland said they were lifelong friends of H. Loy Anderson, one of the event's hosts.



Lots of guests came from the fashion and retail industries: here are Netty Devonshire and Dan Carroll of J Crew.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 9 most successful 'Shark Tank' businesses

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Shark Tank

Entrepreneurs who land a spot on ABC’s hit show “Shark Tank” get the chance of a lifetime: to showcase their products to more than 7 million viewers and pitch their businesses to a panel of potential investors.

And if an investor, or Shark, likes their ideas, they try to negotiate offers and seal the deals with golden handshakes.

More than 500 businesses have been pitched on the show over five seasons (“Shark Tank” is currently in its sixth season), but more than 50% of the ideas that are given the green light on the air don’t end up closing the deal when the cameras turn off, according to The Richest.com.

Related: How "Shark Tank’s" Mark Cuban became a big fish

The lucky few who have landed a coveted handshake from Sharks, such as Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran or Lori Greiner, form invaluable business partnerships and gain exposure that hopefully leads to a big boost in sales.

If you’re a fan of the show and have ever wondered what resulted from some of the more successful “Shark Tank” pitches, then read on.

Scrub Daddy

Creator: Aaron Krause

Shark: Lori Greiner

Deal: $200,000 for 20% of the business

Concept: Scrub Daddy is a smiley face-shaped sponge that can outlast many average sponges. It also comes in a lemon scent and multiple colors. Scrub Daddy products can be used to clean household or outdoor items, as well as cars and boats. Its unique design tackles hard-to reach-places, like the bottom of a mug or shower corners, and won’t scratch delicate surfaces.

Where are they now: After Greiner made the deal with Krause for 20%, Scrub Daddy became the biggest “Shark Tank” success to date, reports Business Insider. When Krause landed a spot on “Shark Tank,” his company was struggling, reaching only $100,000 in sales in 18 months.

Since its television debut, Scrub Daddy has raked in more than $18 million. Consumers can buy the product on QVC and in retail stores such as Target and Bed Bath & Beyond. Krause is on a mission to “reinvent the sponge,” and the Scrub Daddy line has expanded to include various sizes.

In an interview with GOBankingRates, Krause shared a few tips on how other entrepreneurs can perfect their pitches. “Proper planning prevents poor performance,” he said. “Before I went on ‘Shark Tank,’ I watched every episode twice and created a flow chart of potential questions based off each Shark’s personality. There wasn’t a single question I wasn’t prepared for.”

Krause gave another important piece of advice for when it’s time to present the pitch: “It’s important to come across as confident, not arrogant though. You want to act like a person someone wants to do business with.”

Related: Discover the 6 unexpected ways spring cleaning will save you money



Hold Your Haunches

Creator: Erin Bickley & Jenny Greer

Shark: Barbara Corcoran & Lori Greiner

Deal: $75,000 (plus a $100,000 credit line) for 40% of the business

Concept: Defining itself as “shapewear redefined,” Hold Your Haunches is a fashion trouser that has an extendable waistband and integrated compression shell that extends from the waist down to the calf. This two-layer shapewear system shapes and smooths the customer’s figure on the inside while remaining hidden by an outer layer of pants.

Where are they now: In the year leading up to its “Shark Tank” appearance, the company only had $165,000 in sales, reports the Daily Mail. Just six months after the episode aired, Hold Your Haunches saw more than $1.5 million in profits.

When asked about the product’s surprising success, Greiner told GOBankingRates, “The Hold Your Haunches product helps women feel better about their bodies in leggings. Who doesn’t want to look and feel better in their clothes? Plus, [Bickley and Greer] are real hustlers at getting the job at task done. That combination wins.”



Chordbuddy

Creator: Travis Perry

Shark: Robert Herjavec

Deal: $175,000 for 20% of the business

Concept: Music teacher Travis Perry created ChordBuddy for his daughter, a novice guitar player. The device attaches to the neck of an acoustic or electric guitar and has colored tabs that help beginners learn the chords. Perry’s daughter learned how to play so quickly that he knew he had a hit product on his hands.

Where are they now: ChordBuddy started with $150,000 in sales during its first month before “Shark Tank.” In late 2014, Business Insider reported the company was on track to bring in $2 million in sales and had even secured John Rich, from the popular country duo Big and Rich, as a company spokesperson.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Step inside the Catacombs, Paris’ most bizarre tourist attraction

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Hidden beneath the vibrant European city of Paris is an eerie network of old caves and tunnels housing the remains of 6 million people: the Catacombes de Paris

paris catacombsThe tunnels, located beneath the Palais de Chaillot, stretch as far as about 200 miles, though only a small section of it is open to the public today.

paris catacombsThe majority of the network has been off-limits since 1955, but even in the area still accessible to tourists are fascinating remnants of Paris' history.

paris catacombsThe limestone quarries were used as a natural resource since the time of the Romans, providing construction material for Paris' buildings. Eventually, the city continued to expand over the quarries, creating a vast underground world. 

paris catacombsIn the 18th century, when Parisian cemeteries like its largest, Cimetière des Saints-Innocents, became overpopulated, six million bodies were both transferred from cemeteries and buried directly into the underground limestone passageways, giving the catacombs a reputation of the world's largest grave.

paris catacombsSince they were officially opened to the public in 1876, the catacombs have attracted the interest of thousands of visitors and historical figures like King Charles X, who is said to have thrown wild parties there, and Napoleon III.

They were used by the French Resistance to hide from Nazis in World War II, and ironically, by the Nazis to built an underground bunker. 

In some places, bones are laid out in careful patterns, stacked high on top of one another. 

paris catacombsOther areas include a sea of fragmented skeletons along the floor.

paris catacombsThere is also graffiti dating all the way back to the French Revolution etched along portions of the wall.

Famous figures buried here include Jean-Paul Marat, known from the French Revolution, and Maximilien de Robespierre, an iconic member of both the Revolution and the Reign of Terror. 

Unofficial visits are not permitted considering how dangerous this can be, but there are secret entrances across the city , like sewers and metro tunnels, that lead into the site.

There is even an entire group of explorers known for entering the network illegally. The Cataphiles have been going deep underground the catacombs for years, hosting everything from bars to movie screenings in the subterranean world. 

paris catacombsToday, about a mile of the Catacombs is open to explore, with a public entrance in Paris' 14th arrondissement. 

paris catacombsThere is also an area that houses a themed exhibition each year, with this year's showcasing the history of Paris when it was occupied by the Lutetian sea about 45 million years ago. 

The Catacombs are open for tours Tuesday to Sunday. Tours are about 45 minutes long and cost 10 euros for adults. 

SEE ALSO: This map shows 4,000 years of world history

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NOW WATCH: Watch This Amazing Video Of An Eagle With A Camera Soar Over Paris

11 signs someone is lying to you

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nervous fear biting lip woman

A majority of the people you talk to on a daily basis are big fat liars.

A 2002 study conducted by University of Massachusetts Amherst psychologist Robert S. Feldman found that 60% of people lied during a 10-minute conversation, and they told an average of two to three lies in that time.

Luckily, fibs are fairly easy to spot — you just have to know the signs.

Dr. Lillian Glass, a behavioral analyst and body language expert who has worked with the FBI on unmasking signals of deception, says when trying to figure out if someone is lying, you first need to understand how the person normally acts. Then you'll want to pay careful attention to their facial expressions, body language, and speech patterns, she writes in her book "The Body Language of Liars."

Vivian Giang contributed to an earlier version of this article.

Here are 11 telltale signs:

1. They change their head position quickly.

If you see someone suddenly make a head movement when you ask them a direct question, they may be lying to you about something.

"The head will be retracted or jerked back, bowed down, or cocked or tilted to the side," writes Glass. This will often happen right before the person is expected to respond to a question.



2. Their breathing changes.

When someone is lying to you, they may begin to breathe heavily, Glass says. "It's a reflex action." 

When their breathing changes, their shoulders will rise and their voice may get shallow, she adds. "In essence, they are out of breath because their heart rate and blood flow change. Your body experiences these types of changes when you're nervous and feeling tense — when you lie." 



3. They stand very still.

It's common knowledge that people fidget when they get nervous, but Glass says that you should also watch out for people who are not moving at all.

"This may be a sign of the primitive neurological 'fight,' rather than the 'flight,' response, as the body positions and readies itself for possible confrontation," says Glass. "When you speak and engage in normal conversation, it is natural to move your body around in subtle, relaxed, and, for the most part, unconscious movements. So if you observe a rigid, catatonic stance devoid of movement, it is often a huge warning sign that something is off."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Instagram is owning the gay marriage ruling with a flood of beautiful inspiration

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#lovewinsOn Friday, the United States officially legalized same-sex marriage, and people are celebrating the landmark announcement all over social media.

And the most inspirational images, as always, can be found on Instagram. 

The hashtag #LOVEWINS started trending on social media as a result of the Supreme Court decision shortly after it was announced at 10 a.m.

Since then, over 500,000 people have posted pictures on Instagram using the hashtag. Many of the images include popular Instagram trends, decked out in rainbows for the historic occasion.

Here's a look at 15 photos shared in honor of marriage equality. 

 

SEE ALSO: Here's how the White House responded to the gay marriage ruling on Facebook

All over the world, people are excited about the Supreme Court's decision and using the hashtag #LOVEWINS to show support.

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People were excited to see a rainbows in the sky in Washington, DC, after the Supreme Court's decision was announced.

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Here's a look at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, decorated for the occasion.

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See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A certified pilot turned Instagram star took these stunning aerial photos around the world

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Ever since he was a kid, Adam Senatori  dreamed of being a pilot.

After fulfilling that dream by becoming a commercial airline captain, Senatori was unfortunately laid off and forced to take a buyout. Faced with a new challenge, Adam looked for other opportunities and began making the transition from commercial aviator to commercial photographer.  

Senatori tells Business Insider that it was his iPhone that first sparked the idea to take pictures from the air. “After I left the airlines and was flying for fun, I started taking some quick shots with my iPhone and that’s when it triggered that I had something unique. I could fly, or had friends that could fly me, and take photos,” he says.

Through the Instagram account he started five years ago, Senatori's unique images have found a new, wider audience. He was one of the first photographers that the company featured on the Instagram blog, and he’s gained around 850,000 followers. While social media usually moves at lightning speed, Senatori's workflow is usually much slower, as he usually shoots with a Medium Format Digital Hasselblad H4D.

Don’t worry though, he never pilots and photographs at the same time. “Anytime I’m in the air, we either take the windows off, or if it’s a helicopter, we always take the doors off so I that I can have a clean shot,” he told us.

Check out some of his jaw-dropping images below, with a selection of quotes from our conversation with him.

SEE ALSO: 22 stunning aerial photos of Cuba

FOLLOW US: Business Insider is on Pinterest!

Senatori lives in Madison, Wisconsin, where he grew up. “With O’Hare Airport in the backyard, I can pretty much go anywhere in the world by driving an hour and a half. It’s just easy to stay here, it’s easy living," he says.



Senatori explains that both of his parents were involved in the arts, adding, "We had a very creative household. Every day was drawing or learning or making something. That was incredibly instrumental in what I do now.”



As a child, Senatori 's mother taught art history and was always showing him paintings. That early education has served as a major inspiration later in life. He explains, "I always remembered how 17th and 18th century Dutch painters depicted scenes in the morning or evening, when the shadows were long and the colors were golden. That always stuck with me.”



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

10 great places to work if you love dogs

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Some dogs are professional dogs — police dogs, drug-sniffing dogs, therapy dogs, and performing dogs, among other employed canines. 

But increasingly, employers are inviting dogs without formal dog training into the workplace. Their job? Sleep. Drool. Be dogs. 

In honor of their dogged contributions to the GDP, and because today is National Take Your Dog to Work Day, Glassdoor has rounded up 10 of the best places for dogs and their fans. 

SEE ALSO: The 15 best workplaces for millennials right now

Dogs at The Nerdery, a custom software solutions company, may not know much about coding, but "having dogs at work is great for morale," says one employee.



Here, a dog at ticketing and events marketplace Eventbrite is fostering "trust, team cohesion, and intimacy" in the San Francisco office. A 2010 study from Central Michigan University found that office dogs inspire more collaboration between employees.

Source



These two dogs are hard at work at crowdfunding platform Indiegogo's office in San Francisco. "It proves a really good stress reliever if you can bend down and pet your own dog, or you can walk down to the cubicle next to you and pet an animal. It can even reduce your blood pressure," a Human Society Representative told the Chicago Tribune.

Source



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Facebook cofounder Chris Hughes is selling his gorgeous New York City condo for $8.75 million

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Chris Hughes, a cofounder of Facebook and owner of the New Republic, is selling the beautiful condo he owns with his husband, former congressional candidate Sean Eldridge, the Wall Street Journal reports

The home is listed by Maria and Joanna Pashby of Brown Harris Stevens for $8.75 million. 

Hughes and Eldridge did some extensive remodeling work on the home, adding a breakfast nook, more bedrooms, and a gorgeous library. They purchased the condo for $4.8 million in 2010, property records show. 

The condo is located at 30 Crosby Street, a building in SoHo that has in the past been home to Alicia Keys, Lenny Kravitz, and Courtney Love.

Source: Curbed NY



According to the listing, the home has about 4,100 square feet of space.



The couple plans to host a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton here next week, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Source: Wall Street Journal



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THE $20 BILLION CLUB: Meet the 5 most valuable startups in the world

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There used to be a time when a $1 billion valuation was considered a massive success for tech startups.

Then that threshold rose to $5 billion, and then $10 billion.

Looking at recent media reports and The Wall Street Journal's "The Billion-Dollar Startup Club" list, there are now over 100 "unicorn companies"— companies with $1 billion+ valuations. There's a growing number of "decacorn" companies, or startups with $10 billion valuations.

Now, there's a group of startups worth $20 billion or more. Here are the relatively new, private tech companies that are worth tens of billions of dollars — or that will be very soon.

No. 5: Snapchat

Valuation: $16-20 billion

CEO: Evan Spiegel

Founded: 2012

What it does: Its photo-messaging app allows users to send photos and videos that automatically disappear after a set period of time. 

Total funding: $1.2 billion

Notable investors: Yahoo, Kleiner Perkins, Benchmark Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Coatue Management, SV Angel



No. 4: Palantir

Valuation: $15 billion, but $500 million in new funding could bump up its valuation to $20 billion

CEO: Alexander Karp

Founded: 2004

What it does: Palantir is a software and services company that specializes in data analysis. Some of its biggest clients are government agencies like the CIA and the FBI.

Total funding: ~$1.5 billion 

Notable investors: Founders Fund, Tiger Global Management, Glynn Capital Management, Jeremy Stoppelman



No. 3: Airbnb

Valuation: $25.5 billion

CEO: Brian Chesky

Founded: 2008

What it does: Through its app and website, Airbnb provides a marketplace for people to rent out rooms or their entire homes to other people. 

Total funding: ~$1.8 billion, pending a fresh $1 billion round of funding

Notable investors: SherpaCapital, T. Rowe Price, Founders Fund, CrunchFund, Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, DST Global, General Catalyst Partners, SV Angel, Greylock Partners



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The 9 hottest housing markets in the world

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Cars Street Ireland

While the growth in US home prices has slowed considerably, prices in Europe have been surging.

We have complied the list of the nine hottest markets based on inflation-adjusted year-over-year price as of the first quarter of 2015, based on data from the Global Property Guide.  Five of the nine countries that had prices jump more than 7% year-over-year were from Europe, with Ireland leading the way.

Each slide also is accompanied by a chart showing the year-over-year percentage change in house prices. Countries are listed from lowest to highest growth in appreciation.

9) Iceland

Home prices in Iceland rose 7.71% year-over-year, up from 7.37% in 2013. Prices were also up 3.20% from the previous quarter.

Source: Global Property Guide



8) New Zealand

Home prices in New Zealand rose 7.85% year-over-year, down from 8.36% in 2013. Prices were also up 5.85% from the previous quarter.

The Guide notes that monetary policy could impact the market: "The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) kept its official cash rate (OCR) at 3.5% in April 2015, after raising it four times last year. However, in May 2015 the RBNZ announced that in October it intends to introduce new loan-to-value ratio (LVR) limits, requiring 30% deposits when lending to property investors in Auckland."

Source: Global Property Guide



7) Turkey

Home prices in Turkey grew 7.86% year-over-year, up from 7.16% in 2013. Prices were also up 0.03% from the previous quarter.

The Guide links the price increases to the country's GDP growth: "The Turkish economy is expected to expand by 3.1% this year, after annual growth of 2.9% in 2014, 4.1% in 2013, 2.1% in 2012 and 8.8% in 2011, according to the IMF."

Source: Global Property Guide



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9 YouTube stars who are still crazy popular after a decade of fame

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Tyler Oakley, YouTube

Ten years have passed since YouTube officially launched, ushering in the age where anyone with a camera could post videos to their own personal channel.

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, we've rounded up some of the stars who have been there since the beginning. 

These YouTube stars were incredibly popular back 10 years ago, and they still have fan bases numbering in the millions today. 

Here's what they're up to now. 

SEE ALSO: Hundreds of teens showed up to meet YouTube star Connor Franta — here's what happened

In 2005, Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla — or "Smosh," as the duo is known — uploaded a video of them dancing along with the "Power Rangers" theme song.

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Smosh now has more than 20 million subscribers, and their first feature-length film will premiere in July.

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When Freddie Wong started his YouTube channel in 2006, he focused on making short action films with a dose of comedy.

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Breathtaking images of Saturn, the farthest planet we can see with the naked eye

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Saturn

Saturn flaunts the most majestic planetary rings in the solar system, but that's not the only thing that makes this beautiful gas giant unique. It's also the farthest planet from Earth that we can see with the naked eye.

From 746 million miles away, however, we can't observe Saturn like NASA's Cassini spacecraft, which has been orbiting the ringed planet since 2004.

While some of Cassini's photos portray Saturn as a tranquil giant floating in space, others reveal the dynamic, stormy nature of its windy atmosphere. 

Here's a collection of some of the most incredible images Cassini has captured so far. You can learn more about each image by clicking the link provided in each photo's caption in the lower right.

The sun is located directly behind Saturn in this image taken from 1.3 million miles away. The light from the sun passes through Saturn's rings, revealing the never-before-seen E ring, which is the faint, outer-most ring below.



Shown here is a beautifully detailed look at Saturn's four inner rings. The closest to the planet is the D ring and extending outward from there are the C,B, and A rings. Each ring is separated by a thin, empty gap.



This image highlights Saturn's north pole, which displays a six-sided hurricane that's 60 miles deep and a whopping 1,250 miles across.




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11 short books to read if you want to get rich

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smart person

You don't have to be a money expert to get rich, but it can help to read up on investing and achieving wealth.

Good news: There are several concise books loaded with valuable information about accumulating wealth that you could start and finish in an afternoon. 

We can't guarantee a book will make you rich, but if you've always wanted to learn how to properly manage your money and never made the time, start with this list of brilliant personal finance books all under 160 pages.

'Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals,' by Thomas Corley

In "Rich Habits," Corley outlines his findings after studying the lives of both rich people (people with an annual income of $160,000 or more and a liquid net worth of $3.2 million or more) and poor people (people with an annual income of $35,000 or less and a liquid net worth of $5,000 or less) for five years.

He managed to segment out what he calls "rich habits" and "poverty habits,"meaning the tendencies of those who fit in each group. 

His 94-pager provides 10 principles to help you start developing the right habits and walk in the footsteps of the wealthy.



'If You Can: How Millennials Can Get Rich Slowly,' by William Bernstein

William Bernstein, cofounder of investment management firm Efficient Frontier Advisors, originally published "If You Can: How Millennials Can Get Rich Slowly" as an e-book for $0.99 on Amazon (and made it available for free on his website).

The quick 48-page read details how people early in their careers can retire comfortably with $1 million in the bank if they take a few critical steps. 

You can get a preview of his thoughts in the article he published on Business Insider.



'The Psychology of Investing,' by John Nofsinger

Investing is one of the most effective ways to start building a fortune, and the earlier you start, the better.

Nofsinger, a finance professor at Washington State University, explores the ways psychology affects investors in "The Psychology of Investing," while also providing a concise overview of how to make smart investing decisions when just starting out.

 

 



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What Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and other highly successful people do on the weekends

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For some, the weekend is a sacred retreat from the hustle and bustle of our busy work lives.

For others, the weekend is a myth — Saturday and Sunday are mere extensions of the workweek and a chance to get ahead of the competition.

Judging from the various ways highly successful people spend their (at least theoretical) time away from work, we can conclude that there really is no right or wrong way to structure your weekends — it's all about striking the right balance for you.

Here's how super-successful people do it.

Elon Musk spends time with his kids.

Musk, the billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has five sons, with whom, he told Mashable, he hangs out on the weekends. 

However, he also admitted at South by Southwest in 2013 that some of this "quality time" is spent sending emails. "Because they don't need constant interaction, except when we're talking directly," he said. "I find I can be with them and still be working at the same time."



Jack Dorsey hikes and prepares for the week.

In 2011, when Jack Dorsey was running Twitter and Square full-time, the cofounder told the audience at Techonomy 2011 that, to got it all done, he gave each day a theme. This allowed him to quickly recall and refocus on the day's task once the distraction was out of the way. 

Dorsey said he would take Saturday off to hike and spend Sunday focusing on reflections, feedback, strategy, and getting ready for the rest of the week.

Now that he's back to running both companies, there's a good chance theme days could come in handy again.



Rachel Maddow ditches her NYC apartment for the country.

The political journalist told People she, her girlfriend Susan Mikula, and English Lab occupy a 275-sq.-ft. Manhattan apartment during the week when Maddow tapes her show. During the weekends, though, they drive three hours so they can retreat to their country home in Western Massachusetts.

"Having a place out of the city is a shortcut toward the mental reset I need," Maddow told People. She also loves spending her Saturday reading comic books.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's how Li Ka-shing became the richest man in Hong Kong

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Li Ka ShingHong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing may no longer be the richest man in Asia, but with a current estimated net worth of $20.1 billion, his wealth is still nothing to sneeze at.

Li Ka-shing has an incredible rags-to-riches story. He was forced to drop out of school as a child to support his family. But today he is one of the world's richest men. He opened his first factory at the age of 22 and within a few years saw great success as a manufacturer, property developer, business magnate, and investor.

He's now become a major investor in disruptive technology. He was one of the first big investors in Facebook, and his most recent big acquisition was British telecom company O2, which he purchased at the end of March for $15 billion.

Li Ka-shing was saddled with financial responsibility from a young age. After his family fled to Hong Kong from southern China during WWII, his father died of tuberculosis. He had to leave school before the age of 16 to work in a factory.

Source: Business Insider



For almost four years during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, he sent 90% of his pay to his mother. Perhaps his early success as a breadwinner taught him the generous values that have made him famous for his philanthropy today.

Source: Forbes



Li was clearly influenced by his experience of working as a child. “It doesn’t matter how strong or capable you are; if you don’t have a big heart, you will not succeed,” he said.

Source: Forbes



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Americans are obsessed with matcha tea — but we're drinking it all wrong

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Matcha is blowing up. 

According to Google Trends, the search term "matcha" started to spike in January 2014 and hit an all-time high this May. Everyone's trying out the antioxidant-filled tea that's been a staple in Japan for centuries. 

But, thanks to chains like Starbucks and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, a lot of American matcha drinkers have no clue what real matcha actually tastes like.  

You see, matcha has a unique balance of vegetal (think seaweed or edamame), bitter, and malty flavors. To appeal to the American palate — which hasn't acquired a taste for matcha's bitter, seaweed-y side — many cafés use sugar-laced matcha powder and steamed milk to make the trendy matcha latte, in addition to other treacly concoctions. 

And not only are we masking its flavors and jacking it with sugar, we're also drinking matcha differently than it's traditionally enjoyed in the East, as I learned one recent afternoon over a bowl (not cup) of the algae-colored tea with Kathy YL Chan, my matcha teacher. 

She taught me the basics and then referred me to several tea spots where I could continue my matcha exploration. 

SEE ALSO: This is matcha — the trendy green tea that could make coffee obsolete

Meet Kathy YL Chan, a New Yorker by way of Hawaii who has been drinking matcha for as long as she can remember. She's a tea writer, importer, and all-around expert.

In addition to writing about matcha and its rich cultural history for websites like Eater and Condé Nast Traveler, Chan also has an eponymous line of matcha.



The first thing she taught me is that matcha should be sipped from a bowl, not a mug or to-go cup.

Drinking matcha is a sensory experience: you cup the bowl with your hands, take it to your lips, and breath in all those luscious matcha fumes as you sip. The bowl acts as a sort of dome over your nose and mouth; you can't get that from a teacup. Here, Chan sifts the finely milled tea leaf powder into a ceramic bowl.   



Matcha cafés may be popping up left and right, but Chan prefers to drink her matcha at home.

She tells me that matcha is an all-day beverage in Asian households: "They drink it in the morning, afternoon, after dinner." People also use it during meditation to help focus. "Lots of times when I panic, I'll make matcha," she says. It has an adaptogenic quality: if you're frazzled, it calms you; if you're feeling sluggish, it energizes you. 



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24 ways to stop making horrible decisions (and start making better ones)

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fork road split diverge

Every day, we're faced with an endless onslaught of decisions, from the trivial (marinara vs. pesto) to extremely important (should you quit your job?).

Too often we simply go with our gut and do what "feels right." And that's not always a bad move.

But there's a problem with that strategy: feelings leave us open to a variety of behavioral and psychological biases — biases that affect the way we think and lead us to make the wrong choices.

By being aware of the tendencies that lead us down the wrong path — and considering some techniques to maximize the chances of finding the right one — we can make better, more rational decisions. There may not be a way to guarantee the future (yet), but these 24 decision-making tips could be the next best thing. 

Max Nisen and Aimee Groth contributed to an earlier version of this article. 

Don't waste time searching for the 'best' option.

Having a lot of choices is great — until it's not. 

In fact, according to researchers Simona Botti from the London Business School and Christopher Hsee of the University of Chicago, we spend so much time seeking out options that it outweighs any benefit of having additional choices. Choices come at a cost — and most of us underestimate how much we're paying.

Accordingly, when you're researching options, set a time limit for yourself, and make sure you're not using your decision-making angst as a procrastination device.



Don't assume everyone else has better information.

We tend to assume everyone knows something we don't and therefore we should do what they're doing (because they must be acting on superior knowledge), but that's not necessarily the case.

Behavioral economist Matthew Rabin and Erik Eyster extended this further, explaining that this herding effect can perpetuate wrong choices: as a group, we seem to overestimate how much people are acting on better private information, and underestimate how much they're simply following others.

Sometimes, people genuinely are privy to real information you're not. But in plenty of cases, they're just following the crowd.



Harness the power of a good nap.

While we previously cautioned against going with your gut, a study from the University of Amsterdam found that there's a time and a place for everything, and when it comes to complex choices, sometimes it's best to let your unconscious mind do the heavy lifting.

In cases where a lot of independent factors are at play, making a decision when you're mind isn't actively focused can actually lead to better, more satisfying choices.

To harness the decision-making power of your unconscious, distract your conscious brain by sleeping or working on something else. 



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Tech companies made lots of goofy clothes in the '80s and '90s

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drake wwdc

Earlier this month, Drake caught everyone's attention when he appeared onstage at WWDC, Apple's big developer conference, wearing a vintage jacket made for the company's employees in the 1990s. 

It turns out Apple and other tech companies made lots of funny corporate gear in the '80s and '90s.

We've rounded up some of the best of it here. 

During his talk at WWDC, Drake made a joke about the vintage employee jacket, saying that he bought it "using this tool called the internet."



Drake's jacket looks just like one that recently sold for $825 on eBay. According to the listing, "this rare Apple Computers jacket varsity/baseball style jacket was given to Apple employees, at the time of the 'rainbow' logo." The rainbow logo was used by Apple from 1977 to 1998. An identical jacket is currently on eBay for $3,500.

See the listing »



Back in 1986, Apple released a clothing line it called "The Apple Collection," filled with oversized sweatshirts, windbreakers, and obnoxiously bright patterns.


 



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WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The Lance Armstrong team that dominated the Tour de France

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Lance Armstrong pay back $10 million prize money

Before the US Anti-Doping Agency found that his team ran "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen," Lance Armstrong did what no one had ever done: He won the Tour de France seven times, and he did so consecutively, from 1999 to 2005.

As we know now, his victories were aided by a variety of performance-enhancing drugs.

But Armstrong didn't act alone, and it was, darkly so, a true team effort. A calculating tactician, Armstrong handpicked teammates carefully, and together they represented sport's most dominant team. An indelible image from the era was that of the US Postal Service's "Blue Train" setting a blistering pace at the front of the peloton, one that for years no one could match, let alone beat.

More than a decade later, many of the key riders who served under Armstrong's tainted reign are still involved in the sport.

SEE ALSO: Watch the trailer for the new Lance Armstrong biopic called 'The Program'

Tyler Hamilton helped Armstrong win Tours by leading him through the Alps and Pyrenees. He later admitted doping during his career.

Source: USADA



He now lives in Missoula, Montana, and runs a company that coaches cyclists. He wrote a tell-all best-seller, "The Secret Race," about his doping adventures with Armstrong.

Sources: TylerHamilton.com, "The Secret Race"



Christian Vande Velde rode on the first two of Armstrong's Tour-winning teams. He later admitted doping during his career.

Source: USADA



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