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Lebanese Grilled Fish

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Lining a tart tin is an important step in the baking process. This step by step video from Great British Chefs demonstrates how to line a tart tin

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Great British Chefs demonstrates how to make pancake batter a perfect activity to make sure that your weekend brunch is perfect.

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Master the art of poaching an egg with the help of this video from Great British Chefs

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In this video, Great British Chefs demonstrate how to ice a cupcake a task almost as enjoyable as eating one.

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Great British Chefs demonstrates how to whisk egg whites

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Great British Chefs demonstrates how to peel garlic a task that, if you can master, can help you to prepare meals faster for years to come.

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Great British Chefs demonstrates how to dice an aubergine in this easy to follow video. Dicing is a 'must-have' skill for chefs of all ages.

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Great British Chefs demonstrates how to bruise spices in this easy-to-follow video.

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De-glazing a pan involves moistening and removing browned food residue that sticks to the bottom of a pan to make a pan sauce. This video from Great British Chefs demonstrates how to de-glaze a pan in 4 steps.

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Make the perfect pancake every time by following the steps in this video from Great British Chefs.

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Great British Chefs demonstrates how to make a hollandaise sauce

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Great British Chefs demonstrates how to chop and dice an onion

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The seeds of a chilli pack the hottest punch, so removing them is a great way to reduce the fieriness. This video from Great British Chefs demonstrates how to de-seed a chilli.

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Well-cooked long grain rice is fluffy, with the grains still separate. This video from Great British Chefs demonstrates how to perfectly cook long grain rice.

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Great British Chefs demonstrates how to chiffonade, a handy technique for cutting herbs and vegetables.

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This video from Great British Chefs demonstrates how to pan-fry a chicken breast in 6 simple steps.

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Learn how to make a foam with a gas canister at home in this video from Great British Chefs.

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Great British Chefs demonstrates how to remove meat from a cooked lobster at home

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Great British Chef Nathan Outlaw demonstrates how to make fish and chips with homemade tartare sauce

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Learn how to whip up a mayonnaise at home with the help of this step by step video from Great British Chefs

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Freshly-made pizza has a taste like no other. This video Great British Chefs shows how to make a pizza dough at home.

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Although pre-made spice rubs are available in shops, they usually contain a high percentage of salt and preservatives. Learn how to make a spice rub at home in this video from Great British Chefs

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Great British Chefs demonstrates how to prepare an artichoke at home in this easy to follow video

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Great British Chef Galton Blackiston demonstrates his sublime Scotch eggs recipe complete with a bois boudran dipping sauce

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At these 15 beaches around the globe, you'll find a lot more than just white sand and palm trees. PUNALUU BLACK SAND BEACH Where: Hawaii Imagine a tropical beach where turquoise water laps up on the shore lined with coconut trees and palm fronds. Now imagine that beach with jet-black sand. That's Punaluu Beach on the southeastern Kau coast in Hawaii. The coastline of this unusual beach is full of rocky outcroppings and reefs. Riptides can be dangerous, so the best way to enjoy Punaluu is by picnicking on the sand. Large groups of sea turtles are common, but don't touch; federal and state laws protect them. PAPAKOLEA BEACH Where: Hawaii Green sand and rocky cliffs make Papakolea Beach seem a bit like an alien landscape. Olivine crystals from the nearby volcanic cone give this beach its olive hue. Intrepid travelers should be prepared for a two-mile hike along rugged sea cliffs to reach this surreal beach on Mahana Bay. Be careful in the water the surf is rough and full of strong currents. PINK SANDS BEACH Where: Harbour Island, Bahamas If black and green beaches aren't for you, then perhaps you'd prefer to lounge on Harbour Island's Pink Sands Beach. One of the island's prettiest beaches features three miles of powdery pink sand. Fancy resorts line this beach, which attracts wealthy vacationers with its calm waters and gorgeous surroundings. BOWLING BALL BEACH Where: Schooner Gulch, CA The sight of the huge, round boulders on the Mendocino Coast might make you wonder if giants really exist. A rare sight, these boulders are surprisingly smooth and lined up like bowling balls. That's not the only odd thing about this beach legend has it Schooner Gulch got its name after a washed-up schooner was spotted in the gulch one night, but there was no sign of it in the morning. GIANT'S CAUSEWAY Where: Northern Ireland Few beaches are more shrouded in mythology than Giant's Causeway. The story goes that the giant Finn MacCool created the hexagonal rock formations as stepping-stones in an attempt to reach his beloved giantess in Scotland. When the giantess's boyfriend fought back, Finn grabbed a chunk of land and flung it toward Scotland, creating the Isle of Man and leaving behind a gaping hole Lough Neagh. The Scottish side of the sea has similar hexagonal structures, supporting the myth. A more scientific explanation maintains that the strange rock formations were created by volcanic eruptions bursting into the sea 60 million years ago. GULPIYURI BEACH Where: Llanes, Spain Can you imagine a tiny beach over 100 meters from the sea? In Llanes, Spain, there is such a place. Gulpiyuri Beach was formed by a sinkhole and is fed by salt water from the Bay of Biscay, which flows in through underground caves. Limestone cliffs and grassy meadows hide this little inland beach, which has become a tourist attraction for people who have to see it to believe it. CHANDIPUR BEACH Where: Bay of Bengal, India Don't bother looking for Chandipur Beach on the Bay of Bengal at low tide you won't find it. Twice a day, the water recedes up to three miles from the shore, leaving long tracts of sand where you can spot horseshoe crabs, seashells, and driftwood. If you hang around for a while, you can watch the sea slowly returning a strange phenomenon to observe. HOT WATER BEACH Where: Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand If you ever wished you could soak in a hot tub right on the beach, Hot Water Beach on Coromandel Peninsula is the place for you. Naturally occurring hot springs bubble up under the sand between high and low tides. For a natural spa-like experience, people dig holes in the sand and lounge in the mineral waters, which reach 150 degrees. GLASS BEACH Where: Fort Bragg, California Colorful sea glass covers the sand at Fort Bragg, glinting brightly in the sunlight. Glass Beach was once a dumping ground, but when that ended in the late 1960s, the sea beautified the area, smoothing the rough edges of broken glass and creating little treasures. You can't swim here, and it's illegal to take the glass, but the beach is still a nice stop along the Mendocino Coast. JURASSIC COAST Where: Dorset and East Devon, England Geologists and fossil hunters travel from far and wide looking for specimens on the Jurassic Coast of England. In addition to the coast's rugged cliffs and coves, 185 million years of the earth's development are on display here. Due to erosion, fossils are continuously being identified, and visitors can go on guided fossil walks. JOKULSARLON Where: Iceland Jökulsárlón can only be described as otherworldly. At this glacial lagoon in southeast Iceland, icebergs float and drift toward the Atlantic. Skua, large predatory sea birds, have made Jökulsárlón their home and can be seen nesting on the black sand. This stunning place was the setting for scenes in the James Bond movies A View to Kill and Die Another Day, as well as Tomb Raider. Don't expect to swim in the freezing waters; you can take a boat tour instead. THUNDER COVE Where: Prince Edward Island, Canada Prince Edward Island near Nova Scotia is full of picturesque beaches, meadows, and farm colonies. Fishermen haul in mussels, oysters, and lobsters from P. E. I.'s shores. What's striking is about half of the beaches have red sand due to high iron oxide content. Thunder Cove is especially surreal and beautiful, with rust-colored sand and dunes. PFEIFFER BEACH Where: Big Sur, CA Big Sur is known for its natural beauty, and Pfeiffer Beach is especially stunning. This hard-to-find beach features purple sand thanks to the manganese garnet found on cliffs by the ocean. The road leading to the beach is unmarked, so keep an eye out for it near Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park on Highway 1. HYAMS BEACH Where: Jervis Bay, Australia Of all the beautiful beaches on Australia's coast, only Hyams Beach holds the Guinness Book of World Records title of the whitest sand. Crystal-clear water, forests, and wetlands only add to Jervis Bay's appeal. Inhabited by Aboriginals for thousands of years, the area boasts important archeological sites, like rock art, stone artifacts, and axe grinding grooves. BOULDERS BEACH Where: Cape Town African penguins waddle along the coast on Boulders Beach, part of Table Mountain National Park. Watch them from the boardwalks (built specifically for penguin-viewing), but stay away from their breeding grounds, as their beaks are razor-sharp and they will bite. The reason for the beach's name is the collection of giant granite boulders weathered down by thousands of years of erosion. All together, the inlets and shady coves provide a unique setting for a vacation.

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For the second year in a row, we've compiled a list that highlights some of the best places in the country you don't hear about every day. For the second year in a row, we've compiled a list that highlights some of the best places in the country you don't hear about every day. Telluride, Colorado Population: 2,291 Formerly a mining town, Telluride offers a unique way to experience Colorado's mountains, replete with small-town charm that many other major ski areas lack. The town has a storied history Telluride was the site of Butch Cassidy's first major recorded crime in 1889 and Victorian storefronts and frontier-era facades still adorn the compact downtown area. Today, the town is an all-season resort, with world-class skiing at nearby Mountain Village and mountain biking, hiking, and almost every outdoor sport imaginable in the summer. The annual bluegrass festival in June and film festival in August are two of Telluride's biggest summer draws, though the 4th of July celebration is a local favorite. Proudly boasting no chain restaurants or shops, the town has seen its fair share of celebrity guests in its history, but still maintains its untainted, small-town allure. For a truly Colorado experience, take the St. Sophia gondola to the top of the mountain for breathtaking views and exquisite food at Allred's. Where to Stay: Largely due to its celebrity clientele, Telluride has an extensive line-up of luxury hotels, particularly for a town that doesn't have a stoplight. A self-described "adventure boutique hotel," Lumiere is one of the town's premiere lodgings. For a more budget-friendly option, try the New Sheridan Hotel and indulge in its rooftop hot tubs. Beaufort, South Carolina Population: 12,788 Not to be confused with its North Carolinian namesake, Beaufort (pronounced byoo-fort) has everything you would hope for in a small Southern town: antebellum mansions, Spanish-moss-covered trees, and a picturesque seaside location on Port Royal Island. What makes Beaufort unique is the local Gullah culture, which traces its roots back to the African rice-coast and can still be seen in the town's culture, food, and local language. Beaufort also offers access to a plethora of water sports, so set aside some time to enjoy South Carolina's notoriously warm waters in addition to your perusal of the town's history. For the freshest seafood, head to Saltus River Grill to enjoy their decadent raw bar and watch the sunset from the outdoor patio. Be sure to pick up a locally made sweetgrass basket before you leave, one of South Carolina's traditional crafts. Where to Stay: The nearly 200-year-old home-turned-hotel at The Rhett House Inn makes for a classically Southern experience, with antiques bedecking the beautifully maintained historical building. Breakfast, afternoon tea, evening hors d'oeuvres, and dessert are included in the price, and don't miss the opportunity to enjoy a meal on the wrap-around porch. Marfa, Texas Population: 1,899 Marfa is perhaps best known for its quirky art installations, but there's a lot more to love about this artists' haven in southwestern Texas. The downtown area is still dotted with historic architecture, in which you'll find several modern art galleries that give the town its reputation. The most famous of the town's collections is held at the Chinati Foundation, founded by artist Donald Judd, who moved to Marfa in 1971 and put the town on the international art scene. Marfa is still known today for its world-class collection of minimalist art, which mimics the surrounding Texas landscape. Another reason to stop here is to see the famous Marfa Lights. This phenomenon, in which lights appear hovering over the horizon, has been attributed to car headlights or small fires, but has gained something of a cult following due to the lights' spooky appearance. Marfa is also home to some excellent dining options; stop into Maiya's for an eclectic menu, or opt for a casual bite at Food Shark, a Mediterranean food truck. Where to Stay: When in Marfa, it's best to embrace the town's quirks, and perhaps nothing is as pleasantly odd as El Cosmico, a collection of Airstream RVs, yurts, tepees, and tents that offers a unique glamping experience. If you're looking for more traditional lodgings, try the Thunderbird Hotel, a 1950s converted motel along the town's main drag. Paia, Hawaii Population: 2,668 It can be difficult to find remnants of authentic Hawaii behind the multitude of resorts, but this is one of the last holdouts. Located on Maui's northern coast just off highway 36, Paia was founded as a sugarcane enclave and though the sugar mill closed in 2000, the town is as alive as ever. Boutiques featuring everything from high-end fashion to beachwear line the streets, and with some of the world's best windsurfing spots in the area, you're sure to find an opportunity to put your new gear to good use. Because it sits along the route to Hana, the town is pleasantly devoid of major resorts and offers a great stopping-off place for a few hours or a few days. While in the area, explore Hookipa Beach, where you're sure to see a bevy of windsurfers. Café des Amis and Café Mambo serve up eclectic Mediterranean dishes and both offer excellent people watching along Baldwin Avenue. Where to Stay: The Paia Inn along the Hana Highway features private beach access, a rooftop patio and a surprisingly quiet ambiance despite being its location on one of the town's bustling thoroughfares. Calistoga, California Population: 5,208 Calistoga may not have the posh atmosphere of neighboring St. Helena or Healdsburg, but what it lacks in glamour it makes up for in character (and bargain prices). The Western-style shops along Lincoln Avenue, the town's main street, lend Calistoga a down-home frontier feel not usually found in the highly refined Napa Valley. In addition to its prime location in California's wine country (particularly near Schramsberg Vineyards), Calistoga is also home to historic hot springs and a mini geothermal geyser known as "Little Old Faithful." The town has outlawed fast-food franchises, ensuring that Calistoga retains its authentic charm. Nearby Castello di Amorosa, a winery modeled after a medieval castle, makes for an interesting visit, but don't leave town without stopping into Solbar, renowned chef Brandon Sharps' eatery located at the Solage resort. Where to Stay: For those looking to luxuriate, the Solage Calistoga is a great option, complete with the eco-conscious Solage Spa. Or try the cedar-shingled Calistoga Ranch, which seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor spaces.e Port Townsend, Washington Population: 9,117 Tucked away in the northeastern tip of the Olympic Peninsula, this Victorian seaport is distinguished by its maritime history, quirky spirit, and touch of urban chic. A popular weekend destination for Seattle residents and other Washingtonians, PT (as locals call it) entices visitors with its active arts scene, gallery- and boutique-lined main street, unique festivals, and outdoor activities including whale watching and kayaking in Fort Worden State Park. Despite its small size, Port Townsend is home to a sophisticated set of writers, artists, and musicians, so you'll find an eclectic range of shops and restaurants here. Alchemy Bistro & Wine Bar and Fins Coastal Cuisine are the best places for fresh Pacific Northwest salmon and oysters, while Fountain Café and Khu Larb Thai are popular for international fare. Be sure to explore the many shops on Water and Washington Streets, parallel to the bay, including a stop at the Port Townsend Antique Mall, where you can find high-end Victorian collectors' items. Where to Stay: For a taste of Victorian elegance, check into the Ann Starett Mansion or the Old Consulate Inn. The former pairs original details with slightly more modern furnishings, while the latter is truly a throwback experience, with innkeepers who dress in period costume. Stockbridge, Massachusetts Population: 1,947 Serving as the inspiration for Normal Rockwell's depictions of Americana on the front page of the Saturday Evening Post, Stockbridge is truly the paradigm of a small New England town. The artist lived in this undeveloped gem in the Berkshires from 1953 until 1978, capturing Stockbridge's unique character in his paintings. Today, you can visit the Norman Rockwell Museum to see a retrospective of his work; also tour Chesterwood, sculptor Daniel Chester French's summer home. In many ways, Stockbridge feels timeless with its well-preserved architecture from the 18th and 19th centuries, which explains why this has long been a destination for wealthy Bostonians looking for a country escape. What's more, Rockwell wasn't the only artist to be inspired by this Massachusetts town; Stockbridge has been immortalized in James Taylor's "Sweet Baby James," and in Arlo Guthrie's classic, droll Thanksgiving monologue-ballad "Alice's Restaurant." The town is also home to an eclectic shopping scene and Rouge, a French bistro housed in a shingled cottage just outside of town. Where to Stay: The Inn at Stockbridge has beautiful grounds, but its proximity to the highway means some rooms are less quiet than others. The Red Lion Inn has been in operation since 1773 and consists of one historic building and nine annexes, each one unique. Cooperstown, New York Population: 1,833 Founded in 1786, this town is filled with stately homes and civic structures but you probably know it best as the location of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Cooperstown isn't just a destination for sports lovers, with cultural attractions including the Cooperstown Chamber Music Festival, the annual Glimmerglass Opera season, and the Fenimore Art Museum. Outdoorsy types, meanwhile, can enjoy golfing at Leatherstocking Golf Course, boating on Otsego Lake, and hiking in Glimmerglass State Park. Beer lovers shouldn't pass up a chance to tour the esteemed Brewery Ommegang, which produces Belgian-style brews and hosts a Belgian food-and-drink festival on its grounds every August. For dining, highlights include the global-inspired menu at Alex & Ika Restaurant and the waterfront views at Lake Front Restaurant. Where to Stay: For grandeur on the waterfront, there's no better option than the elegant Otesaga Resort Hotel. Ashland, Oregon Population: 20,366 Though it's home to the largest population on our list, Ashland is hardly lacking in small-town charm: Picture twisting hillside streets lined with Victorian homes, a town center with a stream running through it, and a gorgeous 93-acre park. Best known as the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which attracts more than 100,000 theatergoers annually, Ashland has year-round appeal thanks to its outdoor activities, cultural offerings, and growing status as a culinary destination. If Shakespeare's not your thing, check out the Schneider Museum of Art, which showcases local artists as well as notables such as Alexander Calder and George Inness. In warmer weather, there are great options for biking, fishing, and whitewater rafting; in winter, the 23 trails at Mt. Ashland Ski Area get more than 280 inches of snow every season. While in town, make a reservation for dinner at locally celebrated Amuse, which serves French cuisine driven by local, seasonal ingredients. Where to Stay: Of Ashland's many upscale B&Bs, the intimate Chanticleer Inn stands out for rooms that all have expansive views of the Chanticleer Mountains. Plus, they only stock eco-friendly products. Bardstown, Kentucky Population: 12,848 For a stopover in Kentucky bourbon country, it's hard to beat Bardstown, where it's easy to be charmed by the Georgian architecture and local hospitality. With a nostalgia-inducing Main Street, featuring a historic courthouse and an old-fashioned soda fountain, Kentucky's second-oldest town retains its historic splendor. Here you'll find My Old Kentucky Home State Park, said to have inspired Stephen Foster when he penned the state song of the same name. The downtown area has been recognized by the National Register of Historic Places, and a Civil War Museum, Museum of Whiskey, and a packed events calendar round out the offerings in Bardstown, named the Most Beautiful Small Town in America in 2012. Though a visit to the several distilleries in the area (including Jim Beam and Maker's Mark) will likely top your list of things to do, don't leave town without stopping into Old Tabbott Tavern, in continuous operation since 1779. Where to Stay: While in town, opt for a night or two at one of the many charming B&Bs. Bourbon Manor and Springhill Winery & Plantation are both standout options in beautifully restored mansions.

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Chef Masaharu Morimoto at the Miss Universe Pageant 2012 Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto has garnered critical acclaim for his seamless integration of Western and Japanese ingredients. His esteemed restaurants in Philadelphia, Mumbai, New York, Napa, Honolulu, New Delhi, Waikiki and Mexico City have won various accolades, including a James Beard Foundation Award for "Outstanding Restaurant Design" for Morimoto New York and Food & Wine's "Best U.S Restaurant Openings" list for Morimoto Napa. Next, Chef Morimoto will expand his culinary empire to The Mirage hotel in Las Vegas and The Andaz Maui at Wailea resort in Maui. After dinner at one of Morimoto's restaurants, diners often say to him, "We love what we've eaten, but it was not Japanese food." His response, "Why isn't it Japanese, and why must it be?" The very notion of authenticity stands on shaky ground, too fluid to be useful as a way to characterize cuisine. Things change, cultures meld and shift, foods travel across oceans. Many of the ingredients so closely associated with particular cuisines, like chile peppers for Thai and tomatoes for Italian, were themselves at one time imports, centuries ago. In Japanese cuisine as well, many emblematic foods have a foreign pedigree. Soy sauce, sake, tofu, and ramen all came from China. Many believe that tempura-style fried foods were brought to Japan by the Portuguese. Over the centuries, the Japanese incorporated these foreign foods into their diets, cultural and culinary preferences prodding and tugging at them until they took on new forms. Now Japanese soy sauce is distinct from the Chinese version; the two countries adore tofu, but the ways in which each prepares it differ greatly. Cuisine, according to Masaharu Morimoto, is specific to time and place. Tastes, cooking methods, and technology change over time what was once impossible is now quotidian, what used to delight is now unappealing and diners and ingredients differ depending on where they're from. So it follows that there is not just one way to make, say, sushi; instead, says Morimoto, there is Tokyo sushi, Osaka sushi, London sushi, and New York sushi. Morimoto likes to say he cooks 21st-century food. His customers are cosmopolitan; high-tech shipping allows him access to nearly any ingredient, including the pristine seafood, aged soy sauce, and special nori, or sea kelp, he buys from Japan. A chef's location no longer determines his larder, and Morimoto uses this modern access to create new enduring combinations, adding oysters, sea urchin, and foie gras to classic trinities like tomato, mozzarella, and basil. He gears his flavors to the new-world palate: In traditional Japanese cuisine, the quality of a chef's clear soup is a measure of his skill the subtle flavors must build with each mouthful, culminating with the final sip that brings everything together. But since Morimoto makes soup for customers who are used to big, bold flavors, he must make sure each mouthful is complete in itself. Because Morimoto believes that most of his customers will not relate to traditional Japanese rules of presentation and garnish, in his food he prefers to draw on more suitable points of reference for his playfulness. His culinary creations are full of visual puns. Rock shrimp tempura is slicked with a spicy mayonnaise that brings pleasantly to mind the sauce on Buffalo wings. Ruby-red raw tuna resting on a crispy tortilla is a gloriously reimagined version of pizza. For his Japanese customers, he has created refined riffs on dishes that represent beloved examples of Japanese culinary fusion. For example, he takes kare-pan (Curry Pan), the bread stuffed with curried beef that's a staple in Japanese bakeries, and makes the texture irresistibly crispy, the meat more succulent, and the flavors more intense. To him, cooking traditionally means making the best meal possible while working under a set of cultural constraints. He respects those chefs who do it he's just not willing to be limited by it. And his time in the United States the great cultural and culinary melting pot taught him that it was not the only way. Morimoto is over fifty, but he seems 20 years younger, with an easy smile, mischievous rapid-fire giggle, and dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. He is barrel-chested, still built like the baseball player he once planned to be. Just as he has all his life, he plays hard, always choosing the ambitious over the ordinary. This is the only way to be the pioneer Morimoto aims to be. He pairs Indian-inspired crab naan with Italian bagna cauda; matches raw fugu (blowfish) with sweet ripe tomatoes and the best buffalo mozzarella; surprises with bright-red beet soufflé; and turns salmon and squid ink into fluffy gnocchi. Why did he to choose to expand his empire to Mumbai? His answer should not surprise those familiar with this Iron Chef: Because nobody else had. Yet he does not break rules just for effect or flout tradition willy-nilly the result must be better than convention. If Morimoto reworks sashimi and his customers yearn for the age-old accompaniments of soy sauce and wasabi, then he has failed. But if he can add new textures and depth of flavor or otherwise up the ante to create a dish that's more interesting and satisfying than the original, then he has succeeded. Paradoxically, to cook food that transcends the traditional, the renegade chef must return to tradition, to the techniques and ingredients in which his cuisine is grounded but not bound to. For instance, Morimoto makes dashi (stock made from kelp and cured fish) from scratch, something few chefs do in this country, even those who purport to cook straight Japanese food. Where appropriate for the dish, he enjoys using hard-to-find fresh wasabi, grating it on a sharkskin grater to best coax out its flavor. It's not easy to improve on durable successes, but in this battle, he wields the potential of cuisine unbound by the strictures of tradition. He slicks light-as-air rock shrimp tempura with spicy aïoli, and trades octopus for lobster in his version of takoyaki , the popular Japanese street snack. He pairs Peking-style roasted duck legs with red miso sauce instead of hoisin and swaps out Chinese pancakes for a luxurious foie gras-laced croissant, which sandwiches tender duck breast. Eating as theater Such exciting food requires an equally exhilarating setting, and Morimoto's restaurants oblige. In his Karim Rashid-designed Philadelphia eatery, the room glows and shimmers, the ceiling undulates, and the color of the booths gradually morph from one neon color to another as you eat. In the stunning New York space, designed by Tadao Ando, one of the world's great architects, a dazzling partition comprised of 17,000 water bottles greets you as you enter, sparkling as if it were made of diamonds. The concrete walls and ceiling ripple like giant curtains an appropriate setting for the high drama on the plate, the theater that Morimoto believes food deserves. Expect it from waiters, who transform soymilk into delicate, wobbly tofu at your table and unveil neat stacks of layered raw fish Morimoto's special sashimi that line up beside diminutive squeeze bottles, each filled with a different sauce. Using theater is just one way that Morimoto helps customers connect with his food. Another is listening to his diners and gauging their desires. This allows him to manage the delicate balance between insisting customers do things his way and letting them do whatever they want. Give the customer too much and you lose who you are and what you've worked for. Don't give them enough and you have an empty restaurant. What works best, he has decided, is doing whatever the customers want but in such a way that never betrays his guiding principle of deliciousness. If they crave ketchup for their crab, he whips up an exceptionally lively seafood cocktail sauce that will satisfy them, sometimes employing fresh wasabi and yuzu , a sweet-tart citron fruit. If they insist on spicy mayonnaise on their sushi rolls, he'll make sure it's the best they've ever tasted. This allows customers a measure of comfort and control, making them more willing to trust him when he decides to test their boundaries, to show them something new. For instance, when you sit down at the omakase ("chef's choice") bar for a thrilling, multi-course meal, Morimoto will ask if there's anything you don't like. The most common response, he has found, is, "I like everything but sea urchin." So what will the chef serve for the first course? That's right, sea urchin. Yet because this is not your average sea urchin, most customers find a revelation in the sweet, custardlike roe with its tinge of the sea. His "don't say no" philosophy extends from his rejection of the dogma of tradition for the principles of pleasure visceral, giddy pleasure. He embraces his culinary inclinations without hesitation. He did not dither when he thought to pair gyoza (pan-fried dumplings) with tangy crème fraîche and earthy tomato sauce. He did not ignore inspiration when it revealed to him that tasty chawanmushi (Japanese egg custard) would become something divine were it infused with foie gras. Two dreams Chef Morimoto at New York's Great Googa Mooga 2012 This pursuit of pleasure at all costs was born out of a childhood of deprivation. Morimoto was born in Hiroshima Prefecture in 1955. His father worked hard as an engineer at a printing company. When he came home in the evening, he frequently drank too much, which did not help his short temper. His mother's family had been wealthy but lost everything during World War II. They were poor and tensions in the Morimoto household ran high, his father flying into a nightly rage and often becoming violent toward his wife. The screaming and fighting got the family evicted from one apartment, then another. By the time Morimoto was 13 years old, they had been forced to move ten times. A resilient child, Morimoto had two dreams, two ways to escape. For one, he wanted to be a baseball player. As he sat glued to the television, watching a young Sadaharu Oh hit home runs for Tokyo's Yomiuri Giants or cheering for his hometown team, the Hiroshima Carp, his parent's fighting was forgotten. He also fantasized about becoming a sushi chef. The only happy times Morimoto remembers spending with his family were the days when his father received his monthly paycheck. They had a ritual: First, they would stop at a kissaten (coffeeshop), where his parents would sip coffee while he and his sister dug into a predinner treat: chocolate sundaes. Then, they would head to a sushi bar. To Morimoto, the sushi chefs that served his family were the epitome of cool. Dressed in crisp white jackets, they exuded confidence and control. They moved with speed and precision, turning out morsels of fish and rice that seemed magically to soothe his parents. His father laughing, his mother smiling, Morimoto stuffing himself blithely sushi represented a night of peace. By the end of high school, it was clear that his dream of wielding a knife had taken a backseat to that of wielding a bat. He played catcher and batted cleanup for his school team, which was one of the favorites for the national championships that year. Morimoto's big swing and rifle of an arm brought scouts from the pro team the Hiroshima Carp. That's not to say that he never made a mistake. When he found out that his team's first-round playoff game was going to be televised, he replaced his old, beat-up mitt with a brand new one, the precious "made in the USA" mitt that he had treasured but never used. It certainly looked better, but it was not broken in, and in the seventh inning, he dropped a ball, losing his team the game. For someone who hates to lose, this stung badly at the time (and hasn't fully stopped stinging). To make matters worse, his throwing arm had begun to give out, suffering from overuse. Though he knew that this wouldn't completely dash his chances of making it to the big leagues, he knew that it would always prevent him from being a great player. But there was no obstacle to his becoming a great sushi chef, he thought, so that's what he would do. All he had to do was find a job at a restaurant. Learning the craft Almost 25 years before Morimoto became an Iron Chef, before he owned four widely acclaimed restaurants and released his own award-winning beers and splendid saké, he washed dishes at Ichiban sushi, a small restaurant in Hiroshima. It was run by Ikuo Oyama, a kind but demanding chef who prepared a wide range of food, including sushi, sashimi, udon (fat, slick noodles), and Japanese curry rice. Morimoto soon became an apprentice to Oyama, living in a room above the restaurant and toiling long hours in the kitchen. Morimoto likes to say that his hours began when he opened his eyes at 5 A.M. and ended when he closed them at 2 A.M. In the morning, Morimoto would accompany Oyama to the fish market, observing vigilantly as he selected seafood and wrangled with vendors. Later in the day, he would learn to make rice and slice fish. In the evening, he would cook, and at night, he would clean. Every October, he was engrossed in the logistics of Oyama's prosperous side business: selling matsutake , the sought-after fall mushroom, which grows in the forests of Hiroshima. Purchasing matsutake from villagers and helping Oyama determine to what market and at what price to resell them, Morimoto got his first taste of running a business. Early in his apprenticeship, he resisted giving himself wholly to the restaurant. Some nights, after he had completed his work, he would sneak out to drink with his friends. This was easier said than done, because Oyama lived next to the restaurant and every night locked the doors from the outside. To escape, burly Morimoto had to squeeze through a small window above the kitchen counter. To ensure a silent getaway, he would shift the chef's van into neutral and push it down the street before he started the engine. Morimoto, it seems, was as conscientious in his mischief as he was in his work. Soon, however, he gave up partying. If he was going to be a chef, he wanted to become the best chef he could be. He toiled at the craft of cooking sushi rice, aiming to perfect the texture and seasoning. He learned to slice fish not just capably but artfully. He developed a wide breadth of experience, even preparing beloved, humble dishes like hijiki (seaweed cooked with soy and sugar), inari zushi (fried tofu stuffed with sushi rice), and korokke (potato croquettes) for the small food market next door owned by Oyama's brother. Morimoto believes that had he apprenticed at a more refined restaurant, such as a place that served kaiseki-ryori , the intricate and obsessively seasonal meals that developed to accompany the formal tea ceremony, he might not have become the same chef he is today; he might have been too deeply immersed in tradition and the strict rules of Japanese cuisine to ever break free. After nearly seven years, his apprenticeship was over, but instead of life slowing down, it sped up. He married a woman whom he had met when he was in high school and working part-time at a coffee shop. (He and a friend had applied for jobs as servers. Because of the imposing effect of Morimoto's challenging gaze and sun-tanned face, the owner insisted he work in the kitchen, instead.) At 25, he opened his own café in downtown Hiroshima. A far cry from the tony restaurants whose kitchens he now runs, it was a tiny place with a few tables that dealt mainly in delivery to nearby medical offices and a police station. He cooked simple food soup, rice, pickles, and a rotating roster of main dishes. At night, he labored as a sushi chef in another restaurant, and in what little free time he had left, he delivered newspapers and worked as an insurance agent at Morimoto Agency, a makeshift outfit that he alone operated. Unsure what he wanted from life, he took on this chaotic schedule, because it allowed him to retreat from the questions he knew he'd soon have to answer. Living in America However busy he was, he couldn't keep his mind from wandering, and this wandering typically took it to the United States. By the late 70s, sushi in the United States had taken off, with dedicated restaurants opening at breakneck speed, especially in Los Angeles and New York City. Morimoto wondered whether he should join the action, even going so far as to send away for a California newspaper in order to peruse the classifieds for job openings. He had a choice to make: With the money he had saved from working having no time to spend any money meant that he had saved quite a bit he could stay in Japan and buy a house, a BMW, or an izakaya , a Japanese pub featuring small plates of homey food that was growing in popularity at the time. Or he could move to America and toward a life of uncertainty. After much deliberation, he and his wife decided that they would spend a year exploring the United States, visiting New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Hawaii before heading back to Japan. Instead, they landed in New York on March 5, 1985, and never left. He had found his home. Converse sneakers, a Yankees' jersey, and a Rolex watch these were the three very important purchases Morimoto dreamed about making once he reached the United States. He made them during his first year in New York when he lived in the rough-and-tumble East Village of the 1980s. His apartment on East 6th Street was robbed, so he moved to East 5th Street. When it, too, was robbed, he decided to ditch the neighborhood his reason, he likes to say, was to protect his new watch. So two years after he arrived, he bought the apartment in which he lives today, even after his rise to fame. Even the semblance of celebrity was still almost ten years away. Once in the United States, he picked up more or less where he had left off in Japan, working afternoons at one sushi restaurant and nights at another. Yet he had begun to make choices with an eye toward the future. Because he realized restaurants in different areas of the city drew different customers, he made it a point to work at both an uptown and a downtown restaurant. He paid close attention to American preferences, sensing that there must be a way of injecting excitement into what he was serving but not yet knowing what that way should be. After six years of being underpaid and overworked, he began the search for new opportunities. One day Morimoto saw a job listing in a newspaper for sushi chef at the Sony Club, an exclusive dining room that catered to Sony's executives and talent. It was run by Barry Wine, a pioneering restaurateur, formerly chef/owner of The Quilted Giraffe, a restaurant that was pivotal in introducing "nouvelle cuisine" to the New York culinary scene. Morimoto understood that though he might be good enough to handle the position, he would not likely get it. His resumé, filled with jobs at no-name restaurants in New York and Japan, belied his skill, and in a city that prizes the four-star pedigree, mere talent is not always enough. Nevertheless, he applied. When he didn't get a response from the manager, he called to follow-up. When he still didn't get a response, he almost gave up. As it happened, the manager was planning a party and was short a sushi chef, so in a pinch, sight unseen, he called Morimoto. As soon as he received the call, Morimoto knew he would get the job. And, indeed, the party went well very well with Morimoto quickly and deftly producing sushi and sashimi for the hordes of big shots. And when the night was over, he was offered the job. Morimoto enjoyed working at the Sony Club. He liked riding the elevator with the exquisitely suited executives, stepping off onto the penthouse floor to prepare food for other important people. Morimoto presided over the five-seat sushi bar, tucked away in a small room. The sushi bar catered to Sony's clients and executives and some of their record label superstars. Unlike at most sushi bars in the United States, no glass case separated Morimoto from his customers they could watch him in action. At first, this made him nervous, but he quickly grew to enjoy the feeling of being "on stage," as it were. For almost a year, all was well, until a party changed everything. A manager had asked for appetizers and finger food for the guests, but Morimoto misunderstood and enthusiastically prepared as assortment of fabulous "small dish" main courses in no time, instead. To paraphrase, with the expletives omitted, the boss screamed, "This is not a Japanese restaurant!" Morimoto realized that in that position, he would always be in the background, relegated to sushi and appetizers and never allowed to grow and show what he could do. It was time to move on. New flavors Chef Morimoto with Chef Graham Elliot at Vegas Uncork'd 2013 Fortuitously, at the time, Nobuyuki Matsuhisa was planning to open Nobu, the New York sibling of his popular Los Angeles restaurant Matsuhisa. Morimoto decided to look for a position at the new restaurant. With his first restaurant, chef Matsuhisa had redefined for Americans the concept of Japanese food, serving Peruvian-Japanese fusion dishes based on his travels in South America that incorporated garlic, lime juice, jalapeños, and cilantro to exhilarating effect. The upshot was so wonderfully disorienting that black cod with miso (miso-marinated fish being a long-time home cooking staple in Japan) came to symbolize a new direction in Japanese cuisine. Nobu restaurant brought that excitement to New York, and in 1994, the restaurant earned two stars from Ruth Reichl, then the New York Times restaurant reviewer. Morimoto was there from the beginning, surrounded by new flavors and working under a mandate not to be limited by the strictures of tradition. Chef Matsuhisa spent much of his time tending to his Los Angeles restaurant, which gave the chefs at Nobu some room to express their own creativity. Morimoto took the lead, preparing wildly imaginative meals for the customers who put themselves in his hands. Within a year, the restaurant garnered a three-star review from Ruth Reichl in the New York Times . Morimoto felt at least partly responsible and in his elation, took the liberty of having business cards and a chef's jacket made that referred to him as "executive chef." No one complained; it was clear he had "earned his stripes." This newfound distinction brought with it new opportunities. When a wealthy Frenchman who owned a summer house in Kenya asked Matsuhisa to come to Africa to cook for him and his family, the chef brought Morimoto along. They flew to Nairobi by private jet and stayed in the Frenchman's lavish compound. Morimoto had planned a week's worth of meals for the family, preparing as much mise-en-scene before the trip as he could and taking it all with him. Matsuhisa stayed for only two days, but by the time he left, all the supplies they brought were used up. What was the future Iron Chef to do? He cooked creatively using only local ingredients to rave reviews (although he ultimately decided against using the camel milk and giraffe leg that he found in the family's freezer). Becoming iron chef Morimoto's big break came during a trip to Japan to see his friends and family. It was the first vacation he had ever taken, and yet he would not leave without cooking one of the most important meals of his career. A Japanese customer at Nobu who adored his food had invited him to cook for a group of her friends in Tokyo. Although he didn't know it then, this group included a judge and a producer from Fuji TV's popular show "Iron Chef." Fortunately, the ever-diligent chef cooked his heart out anyway. Several months later, he got a call from someone from the show. He was sure that he had heard them wrong. Perhaps the man on the phone meant to invite him on as a challenger, he told himself. That would make sense; that he could handle. But the truth frightened him: This man was asking him to be Iron Chef Japanese. For the first time in years, his confidence faltered. Instead of the plucky chef who knew he was skilled enough to work at the Sony Club, who knew he deserved to be executive chef at Nobu, Morimoto suddenly felt provincial and unsure. At first, he declined the offer. But a number of his colleagues started lobbying him, asking him to take the offer because they wanted chefs in their native Japan to recognize the exciting work they were doing in the United States and also to prove how well they cook in a foreign country. (Chefs back home in Japan would often belittle Japanese chefs outside of Japan. Now, various unconventional sushi dishes created by chefs in the United States are adored by people in Japan.) A week later, Morimoto reconsidered and signed on. He still remembers his first battle. The secret ingredient was tai (red snapper), and his opponent was Hirayama Yukio, head chef of Hanya-tei, a respected restaurant in Yokohama. Morimoto felt a strong need to prove himself, to show the Japanese judges what a chef from New York could do. As he battled Chef Yukio, he also had to contend with the fears that the competition brought. Had he made the right decision leaving Japan, eschewing the traditional route for the unconventional one? Was he up to the task of being unfailingly creative again and again, of executing an awe-inspiring procession of dishes in front of the intimidating stare of the camera? Suddenly, he felt as if he were back in Hiroshima during the seventh inning of the game that would decide his team's fate in the playoffs. Sporting a diamond stud in his ear and swigging from a Coca-Cola bottle as he cooked, Morimoto cut an unusual figure in Kitchen Stadium. His food was equally distinctive. For one of his dishes, Morimoto perched tai on top of homemade potato chips, spread with a sauce that combined miso and caviar (an outrageous act in the minds of traditionalists). If you think that took guts, he also served the fish on a bagel. The judges were taken aback but impressed. When they handed down their verdict, it was Morimoto's cuisine that reigned supreme. Morimoto flew to Japan every month until the show ended, about a year after he started. It was near the end of the original "Iron Chef Japan" that Morimoto had his infamous battle with Bobby Flay, the pugnacious American chef who leaped onto his own cutting board when their hour of cooking was over. In the heat of the moment, Morimoto declared that Flay was "not a chef," because stepping on a cutting board, which is a precious tool, is not what a professional chef would do. This remark caused quite a bit of controversy, which caught the eye of the Food Network in New York. Soon after the original show's demise in Japan, they decided to produce an American version of the show and asked Morimoto to be one of the four Iron Chefs. This time he didn't hesitate in accepting. A rematch was set up between Morimoto and Flay, which generated a huge audience. That's how "Iron Chef America" began. Yet while his television persona brought him fame, it was Morimoto's food that truly captivated America. Just as his use of bagels and potato chips captivated the Japanese judges, so did his crab brain dip and caviar tempura bemuse and charm the Americans. He's proud to think that he played a role in raising the status of unconventional food and bringing recognition to Japanese chefs working in America, who a decade ago might have been automatically derided as inadequate by chefs in Tokyo and Kyoto. On his own "Iron Chef" marked Morimoto's transition from restaurant chef to celebrity chef and made him reconsider his potential. In 1999, after five years at Nobu, he left to pursue opening his own restaurant. He hooked up with Stephen Starr, Philadelphia's prolific restaurateur, who wanted to add a new Japanese restaurant to his portfolio; all he needed was the right chef. But Morimoto had already cooked at someone else's restaurant. Now he wanted to showcase his own food. After balking at first, Starr eventually agreed, giving Morimoto free reign on the food and promising him that after they took Philadelphia, they would do the same in New York. In 2001, Morimoto Restaurant opened in downtown Philly to rave reviews. Craig LaBan, the Philadelphia Inquirer 's restaurant critic, called it "Philadelphia's most exciting new restaurant" and described the food as "wondrous." Yet the opening of his New York restaurant five years later represented the culmination of his career, a triumphant culinary return to the city to which he owes so much. In the city's red-hot Meatpacking District, his resplendent restaurant embodies how far he has come from his days as a dishwasher at Ichiban sushi. Success has chased many fine chefs out of the kitchen and into an office, but Morimoto refuses to relinquish his true love: cooking. You shouldn't be surprised, then, to take a seat at the sushi bar, perhaps his favorite place in the entire restaurant, and see Morimoto standing before you. No kitchen door separates you, so you can watch as he makes magic with fish and rice. For customers, sitting here provides an opportunity to see a master at work. For the chef, working this close to his customers lets him see the blissful grin that follows every bite. JJ Goode

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Since the beginning of his celebrated career, master Chef, hospitality entrepreneur and hotelier Charlie Palmer has received critical acclaim for his signature Progressive American cooking, a style built on rambunctious flavors and unexpected combinations with a deep and lasting infusion of classical French cuisine. Charlie Palmer's upbringing on a farm in upstate New York, along with his education in various kitchens in France and at The Culinary Institute of America, provided him with the wherewithal to form this unique style and ultimately strike out on his own. In 1988, he made a significant commitment to creating dishes featuring regional American ingredients at his sublime Aureole, originally situated in a historic townhouse off Manhattan's Madison Avenue and now in a spectacular new location in the heart of New York City's radiant theater district. Over the years, Palmer combined his creative cooking spirit and flair for business to open dozens of notable restaurants across the country, award-winning boutique hotels and a growing collection of food-forward wine shop. These include: Michelin-starred Aureole, café/catering venue Astra in New York; Charlie Palmer Steak, Washington, D.C.; Michelin-starred Aureole at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, and Charlie Palmer Steak at the Four Seasons, Las Vegas, NV; Charlie Palmer Steak and Briscola in Reno NV; Dry Creek Kitchen at his boutique Hotel Healdsburg, Sonoma County, CA, as well as, Charlie Palmer at the Joule, Dallas, TX; and Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, CA, both of which house Palmer's Next Vintage wine shops. In 2010, Palmer introduced his first quick and casual burger restaurant, DG Burger (Damn Good), located adjacent to his restaurant in South Coast Plaza. In Spring 2012, Chef Palmer launched his newest venture, the Mystic Hotel a "chef-driven" boutique hotel located in San Francisco's Union Square. Guests receive a fresh approach to hospitality comprised of a cohesive, welcoming food and beverage experience that permeates every moment of the stay. In addition, Chef Palmer and his team are proud to join the thriving San Francisco food community by introducing the Burritt Tavern, a new unparalleled dining experience offering both visitors and neighbors alike a comfortable haven to enjoy fresh, local "modern American tavern fare". The adjoining bar, Burritt Room, offers handcrafted cocktails in an alluring speakeasy setting. The Charlie Palmer Hotel in Las Vegas is currently under development at Symphony Park in the heart of downtown. The hotel features sumptuous accommodations with elevated amenities such as a 10,000 square-foot-spa that combines recreational fitness and restorative wellness treatments, a Hollywood-style pool surrounded by tented cabanas, and signature Palmer dining experiences including a sky terrace that overlooks Symphony Park and The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. Even today, the chef still steps in the kitchen with reinvention on his mind. A 20-year board member of City Meals on Wheels and longtime supporter of Share our Strength, Chef Palmer and his namesake restaurant and hotel group frequently give back to the community with their trademarked, signature events. A weekend long food and beverage experience at the Hotel Healdsburg, Pigs and Pinot is an annual celebration of Sonoma County Pinot Noirs and acclaimed national and local chefs combining their star power and talents to raise serious funds for local Sonoma charities and Share our Strength. A member of James Beard "Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America," inducted into the casino community's Gaming Hall of Fame in 2011 and named Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Culinary Institute of America in 2012, Palmer is a respected and admired hospitality figurehead. A frequent guest on NBC's Today Show, Charlie Palmer is also the author of four cookbooks, Great American Food (Random House/1996), Charlie Palmer's Casual Cooking (Harper Collins/2001), The Art of Aureole, (Ten Speed Press/2002), and Charlie Palmer's Practical Guide to the New American Kitchen (Melcher Media/2006). His fifth book, a collaborative project, Remington Camp Cooking by Charlie Palmer (Welcome Books/2013) was just released in May 2013.

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The impulsive and unsettling Martin Picard seems never to be standing in one single place up until the magical moment, that is, when he is suddenly transfixed by a piercingly luminous idea for a new dish, book, event or restaurant. His is an artistic temperament, as we are wont to imagine it. He is a man of surfeit for whom food is fundamentally sensual, caressing the body straight through to the soul when properly prepared. Born in Repentigny, Quebec, on November 20, 1966, Martin Picard has worked in the restaurant business since the late 1980s. After completing his initial training at the Institut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec, he set off for France to broaden his culinary horizons working under such chefs as Pierre Gagnaire and Marc Meneau each accorded three stars in the Michelin guide followed by stints in Italy and the United States. It was in Montreal, however, working alongside Normand Laprise the now famous chef of the Toqué! who, at that time, was in charge of the Citrus and Elena Faita that he developed his own personal style of cuisine. In addition to furnishing him with a solid gastronomical background, these experiences inspired him to go out and do things his way. And so, in 2001, he opened his own restaurant on Duluth Street in Montreal: Au Pied de Cochon. The meals he serves up there are copious, convivial and expansive, drawing on the influences and products of the Quebec terroir. Fearless in his effort to push the envelope and tamper with accepted notions, the chef at the Pied de Cochon, like other great chefs of the gastronomical world, favors the use of produce from the local countryside. He is out to reconfigure Quebec folk cuisine with a highly personal touch of folly and excess that endows his dishes with a singular freshness. The restaurant quickly became the talk of the town, due in large part to its infamous Foie Gras outine, celebrated throughout the gastronomical world. Martin Picard was featured in several international television culinary programs, including the series hosted by the well-known chef and author Anthony Bourdain. People flocked from all over the world to dine at Au Pied de Cochon and partake of a unique culinary experience. To mark the fifth anniversary of the restaurant in 2006, Martin put out his first book at his own expense: Au Pied de Cochon The Album. Edited by Martin himself, both English and French versions of the book appeared simultaneously; an eclectic pot-pourri of photographs, comic book, caricatures and a DVD introducing the crew at the restaurant. The book went on to garner several awards and now graces the kitchens of great chefs throughout the US and elsewhere. In 2007, Martin starred in the television series "Martin sur la route" which ran for two seasons on Radio-Canada. This all-terrain cooking show followed Martin and his assistant chef as they lugged their gas cooker up and down the byways of Quebec spreading their passion for idiosyncratically tweaked Quebec cuisine. During the course of the series, Martin is seen goose hunting, deer hunting, trapping, fishing lobster which he prepares right on the boat, etc. He introduces television viewers to his techniques for preparing wild game and accenting the meat in various recipes. The English version of the series, entitled "Wild Chef," was broadcast on Food Network and Martin was very popular among Anglophone audiences, charming them with his humor, his boldness and his integrity. The series went on to achieve international success, being translated and broadcast in five countries. With all that under his belt, the man who feeds on new projects was immediately ready for a new challenge. So, in the spring of 2009, he opened Au Pied de Cochon Sugar Shack in Saint-Benoit-de-Mirabel, fifty minutes north of Montreal. This characteristically reconfigured traditional sugar shack is the perfect place for Martin to further indulge his love of gastronomical innovation centered around that quintessential Quebec product, maple syrup. Au Pied de Cochon Sugar Shack was an instant success. The public and food critics alike have been unanimous: the Shack is a must-see attraction in the Quebec gastronomical landscape. Since its opening, it has been fully booked each year, months even before the start of the sugar season. In February 2012, in the wake of this new success, Martin published his second book entitled Au Pied de Cochon Sugar Shack. Part cookbook, part art book, it is a homage to maple syrup and the traditions of the Quebec sugar bush. The book features a short story by Marc Séguin, photographs, illustrations, a children's story, a technical chapter on the production of maple syrup together with over 100 sweet and savory recipes accompanied each step of the way by photos. It is the "Bible of maple syrup" and the first gastronomy book devoted entirely to that exceptional Quebec product. This book, published in both English and French, once again pushes the boundaries of the traditional cookbook. In February 2013, it was chosen Best Publisher's Cookbook of the Year at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Paris. In 2012, Martin Picard hosted a new television series called, "Un chef à la cabane," broadcast on Télé-Québec in the spring of 2013. The reputation of the Sugar Shack is sure to be enhanced by this series which documents an entire sugar season at the Shack, providing the public with a unique television experience. Martin and his amazing crew allow us a glimpse into their world and the behind-the-scenes goings-on at Au Pied de Cochon Sugar Shack. Martin Picard is a one-of-a-kind Québécois chef, firmly rooted in the countryside he knows and yet open to the entire world and internationally recognized. He is proud of his origins, returning to them constantly in his cuisine, his books and his television series. With his boundless sense of humor and his infectious drive, Martin is an exceptional man, absolutely fearless in his attempts at innovation: a truly great Quebec chef.

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Born and raised in Elizabeth, NJ, Tom Colicchio made his New York cooking debut at prominent restaurants including The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill, Rakel, and Mondrian. He opened Gramercy Tavern with Danny Meyer in 1994. In 2001, he opened the critically acclaimed Craft. Ten years later, there are Craft restaurants in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas; Craftsteak in Las Vegas and Foxwoods, CT; Craftbar in New York and Los Angeles; Colicchio & Sons and Riverpark in New York; and 'wichcraft sandwich shops in New York, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. In September 2012, he opened inn and restaurant Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton. In May 2010, Tom was awarded The James Beard Foundation's coveted "Outstanding Chef Award," the culmination of his 30 years of hard work in the restaurant industry. In 2006, he began applying his years of experience to cable television as the head judge on Bravo's hit reality cooking series "Top Chef." The Emmy-winning show is currently in it's 10 th season. Tom is also the author of three cookbooks, Think Like a Chef (2000), Craft of Cooking (2003), and 'wichcraft (2009). Tom Colicchio spent his childhood immersed in food, cooking with his mother and grandmother. It was his father, however, who suggested that he make a career of it. Tom taught himself to cook with the help of Jacques Pépin's legendary illustrated manuals on French cooking, La Technique and La Méthode . At age 17, Tom made his kitchen debut in his native town of Elizabeth, New Jersey, at Evelyn's Seafood Restaurant. During his tenure as executive chef of Mondrian, Food & Wine magazine selected him as one of the top 10 "Best New Chefs" in the U.S. and The New York Times awarded the restaurant three stars. Tom's cooking at Gramercy Tavern won consistent recognition, garnering three stars from Ruth Reichl of The New York Times and earning him The James Beard Foundation's 2000 "Best Chef-New York" Award. In 2001, Tom opened Craft one block south of Gramercy Tavern. Soon after, The New York Times awarded Craft with three stars, deeming the restaurant "a vision of food heaven." Craft was awarded The James Beard Foundation Award for "Best New Restaurant" in 2002. That same year, Tom received The Bon Appétit American Food and Entertaining Award for "Chef of the Year." The New York Times revisited Craft in September 2011, ten years after its debut, upholding its three stars and stating that the restaurant is "as magical and delicious as it was when it opened." With Craft and its casual sibling, Craftbar, established in New York City, Tom set out to expand his simple, elegant brand of cooking. He has since opened Craftsteak at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas (2002), Craftsteak in New York City (2006), Craft and Craftbar in Los Angeles (2007; 2009) and Craftsteak at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods (2008). Tom opened his first 'wichcraft a sandwich shop rooted in the same food and hospitality philosophies as Craft in New York City in 2003. Today 'wichcraft has 12 New York City locations, as well as locations at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and the Westfield Center in San Francisco. Tom has published three cookbooks to date. The first, Think Like a Chef (Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2000), won The James Beard Foundation "KitchenAid" Cookbook Award in May 2001. Tom's second cookbook, Craft of Cooking, was released by Clarkson Potter/Publishers in 2003. A sandwich book inspired by 'wichcraft, was released by Clarkson Potter/Publishers in March 2009. Since 2006, Tom has been applying his experience and expertise to cable television as the head judge on Bravo's hit reality cooking series "Top Chef." The Emmy-winning show is currently in its 10 th season. In October 2008, Tom opened Tom: Tuesday Dinner. The restaurant, open every other Tuesday, is the embodiment of Tom's earliest ideals: a signature place that defines him, small enough that he can cook straight from the hip, with his hands on each and every plate. Inspired by his time behind the stove at Tom: Tuesday Dinner, Tom opened Colicchio & Sons in New York in January 2010 in the original Craftsteak space. He improvises and explores with small-batch ingredients from the micro-producers and family farmers with whom he has forged decades-long relationships. The restaurant has three stars from The New York Times . In September 2010, shortly after being awarded The James Beard Foundation's coveted "Outstanding Chef Award," Tom opened Riverpark, helmed by Sisha Ortuzar, his partner in 'wichcraft. In September 2012, Tom and partners Bill Campbell and Simon Critchell opened full-service inn and restaurant Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton, NY. On the ground floor of a fully restored 1842 Greek revival mansion, the restaurant's menu showcases produce from the inn's one-acre farm, in addition to other products from local farmers, ranchers and day-boat fisherman. Tom served as an executive producer on the documentary A Place at the Table, released in March 2013 and directed by his wife Lori and Kristi Jacobson. The film has shown how hunger poses serious economic, social and cultural implications for our nation, and has encouraged making healthy food available and affordable in order to end food insecurity in the US. Tom regularly appears on local and national television shows and continues to be celebrated in food and lifestyle publications such as Saveur , Gourmet , Bon Appétit, Food & Wine , Esquire , GQ and New York Magazine . He has consulted at the restaurants at The Core Club (NYC), Liberty National Golf Club (Jersey City), Voysey's and Tides (Kiawah Island, SC), and Doonbeg (Ireland). Tom and his restaurants give back to the community by supporting charities including Share Our Strength, Children of Bellevue, City Harvest, Alex's Lemonade Stand, and Healthright International. He lives in the West Village with his wife, Lori Silverbush, and three sons.

foodanddrink

Nathan Myhrvold plating a dish The Modernist Cuisine team of chefs, scientists, and writers is dedicated to advancing the state of the culinary arts through the creative application of scientific knowledge and techniques. Modernist Cuisine is an interdisciplinary team in Bellevue, Washington, founded and led by Nathan Myhrvold. The group includes scientists, development chefs, and a full editorial department all dedicated to advancing the state of the culinary arts through the creative application of scientific knowledge and experimental techniques. The team has produced Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking (2011), Modernist Cuisine at Home (2012), and the forthcoming book The Photography of Modernist Cuisine (2013), all of which were published by The Cooking Lab, Modernist Cuisine's in-house publishing division. The Cooking Lab also provides consulting, R&D, and invention services to food companies and culinary equipment makers, large and small. The Cooking Lab's research kitchen is among the best-equipped in the world and enjoys access to a full set of machining, analytical, and computational facilities.

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Jean-Christophe Novelli is a multi-Michelin Star award winning chef, born in France. He started life as a baker, worked his way to head chef for the Rothschild family in Paris, moved to England in 1983 to expand his horizons and soon opened the Four Seasons restaurant in London, followed by several of his own very successful restaurants. In 2003, Novelli Academy was created so that he could reconnect with the public and pass on his passion and experiences to every budding chef. His debonaire persona helps his TV career in the UK, US and worldwide and he has been voted Chef's Chef of the Year. Novelli is a 5 out of 5, AA Rosette and multi Michelin Star award winning chef who has also been dubbed "The Nation's Favourite French Chef". He began his exciting career at the tender age of fourteen as a baker in his home town of Arras, Northern France before becoming the private Head Chef to Elie de Rothschild at the mere age of 19. Novelli's life changed completely when he arrived in Great Britain in 1983 having spent a year in charge of Keith Floyd's pub, 'The Maltsters' as head chef whilst Keith was filming his famous TV shows. In 1996 Novelli opened four restaurants in London and so began the foundation for his internationally based mini empire, only having £500 in his pocket to start his solo ventures. In addition to his interests in the UK, he launched Novelli at the Cellars, Cape Town's leading five-star Relais et Chateaux Hotel, Moulin de Jean in Normandy France and was Chef-Consultant on Sea France ferries. After putting these restaurants on the international map Novelli decided to move onto new ventures. His passion for passing on his wealth of culinary knowledge to others led him to open his own cookery school, The Novelli Academy based in his personal kitchen. MORE See signature recipes and more.

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Daniel Boulud, a native of Lyon, France, is today considered one of America's leading culinary authorities and one of the most revered French chefs in New York, the city he has called home since 1982. Daniel is chef-owner of Bar Boulud, Boulud Sud, Café Boulud, db Bistro Moderne, DANIEL, DBGB Kitchen and Bar, Épicerie Boulud and Maison Boulud. In all his restaurants you'll find the warm welcome the chef is renowned for, combined with traces of the soulfully satisfying traditional cooking he grew up with on his family's Rhône Valley farm. While Daniel Boulud is best known for New York's exquisitely refined DANIEL, the three Michelin-star Relais & Châteaux restaurant, you'll also discover the chef's ingredient driven seasonal French-American cooking in Miami and Palm Beach, FL and internationally in London, Singapore, Beijing, Montréal and Toronto. Boulud is the author of eight cookbooks, the recipient of three James Beard Foundation awards, including Outstanding Chef and Outstanding Restaurateur and was named a Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur by the French government, as well as Chef of the Year 2011 by The Culinary Institute of America. He is a generous and energetic supporter of Citymeals-on-Wheels, serving on their board of directors since 2000 and is also co-founder and Chairman of the Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation.

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The name Wolfgang Puck is synonymous with the best of restaurant hospitality and the ultimate in all aspects of the culinary arts. The famous chef has built an empire that encompasses three separate Wolfgang Puck entities: Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group , Wolfgang Puck Catering , and Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc . Puck began cooking at his mother's side as a child. She was a chef in the Austrian town where he was born, and with her encouragement, Wolfgang began his formal training at fourteen years of age. As a young chef he worked in some of France's greatest restaurants, including Maxim's in Paris, the Hotel de Paris in Monaco, and the Michelin 3-starred L'Oustau de Baumanière in Provence. At the age of 24, Wolfgang took the advice of a friend and left Europe for the United States. His first job was at the restaurant La Tour in Indianapolis, where he worked from 1973 to 1975. Wolfgang came to Los Angeles in 1975 and very quickly garnered the attention of the Hollywood elite as chef and eventually part owner of Ma Maison in West Hollywood. His dynamic personality and culinary brilliance that bridged tradition and invention made Ma Maison a magnet for the rich and famous, with Wolfgang as the star attraction. He had an innate understanding of the potential for California cuisine, and was pivotal in its rise to national attention during the late 1970s. Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group From Ma Maison, Wolfgang went on to create his first flagship restaurant, Spago, originally located in West Hollywood on the Sunset Strip. From its opening day in 1982, Spago was an instant success and culinary phenomenon. His early signature dishes, such as haute cuisine pizzas topped with smoked salmon and caviar, and Sonoma baby lamb with braised greens and rosemary, put him and Spago on the gourmet map, not just in Los Angeles but throughout the world. Wolfgang and Spago earned many accolades during its popular eighteen years in West Hollywood, including winning the prestigious James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Chef of the Year, twice, in 1991 and 1998, and the James Beard Foundation Award for Restaurant of the Year in 1994. Wolfgang is the only chef to have won the Outstanding Chef of the Year Award multiple times. In 1983, following the success of Spago, Puck went on to open Chinois on Main in Santa Monica. His early exposure to Southern California's multicultural population intrigued him, inspiring him to fuse the Asian flavors and products of Koreatown, Chinatown, and Thaitown with his French- and California-based cuisine in a fine dining setting. Chinois on Main brings diners a fresh and imaginative Asian-fusion menu that laid the groundwork for fusion cooking in America. In 1989, Wolfgang opened his third restaurant, Postrio, in the Prescott Hotel off San Francisco's Union Square. Postrio also drew upon the multi-ethnic nature of its surroundings. In 1997, Wolfgang moved Spago to an elegant setting on Cañon Drive in Beverly Hills. His menu blazed new ground, with a combination of updated Spago classics and newly conceived items created by the award-winning talents of Managing Partner/Executive Chef Lee Hefter. The seasonal menu drew inspiration from Wolfgang's favorite childhood dishes, offering a selection of Austrian specialties such as Wienerschnitzel and Kaiserschmarren. Spago Beverly Hills garnered two coveted Michelin Stars, one of only three Los Angeles restaurants to achieve this accolade. In 2012, Wolfgang fearlessly transformed Spago through a complete renovation in both menu and design. A new more modern concept steps to the forefront of the menu at Spago, where guests can find a shift to smaller plates, which Wolfgang believes is reflective of the way people enjoy dining. In 2006, Wolfgang opened CUT, a sleek, contemporary steakhouse at the acclaimed Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel. After only one year, CUT earned a prestigious Michelin star among numerous other top accolades. Wolfgang has changed the way Americans cook and eat by mixing classic French techniques and Asian- and California-influenced aesthetics with the highest quality ingredients. He also has changed the face of dining in cities throughout the nation, first in Los Angeles, then in Las Vegas, where he was the first star chef to create a contemporary fine dining restaurant, paving the way for other celebrated chefs and the city's metamorphosis into a dining destination. After opening Spago in the Forum Shops at Caesars in 1992, Wolfgang went on to open additional restaurants in the city including Postrio Bar & Grill at The Venetian in 1999, Lupo in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in 1999, Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at MGM Grand in 2004, CUT at The Palazzo in 2008 and in 2010, Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina, located at The Shops at Crystals, the spectacular 500,000-square-foot retail, entertainment and dining district in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. Since 2001, Wolfgang and his Fine Dining Group have opened restaurants across the United States from Atlantic City (Wolfgang Puck American Grille at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in 2006) to Maui (Spago at the Four Seasons Resort in 2001). These also include The Source in Washington, DC (2007), Wolfgang Puck Steak and Wolfgang Puck Cucina at MGM Grand Detroit (2012), Spago at The Ritz Carlton, Bachelor Gulch in Colorado (2007), Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck at Reunion Tower in Dallas (2009), Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at L.A. Live (2009) and WP24 by Wolfgang Puck at The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles (2010). In 2010, Puck took the Fine Dining Group international with the opening of CUT at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. In September 2011, Puck opened his first European venture, CUT in London at the new 45 Park Lane from The Dorchester Collection and in October, Puck furthered his relationship with The Dorchester Collection by overseeing the food and beverage operations at the historic Hotel Bel-Air including a new restaurant, "Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air," plus in-room dining, catering and events. Wolfgang Puck Catering Wolfgang formed Wolfgang Puck Catering (WPC) in May 1998, alongside partner Carl Schuster. The company brings a new level of innovation and inspiration to special event and contract dining services for cultural, corporate and entertainment venues across the country. Under the leadership of Chef-Partner Matt Bencivenga, WPC offers a restaurant-quality experience in a special event setting for such high profile events as the annual Governors Ball, where Puck has been honored to serve as official chef for the post-Academy Awards® celebrity banquet for nearly 20 years, as well as the ESPY awards, film premieres, presidential galas and fundraisers. WPC also is responsible for operating iconic cultural and architectural venues in major markets including L.A. LIVE, Sony Pictures Studios, Hollywood & Highland Center and Dolby Theatre, and Pacific Design Center (Los Angeles); Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Union Station, Reunion Tower, Nasher Sculpture Center and AT&T Performing Arts Center (Dallas); Museum of Contemporary Art, University of Chicago Gleacher Center, and Venue Six10 (Chicago); Museum of Science and Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston); ACE Center (Philadelphia); Benaroya Hall, Showbox Market and SoDo, and EMP|SFM (Seattle); Newseum (Washington, DC); The Sunset Room (National Harbor MD); Georgia Aquarium (Atlanta); Walt Disney Family Museum (San Francisco); and Honda Center (Anaheim). WPC's strategic partnership with Compass Group has fueled its dramatic growth since 2004, including joint ventures with sister company Restaurant Associates and a national concession agreement with concert promoter Live Nation. Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. is a privately held corporation that includes a rapidly growing portfolio of company-owned and franchised locations of casual Wolfgang Puck Bistro restaurants and fast-casual Wolfgang Puck Express restaurants, consumer products including Wolfgang Puck branded packaged foods and beverages, book publishing, and other licensing and merchandising projects. Wolfgang Puck Pizza Bar is Puck's newest casual concept which opened its first location in Charlotte, NC in May 2012, followed by a second location in Greensboro, NC and a third location opened in Palm Desert, California in early 2013. The restaurant features a new and distinctive Italian-influenced menu with Wolfgang's unique twist. Featuring delicious soups, salads, appetizers, pastas, and grilled items, the menu centers around nearly 20 of Wolfgang's thin and crispy pizzas made with a new artisan dough that takes nine days to produce. Wolfgang Puck Bistro is a contemporary casual restaurant where the guiding principle is "Simple is Delicious." Simple as in farm fresh food expressed in the form of extraordinary pizzas, salads, artisan sandwiches and daily Chef's Additions of fish, pasta and meat. The menu rotates new, seasonal specials throughout the year, highlighting the local produce of the season and includes a specially priced boutique wine list of more than two dozen selections. In 1991, Wolfgang launched a chain of fast-casual restaurants, now called Wolfgang Puck Express. The Express restaurants, which also subscribe to the "Simple is Delicious" principle, use only the finest ingredients to prepare its fresh-to-order items in just minutes for people on the go. The menu features Wolfgang's signature pizzas, pastas, sandwiches, soups, fresh salads, including Wolfgang's famous Chinois™ Chicken Salad, and Wolfgang's classics at affordable prices. Today, Wolfgang Puck Express boasts more than 80 locations in major urban and suburban retail centers, convention centers, airports, universities and supermarkets throughout the United States, Canada and Japan. Concurrently with his restaurant and catering operations, Wolfgang Puck has made a name for himself as a communicator. He has written six cookbooks and has been a regular guest on ABC's Good Morning America since 1986, the year he also produced his first instructional cooking video, Spago Cooking with Wolfgang Puck . His Emmy Award-winning television series, " Wolfgang Puck ," debuted on The Food Network in 2000 and aired for five seasons. Wolfgang also has made guest appearances on a multitude of television shows including The Late Show with David Letterman , The Tonight Show with Jay Leno , The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Entertainment Tonight , E! Entertainment Television , Hollywood Squares , Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, Frasier , The Simpsons , The History Channel , Wheel of Fortune, Las Vegas, Shark and What's My Line . In 2001, the A&E Network featured the life of Wolfgang Puck on their popular Biography series. Wolfgang's syndicated newspaper column, "Wolfgang Puck's Kitchen," appears in 30 newspapers in the United States and Canada, reaching more than 5.3 million people each week. The chef is known to millions of television viewers who see him regularly on Home Shopping Network, where he demonstrates recipes using his growing line of Wolfgang Puck branded housewares. These include stainless steel cookware, small kitchen electrics such as panini grills, food processors, blenders and electric grills, flatware, cutlery, bakeware, and other kitchen gadgets and tools. In addition to his branded housewares, Wolfgang Puck's consumer products include a wide range of foods. He launched his first line of frozen food in 1987 to meet his customers' desire to enjoy Spago-quality food at home. Wolfgang Puck All-Natural Frozen Pizzas and Appetizers; All-Natural and Organic Wolfgang Puck Soups; All-Natural Jarred Italian Sauces; Estate Grown Organic Coffees and Ready to Drink Coffees and Culinary Iced Coffees; and Wolfgang Puck Refrigerated Entrees. Gelson's supermarkets in Southern California offer Wolfgang Puck fresh-packaged foods, and Wolfgang Puck coffee blends are sold through Amenity Services to hotels, resorts, local market office distribution and websites. Community Relationships Wolfgang is actively involved in many philanthropic endeavors and charitable organizations including the American Cancer Society, the Alzheimer's Association, Seidman Cancer Center at University Hospitals of Cleveland, the Animal Foundation, the Gateway Green, the Special Olympics, the Cystic Fibrosis Society, the Race to Erase MS, the Carousel of Hope Ball for the Children's Diabetes Foundation and the Fire and Ice Ball for Revlon/UCLA Women's Cancer Research Program. Wolfgang's Eat, Love, Live ™ (WELL) Central to all of Wolfgang Puck's endeavors is his W olfgang's E at, L ove, L ive ™ (WELL) philosophy. This stands for culinary passion for eating and dining WELL, which means a commitment to provide food made with only the freshest and most natural and organic ingredients available, to celebrate local farmers and seasonal ingredients, and to use only humanely raised animal products. Wolfgang Puck lives in Los Angeles, with his wife, Gelila, and has four sons, Cameron, Byron, Oliver, and Alexander.

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Sparkling bays, bustling ports, and quaint quays can be found in the world's best waterfront cities. Sparkling bays, bustling ports, and quaint quays can be found in the world's best waterfront cities. Venice Shimmering canals, sprawling palaces, and historic ambiance make Venice one of the world's most enchanting waterfront destinations. Stop by the Piazza San Marco to browse the area's best boutiques, and don't miss the Basilica di San Marco, a Byzantine monument that doubles as the city's religious center. Take a picnic to Torcello, a secluded island with a magical ambiance and hauntingly beautiful cathedral. End the day at one of the city's bacari, or wine bars, for traditional Venetian tapas and a taste of local wines.Where to Stay: For accommodations that hearken back to an earlier era, book a room at Hotel Metropole, featuring classic Venetian décor and luxurious guest rooms with antique furnishings and mosaic sunken baths. Located on a side canal, Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo in nearby Santa Croce offers canopied beds, renovated interiors, and a charming outdoor courtyard perfect for enjoying a pre-dinner drink.Insider Tip: Venice hosts many festivals throughout the year, with Carnevale and Biennale getting the most attention. But lesser-known festivals also offer an opportunity for visitors to experience the city at its finest. Held on the third Sunday in July, Festa del Redentore includes colorful boat displays, traditional Venetian feasts, and a spectacular fireworks display.Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Venice Guide Bergen As Norway's second largest city, Bergen enchants visitors with its pastel wood houses, bustling harbor, and picturesque mountains. Bryggen, the wharf running by the harbor on the northern side of the city, features colorful Hanseatic merchant houses and small, cozy shops perfect for exploring. Take a stroll down the tree-lined Ole Bulls Plass, a popular avenue with some of the city's finest restaurants. Bergen Kunstmuseum features paintings by modern and Renaissance painters.Where to Stay: For old-world furnishings and easy access to the city's best sights, consider staying at The Bristol. Built in the 1930s, the hotel features small, stylish guest rooms and a popular restaurant.Insider Tip: Buy a Bergen Card to save money and explore the city more affordably. The card provides free or discounted admission to most museums and attractions, and is good for free bus and light-rail travel in central Bergen.Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Bergen Guide Amsterdam The Dutch capital is perfect for roaming through picturesque latticework canals. On sunny days cafes along the water will fill up with patrons, and visitors can take a cruise along the 60 miles of canals that circle the city. Stop by the Grachtengordel, or Canal Ring, to view historic homes or enjoy a leisurely day on the water. Amsterdam's museum district boasts the popular Van Gogh Museum with changing shows of the famous painter's work. The city's most beautiful street, Brouwersgracht, features grand views and plenty of opportunities for photos.Where to Stay: Hotels in Amsterdam range from sweeping Golden Age properties to family-run B&Bs, but nearly every property features scenic canal views and warm Dutch hospitality. For the ultimate in style and luxury, book a room at the Sofitel Legend the Grand. The property is set on a neoclassical courtyard, and boasts an acclaimed restaurant and stunning inner garden. Tucked away in the city's museum district, The Concert Hotel is a stone's throw from museums and offers a generous inclusive breakfast.Insider Tip: One of the best ways to explore Amsterdam's canals and winding streets is by bike. Pick up a two-wheeler in the city center and take a spin. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Amsterdam Guide Sydney Visitors come to Sydney for its world-class beaches and natural beauty, but stay for its plethora of cultural and wildlife attractions. Stop by the Sydney Opera House to catch a performance in one of the venue's five theaters, or take a backstage tour during off hours. For unparalleled views of the city, stroll down to Sydney Harbour Bridge and climb the 200 steps to lookout over the sparkling blue water. Get an up-close look at native birds and vibrant wildflowers at the Royal National Park, or catch a glimpse of endangered species at Taronga Zoo.Where to Stay: Sydney offers accommodations for every traveler, with upscale properties overlooking the harbor and backpacking hot spots near the city's nightlife district. The Langham Sydney in The Rocks features upscale décor and luxurious suites with four-poster beds. Tucked away in inner Sydney, Simpsons of Potts Point offers friendly service and easy access to the area's best restaurants.Insider Tip: Sydney boasts a world-renowned dining scene. Book a table well in advance at Tetsuya, a Western and Japanese-French fusion eatery with some of the best seafood in town.Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Sydney Guide San Francisco Few places compare to the city by the bay, and San Francisco makes the most of its waterfront location. Visitors can explore lush gardens or oceanfront trails at Golden Gate Park, or stop by the historic Ferry Building for panoramic bay views and a taste of local cuisine. Science lovers will enjoy Exploratorium, a pier-side museum with supersize experiential exhibits and a glass Bay Observatory. Watch master shipbuilders assemble boats and step aboard a full-rigged sailing vessel at Hyde Street Pier, one of the city's maritime epicenters. Where to Stay: Hotels in San Francisco are as diverse as the city itself. Accommodations range from low-end motels to elegant boutique properties, and travelers can find rooms to fit their taste and budget. Once a waterfront canning complex, the Argonaut Hotel sits in the repurposed Haslett Warehouse. For historic ambiance and cozy rooms, try the San Remo Hotel, a three-story 1906 Italianate Victorian that was once home to longshoremen.Insider Tip: Visit the city between January and April to see migrating gray whales. Watch the majestic mammals from shore in Point Reyes, or take a whale-watching trip for up-close views.Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's San Francisco Guide Brighton Travelers flock to Brighton for its vibrant seaside culture and lively arts scene. Once a fashionable vacation spot for Londoners looking for a quick retreat, the English city has since become a destination in its own right. Take a stroll down the pebbled shoreline at the city's eponymous beach, or tour the Royal Pavilion, an enchanting seaside villa with exotic interiors and a popular tearoom. Don't leave Brighton without sampling fresh seafood. Riddle and Finns offers a variety of fresh catches and traditional side plates like bubble and squeak (fried vegetables and potatoes).Where to Stay: Hotel rooms in Brighton go fast, so make sure to book ahead of time to secure the best accommodations. Grand Hotel Brighton lives up to its name, with enormous chandeliers, high ceilings, and luxurious bedrooms. For a peaceful atmosphere and a full English breakfast, consider staying at the Brightonwave Hotel near Brighton Pier.Insider Tip: Visit in May for the city's three-week Brighton Festival. The event boasts more than 600 events including drama, dance, visual arts, and music performances.Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Brighton Guide Stockholm Stockholm boasts an archipelago landscape with attractions for every traveler. Visit the central island Gamla Stan to explore small, café-lined squares and captivating medieval architecture. Take a ride on Skyview, a glass-covered gondola that offers unparalleled views of the city. Djurgården and Skansen, the city's pleasure island, boasts a popular amusement park and a peaceful waterfront ambiance perfect for a relaxing picnic.Where to Stay: Hotels in Stockholm run the gamut from trendy, upscale properties to simple, functional spaces with easy access to the city's main attractions. Tucked away in an elegant 18th-century mansion, Hotel Stureplan features modern design, friendly service, and a convenient location close to the water. For eco-friendly accommodations in the heart of the city's business district, book a room at the chic and contemporary Scandic Grand Central.Insider Tip: Östermalm often flies under tourists' radar, but the regal residential area is well worth a visit. Walk along the water for views of the city harbor, or take a land route to browse upscale shops and restaurants.Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Stockholm Guide Hong Kong Towering skyscrapers and a chic, cosmopolitan vibe make Hong Kong one of the world's leading waterside cities. The town capitalizes on its coastal location and has no shortage of land and sea attractions. Buy a ticket for the 125-year-old Peak Tram and climb to the top of Victoria Peak, Hong Kong Island's highest hill. Explore Mong Kok markets to sample traditional street food and browse stands filled with colorful knickknacks, flowers, and jade. Visitors can escape the city's hustle and bustle in Southside, a tranquil residential area with beautiful sea views and laidback sandy beaches.Where to Stay: For beautifully designed rooms and unmatched service, reserve a room at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong. One of the city's most popular budget locations, Hop Inn Carnarvon, features comfortable lodgings with original décor and friendly, attentive staff. Also check out our round-up of the best new Hong Kong hotels.Insider Tip: Don't leave Hong Kong without taking a ride on Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour. The green and white boat offers spectacular views of the city skyline, and visitors can catch the sparkling Symphony of Lights show every night at 8 p.m.Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Hong Kong Guide Baltimore A bustling harbor and lively downtown area make Baltimore a favorite destination among tourists. Walk down Charles Street to explore Inner Harbor, Baltimore's main thoroughfare. Visitors can sign up for sailboat tours and boat rentals, or browse exhibits at the National Aquarium or Science Center. End the day watching the sunset over the water at The Rusty Scupper, a popular local seafood restaurant famous for its jumbo lump crab cake a Baltimore specialty.Where to Stay: Visitors often book a room on the Inner Harbor to stay near popular attractions, but quieter neighborhoods offer some reprieve. Housed in a late-19th-century building, Abacrombie Bed and Breakfast offers intimate accommodations and a celebrated restaurant. For easy access to the city center and upscale amenities, book a room at Intercontinental Harbor Court.Insider Tip: Every summer in July, Artscape takes over several city blocks in downtown Baltimore. The free festival includes live music and theater performances, art displays, and work from local artisans.Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Baltimore Guide Vancouver Captivating natural beauty and a distinctly cosmopolitan flair make Vancouver one of the world's most unique waterfront cities. The city balances its well-preserved wildlife with a host of tourist attractions, and offers something for every traveler. Visit Stanley Park to explore 1,000 acres of serene forests and oceanfront. Take a ferry to Granville Island, a waterside hotspot with a bustling food and crafts market and about a dozen studios and galleries. For an authentic taste of Chinese food and culture, visit Chinatown. Visitors can stop by colorful produce stalls to pick up an afternoon snack, or take a leisurely stroll through Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.Where to Stay: Stay in the heart of the city at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia. The rooms boast a retro vibe, and visitors can browse an impressive collection of contemporary art in the lobby. For a prime beachfront location at an affordable rate, consider booking a room at the Sylvia Hotel. The property is two blocks from Stanley Park and a 20-minute walk from popular Robson Street.Insider Tip: Vancouver is best explored outside, but rainy days can put a damper on activities. Popular indoor attractions include the Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, and Lonsdale Quay, a colorful market on the city's North Shore.Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Vancouver Guide San Sebastian Centered on a scallop-shaped beach in northern Spain, San Sebastián has grown over the years to become one of Europe's most popular waterside retreats. Sprawl out on the sand at La Concha, or travel up the western side of the bay to visit Monte Igueldo. The towering promontory offers unparalleled panoramic views of the city's gardens, parks, and sparkling blue bay. To take a break from the sun, stop by Kursaal. Located at the mouth of the Urumea River, the bright glass complex includes a postmodern concert hall, two auditoriums, and terraces overlooking the estuary.Where to Stay: For the best views in town, book a room near La Concha. Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra boasts an elegant marble lobby and classically styled guest rooms with seaside views. For a splurge, stay at the grand Hotel Maria Cristina. The city's most luxurious hotel includes recently renovated rooms, river views, and lavishly decorated salons.Insider Tip: During the summer months, consider visiting the Isla de Santa Clara at the entrance to the bay. Ferries run from the mainland every 30 minutes, but make sure to get there early; the boats fill up quickly.Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's San Sebastián Guide Lisbon Stunning riverside vistas, colorful pastel houses, and a buzzing port district are a few of the things you'll find in Lisbon. Visitors can explore the city's cobbled streets by foot, and climb winding sets of steps to reach the town's best vantage points. Ride an ancient streetcar to St. George's Castle to view the ancient ramparts, or head to downtown Baixa to explore the bustling city squares. The old port district of Alcântara is the perfect place to relax by the river, while Belém includes some of Lisbon's best museums and monuments. Families will enjoy Oceanário de Lisboa, Europe's largest indoor aquarium.Where to Stay: Lisbon hotel rooms go fast, so make sure to book well in advance of your trip. Located in a 19th-century manor house, Olissippo Lapa Palace offers exclusive amenities and sweeping views of the river. Lisboa Carmo in the city's upscale Chiado neighborhood boasts bright, simple décor and a friendly, attentive staff.Insider Tip: Don't leave Lisbon without touring one of its two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. The church features an elaborately sculpted maritime motif and impressive Gothic and Renaissance double cloisters.Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Lisbon Guide Rio de Janeiro Also known as the Marvelous City, Rio de Janeiro is famous for its stunning stretches of sand, colorful celebrations, and lively culture. Visitors can explore the city's 23 beaches, or head the opposite direction to the mountains for dramatic cliffside views. Spend an afternoon wandering around Urca, a peaceful tree-lined neighborhood with authentic colonial architecture. Ride cable cars to Pão de Açúcar, a giant granite block at the mouth of the bay with dramatic cliffside views. Gourmands will love Rua Dias Ferreira, a Leblon hotspot with some of the city's best restaurants. Dance the night away to classic samba music at Circo Voador, a popular nightclub with live entertainment.Where to Stay: Rio hotels are not cheap, especially during high season (December through February). Book far in advance for to secure the best accommodations. Copacabana Palace boasts a celebrity clientele and features a glamorous, neoclassical façade. For a romantic atmosphere and a secluded cliffside location, consider booking a room at La Suite.Insider Tip: Stop by Rio in February to take part in the city's Carnival celebration. The four-day festival features colorful parades, live music, and dancing.Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Rio de Janeiro Guide New Orleans The colorful port city boasts a laid-back culture, vibrant nightlife, and ongoing festivals that celebrate its rich tradition and history. No visit to New Orleans is complete without stopping by the infamous French Quarter. Sample beignets from Café du Monde, catch a jazz performance, or party it up at a funky local bar or music club. Visit New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) to browse 46 galleries and tour the museum's renowned sculpture garden. Architecture buffs will enjoy exploring the city's Garden District, a leafy oasis with towering 19th-century Greek Revival mansions and cottages.Where to Stay: The accommodations in New Orleans take on the city's unique character, and range from historic B&Bs to upscale luxury establishments. Hotel Maison de Ville offers a secluded vibe in the midst of the French Quarter, and features a historic ambiance and personalized service. For a romantic atmosphere that evokes old-world New Orleans, book a room at Grand Victorian Bed & Breakfast.Insider Tip: Although New Orleans provides more than enough attractions to fill any itinerary, consider heading out of town to explore the surrounding region. Swamp tours and visits to elegant plantation homes are just a few of the activities that lie outside city limits.Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's New Orleans Guide Cape Town Not many cities boast stunning mountain vistas and stylish beaches, but Cape Town is one of the few. The South African city is no one-trick pony, with natural beauty and a fascinating history. Take a cable car to the top of Table Mountain for spectacular panoramic views of the slopes and water. Visit Robben Island to tour the former prison where Nelson Mandela was confined. Explore a five-story kelp forest or get up-close views of marine life at Two Oceans Aquarium, a popular family destination with hands-on exhibits and entertainment.Where to Stay: Finding accommodations during peak season (December-January) can be difficult, so consider booking a trip between April and August to beat the rush. Set high on a hill above the Atlantic Coast, Ellerman House features regal guest rooms and unparalleled views of the sea. For attentive service and easy access to the waterfront, book a room at Dock House.Insider Tip: Splurge on a multi-course meal at Aubergine, one of the city's finest eateries known for its fresh seafood and fine selection of wine.Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Cape Town Guide

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Source: Whether you're a new home buyer or longtime homeowner you're likely familiar with the lackluster ambiance of an outdated room. It's challenging to determine which interior design element causes that undesirable feeling. Is the space insufficiently lit, overwhelmed by hardwood accents, flooded by a dusty odor or cloaked in an old-fashioned color scheme? We asked design bloggers for their best do-it-yourself advice to refresh drab interiors. Here are their recommendations. What's the best way to enliven dated room decor? I think that the best way to update an outdated room is with paint. A fresh coat of paint on the walls can really set the tone for a room. Don't be afraid to paint outdated furniture, either. I've been made to feel bad about painting over wood tones before. But the truth is, if I don't even like it, and a new color or finish will make me love it again, why not? I'm all about trying to use what you have to save on cost. How frequently do you revamp your interior design to keep it up to date? I redecorate my home quite often, but it's mainly because I'm a designer and enjoy change. My suggestion is to decorate your home for the holidays, and that will give you the diversity you might be looking for. I've noticed that after the holidays are over and I take down my holiday decor, I fall in love with my old decor all over again! If you planned to fully redecorate an outdated room, how would you begin? The most important design feature of a room is functionality. Don't get me wrong, I am all about detail and finishing touches, but if a room does not function well, all the vignettes in the world are not going to make it a happy place. So, I would start with determining how that room needs to function. Ask yourself, "What is going to go on in here?" Then decide how to furnish the room. From a purely design sense, every room, no matter what the function, will benefit from beautiful molding. Molding is also relatively inexpensive to install. The impact it makes when done right is definitely worth the minimal cost. What is the most important accent in any given room? We are huge fans of statement lighting, so we often use a great light fixture to set the tone of the room. The most important thing is not that one element draws the focus, but they all work well and complement each other. How do you keep older rooms smelling fresh? Opening windows should be done as much as the weather permits! Nothing is better than the smell of fresh air! Aside from that, I do my best to keep the floors vacuumed and cleaned. I also have a scented candle that does the trick. What is the quickest way to add flair to a drab, older room? Reducing clutter makes your space more open and clean, and infinitely more appealing. If you have a hard time getting rid of stuff, but you don't like the clutter, buy some storage containers and some labels; tuck the items away in a closet. Next, infuse your space with color through paint, colorful rugs, painting a piece of furniture or adding vibrant curtains. Artwork will definitely add flair to your space. Paintings, photos, vases, pottery or any other type of accessories will help create a beautiful design scheme and pull your room together. Personalize your space with small and unique touches. Get inspired by something you are passionate about, such as travel. You could decorate a space such as your home office with maps as inexpensive wallpaper, or frame some maps to display on your wall. Related:

lifestyle

Now that it's finally finally! warm enough to be outdoors, we want to spend all of our time hanging out in public parks. And at these green spaces, there's more to do than simply lay on the grass or go for a bike ride; we're talking hot-air balloon rides, dancing en masse, and sipping a beer in the sunshine. The Coolest Things to Do in Parks Around the World Conde Nast Traveler LOUNGE IN A HAMMOCKGovernors Island, New York CityThis former military fort turned innovative public space debuted 30 new acres of parkland earlier this year. While the new greenery and baseball fields are great, we're most excited for Hammock Grove, an enclave with obviously 50 hammocks. Spend an afternoon leisurely swinging and taking in views of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline. Conde Nast Traveler GO SWIMMING IN A NATURAL SPRINGZilker Park, Austin, TexasNestled within Austin's enormous Zilker Park, you'll find Barton Springs Pool, a lush swimming hole filled with water from several underground springs. Austinites flock here year-round for a dip in its balmy waters, which stay around 70 degrees (give or take) for most of the year. Conde Nast Traveler STOP AND SMELL THE ROSESThe Regent's Park, London, EnglandKew Gardens may get all the love, but Queen Mary's Garden within Regent's Park is an equally lovely destination for flower-peepers. The big draw is the rose garden, featuring more than 12,000 of the beautiful perennials (including a special Royal Parks variety). To see the flowers at their peak (and get the most Instagram-worthy shots), plan your visit for June. Conde Nast Traveler SIP ON A STEIN OF BEEREnglischer Garten, Munich, GermanyIt should come as no surprise that Munich's largest public park is home to a beer garden of its own and, with a capacity of 7,000, it's the second-largest in the city. Located next to the park's Chinese pagoda, the open-air bar serves Hofbrau beer, as well as traditional Bavarian dishes like pretzels and obatzda, a cheese spread. Conde Nast Traveler TAKE A RIDE IN A HOT-AIR BALLOONParc Andre Citroen, Paris, FranceYep, you read that right: There's a hot-air balloon that lifts visitors more than 400 feet above the city within Paris's innovative Parc Andre Citroen. (Don't worry it's tethered to the ground, so you won't float away over the Eiffel Tower or anything.) But the balloon isn't merely a tourist attraction: It's also a device that measures air pollution in Paris. Conde Nast Traveler GAZE UP AT THE STARSGriffith Park, Los Angeles, CaliforniaL.A.'s Griffith Park is chock-full of unique amenities, including the Greek Theatre, the Los Angeles Zoo, and plenty of hiking trails. But we're partial to the justly famous Griffith Observatory, which provides a perch for star-gazing (or for seeing the iconic Hollywood sign). Admission is free, unless you're going to a planetarium show. Conde Nast Traveler DANCE WITH A TOTAL STRANGERFuxing Park, Shanghai, ChinaThere's a long (and sometimes contentious) tradition of dancing in public parks throughout China, and one of the best spots to see fleet-footed residents in action is Fuxing Park. There are large open spaces where dancers congregate; if you're not sure where to go, follow the ballroom-dancing music that guides participants. Conde Nast Traveler VISIT AN AMUSEMENT PARK WITHIN A PARKCity Park, New Orleans, LousianaWith a putt-putt course, a zoo, and a botanical garden among the attractions at New Orleans's oldest park, it can be difficult to decide where to go. Start with Carousel Gardens, a small amusement park within the larger green space: Carnival classics like the Scrambler, a Ferris Wheel, and the Tilt-A-Whirl share space with a century-old wooden carousel, which has been in its current space since 1928. Conde Nast Traveler SEE THE WORK OF A MODERNIST MASTERParc Guell, Barcelona, SpainDesigned by modernist architect Antoni Gaudi, this small Barcelona park is part oddball funhouse, part architectural marvel. Colorful mosaics (a hallmark of Gaudi's work) are everywhere there's a dragon covered in bits of ceramic tile on a staircase and the buildings and terraces look like something out of a bizarre fairy tale. (We mean that in a good way.)

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Born in India in 1964 and raised in New Delhi and Bombay for the next 20 years, Chef Vikram Vij is a transplanted native son. He began cooking when he was only 10 years old (for his mother and friends at tea), but Chef Vij took his chops pro when he studied Hotel Management in Austria. After working in Salzburg and Vienna for a few years, Vij made the trans-hemispheric move to Canada to work at the Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta. In 1994, the then 30-year-old chef opened his namesake fine-dining restaurant, Vij's , in Vancouver, and was soon joined by his wife, Meeru Dhalwala. With the success of Vij's , chef and wife felt confident enough to open their second outpost, the more informal, home-style, Rangoli , in 2004. A certified sommelier, Chef Vij has a very strong presence in the front of house at both establishments. And his forthcoming line of gourmet packaged curries has recently moved to an external facility in Surrey, British Columbia. When he's not overseeing these operations or writing award winning cookbooks (Vij's: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine and Vij's at Home: Relax, Honey), Vij is making bold wine choices (he likes to find culinary matches for big flavor, difficult-to-pair reds) and maintains active membership in the Chef's Table Society of British Columbia, which is dedicated to supporting innovative and sustainable food programs involving chefs, producers, and other local industry groups. In addition to working with Meeru on menu planning for both restaurants, Vikram runs the "front of the house" at both Vij's and Rangoli . Vikram's recent big focus has been to set up a production facility in Surrey, BC to prepare Vij's packaged gourmet curries, which are cooked by hand and are original popular recipes from Vij's .

foodanddrink

Say yes please, to these cheesy wonders. Cheese Lover's Day is January 20th, and by our calculations, that's a day that everyone ought to celebrate. From breakfast to dessert, these recipes will add some cheese to your cooking. Enjoy! Three-pepper Cheese Pizza Dripping in mozzarella and pepper perfection, this cheesy sensation is usually a big hit at the dinner table. The tri-colored peppers add a little zest, and the garlic and Italian herbs round out the taste for that perfect pizza bite. Click here to view the recipe. Cheese Lovers: Will You Drink A Cheese Cocktail Today? Chive and Brie Frittata Try this glorious frittata for Sunday brunch, or an easy weeknight meal. The soft consistency of the Brie cheese makes the texture exquisitely soft and creamy when blended with the chives. Top with chive blossoms for a bit of whimsy and color. Click here to view the recipe. Grilled Cheese and Mushroom This easy recipe from Chef Michelle Bernstein combines simple ingredients like shitake and cremini mushrooms, shallots, garlic and Italian parsley, which elevate the ordinary grilled cheese to gourmet status. Click here to view the recipe. Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake This all-American favorite has swirls of plain and chocolate cheesecake fillings flavored with vanilla, in a graham cracker crust. The marbled filling is dense and rich, making it an indulgent finishing touch to a dinner party. Click here to view the recipe. Cheese Fondue What cheese round-up would be complete without a fondue recipe? This cheese fondue combines three different kind of cheese for the perfect, creamy delight. Click here to view the recipe. Cream Cheese Tart with Mixed Berries This delicious recipe from Chef Patrik Jaros is perfect for those hot days of summer. The creamed cheese combined with fresh berries is light and refreshing, and is always a hit at a picnic or family gathering. Click here to view the recipe. Potato and Blue Cheese Filo Pie Based on the Greek spinach pie, spanakopita, but with an indulgent twist to the filling. This is an excellent dish to make ahead for a mid-week meal as it can be prepared entirely, up to the point of baking, then wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for 2 days. Bake it just before serving. Click here to view the recipe. Cauliflower and Cheese Cauliflower is having a moment. It's healthy, versatile and affordable. Jump on the trend with this indulgent cauliflower and cheese. Click here to view the recipe. 7-Layer Mac and Cheese OK foodies, for the main event at your football party, bring out this seven-layer mac and cheese, inspired by seven-layer bean dip, and expect your crowded couch to go wild! Starring Annie's Cheesy Taco Macaroni and Cheese, the casserole also features layers of ground beef, black beans, Mexican blend shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, jalapeño slices, and green onion. Click here to view the recipe. Fried Mozzarella Cheese Sticks Your inner-child will thank you for making these fried mozzarella sticks. They are easy to make, so make more than you think you'll need (you're bound to run out!). Click here to view the recipe. Skillet Blueberry Cobbler and Cheddar Biscuit Crust Enjoy the lovely pairing of fruit, cheddar cheese and ice cream with this berry cobbler. The sharp, tangy biscuit paired with the sweet taste of blueberries makes this cheesy treat one of a kind. Click here to view the recipe.

foodanddrink

With the sun going down, it's time to pack up and head out as we experience the beauty of the Baja coast one last time with this timelapse from Marc McGlynn. More at HawkEyeShots.com

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Jeremy Irons, Emmy Rossum and newcomer Alden Ehrenreich star in the fantasy-romance, "Beautiful Creatures," based on the novels of the same name. In theaters Feb. 14.

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Lil Jon, Trace Adkins, and Omarosa share their favorite places to eat across the country.

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Disney's box office hit is making a comeback. "Finding Nemo" is returning to theaters, but this time it's in 3-D.

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"1st Look" host Ali Fedotowsky gets the cast of "1600 Penn" to reveal their guilty pleasures.

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Have you ever flipped through an airline magazine and come across one of those "travel essentials" picture stories where some hipper-than-thou fashion executive reveals the contents of his carry-on bag? "I never leave the country without my reversible Tahitian palm frond hat. It's quite the conversation starter!" The whole thing's fake, and a slick way to sneak in some product placements, but those articles succeed in making you, the reader, feel like an inadequate, ill-prepared, out-of-touch traveler. And you know what? Maybe you are making a fashion faux pas by not having that hat. Maybe you do need that ostrich-skin-bound travel-diary. Or the wrinkle-free, roll-up tuxedo for impromptu black tie events. Or, if you fit a certain demographic, Lexus would like you to feel that you're making an even bigger sartorial bad decision by not owning its new entry-level luxury crossover, the NX. Doesn't Lexus already make a small, luxury crossover SUV, the RX? Yes, in fact, in the U.S. the RX outsells the BMW 3 Series. That makes the Camry-based high-rider the best-selling luxury vehicle, period. That's more than 100,000 RXs per year. I'll let you chew on and digest that for a moment. Where does the NX fit? It's smaller than the RX, 5.5 inches shorter with a 3.2-inch-shorter wheelbase. It's also going to cost less. The RX begins life at nearly $42K. Lexus is being oddly tight-lipped about how much the smaller NX will cost, but I'd guess a bit less than the similarly sized (and heavily targeted) Audi Q5, a strong-selling, entry-level luxury CUV priced at just under $40K. That's to start, as the Audi's sticker can easily skyrocket north. If the Lexus NX shows up wearing a $37,000 base sticker, don't act surprised. That price is for the front-wheel-drive NX 200t stripper. Add AWD and the price will go up, as it will when opting for the Luxury trim level or the hybrid powertrain in the NX 300h, which can also be had in AWD guise. However, Lexus thinks the hybrid models will only account for 10 percent of the NX sales mix. It feels that the take rate for AWD will be about 50 percent across both the 200t and 300h. Lexus also feels that the buyers will be split 50/50 between men and women, and that the average age of a NX customer will skew between 5 to 12 years younger than the brand's traditional customers. Deciphering exactly how it settled on that age range makes my head pound with the fury of a thousand PowerPoint presentations. All you need to remember is, "younger." Additionally, Lexus believes a full 25 percent of takers will opt for the sportier, pricier F Sport model (yes, you can get a hybrid F Sport) that offers a different front fascia with the best yet interpretation of the now-signature Lexus spindle grille, black mirrors, performance gauges that includes a G-meter, and a reworked suspension complete with dampeners for side-to-side motion. Fun fact: If you lift up the spare tire cover there's a little slotted window that allows you to glimpse part of the rear shock absorber. A totally unnecessary, but nice, detail. There are two big questions surrounding the NX. First: Since it's based on the ignoble Toyota RAV4, can it possibly be a credible premium vehicle? Second: What's up with Lexus' new 2.0-liter turbo mill? Especially since that long-overdue engine is going to start showing up in other models, most notably the IS 250, replacing that car's dowdy, unloved 2.5-liter V-6. Starting with the former, Lexus claims the NX is 90 percent different than the RAV4, and that the only elements the two share are things such as wheelbase, suspension points, and holes in the unibody for speakers. I must admit I initially dismissed those claims until I got in the sharply creased Lexus and drove it. Color me a convert. The NX's ride is first-class, a strong engineering feat for a vehicle with such a small wheelbase. This is particularly true of the non-F Sport model. The steering is properly weighted and lively; the NX 200t holds the road well during fast sweeping turns; and the brake feel is about 10 times better than you'd expect on this class of vehicle. Aside from size, the only giveaway that the NX is in any way related to the RAV4 is the shape of the passenger side airbag cover, and you'd have to be a total car geek (Hi, mom!) to notice. The NX 200t is quick. Starting with a 2.0-liter inline-four, Lexus developed a scratch-built twin-scroll turbocharger. (Twin-scroll means that exhaust pulses from the 1 and 3 cylinders hit the impeller with alternating pulses from the 2 and 4 cylinders, reducing lag.) Taking a peek under the hood reveals an unusually wide cylinder head. Reason: There is, in fact, no exhaust header. The little turbo is mounted directly to the exhaust side of head. What a world. The engine summons 235 horsepower and stumps up a useful 258 lb-ft of torque. Gazing at the competition reveals that the Volkswagen Group 2.0-liter turbo I-4 in the Q5 makes only 220 hp but the same amount of torque. It should be noted that the Lexus NX has only a perfectly fine six-speed automatic transmission (even though the IS can be had with an eight-speed), while the Q5 has more gears, as most of the rest of the competition does. Speaking of the competition, the Mercedes-Benz GLK doesn't have a small turbo gas motor (yet) but its comparably priced 3.5-liter V-6 creates 302 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, with the accompanying mileage and weight penalties. Having driven the GLK, I can say it doesn't feel any quicker than the NX. The Cadillac SRX also has a V-6 a big 3.6-liter that makes 308 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque though the Caddy's still hooked to a six-speed. Then there's the BMW X3, which in xDrive28i guise (a 2.0-liter turbo) cranks out 240 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. The BMW figures are, of course, massively underrated. Let's not discount the new, similarly sized/positioned and quite classy-looking Lincoln MKC, which features a 2.0-liter turbo I-4 good for 240 hp and 270 lb-ft of twisting force. The little Lincoln also has an optional 2.3-liter turbo I-4 that creates 285 hp and 305 lb-ft of torque. You might be asking -- and I know I was -- if Lexus feels it's made a mistake by bringing a muzzle-loading rifle to a shotgun fight? It says no. First of all, the 200t will (probably) hit 60 mph in the high 6-second range. Fast enough, though with 194 hp total system power, the 300h hybrid will require more than 9 seconds to do the same. Then there's the little matter of reliability, an area where Lexus has long enjoyed a hard-won reputation in the luxury category for not breaking. It claims the 2.0-liter turbo's output has been optimized for precisely that. Yes, the Lexus folks told me the engine is capable of making more power -- stay tuned. Third is fuel economy, where Lexus is estimating 22/28/24 for the FWD 200t, and 21/28/24 for the AWD model. How does that stack up to the competition? The less powerful Audi is rated at 20/28/23 and the more powerful cars are worse. While there's no diesel model (a move I say thwarts the brand's global ambitions), the hybrid 300h should return EPA numbers to the tune of 35/31/33 for FWD and 33/30/32 with AWD -- impressive from a green perspective, no doubt. My big takeaway is that the NX 200t feels plenty powerful, though even in F Sport guise, an X3-rivaling sports car it's decidedly not. Could Lexus shoehorn in its venerable 306 hp, 3.5-liter V-6? Probably, but I doubt NX customers will demand it. My gut tells me that people interested in the NX will be signing up because of the design and the technology. Let's get the design portion of the conversation covered. I asked some pretty high-ranking Lexus bigwigs if they like the Predator-faced look of the new cars, starting with the polarizing (to put it mildly) IS. To a man their reaction was, "I personally don't care for it, but we can't stop selling 'em!" I feel that the non-F Sport NX looks like a catfish with an overbite. However, and especially in white, the F Sport models snuck up on me. They look pretty groovy, as weird as it feels to write that. Maybe I'm getting soft? The rear three-quarter view is particularly well-wrought. Inside, the NX carries on the design direction first seen in the high-flying LFA's cockpit that has shown up in the GS and IS. Not only does the NX cabin look premium and sporty, it feels the part, too. As for tech, gone is the teensy, emasculating joystick controller seen in other late-model Lexi. Yay! It's been replaced with a functional and high-tech-feeling touchpad. You'll need to spend about three minutes learning how the snap-to control of the icons work, but once you do you'll realize it's a slick solution. Most importantly for Lexus's global aspirations, the touchpad allows for Chinese and Japanese character entry. Sadly the map still looks like it comes from a decade ago. As I told many Lexus people, Tesla exists, and if you're coming to market with a nav screen less good than what's in the Model S, you're not launching at the top of the market. Remember, everyone's phone has great maps built in. Audi uses Google Maps for a reason. Like some recent BMWs, the NX comes with a digital sound composer that plays car noises through a speaker (interestingly, it's a separate speaker and not part of the stereo). Personal feelings about that piece of tech aside, one unique feature is a volume control knob for the piped-in sound, located below and to the right of the steering wheel. It allows you to control the amount of vroom, vroom coming into the cabin. After a few minutes of playing with it, I just turned it off. Much better, says me. There's also a built-in wireless phone charger, to which I say amen. Lexus is planning on selling about 3000 NX units per month when the car goes on sale in November of this year. After spending a day with various models, I think 36,000 units for a year seems low. Remember that the big luxury growth segment is compact CUVs, and Lexus is showing up to the party with a very competitive product. Key point: Dealers have been howling for this thing. The NX is good-looking in F Sport guise, luxurious and high-tech enough, handles and rides well, and might be priced to fly off lots. The hybrid 300h is pretty forgettable and has weird-feeling re-gen brakes, but as stated earlier it will only account (maybe) for a tenth of overall sales. Getting back to the 3000 units per month, Lexus also feels that NX sales will not interfere with sales of its cash cow, the almost 9000 RXs sold nationally. Truth be told, Lexus is creating two product channels at the moment. The drowsier, old-folk people-movers RX and ES, and the much more exciting, great-to-drive GS, IS, and now NX. Crucially, Lexus expects that half of the NX customers will be new to the brand. Especially if they see the newest luxury CUV as this season's must-have bauble. This is just one man's opinion, but I think Lexus has an upcoming hit on its hands. 2015 Lexus NX BASE PRICE $37,000-$41,000 (est) VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, FWD/AWD, 5-pass, 4-door, SUV ENGINES 2.0L/235-hp/258-lb-ft turbocharged DOHC 16-valve I-4; 2.5L/154-hp/152-lb-ft Atkinson Cycle DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus 141-hp front and (opt) 67-hp rear electric motor(s); 194 hp comb TRANSMISSION 6-speed automatic, cont. variable auto CURB WEIGHT 3950-4200 lb (mfr) WHEELBASE 104.7 in LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT 182.3 x 73.6 x 64.8 in 0-60 MPH 7.0-9.1 sec (mfr est) EPA CITY/HWY FUEL ECON 21-35 / 28-31 mpg (est) ENERGY CONSUMPTION, CITY/HWY 96-160 / 109-120 kW-hrs/100 miles (est) CO2 EMISSIONS 0.59-0.82 lb/mile (est) ON SALE IN U.S. November, 2014

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As students returned to school Tuesday about a week before a teachers strike deadline, CPS chief Jean-Claude Brizard tells NBC Chicago's Anthony Ponce progress is being made with teachers' contracts.

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Planning on throwing a Golden Globes bash this year? We'll help you with some DIY hassle-free decor options that will surely impress your guests. For more, tune in to "1st Look: Red Carpet Ready" January 12 at 7:30PM EST on NBC.

lifestyle

Billy Corben, director and producer of "Cocaine Cowboys," talks about the death of notorious drug kingpin Griselda Blanco in Colombia.

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Quvenzhane Wallis was only 5 years old when she auditioned for the starring role in "Beasts Of The Southern Wild." Now that she's 9, what does she think of all the award recognition she and the film are receiving, including Oscar buzz? Plus, who is her favorite actress?

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Twenty years ago, in the August 1994 issue of Motor Trend , we tested four sports cars whose averaged stats read like this: 0-60 in 5.5 seconds, quarter mile in 13.9 at 102.3 mph, 60-0 in 116 feet, and lateral acceleration of 0.92 g. The cars? Porsche 911 Carrera, Acura NSX, Chevrolet Corvette, and Chevrolet Camaro Z/28. Legendary nameplates, to say the least. For the day, they were heady cars touting heady stats. Today, numbers like theirs are still heady, but are associated with nameplates with a bit less panache and histories not quite as storied (save for the bantam Brit, maybe). I'm referring to the sporty runabouts on these pages: the 2014 Honda Civic Si, 2014 Mini Cooper S Hardtop, 2015 Subaru WRX, and 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI. Whereas the 1994 icons boasted averaged outputs of 279 hp and 280 lb-ft, these pocket rockets come in at 220 hp and 224 lb-ft. Thus, their numbers aren't as quick, but not far off, either: 0-60 in 5.9 seconds, the quarter mile in 14.4 at 97.4 mph, 60-0 in 106 feet, and lateral accel of 0.90 g. Keep in mind that the average inflation-adjusted price of the "oldies" is $77,559, a big leap from the $27,293 for the youngsters. Let's meet those youngsters. The WRX, hot on heels of defeating the Ford Focus ST ("Practical Track-tion, Motor Trend , April 2014), enters this test as the defending champ. And what a stout champ it is, channeling 268 hp and 258 lb-ft through an all-wheel-drive system with torque vectoring. VW's all-new MkVII (seventh generation) GTI, whose optional Performance Pack ups output to 220 hp and 258 lb-ft, doesn't match the peak pop of the Subie, but counters with less weight, a new MQB platform, and torque vectoring all its own. With the largest engine in the group at 2.4 liters, and the only one not turbocharged, the refreshed Honda Civic Si is relatively low on torque (174 lb-ft), yet makes up for it with the sweetest of shifters and 205 hp at a VTEC-appropriate 7000 rpm. Last but not least is the all-new third-gen Mini Cooper S Hardtop, replete with a reworked platform and chassis and a fresh 2.0-liter good for 189 hp and 207 lb-ft. All the bandits came evenly matched, with six-speed manuals, summer tires, and minimal optional equipment, helping to keep the price tags under $30,000. We subjected them to our standard instrumented testing and thorough street and track evaluations. And when all was said and done, one had us looking back to the future. 4th Place: Mini Hardtop Cooper S Unlike with many last-place finishers, there's a lot to admire with the new Mini Hardtop. Despite growing in every dimension -- resulting in a much-welcome bump in interior and cargo volume -- this new Cooper S remains cute and tidy, instantly recognizable and easy to maneuver through tights spots. The all-new 2.0-liter turbo is a big improvement over its 1.6-liter predecessor, delivering better refinement and low- and midrange oomph, not to mention brisk 0-60 (6.3 seconds) and quarter-mile (14.7 seconds at 95.8 mph) times. And the updated chassis still provides the quick go-kart reflexes (0.86 g lateral acceleration and a 26.6-second figure eight) that we've come to love from Mini, but in a more mature, buttoned-down manner. Alas, there was enough not to like to relegate it to fourth. Whereas the Civic had the best shifter, the Hardtop had the, well, far from best. Per associate online editor Nate Martinez: "The gearbox isn't precise -- it's easy to miss a shift when rowing quickly." In a performance vehicle, that's not good. The ride is improved, but still busier, choppier, and noisier than that of the others. As associate online editor Benson Kong put it, "Unavoidable when you're working with less than 100 inches of wheelbase and want a sporty ride and feel." Inside, all the judges were disappointed in the puny tachometer that was hard to read, the tacky fuel gauge that looked like an afterthought, and the cheap-feeling drive-mode selector at the base of the shifter. At least the engine on/off toggle looks and feels solid. Outside, the Mini, while still cute, has lost some of its adorability. Said senior features editor Jonny Lieberman, "The front looks like it's trying to spit out a mouthpiece." At the track, pro racer Randy Pobst noted, "The Mini had a distinct tendency to dance around more than the Civic did -- it was a little wilder ride. I didn't feel as confident as I did in the Civic because both ends of the Mini were bouncing and moving around a little bit. It's not as much of a rotator as the old Mini. Not as much fun as the Civic, either, maybe because the handling didn't seem to be as much of one piece. It went more from a big understeer to a little bit of snap oversteer and then back again." On the bright side, the Cooper S boasts not only the best EPA fuel economy, but also top numbers in our Real MPG testing, where it returned 33 mpg combined. If you can live with the rough NVH when commuting, the Mini's dividends are there; otherwise, there are three better options. 3rd Place: Honda Civic Si The Si might very well be the best third-place finisher … ever. Not only was it the cheapest of the group (by $3615), but Pobst ranked it tops in terms of fun factor and driver confidence at the track. "That new Civic Si is a real playground ride of a FWD car, a lot of fun. It's not a car that will blow your mind in a straight line, but it's peppy and the engine is smooth and loves to run." While not fond of the soft suspension setup, which made the car feel like it had a lot of body roll, Pobst loved the chassis otherwise, especially the brakes. "With just the right amount of a light brake, it will actually rotate into a corner. Whenever a FWD car will do that, it turns me on. A trail brake should be very light in any car, just enough to light the brake lights. The Honda Civic likes that, which is sporty and racy. That's my favorite handling characteristic." Further, everyone ranked its six-speed manual the finest of the foursome. "I'd go so far as to proclaim the Si's transmission the best manual in the business," Lieberman noted. Pobst said, "The shifter may very well be the best one I've ever tried in anything, ever. Not just the shift mechanism, but whatever is going on in the gearbox. It's almost like the synchros aren't there. It is so slick and so quick into the next gear. I wish they were all like that." So do we. On the road, though, the Si didn't excite us quite as much. The once-hip space-age interior now seems oddly dated. Same goes for the fast-forward exterior, which appears like an unbalanced amalgam of "what the kids see as cool." Unlike the others, the Civic lacks the instant gratification of low-rpm turbo torque, relying on wait-for-it high revs. And as Kong observed, "Honda did a nice job developing a car that conveys its fun intentions without going overboard on a super stiff ride and high-effort controls, but the chassis/steering and engine work in opposite directions of each other: The chassis/steering get softer/lighter the more you push on it, whereas the engine feels better the more you step on the gas." Even with the most amazing shifter on the planet, the Si left us feeling a wee bit disconnected. 2nd Place: Subaru WRX Lieberman voted the WRX in first place, and here's why: "If going fast down a twisty road is your goal, check out the WRX. Great power. Great gearing for the real world. You don't need the torque vectoring because the car's so stable -- just switch everything off and enjoy. Flinty yet sporty ride even on bad surfaces -- that makes the car feel fun. Solid brakes. Just a blast. Engine even sounds pretty good for a little turbo, especially when compared to the Mini and the GTI." To support Jonny's case, the WRX was the quickest in all acceleration stats as well as around Streets of Willow. Its Real MPG combined number proved 1 mpg better than that of the lighter front-drive GTI. And the other judges heaped plenty of praise, too. Martinez: "It not only goes, it also changes directions with an impressive immediacy and control. Its grip level is immense." Kong: "The objectively quickest and most immediate here. Feels relatively plush on very big suspension movements (its control has been tuned well) -- none of that abruptness you get in the Mini." Pobst: "Gives me a sense of quality and strength, like the drivetrain and the parts in the steering and suspension are well-made. I like the damping a lot. Whereas the Civic felt too soft and the Mini seemed to be bottoming and having snapping reactions, the Subaru was very happy over some pretty wild stuff. The rally heritage comes to mind." The divide from second to first was fractionally close, but the little things kept the WRX from the win. The gearbox felt notchy compared to the fluid GTI's (and downright clunky next to the Civic's); the brakes offered up a nice, firm pedal, but lacked any sense of linear progression, resulting in a gee-I-hope-it-stops impression; and the interior lacked the polish and quietness of the VW's. The WRX is an immensely quick, fun, and capable car; it just hasn't graduated from finishing school. 1st Place: Volkswagen Golf GTI After testing director Kim Reynolds ran the Golf GTI around the figure eight, he asked me, "Did we invite the GTI to the next Best Driver's Car?" "No, why?" I said, thinking he was implying that if we had invited it, we should rescind the offer because it wasn't worthy. "Well, we really ought to," he said. "It's fantastic." How fantastic? Kim's lap of 25.1 seconds placed it 0.4 second ahead of the WRX, a car that has 48 more horses, all-wheel drive, and wider 235-series tires. Moreover, the GTI's 0.96 g of maximum lateral grip nearly equals the 0.97 g of the WRX's big brother, the rally-freak STI. But it gets better. In 60-0 braking, the GTI's huge binders (13.4-inch discs up front and 12.2 in back, part of the $1495 Performance Pack) halted the 3088-pound hatch in a mere 100 feet. Neither the STI nor the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG nor the BMW M235i can match that . Suffice it to say, VW engineers have worked magic with the GTI's all-new MQB platform. At Streets of Willow, the GTI continued to shine. Not only did Pobst laud the stout brakes and new EA888 engine's willingness to rev and pull high into redline, but he actually liked -- yes, liked -- the stability control system. "This is one of very few times I've ever driven a car that had stability control on where I think it was actually kind of helpful and it was not annoying. It was actually entertaining. These earlier stability controls systems are starting to look dumb and this GTI is clearly another generation." Pobst continued, "I feel there's a lot of roll but the shocks are damping it well, so it's controlled. The whole car feels sophisticated." In the real world, the GTI didn't falter a bit. Within this group, its ride and steering were deemed best and its gearbox second-best (to the world's best Civic's). It only feels a smidge slower than the speed-demon WRX, a fact backed up by its 0-60 and quarter-mile times (5.7 and 14.2 at 99.9 mph, respectively). And there's a refinement to the GTI that exudes quality and ingenuity. Lieberman said, "Look at the mastery evident in the surfacing. Feel the silky way the steering wheel turns. The paint. The paint! I've never seen paint this high-quality on a car stickering for less than $30K. It's such an impressive piece of engineering effort that frankly I'm gobsmacked." Per Kong, "What I appreciate the most about the GTI is its subtlety and devotion to said subtlety. It never feels the need to get in your face like the Si (LOOK AT MY SCREAMING ENGINE), Cooper S (LOOK AT MY SPORTING RIDE AND SMALLNESS), and WRX (LOOK AT MY LOUD NOISES)." Calm, cool, and collected. And damn quick. Just as the ultimate time bandit should be. Slot Cars: Two races in one If you look closely at the speed plot, you'll see we have two separate races going on: the WRX versus the GTI, and the Cooper S against the Civic Si. In the slower pairing, the Mini stomps on the Honda virtually everywhere around the course. Here and there the Honda matches the Mini's cornering grip, but the Civic is overwhelmed on the straights. The second matchup is faster, way closer, and ultimately a head-scratcher. Despite being laden with 15 percent more pounds per hp, the GTI is a mere two-tenths astern the WRX by the lap's conclusion, meaning just a 0.2 percent longer lap time. And that's despite the GTI grabbing a tremendous advantage approaching Turn 1 via an avoided extra gear change. The VW also has a higher peak speed on three other short-shoot segments and the swiftest cornering through Turn 8. But the Subie ekes its way back into the lead with quicker acceleration exiting Turn 2 and solidifies matters until the entrance to Turn 11, when the VW re-passes it under stronger braking. The WRX noses ahead again exiting Turn 11, and wins by 26 feet. The mph graph above is a bit misleading: In actuality, a lot more time is spent during slow-speed cornering than what appears here in a distance-based graph. 2014 Honda Civic Si 2014 Mini Hardtop Cooper S POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front-engine, FWD Front-engine, FWD ENGINE TYPE I-4, alum block/head Turbocharged I-4, alum block/head VALVETRAIN DOHC, 4 valves/cyl DOHC, 4 valves/cyl DISPLACEMENT 143.7 cu in/2354 cc 121.9 cu in/1998 cc COMPRESSION RATIO 11.0:1 11.0:1 POWER (SAE NET) 205 hp @ 7000 rpm 189 hp @ 4700 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 174 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm 207 lb-ft @ 1250 rpm REDLINE 7100 rpm 6500 rpm WEIGHT TO POWER 14.3 lb/hp 14.5 lb/hp TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual 6-speed manual AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO 4.76:1/3.08:1 3.59:1/2.71:1 SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multi-link, coil springs, anti-roll bar Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multi-link, coil springs, anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 15.1:1 14.2:1 TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 2.7 2.5 BRAKES, F;R 11.8-in vented disc; 10.2-in disc, ABS 11.6-in vented disc; 10.2-in disc, ABS WHEELS 7.5 x 18-in, cast aluminum 7.0 x 17-in, cast aluminum TIRES 225/40R18 92Y Continental ContiSportContact 5P 205/45R17 88W Pirelli Cinturato P7 DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 103.2 in 98.2 in TRACK, F/R 59.2/59.9 in 58.5/58.5 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 178.8 x 69.0 x 55.0 in 151.9 x 68.0 x 55.7 in TURNING CIRCLE 37.7 ft 35.4 ft CURB WEIGHT 2936 lb 2734 lb WEIGHT DIST., F/R 61/39% 63/37 % SEATING CAPACITY 5 4 HEADROOM, F/R 37.7/34.3 in 40.3/36.9 in LEGROOM, F/R 42.2/30.8 in 41.4/30.8 in SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 55.1/52.2 in 50.6/47.8 in CARGO VOLUME 11.7 cu ft 8.7 cu ft TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 2.3 sec 2.2 sec 0-40 3.4 3.5 0-50 4.8 4.7 0-60 6.5 6.3 0-70 8.4 8.1 0-80 10.9 10.1 0-90 13.8 12.9 0-100 17.0 16.0 PASSING, 45-65 MPH 3.3 3.2 QUARTER MILE 15.0 sec @ 93.5 mph 14.7 sec @ 95.8 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 110 ft 111 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.86 g (avg) 0.86 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 26.9 sec @ 0.66 g (avg) 26.6 sec @ 0.66 g (avg) 1.6-MI ROAD COURSE LAP 92.46 sec 90.93 sec TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 2600 rpm 2300 rpm CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $23,780 $24,395 PRICE AS TESTED $23,980 $27,595 STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/Yes Yes/Yes AIRBAGS Dual front, front side, f/r curtain Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, front knee BASIC WARRANTY 3 yrs/36,000 miles 4 yrs/50,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 5 yrs/60,000 miles 4 yrs/50,000 miles ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE - 4 yrs/Unlimited FUEL CAPACITY 13.2 gal 11.6 gal EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 22/31/25 mpg 25/38/29 mpg ENERGY CONS., CITY/HWY 153/109 kW-hrs/100 miles 135/89 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB REAL MPG, 0.77 lb/mile 0.66 lb/mile CITY/HWY/COMB 25/32/28 mpg 30/38/33 mpg RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded premium Unleaded premium 2015 Subaru WRX 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD Front-engine, FWD ENGINE TYPE Turbocharged flat-4, alum block/heads Turbocharged I-4, iron block/alum head VALVETRAIN DOHC, 4 valves/cyl DOHC, 4 valves/cyl DISPLACEMENT 121.9 cu in/1998 cc 121.1 cu in/1984 cc COMPRESSION RATIO 10.6:1 9.6:1 POWER (SAE NET) 268 hp @ 5600 rpm 220 hp @ 4700 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 258 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm 258 lb-ft @ 1500 rpm REDLINE 6700 rpm 6800 rpm WEIGHT TO POWER 12.3 lb/hp 14.2 lb/hp TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual 6-speed manual AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO 4.11:1/2.74:1 3.24:1 (1-4); 2.62:1 (5, 6, R)/2.38:1 SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multi-link, coil springs, anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 14.5:1 9.5-14.1:1 TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 2.8 2.1 BRAKES, F;R 12.4-in vented disc; 11.3-in disc, ABS 13.4-in vented disc; 12.2-in vented disc, ABS WHEELS 8.0 x 17-in, cast aluminum 7.5 x 18-in, cast aluminum TIRES 235/45R17 94W Dunlop Sport Maxx RT 225/40R18 92Y Bridgestone Potenza S001 DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 104.3 in 103.6 in TRACK, F/R 60.2/60.6 in 60.6/59.7 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 180.9 x 70.7 x 58.1 in 168.0 x 70.5 x 56.8 in TURNING CIRCLE 35.4 ft 35.8 ft CURB WEIGHT 3294 lb 3088 lb WEIGHT DIST., F/R 60/40% 61/39% SEATING CAPACITY 5 5 HEADROOM, F/R 39.8/37.1 in 38.4/38.1 in LEGROOM, F/R 43.3/35.4 in 41.2/35.6 in SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 55.6/54.2 in 55.9/53.9 in CARGO VOLUME 12.0 cu ft 22.8 cu ft TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 1.6 sec 2.2 sec 0-40 2.6 3.0 0-50 3.7 4.4 0-60 5.1 5.7 0-70 6.9 7.2 0-80 8.7 9.4 0-90 11.2 11.6 0-100 13.7 14.2 PASSING, 45-65 MPH 2.9 2.6 QUARTER MILE 13.7 sec @ 100.2 mph 14.2 sec @ 99.9 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 104 ft 100 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.93 g (avg) 0.96 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 25.5 sec @ 0.73 g (avg) 25.1 sec @ 0.76 g (avg) 1.6-MI ROAD COURSE LAP 88.34 sec 88.54 sec TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 2200 rpm 1950 rpm CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $26,790 $25,815 PRICE AS TESTED $29,290 $28,305 STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/Yes Yes/Yes AIRBAGS Dual front, front side,f/r curtain, driver knee Dual front, front side, f/r curtain BASIC WARRANTY 3 yrs/36,000 mi 3 yrs/36,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 5 yrs/60,000 mi 5 yrs/60,000 miles ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 3 yrs/36,000 mi 3 yrs/36,000 miles FUEL CAPACITY 15.9 gal 13.2 gal EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 21/28/24 mpg 25/34/28 mpg ENERGY CONS., CITY/HWY 160/120 kW-hrs/100 miles 135/99 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB REAL MPG, 0.82 lb/mile 0.68 lb/mile CITY/HWY/COMB 26/29/27 mpg 23/31/26 mpg RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded premium Unleaded premium

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The final installment of the Twilight Saga hits theaters Friday. The stars of the film shared stories from the set, and how it felt to wrap up the series. Sasha Perl-Raver reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Nov. 15, 2012.

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Actor, writer and producer Derek Ting tells us about his new thriller that many say shows the "true colors" of Wall Street insiders.

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Because the current Jeep Wrangler suffers from poor overall fuel economy, the next-generation model will undergo changes to make it more competitive with the "soft SUVs" of Jeep's rivals, according to Automotive News . To that end, Jeep engineers are focusing on incorporating lightweight materials, more efficient engines, and an improved transmission for the planned update in 2017 -- all while preserving the vehicle's legendary off-road capabilities. The current 2014 Wrangler in both two- and four-door trims is EPA-rated at 17/21 mph city/highway and 18 mpg combined, when equipped with either the five-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission. The Wrangler, without any further changes, would improve fuel economy with the addition of Chrysler's eight-speed automatic, which currently is not compatible with the Wrangler's four-wheel drive system. An updated transmission would bring along an updated engine lineup as well, including a smaller gas-powered engine, and the chance for a diesel to find its way to U.S. shores. Along with an updated transmission and engine, expect the 2017 Wrangler to shed a few pounds. Back in May, Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne suggested the Wrangler is the vehicle which would benefit most from an aluminum body . With Jeep's sights set on luring buyers away from its competitors' softer SUVs, there have been rumors that the next Wrangler might lose its current solid front and rear axles . This type of axle is rugged and adds to the Wrangler's off-road aptitude, but also contributes to a rough on-road ride. Jeep's CEO Mike Manley sees a reason for this potential change in direction. "You can't sell 19,000-plus retail Wranglers [as the brand did in May] to people who just want to go off-roading," Manley told AN . "Why would, for example, somebody else's SUV that's really an on-road 'soft' SUV not be for me a genuine target for Wrangler?" While big changes are ahead for the 2017 Wrangler, don't expect the Wrangler to completely water down its off-road legacy. According to Manley, we will not see the return of a two-wheel-drive Wrangler. "One thing that we will not do is dilute what Wrangler stands for," Manley said. "I killed the two-wheel-drive Wrangler when I took over the brand, and I'm not bringing the two-wheel-drive Wrangler back." Images shown are of the 2014 Jeep Wrangler Willys Wheeler Edition. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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I spend a lot of time commuting from home to the office, and I mean a lot. Even though my drive is only 35 miles from door to door, it takes me, on average, three hours a day total. That's 15 hours a week just sitting in stop-and-go traffic. If you're not in a comfortable vehicle, time spent behind the wheel can feel like an eternity. Fortunately for me I have the Acura MDX for my commute. For me, the seats in the MDX are pretty much perfect. Not too firm, not too soft, and I have support every place I want supported, from my legs and thighs to my lower back up to my shoulders. The seat bottom tilts perfectly to support the bottom of my thighs and the bolstering supports the side, keeping my legs from resting on the door or dash, which would get annoying. The same goes for the seat back. It supports from my shoulders to my lower back, and the side bolsters keep my back from moving from side to side during cornering. Seating position is as important as the seat itself. And again, for me the MDX is perfect. I'm tall, so I usually have to slide the seat almost all the way back, but in the MDX I actually have a little extra room to move back if needed. Then there is the steering-wheel position in relation to my seating position, and again, it's perfect. Thanks to the telescopic steering wheel I'm not forced to drive straight-armed, which on a long trip becomes very tiresome. I have the perfect amount of bend in my arm while driving without giving up any legroom. The final piece of the commuting puzzle is in Acura's IDS system. Again, there are three settings, Comfort, Normal, and Sport. In my commute the Comfort setting is just too soft and lazy. In stop-and-go traffic I need the vehicle to react when I want it to react, and when in Comfort mode the MDX doesn't. Normal mode is definitely better, but I have found the IDS system's Sport mode to work best with the transmission in Normal, because Sport is too sporty in traffic. The throttle is not overly sensitive and the transmission responds the way I want it to. I look forward to my time in the MDX. Whether I'm sitting in rush-hour traffic or making a long road trip, the MDX performs perfectly. More on our long-term 2014 Acura MDX SH-AWD: Arrival Update 1: Playing the Numbers Game Update 2: Riding IDS Our Car Service life 19,667 mi Average fuel economy 20.6 mpg CO2 emissions 0.94 lb/mi EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ 18/27/21 mpg Energy consumption 164 kW-hr/100mi Unresolved problems None Maintenance cost $363.16 (2-oil change, tire rotation, inspection; 1-rear diff fluid change) Normal-wear cost $0

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When we attended the first media event for the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the test cars were hidden in a dimly lit room. There would be no driving. Nor could we critique its exterior styling, because the sheetmetal was covered in fabric. This event, held early last year in one of Benz's many facilities in Stuttgart, Germany, was dedicated to what the folks at Mercedes considers one of the S-Class' top selling points: its interior. We've since spent quality time in the S-Class. We've driven it and tested its groundbreaking tech, but the interior is still what stands out. Sure, the S-Class can practically drive itself (more on that later), but that doesn't matter much when most customers, especially those outside of the U.S., buy the big Benz to be chauffeured in the back seat. Entering the S-Class almost warrants formal attire -- anything less will make you feel woefully underdressed. The craftsmanship rivals even Rolls-Royce's. The steering wheel, for starters, is an elegant yet simple two-spoke design that would easily impress Michelangelo. The leather on the dashboard and door panels feature a diamond pattern, but it's not stitched, as in like most cars. Instead, it's hole-punched for a more custom look. Our tester had a few upgraded interior finishes (designo in Benz-speak) including Deep-Sea Blue and Silk Beige Nappa leather surfaces complemented by contrast piping. The round air vents and analog clock are classic, as is the deep brown wood trim. If any craftsmanship flaws exist, we have yet to find them. The high-tech and modern features are just as impressive. One favorite among passengers was the ambient lighting system, which illuminates almost every panel in the car including the rear shelf and the massive instrument panel. Mercedes points out the S' entire lighting system, inside and out, consists of LEDs (a world first), including 300 in the interior alone. Dominating the dashboard are two 12.3-inch high-res screens (one for the instrument panel and the other for the COMAND infotainment system), while front passengers are spoiled with fancy massaging seats that have a setting for a fairly convincing hot-stone-style massage. Another wow factor is the S-Class' air perfuming system, which periodically pumps subtle bursts of scent into the cabin. Four fragrances are available, though Benz says you could put almost anything into the scent canister located in the glove box. Meanwhile, back passengers are treated to tons of legroom and seats that recline just a tad. A number of rear seat packages include a power footrest and the ability to recline the backrest up to 43 degrees (for the right passenger only) and massagers. The COMAND system, essentially unchanged from the last-gen S-Class, works fine, though BMW's iDrive system is better. Aside from that, the S-Class is just more proof that Benz has surpassed Audi in the interior game. The Benz is fairly quick, though the Audi A8 L 4.0 is faster. Our tester was equipped with Benz's 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, which Mercedes has tweaked and improved over the last 25 years to the point where it provides added grip without hindering performance and fuel efficiency too much. In fact, 4Matic is now a performance enhancer, with a special version making its way into AMG's lineup. That said, the 455-hp, 4.7-liter, twin-turbo V-8 in our 2014 S550 4Matic propelled the 4911-pound sedan from 0-60 mph in a respectable 4.7 seconds, matching the rear-drive S550. An A8 L we recently tested, however, did the deed in 4.2 seconds despite making less power (420 hp) from its twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V-8. Chalk that up to the Audi's extra cog in its gearbox (eight-speed versus seven for the Benz) and a curb weight that's almost 300 pounds lighter than the Benz, thanks to its aluminum-intensive body. As expected, 4Matic proved beneficial for the big sedan on the figure eight, clocking a time of 25.2 seconds versus 26.5 seconds for the rear-drive S550 (and 26.3 seconds for the A8). The big Benz feels stable enough when pushed hard through the corners, but it truly feels at home cruising city streets or gliding on highways and cutting through the air with a super low drag coefficient of 0.24. Its EPA rating of 16/26/19 mpg city/highway/combined is essentially the same as its rear-drive sibling's (17/25/19), identical to the Audi's, and slightly better than the BMW 750Li xDrive's (16/24/19). This tester didn't have the new Magic Body Control system, which essentially uses stereo cameras to scan the road for imperfections to prepare the suspension system for those upcoming bumps. That said, the "standard" Airmatic suspension keeps things nice and smooth, even with our tester's large and sharp-looking 20-inch wheels. One cool piece of tech our tester did have was the Distronic Plus with Steering Assist. Distronic has been around for years and is Benz's term for the advanced adaptive cruise control system that has the ability to fully stop the car and accelerate again (think stop-and-go traffic). The Steering Assist is new and is aptly named it will take over the helm and keep the car within your lane, and will keep doing so as long as you don't encounter any major bends in the road. It does the job, though it takes getting used to watching the steering wheel move on its own. It will also alert you every 10 seconds to keep your hands on the wheel, only because fully autonomous cars aren't completely legal (yet). That said, it's hard to imagine what kind of new tech the S-Class will usher in once that day arrives. But when it does, a self-driving S-Class will undoubtedly make you feel like a million bucks, whether you're in a three-piece suit or not. 2014 Mercedes-Benz S550 4Matic BASE PRICE $96,825 PRICE AS TESTED $123,995 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan ENGINE 4.7L/455-hp/516-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 32-valve V-8 TRANSMISSION 7-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4911 lb (53/47%) WHEELBASE 124.6 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 206.5 x 74.8 x 58.7 in 0-60 MPH 4.7 sec QUARTER MILE 13.3 sec @ 107.4 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 108 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.90 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 25.2 sec @ 0.78 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 16/26/19 mpg ENERGY CONS., CITY/HWY 211/130 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS 1.00 lb/mile

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Nissan has released details of the updates to its 2015 lineup, though one model is noticeably missing from the roster: the Nissan Cube. An inquiry to the automaker netted us this email response: "All I can confirm for now is that it's currently available through model year 2014." Since its introduction, the Cube's sales have been less than stellar. But early on, Nissan pledged to continue selling the funky hatchback . The car soldiered on through 2014 with few changes made since its debut in 2009. Now, it looks like the quirky, box-shaped compact's days may be numbered. Nissan's annual document listing the major changes to its lineup also revealed a few other bits of info. While we're aware of several 2015 model-year updates, here is a look at some significant changes. Fuel economy for the midsize 2015 Nissan Altima with the 3.5-liter V-6 engine increases 1 mpg on the highway and in combined ratings. The increase comes from reduced internal engine friction, the addition of exhaust variable camshaft timing, and enhanced CVT shift tuning. Nissan says the 2014 Maxima will be available into the 2015 calendar year. With no details released regarding its flagship sedan beyond the current model year, we wouldn't be surprised if the next-generation Maxima could debut in late 2015. The next Maxima will likely be influenced by the Nissan Sport Sedan concept . We've seen what the 2015 Juke will look like for Europe , but Nissan says details on the refreshed U.S.-spec crossover aren't yet available. For 2015, all Leaf EVs feature three driving modes including Normal, Eco, and B-Mode. That last one features more aggressive regenerative braking under deceleration. The Nissan Versa sedan gets a more aggressive front end. The 2015 Nissan Quest minivan's LE trim now becomes the Platinum trim and gains Moving Object Detection (MOD). Although details on the 2015 Nissan GT-R NISMO have already been revealed, here is a quick reminder of the Japanese supercar's stats. Output of the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6 is rated at 600 hp and 481 lb-ft of torque. That's 55 hp and 18 lb-ft more than other GT-R models. While we've previously reported on the revised 2015 Nissan 370Z NISMO and NISMO Tech models, the 2015 370 roadster gains a new Touring Sport trim with a viscous limited-slip differential, rev-matching for the manual transmission, 19-inch forged alloy wheels from Rays, and Nissan Sport Brakes. On the SUV front, the 2015 Nissan Murano has been extensively redesigned, while the 2015 Pathfinder gains an available Blind Spot Warning (BSW) system and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), and new software programming for the CVT. Source: Nissan

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My 3-year-old son was off from preschool last week, and just between you and me, I played partial hooky from work to take care of him. I'm asking you to keep it on the down low because as far my bosses and co-workers are concerned, I've been a busy bee. Last week, like every week, I wrote a column, conducted a half-dozen lengthy interviews, kept up with news about the industry I cover and tweeted obsessively and mercilessly. Also, here I am, writing this post, which is a kind of work, too. And yet one day last week my son and I spent much of the morning and early afternoon at a science museum. At other times, we played with bubbles and toy woolly mammoths. He served me a baked lemon from his pretend food truck. I got him an ice cream in the park. We participated in a grad student's child-development research study. We visited a construction site. Sure, he watched some TV, too, and played by himself for a bit. Most of the time, though, there was little sign that I was hard at work. If you've got kids and an amenable, digital-friendly job, you've most likely performed similar work-life acrobatic feats. These situations come with no small amount of guilt. You worry that while you're trying to do two things at once, you're accomplishing neither. You're juggling work and parenting, and you're inadequate at both. This is parenting; there's no getting around the guilt. But thanks to technology, I was managing to do a reasonably good job at work while being a fairly adequate parent. It wasn't ideal. But it was probably far better than the alternative, which would be to ship my son off to a nanny or grandparent for the week while I spent all day plugging away at the office, not seeing him. Technology generally gets a bad parenting rap particularly smartphones. Every few months, there is a new article voicing concerns about how we're all being terrible parents because we just can't stop staring at our phones. Parental smartphone addiction has also been a rising worry among child-development scholars. The concern is justified; smartphones are changing how we relate to other human beings, so it's reasonable to worry about how they'll affect parenting. But we rarely consider how, by liberating us from the office, smartphones have greatly expanded the opportunity for certain kinds of workers to increase their involvement in their children's lives. Because you can work from anywhere thanks to your phone, you can be present and at least partly attentive to your children in scenarios where, in the past, you'd have had to be totally absent. Even though my son had to yell for my attention once when I was fixed to my phone, if I didn't have that phone, I would almost certainly not have been able to be with him that day or at any one of numerous school events or extracurricular activities. I would have been in an office. And he would have been with a caretaker. That's the trade-off few of us think about when we consider how phones have changed parenting. Before the modern portable office before the Internet made it possible for a wide variety of workers to work from home, and before smartphones made it possible to work from anywhere white-collar jobs required a central office. In pre-digital times, the office functioned as a nexus of collaboration and production, and the further you got from the office, the less you got done. So when a child-care emergency popped up, you had to make a choice between work and the child. Or you could try both, to disastrous ends see Diane Keaton in "Baby Boom." Much of this is obvious, but we rarely consider the stifling past. Instead, when we think about how our phones intrude on parenting, the primary emotion is crippling guilt. There's an entire online cottage industry devoted to shaming parents whose noses are buried in their devices. Check out the Parents On Phones Tumblr, which features an endless stream of absolutely damning pictures of people ignoring their kids. Its motto is: "Shining a light on the culture of mobile phones and parental neglect." That's a smug attitude, but I admit I often feel that way. I feel awful when I reach for my phone while I'm with my children. And when I see another parent texting while at the park, I experience a thrilling sense of superiority because my phone is securely in my pocket at least until it buzzes with an important message, and I pull it out and ignore the kids while I respond to some supposedly urgent thing. I feel guilty, but I use my phone anyway. Meanwhile, many of us are tapping away. Researchers at Boston University recently published an anthropological study of smartphone usage among parents. They visited several fast food restaurants, and observed 55 people with children; 40 were using phones. The notes from the study read like a sci-fi hellscape of parental obliviousness: It's a dismaying read. Yet studies like this are incomplete, because they can't address two questions that are central to the debate about smartphones and parenting. First, how attentive would smartphone-distracted parents have been in pre-smartphone times? If we didn't have phones, would we have been paying total attention to our children, or would we have found distraction in books, newspapers, TV or our own heads? Second, in the absence of phones, how many smartphone-addicted parents would be forced to spend less time with their children because they didn't have the technical capacity to skip out of the office? In the discourse about phones, we often assume that the operative choice, for parents, is between spending non-distracted time with your kids versus distracted time. But it's a tough economy, and jobs are hard to find; if we couldn't work away from the office, wouldn't a lot of us just spend more time at the office? These questions are difficult to answer. But they're worth considering. For me, it's far too soon to conclude that phones are, on balance, bad for parenting. I spent a lot of quality time with my son last week. He and I had a great time. I also got a lot of work done. And it was all made possible by my phone.

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If the stakes are big enough, companies will compete even for something that is supposed to be free to all comers. And over the next few years, very little stands to be bigger than the Internet of Things, or IoT. A group of technology companies led by Intel announced on Tuesday the formation of the Open Interconnect Consortium. The group, which also includes Atmel, Broadcom, Dell, Samsung and Wind River, will focus on creating an open-source standard for wirelessly connecting devices to one another and to the Internet. Like other open-source projects, the member companies pledge to donate intellectual property, or IP, that all members and others can work on and use. "We'd like to quickly get the key industry players to structure the standards properly" for devices to interoperate, said Imad N. Sousou, general manager of Intel's open-source technology center. Products using the Open Interconnect standard will most likely come out in 2015, he said. It follows the creation last December of another open-source IoT group, called the AllSeen Alliance, which is led by Qualcomm and has over 50 companies, including Microsoft and Cisco. It appears that both Google and Apple, and possibly other companies, are out to create their own standards for the IoT as well. The reason for all this activity is sheer numbers, and potentially a lot of market power. The IoT is expected to eventually touch some 200 billion cars, appliances, machinery and devices globally, handling things like remote operation, monitoring and interaction among Internet-connected products. So far, such connections are at best uneven, but workable uniform standards could help that get better. It's likely that the communications standards governing these things will also affect the means for collecting data about the behavior of both devices and the people that use them. That makes it a very important future subset of the Internet, since data like that will inform things like future product development and what ads individual consumers are shown. Why didn't the Interconnect group just go with AllSeen, which started earlier and is signing up product companies even if the project was initiated by the Intel rival Qualcomm? "Intel and its partners evaluated all of the existing work," Mr. Sousou said. "It's not being done in a way that will drive widespread adoption." According to people in the consortium, who asked not to be named in order to sustain relations with AllSeen members, many of the other chip companies did not trust Qualcomm to fully part with its intellectual property. A Qualcomm subsidiary, called Qualcomm Connected Experiences, is the actual member of AllSeen, and a few months back donated to the group what will be the likely basis of its standard, a software kit for connecting devices called AllJoyn. People at the other chip companies said they weren't comfortable with that arrangement. Nonsense, said Rob Chandhok, senior vice president of Qualcomm, and one of the three creators of AllJoyn. "We had a public post saying we wouldn't make a profit from AllJoyn," he said. "Part of my puzzlement here is that if they've got a problem, they should come to the party and fix it." Intel and others may be wary of Qualcomm, even if its technology is fully open-sourced. Simply being involved in the creation of the main part of an open-source project can lead to technical insights that are beneficial down the road. Google, after all, does not directly make money from its Android operating system, but does control much of what can go into it. At its developer conference last month, Google indicated it would extend Android for use on other devices, taking it further into the IoT. Apple's Airplay is potentially an IoT standard for Apple devices. There are no guarantees, however. Both Nest and Dropcam, among the most popular connected consumer devices, have been purchased by Google. Neither runs on Android. Moreover, both companies run in conjunction with the cloud computing of Amazon Web Services, and not Google's cloud. It may not just be an Internet of Things. It may also still have lots of different parts.

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The 2015 Volvo XC90 tease continues , this time with the Swedish automaker dropping drivetrain details. As expected, the upcoming SUV will receive Volvo's Drive-E range of technologies . The big news, however, is that the range-topping model will be a plug-in hybrid packing a twin-charged four-cylinder engine making a combined 395 hp. As we previously reported, Volvo will transition to an all-four-cylinder engine lineup , which the automaker refers to as Drive-E. The 2015 XC90 T5, which is likely to be the base model for the U.S., will be powered by a turbocharged I-4 making 250 hp and 258 lb-ft. As we've seen in S60 and V60 Drive-E models , Volvo will replace the turbocharged inline-six option in the XC90 T6 model with a supercharged and turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 making around 316 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Volvo previously offered a Yamaha-developed 4.4-liter V-8 in the XC90, and taking its place in the engine lineup will be the new range-topping T8 option. That drivetrain features a direct-injected, supercharged and turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 powering the front wheels, with an 80-hp electric motor routing power to the rear. Combined system output is said to be 395 hp and 472 lb-ft. Volvo says the T8's supercharger covers the lower end of the power band, while the turbo kicks in at higher rpms. Meanwhile, the rear electric motor offers immediate torque. A pure electric mode can be selected for around 25 miles of range. As we said previously, the system was perfected in the not-for-U.S. V60 plug-in diesel hybrid , which features a 2.5-liter turbodiesel engine and rear electric motor. In Europe, a twin-turbo diesel I-4 making 222 hp and 347 lb-ft, and a single-turbo diesel making 187 hp and 295 lb-ft will be offered in the next XC90. The new modular SPA architecture that will underpin all future Volvos was designed from the start with electrification in mind, so the XC90's seven-passenger cabin is said to be much roomier than other hybrid models. While we've seen the next-gen Volvo XC90's interior and infotainment system, and have been fed many other details , we still don't know exactly what the SUV will look like. The XC Coupe and Estate concepts were said to preview the XC90's design, but we'll likely have to wait a bit longer to see what the utility vehicle will actually look like. Source: Volvo

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While recent internet rumors suggested the Subaru BRZ would be a one-hit wonder, a new report confirms the rear-drive coupe will live to see a second generation. Fuji Heavy Industries president Yasuyuki Yoshinaga confirmed a second-generation BRZ to Automotive News in a recent interview. Like the current model, the next-generation Subaru BRZ will be developed alongside Toyota. Some rumors suggested the BRZ would be discontinued as Toyota and BMW work to develop a premium midsize sports car. Yoshinaga told Automotive News that Subaru needs Toyota's volume ( Scion FR-S and GT86) in order to build a second-generation BRZ. When asked for comment on a recent report that said the BRZ wouldn't live on past the current model, Yoshinaga said, "If I were to be told that, I'd pass out. It's not going to be just one generation." This is good news for fans of the affordable sports coupe genre. With the company president now pledging a second-gen BRZ, the car can continue carrying the banner for the niche segment. And if Nissan puts its IDx concept into production, and/or Chevy decides to build the Code 130R , the Toyobaru should live to see some small, rear-drive competition. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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The two turbos hanging off the F80 M3's 3.0-liter I-6 make a big impact on the driving experience. Now, thanks to a morning at K&N Engineering's dyno in Riverside, California, we can show you the size of that change. While previous M3s were characterized by high-revving naturally aspirated engines with little in the way of low end torque, this new engine (internally named S55), produces torque abundantly the moment you open the throttle. Check the graphs below. On K&N's dyno, the M3 put down 379 horsepower at 6600 rpm and 378 lb.-ft. of torque at 4300 rpm. BMW rates the engine at 425 hp at 5500 rpm and 406 lb.-ft. of torque at 1850 rpm. Using 13 percent as a rough estimate for drivetrain loss, the figures are spot on. The peaks are different, but what's more important is the shape of the curve. This chart effectively represents what happens when you stomp the gas in fourth gear at 2300 rpm. Look how quickly the torque builds and look how consistent its delivery remains. Horsepower doesn't begin to fall off until before 7000 rpm, and not by much. As a result, the S55's power delivery feels broad, no matter where you pick up the throttle. Seeing the F80 chart without the context of another car doesn't mean much, so we also brought along an E92 M3 for comparison. The 4.0-liter V-8 (S65) certainly made a case for itself through its exhaust pipes, producing all kinds of beautiful noises to its 8400 rpm redline. On K&N's dyno, it produced 306 horsepower at 7600 rpm and 238 lb.-ft. of torque at 3850 rpm. That's on the low side versus other E9X graphs floating around the Internet, but, again, it's the curve that matters. In isolation, it's a beautifully shaped power band, delivering flat, consistent torque and a linear build in power throughout the rev range. But what happens when you compare it to the F80? Four words: Area under the curve. Just look at the size of the gap between the two cars. This graph really highlights the change in the M3 driving experience. While the new car pays a small penalty in outright revs, the increase in power and torque is well worth it. How it's delivered means you have to recalibrate your right foot jabbing the throttle is not recommended. But adapt to it and the new M3 will make you smile just as much.

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Take a look at the nose of the new Bentley Flying Spur V8. See the big "B" badge flanked by twin wings on the radiator shell? Good … but now get even closer. Notice that the letter "B" in the middle of it is floating in a tiny circle of red? Yes, I realize I'm pointing out a very minor detail, but this small, red spot as opposed to the black one on the present W12 car perfectly expresses the difference between the existing Bentley Flying Spur and this new, "more affordable" V8 alternative. Bear with my little storytelling device for second. The W12 engine's twin-turbo, double V-6 configuration is all about regal speed though its imposing 616 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque certainly have menace too. It's a complex powerplant crammed with churning inertia that comes into its own mainly while whooshing at blistering velocities the speedo needle wound way 'round as the commoners blur past in the side windows and the paparazzi shrink in the rear-view mirror. "Regal" and "menace" they're the color black. Now here's the meaning of Bentley Red in the language of machinery -- the new Flying Spur's turbocharged V-8, a tweaked version of the four-liter eight-pot that also resides in the engine bay of the Audi RS 7. Conservatively tuned to 500 hp and 488 lb-ft of torque, it is two liters smaller than its W12 engine-bay buddy, and predictably makes 19 percent less power. Yet its pace (estimated at 4.9 seconds to 60 mph compared to the W12's 4.3) remains plenty swift, its throttle response noticeably more alert, and its thirst for premium petrol reduced by about 13 percent. Subtly abetting this is cylinder deactivation during light-load cruising at steady throttle four cylinders often drop out and then return, hardly noticed. Frankly, even if I hadn't known that the V8 costs $20,700 less than the W12, after a day of motoring the V8 Spur out of London and tooling around the English countryside I like this engine better. A tape measure might find the two of them similar in length, but the V8's 110 fewer pounds and consequently better weight distribution clearly pays off in more fleetness of foot. Twitch the steering wheel and the car's "there" with you just that fraction of a second sooner. The V8 Spur is still a big, heavy car of course, at an estimated 5350 pounds. And what with both versions of the Flying Spur resting on softer springs, squishier bushings, and thinner anti-roll bars than its preceding model they're your proverbial steeplechase racehorses lapping the living room coffee table. However, the V8 Spur has a subtle grab-it-by-the-nap-of-the-neck character that's never been there in the W12. Topping things off, its V-8 note is more pleasurable, a curious mid-Atlantic blend of American burble and English (via Deutschland) purr. Dare I admit to cracking a few goofy smiles behind the wheel? Maybe it was the excellent post-lunch cup of tea talking, but yeah, I did. The rest of the car is pretty much the familiar W12 with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, plus all the same hyper-cosseted opulence inside. Lovely, lovely car. And visually, the V8 can be identified by that red badging (including on all four wheel centers) and twin tailpipes stylistically blurred into a wavy infinity symbol. Bentley is positioning this version of the Flying Spur as a tempting lure for S-Class owners ones who don't think they've spent enough money yet -- to switch allegiances to the Crewe crowd. Bentley has used different badge colors before -- black, red, green, and even yellow to signal various engines and special editions. But in the case of the new Flying Spur V8, its red shouldn't be seen as a signal to stop, but a green light to go get this version instead. For 250 additional photos of the 2015 Bentley Flying Spur V8, head to the second page of this review. 2015 Bentley Flying Spur V8 BASE PRICE $197,825 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan ENGINES 4.0L/500-hp/488-lb-ft turbocharged DOHC 32-valve V8 TRANSMISSIONS 8-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT 5350 lb (mfr) WHEELBASE 120.7 in LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT 208.6 x 77.8 x 58.6 in 0-60 MPH 4.9 sec (mfr est) EPA CITY/HWY FUEL ECON 14 / 24 mpg ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 241 / 140 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS 1.13 lb/mile ON SALE IN U.S. Currently

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All the attention has been focused on the 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe since it's entirely new to the lineup, but that doesn't mean the luxury brand hasn't paid any attention to the sedan. The 2015 ATS sedan also gets its share of updates, including a revised front fascia and more of the good stuff in terms of features and power. Up front, the ATS sedan takes on the appearance of the coupe with the new wreathless Cadillac crest and a sleeker grille. Inside, the sedan gets a boatload of new features. Check the Cadillac CUE system off the options list, and you now get a DockSpot wireless phone charger and a text messaging alert function. Like most other GM vehicles, the 2015 ATS sedan also gets OnStar with 4G LTE and a built-in WiFi hotspot, though a subscription fee applies after the three-month trial period is over. EZ key hands-free keyless entry has also been added as standard equipment across the lineup. The interior and trim combinations for the ATS sedan's cabin have also been revised to now include semi-aniline leather and suede microfiber elements. For those wanting to equip their ATS sedans with features such as a power tilting and telescoping steering column, automatic safety belt tightening, lane change alert, and lane keep assist, those features have been shuffled around into different packages for the 2015 model year. The big news, though, is that the ATS sedan also gets the torqueier 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 from the coupe. Although horsepower remains the same at 272, torque has been increased by 14 percent, to 295 lb-ft versus 260. In MT testing, the 2013 ATS sedan with the turbocharged I-4 rocketed from 0-60 mph in 6.0 seconds , so we wouldn't be surprised if the power upgrade helps the 2015 ATS get there slightly quicker. The 3.6-liter V-6 that makes 321 hp and 275 lb-ft remains untouched, as well as the 2.5-liter I-4, which is exclusive to the sedan. Both are available in rear- or all-wheel drive configurations. Pricing information for the 2015 ATS sedan has yet to be announced, but expect it to be priced lower than the 2015 ATS Coupe, which starts at $38,990. Source: Cadillac

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Official power figures for the 2014 Callaway Corvette have been revealed. The supercharged Callaway Corvette makes 627 hp at 6400 rpm and 610 lb-ft of torque at 4400 rpm -- gains of 167 hp and 145 lb-ft over the stock 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51 . Those ratings are based on the same SAE-certified power correction that GM and other automakers use, according to Callaway. With the standard correction, the Callaway Corvette SC627 would be rated 657 hp and 639 lb-ft. A dynamometer chart shows increases in horsepower and torque from idle to redline. Callaway notes that 500 lb-ft is available by 2200 rpm. To reach those numbers, Callaway employed a 2.3-liter positive displacement supercharger with high helix angle, four-lobe rotor pack and a new in-house designed long-runner intake manifold, intercooler, and single chamber exhaust system. Callaway says the new intake manifold design makes 57 lb-ft more than the manifold for the C6. Cooling efficiency is enhanced by the intercooler system's three discrete liquid-to-air cooling elements and by having the top of the supercharger housing stick out through the hood. With vehicle calibration and testing completed, production of the 2014 Callaway Corvette SC627 has begun at the company's facilities in Old Lyme, Conn., and Santa Ana, Calif. Other Callaway variants of the new C7 Corvette Stingray include the controversial Corvette AeroWagon and the race-only Corvette GT3 . Source: Callaway

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In early June, two 12-year-old girls in Waukesha, Wis., were charged with attempted murder in the attack on a third girl, a classmate whom they had invited for a sleepover. Prosecutors say the girls lured their victim into playing a game of hide-and-seek in the woods. When in the woods, the prosecutors say, they attacked her with a knife, stabbing her 19 times. The victim was discovered by a bicyclist and rushed to the hospital; she is said to be recovering from her injuries. The story made national headlines both for the brutality of the crime and for the unusual motive cited by prosecutors. According to a criminal complaint, the two girls told the police that they had been planning the attack for months. They bore no animus toward their victim. Instead, the girls said, they had tried to kill their classmate to impress a shadowy villain who haunted the woods. They called him Slender Man or Slender, for short. Slender Man is a horror figure for the selfie age. You can think of him as a web-based, crowdsourced urban legend. He was born in 2009 as part of a Photoshop contest on the web forum Something Awful. From there, Slender Man stories, videos, and pictures all fictional began to spread online. In many of them, he's pictured as a disproportionately tall, skinny man dressed in a dark suit who often stands in the background, silently stalking his victims. Today, you can find shards of the Slender Man myth across the web. But one of his primary haunts is the Creepypasta Wiki, a popular forum where people work together to create spooky stories. According to prosecutors, the girls first discovered Slender Man on the Creepypasta Wiki, and what they saw there convinced them that he was real. The terribly sad case has drawn Creepypasta into the familiar controversy over what is and isn't appropriate for children to see online. There have been calls for the forum to be taken down or blocked, and for parents to prohibit their children from looking at it, although the site itself has long urged parents to monitor how their children use the site. But for many people, the attack and the coverage surrounding it also provide an introduction to a rising genre in fiction, one that illustrates the power of the Internet as a literary tool. As an administrator on the Creepypasta Wiki who on the site goes by the name Sloshedtrain, wrote shortly after the stabbing: "We are a literature site, not a crazy satanic cult." Online crowdsourced fiction like the stories on the Creepypasta Wiki is the subject of increasing study in literature and mass media academic circles, where the form is seen as a novel take on an ancient human pastime. Shira Chess, an assistant professor of mass media arts at the University of Georgia who has studied the Slender Man phenomenon, says that crowdsourced fiction bears similarities to the folklore that was once passed down orally, through generations only now, the myths are minted online, in a matter of hours or days. Examining Creepypasta reveals something much deeper than any sort of cultish community, she says. It is home to a thrilling new form of immersive, interactive human storytelling. And Creepypasta isn't alone. Multimedia, crowdsourced fiction is finding root across the Internet, from social-fiction apps like Wattpad to call-and-response videos on YouTube to stories told in serialized Tumblr posts, one picture or snippet of text each day. Some of these stories take the form of fan fiction readers working together to puzzle out and add to the story lines of established fictional characters. (For instance, if you miss the HBO show "True Detective," why not read more stories about Marty and Rust?) But there are also troves of sites like Creepypasta, where wholly new stories are constantly being invented by the crowd. "A lot of people are now saying, 'How do we stop kids from reading this online?' " Dr. Chess said. "Well, that's not really the right question. This story is no more threatening than vampire stories or zombie stories. Like those, it's just articulating specific cultural fears in online spaces." She added: "Places where adults and children are creating fiction are important. They're important for writers it gives them a space to experiment with their voice and become good writers. And it gives readers a chance to understand a lot of different kinds of stories that we need to tell ourselves about the world." The Slender Man myth, one of dozens on Creepypasta, illustrates this utility. He is often seen on the periphery in photographs and videos captured by people who are obsessed with documenting their lives. When he appears, Slender Man seems to come out of nowhere; after causing vague, unknown terror, he vanishes. One other thing: Slender Man has no face. When you get a look at him, his visage is horrifically blank. "There's something to this story that's tied up in the self-sharing generation," said Eric T. Newsom, a professor of media studies at the University of Central Missouri who researched the spread of the Slender Man myth as part of his Ph.D. thesis. "We only see him because we're self-surveilling. We have pointed the camera at ourselves, and only in pointing the camera at ourselves do we see the horror character behind us." If this sounds like too pat an explanation, it's important to remember that Slender Man isn't one story he is a character who is freely appropriated by many storytellers, and his depth emerges from the collection. One of the defining features of interactive fiction is something scholars call the "rabbit hole": the initial site, picture, story or video that leads a viewer into the puzzle. Once you fall in and begin to explore, you're hooked. "The story comes to you in fragments, and your reward for piecing all the fragments together is a richer story," Dr. Newsom said. "There's a lot of active reading involved. A lot of these storytellers are leaving it up to the audience to figure what's going on, and a lot of the audience is having to talk to each other to come to terms with the story. 'What do we think about this? What does this revelation mean?' " Of course, the rabbit hole can be dangerous in addition to thrilling; what if our children fall too far? There are reasons to temper our fear. Jacqueline D. Woolley, director of the Children's Research Lab at the University of Texas at Austin, has found that children are far more capable at distinguishing reality from fiction than previously thought. "By the time they're 9, they're at adult levels," she said. That doesn't mean that children can always tell the difference between fact and fiction on the web. But to the extent that Creepypasta raises worries about people's capacity to spot that difference, those fears are best seen as universal: The Internet is teeming with stuff that blurs the line between truth and untruth, and both children and adults can get trapped up by those differences. Sloshedtrain, the Creepypasta administrator, declined to be interviewed, but in an email, he said, "I would like to say that parents need to discuss to their children the powerful influence the Internet could have on them, and help them understand and differentiate fantasy and reality." That seems like wise counsel. Slender Man is a scary fellow; scarier still, though, is the idea that we'd bar our children from a whole form of literature for fear that they just can't handle what they're reading.

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Although the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution has been discontinued in other markets, the street-legal rally sedan gets a few updates for 2015. Mitsubishi also confirmed 2015 will be the last year for the Lancer Evolution . All 2015 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution models gain heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals and a new cup holder with lid. The Lancer Evolution GSR trim is available with a new Premium Package that includes the Sight and Sound Package (HID headlights, 710-watt, nine-speaker Rockford Fosgate audio system with subwoofer, and FAST-key hands-free keyless entry system), leather seating with heated front seats, power moonroof, piano black front console trim, and improved sound dampening. The Premium Package is essentially the 2014 Sunroof and Leather Package. The top-of-the-line 2015 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR gains the Rockford Fosgate audio system, FAST-key entry system, auto dimming rearview mirror, rain-sensing wipers, auto on/off headlights, body-color heat extractor vents, bright-finish grille and beltline molding, piano black front console trim, and improved sound dampening as standard. All 2015 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution models are powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 making 291 hp at 6500 rpm and 300 lb-ft of torque from 3000 rpm. A five-speed manual backs the engine in the Evolution GSR, while the Evolution MR features a six-speed dual-clutch transmission with Normal, Sport, and S-Sport settings. Power is routed to all four wheels via Mitsubishi's Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel-drive system. The S-AWC system features Active Yaw Control (AYC), Active Stability Control (ASC), Active Center Differential (ACD), and Sport Anti-lock Braking (ABS) as well as three selectable traction settings (Tarmac, Gravel, Snow) for various driving conditions. Braking for the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution comes by way of Brembo brakes with four-piston calipers and 13.8-inch rotors up front and two-piston calipers and 13.0-inch rotors in back. The Evolution MR gains lighter two-piece rotors up front as well as Bilstein dampers and Eibach springs all around. While the Evolution GSR features cast Enkei alloy wheels, the Evolution MR features a set of forged Enkei alloy wheels. The 18 x 8.5-inch alloy wheels are shod in 245/40R18 Yokohama Advan tires. Inside, Recaro seats are standard with cloth or available leather. The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR with five-speed manual is EPA-rated 17/23 mpg city/highway, while the Lancer Evolution MR with six-speed dual-clutch is rated 17/22 mpg. Pricing hasn't been released yet for the 2015 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, but if you want an Evo , this is your last chance to buy one new. Images of the 2014 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution are shown. Source: Mitsubishi

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A picture of Michelangelo's David, even in the highest possible resolution, will never replace the moment a person stands in front of it and views the masterpiece with their own eyes. It's seeing David in the flesh, or at least the marble, that connects the physical with the emotional. When we all first saw the 2015 Nissan Murano , we collectively applauded the Japanese carmaker for presenting a crossover with hard creases and concept looks. The third-generation Murano went from plain and ordinary to absolutely extraordinary. On Tuesday, Nissan had the new Murano on display at its Product Day, a time where the carmaker shows off all its wares and lets journalists test drive many of the vehicles. The Murano, unfortunately, was not one of the vehicles available for drives. However, it was there parked in a prime location, its doors locked, keeping journalists out of its all-white interior -- which will come loaded with an 8-inch color touchscreen, Zero Gravity seats, and an oversized moon roof. It's an interior that manages to pull off space-age lounge in a five-passenger crossover. But it's the exterior that may reshape the future of Nissan. In person, the Murano looks dramatic. It's the first crossover from anyone that will make pedestrians stop walking just to look at it as the Murano drives past. Nissan calls the front end its V-motion design , with LED boomerang lights and floating roof appearance. But it's more than neat design terms. It's good-looking. In the flesh, the front end looks more understated, the sharp X from the outline of the grille carrying through the bumper to the fog lights remains dramatic, but not necessarily the focus of the front. The floating Nissan logo remains big and solid. More important, the Murano, which was always kind of dumpy and bloated-looking, appears to have gone to the gym and gotten itself ripped. The hard creases along the body cause sunlight to bounce off of it in a thousand directions. It sparkles like a hard-cut diamond. Its rear fenders flare out with a sense of purpose. It makes the Murano look much more athletic and powerful. Even the silver rocker makes the Murano look slimmer. There's nothing portly about the third-generation Murano. It's a rock star at its peak. Of course, not everything is as picture-perfect. The rear is very busy and perhaps the one part of the Murano where the designers should have picked up their pen and put it away. But it's not enough to detract from the Murano's overall crisp and clean looks. The most important part of the Murano's design is that this is the future of Nissan. That front end on the Murano will soon find variations on other vehicles including the Sentra and Altima, both cars in dire need of a front end that makes a statement beyond, "Look, I have headlights." That's really what you take away from the Nissan Murano when you see it in person. You almost wonder if it will be able to perform as well as it looks. It should. Everyone should hope so. But you're only going to know if you get out there and drive it.

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Vehicle Overview Minor changes are in store for the 2015 Subaru Forester. Hot off its 2014 Sport/Utility of the Year victory, the Subaru Forester now gets more standard equipment on all trim levels. A backup camera is now standard across the board, while higher-spec models get a panoramic sunroof and a winter weather package standard. The Subaru Forester continues to be available with two engines. The base engine is a 2.5-liter flat-four producing 170 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque, paired with either a six-speed manual or a CVT. Slotting above the 2.5-liter engine is the Forester XT's 2.0-liter turbocharged F-4. Shared with the new 2015 Subaru WRX, the engine puts out 250 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. A CVT is the only available transmission in the Forester XT. All-wheel drive is standard. The Forester is pretty efficient for a compact crossover -- 2.0-liter models net an EPA-estimated 22/29/25 mpg city/highway/combined with the manual and 24/32/27 mpg with the CVT. The Forester XT achieves 23/28/25 mpg on the EPA cycle. We liked the Forester enough last year to name it our Sport/Utility of the Year. The Forester earned the nod because of its efficiency, value, safety, and how nicely it drives. "The Forester combines the practicality of a small, wisely engineered SUV with the fun enthusiasts will enjoy," we wrote. New for 2015 For 2015 the Subaru Forester's price tag rises by $225, thanks to added standard equipment. It remains affordable, with prices ranging from $23,045 to $33,945. On the 2015 Forester, Subaru's EyeSight active safety system, which uses cameras and sensors to avoid collisions and protect occupants in a crash, is cheaper at $1845. When equipped with EyeSight, the Forester is an IIHS Top Safety+ pick, earning a Good score in five categories (Good is the highest possible score) and providing Superior frontal crash prevention (front crash prevention awards include Basic, Advanced, and Superior). The NHTSA gave the 2015 Forester a five-star overall safety rating (out of a possible five stars). You'll Like Excellent visibility Standard all-wheel drive Good value Fun to drive You Won't Like Overly aggressive throttle tip-in on 2.5 models with the CVT The 2.5 isn't what you'd call quick The optional infotainment and navigation system is among the worst in the industry. Save your money. Key Competitors Ford Escape Honda CR-V Jeep Cherokee Mazda CX-5 Nissan Rogue Toyota RAV4 Sum Up 4 star Take the family on a weekend rally.

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NOTE: This story first appeared in the June 1986 edition of Motor Trend Comparisons are inevitable. It's human nature to want to know how yours stacks up against theirs. Sitting around waiting for "Rocky V" the other day, we were speculating about the similarities between ultra-high-performance aircraft and cars. Someone suggested a comparison test between an outstanding example of both disciplines. The car half would be easy sitting in our garage at the time was one of Chevrolet Engineering's twin-turbo Corvettes, inarguably an ultra performer in light of its tire-smoking acceleration and true 200-mph top-speed capability. Finding the equivalent airborne hot-rod and someone to fly it would be a little more difficult. It seemed quite natural to us; if you want a hot-rod airplane, call the Air Force. They have all those great jets and jet jocks, right? Wrong. After some lengthy correspondence, the USAF decided their involvement would imply endorsement of a product the Corvette and they could not, or at least would not, let us have a super-zoot jet fighter with Sky King or other suitable chauffeur. As we neared the end of our finding-a-jet-for-this-story rope, we happened on a privately owned Northrop T-38 Talon. That innocent-sounding statement may not make much of an impression on car freaks, but it would certainly get your attention if we told you there was a guy in Canoga Park, California driving a Formula One 1000-hp Williams-Honda in day-to-day traffic. A privately owned and flown T-38 Talon is just as rare a beast as a street-driven current F1 car. Trust us. And this is a very special T-38, because it's exactly the same as the T-38s currently on duty in the USAF. It is capable of Mach 1.3 (roughly 831 mph), and was assembled by a group of dedicated civilian craftsmen. Northrop T-38s are currently training future jet pilots, and military policy absolutely precludes letting them into the hands of private citizens. Not even wrecked ones (planes, not citizens). After all, NASA astronauts and the USAF Thunderbirds fly this plane it just wouldn't do to have civilians flying around in them. Our particular test plane exists because of a military screw-up. (Don't you love it?) It came compliments of an Air Force student pilot who executed an acceptable landing, unacceptably short of the runway. The USAF "totaled" the plane and, after stripping it of all the good parts, sold it for scrap. For some unknown reason (maybe because it was an Air Force plane landing at a Navy base), the usual procedure of "demilitarization" prior to the scrap sale wasn't followed. Demilitarization is governmentese for sawing and crunching it up so it can never be flown again. By whatever chance, the bureaucracy screwed up, and this happy mistake allowed the damaged but repairable, T-38 fuselage to fall into the hands of one Mr. Chuck Thornton with the results on these pages. Chuck Thornton had flown fighter jets before, appreciated the thrills and rewards thereof, and decided he wanted one of his own. His first choice was the T-38 for a number of reasons important to airplane people: It has two engines, reasonable (for a jet fighter, that is) fuel burn, flies slow enough to be accommodated at larger civilian airports, and carries two people. Thornton is not the only person who ever lusted after a T-38, but he is the only one who ever managed to get one. Of course the transformation from wrecked AF trainer to pristine civilian aircraft wasn't nearly that easy, and the project consumed more than three years after it was first trucked into a Chino, California, hangar. Thornton spent those three years buying up every wrecked T-38 he could find, and even negotiated trades with the Air Force Museum for many critical items he couldn't get anywhere else. As an indication of the magnitude of the project, a complete set of AF technical manuals for the T-38 were located and placed on top of each other, and the stack was 15 feet high! The finished plane is a show stopper. Even non-flying types go slack-jawed when they see it. The detail and immaculate finish are of an order found in 100-point cars like something you'd see sitting under a cypress tree at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Remember that third ingredient a pilot? Who's the acknowledged best pilot in the world? One who has mucho experience in the T-38, is fearless, steely eyed, and has the requisite drawl? How about Brigadier General Charles E. Yeager (Ret.)? Mr. Stretch-the-Envelope/Break-the-Sound-Barrier Chuck Yeager. If we could get him to drive the twin-turbo Vette and compare it to the T-38, we might just have the definitive word on these two hot-rods. Working on the now-famous YNKTYA (you never know 'til you ask) theory, we called him up. The amiable General Yeager agreed immediately he owns a Corvette and told us, "I would love to get my hands on that turboed version." The additional plum of letting him drive it around Willow Springs Raceway cemented the deal. So one crisp morning, I rescued him from the Pasadena Hilton and we spent an enjoyable drive out to the high desert Willow Springs racetrack talking cars and airplanes. He has a real respect for both, and takes pride in his "feel" for things mechanical. He attributes much of his success to his ability to judge when the equipment is near its limits. Certainly he explored the limits (and beyond) of the planes he flew in both combat and research flying, and feels his awareness and rapport with the plane saved his bacon many times. This mechanical savvy was evident on the track. He hadn't driven at Willow Springs (or any racetrack) before, but adapted quickly to the peculiar requirements of putting 500 hp through street tires. His approach to the track was about what I had anticipated systematic and unemotional very, well, test-pilotish. While concentrating on learning his way around the track, he was quantifying amiss with the Corvette: "slight high frequency driveline vibration, fluctuating oil pressure, brake pedal pulsation." When our test track time was over, we asked him a few questions. Motor Trend : Now that you've driven this twin-turbo Corvette around Willow Springs, are there any similarities in control response or feedback between it and the T-38? Chuck Yeager : Yes, quite a few. The most noticeable is the way the Vette accelerates. It's very comparable with the afterburner (AB) in the T-38. Modern turbine engines have up to four flame gutters to make AB progressive, so it's not like the earlier ones which were all or nothing. Max AB ignites all four flame gutters, and it feels similar when the Corvette turbos get spooled up that same intense push in the back. MT : Any other similarities between the racetrack and high-performance flying? CY : Well, remember, I haven't been on a racetrack before, or driven a street car with this much power, but the concept of pushing right to the ragged edge of control is the same. It's obvious the driver is constantly dealing with a risk-versus-reward factor exactly as we did in research flying. Now it's time for my fantasy ride. Since General Yeager was allowed into my domain (Corvette on the racetrack), it's only natural I should be allowed into his. Seems eminently fair to me. Before I get into the plane, a word about the two machines involved in this story. The Corvette is one of 14 commissioned and built within the Corvette group, to evaluate the higher performance levels anticipated in the late '80s. It is basically a stock '85 vehicle with a full roll-cage, an air/air intercooler, twin turbos, and adjustable boost. Using the nominal 10-12 psi boost setting, the engine produces some 475 to 500 hp. The only exterior clues to its enormous potential are two black grilles on the top of the hood, used to vent the turbine section heat into the atmosphere, and one intake grille in the front license plate location for ambient air feed to the intercooler. Likewise, once inside, the only visual clue to what's lurking under the hood is a small boost gauge, and under the ashtray door a small knurled knob marked "boost." The supersonic Northrop Talon initially flew in 1959, and was one of the first to use the area-rule (Coke bottle) fuselage to attain supersonic flight. It has moderately swept wings, weighs over 12,000 lb full of fuel, and uses two General Electric J85-GE-2 Turbojet engines, each producing 2050 lb of thrust in military power (100% rpm but no afterburner) and 3900 each in max afterburner. The airframe is built to withstand 7.2 g positive load, and 2.9 negative. Top speed at 36,000 ft above sea level is 831 mph (Mach 1.3), and maximum ceiling is 57,000 ft. It's a tandem 2-seater, with individual canopies and rocket catapult ejection seats. Perhaps this plane's most startling characteristic (viewed from a car freak's vantage point) is its voracious appetite for fuel. In full AB supersonic flight, this beast devours 22,800 lb of fuel per hour. TO put it in perspective, that's 3403 gal, and since it only carries 537 gal, it can stay airborne for 9.5 minutes. There aren't enough zeros on your calculator to figure the cost of operating this baby. The first lesson in SkyKinghood is that flying in one of these is not as simple as just walking up and climbing in. First you have to go to ground school to learn how to eject! Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all this guy is talking about what to do if the canopy blows off and he is hit with a bird strike and the engine flames out and if the canopy sticks eject through it and as soon as you clear the aircraft try and get away from the seat before pulling the rip-cord and . . . . Are we sure Captain Kirk started this way? After being fitted for helmet, oxygen mask, flight suit, parachute, and G-suit, I'm ready. As the technician plugs me into everything, the first impression is how amazingly small the plane is. It's only slightly more than shoulder width, and with the wings and engine behind me, the view is dramatic, to say the least. Finally, all the preflight hype is over and the canopy comes down; the rest of the world is locked out. The tight-fitting helmet and oxygen mask block out all sound, except for the two of us breathing on the intercom eerily scubamask-like and the ever-present muted jet whine. Now the Talon sits poised, aimed at the runway, straining for flight. It's vibrating a little, rocking lightly back and forth on its tricycle landing gear, heat waves pouring from the stainless steel nozzles as it converts kerosene into pure energy. It doesn't like it here it wants to be up there. I lay my hand lightly on the throttles as they slide forward to military power the whine moves up the scale no longer muted. Then Chuck overpowers the detent and into AB boom! now we're moving. The initial acceleration is less than expected, but builds steadily. At 185 mph, the nose comes up and we simply leap into the sky it seems like straight up. We level off almost immediately, nearly three miles high, and a glance shows 345 effortless mph on the ASI (Air Speed Indicator). The intercom says: "It's your airplane." In pilotese that means I'm flying it. It's an experience impossible to describe. Having said that, I'm going to try anyway. The control stick between my legs seems directly connected to the earth in some mysterious way so that moving the stick affects where the earth is. Move the stick three inches left or right, and the ground suddenly appears directly overhead. Three inches back makes the ground disappear behind you; three inches forward and the canopy suddenly fills with mountains, cities, fields, etc. A data point pops into my mind from the flight manual: Full aileron roll rate is 720 degrees per second. That means if you move the stick all the way left, the earth will pass by overhead two times every second. Stick your finger out in front of you and make a small circle. Then try and make two circles in one second. Get the idea? During the flight, we make some low passes for photography and to time acceleration. Down close to the ground, the enormity of how fast we're going is overwhelming. At 15,000 ft, 500 mph is just a number on a dial at 100 ft, it's riveting. It's impossible to look at any specific feature on the ground; by the time my mind attempts to register it, it's gone. It becomes necessary to look at bigger things like mountain ranges, oceans, cities, and even they get the "warp-factor" treatment. Among the many dials and gauges on the instrument panel is one labeled Gs, and is scaled from -7 to +7. My suggestion for a new label OMGIGS (oh my God, I'm getting sick). Nothing in my previous experience prepared me for sustained 6.5 g. At 6.5 g, I weigh 1235 lb almost as much as a Honda CRX. Believe me, it's difficult to unction when you weigh as much as a car, and much of the maneuvering done in this plane is in the 4-6 g range. Even with these huge forces constantly pushing and pulling on your body, the flow of adrenaline overpowers the physical abuse, allowing the pure joy of this machine to shine through. For a car person used to the confines of driving on roads or racetracks, the total freedom in the air is unnerving. There's nothing to hit or run into, allowing for all kinds of craziness. You can gather it back up after nothing more than losing a little altitude (just make sure you don't lose a little too much). A plane like this, in its environment, allows a complete abandon just not possible in a car. A car on a racetrack is freedom of a different nature freedom to explore its limits, and yours, but with a different set of penalties for stepping beyond those limits. At Indy, misjudging the exit of Turn 3 by one foot puts you squarely into the wall at 200 mph. Some of the less violent maneuvers in the T-38 are slow, with an almost ballet-like grace, causing strains of "The Blue Danube" and visions of docking spacecraft to drift through my mind. The experience of watching the earth rotate lazily overhead, from the T-38 canopy, must be akin to what an astronaut feels as he drifts free of his spacecraft with the earth spread out for his viewing pleasure. All too soon, the intercom said, "We're down to a thousand pounds, time to head back." A thousand pounds of fuel seems like a lot to me, but not with engines that gobble up hundreds of pounds per minute. The landing was anticlimactic after the experiences of the hour-long flight. The canopy came up reality flooded in and I had to get out and communicate with earthbound mortals. I didn't want to. How could they know what we had just gone through, me and this machine that smelled of kerosene? That had taken me to places I had never been nor imagined. And had thrilled me to my very core. How do you say goodbye to such a machine? This plane and car are both examples of machines designed to operate near the extremes of their respective envelopes. Even though it's somewhat like comparing apples and oranges, we have included some comparative data, just because it's interesting. Up Close: General Chuck Yeager He is perhaps the greatest pilot in the world. He's now retired from military and research flying, but when you talk to him, you know he hasn't lost his passion for any of it. He still has those fighter pilot eyes sort of non-blinking gun-fighter models with incredible vision. Spend some time with him and you learn that he sees things before you do or things you miss entirely. He sits in the passenger seat and asks a question and you realize he's reading the fine print on the dashboard gauges. His time in the military was quite possibly the last era of almost unlimited personal freedom. He and his cohorts were two-fisted partiers and did things with their airplanes that would get them sent straight to jail today: buzzing everything in sight, flying their friends around in military planes, using big military choppers to go on hunting trips. Their attitude about life in general was, perhaps, a result of the dark cloud of war hanging over them, so they developed a screw-tomorrow-let's-have-fun-now approach to almost everything they did. A classic example: Bob Hoover, a close friend of Yeager's, was a backup pilot in the X-1, the plane attempting to break the sound barrier. In those days, General Yeager's only means of transportation was an old motorcycle which didn't have any lights. The operating mode was for Yeager to ride in front of Hoover, in the car's headlights so he could see where he was going (and they went everywhere as fast as they could possibly go). One night, as they were roaring along in this formation, Hoover shut the lights off just before a curve so Yeager would break a leg, and he, Hoover, would get to fly the X-1. Chuck's phenomenal eyesight saved him that night, and he was able to avoid a crash. After it was all over, the two pilots had a drink at Pancho's and a big laugh over the whole episode. General Yeager has recently become a celebrity again through the magic of the boob-tube. While we were with him doing this story, the public's reaction to him was astounding: Waitresses got all giggly, everyone wanted his autograph, and he gets recognized everywhere he goes. We thought we would share some of his answers to questions about his life and experiences. Motor Trend : What is your current position with the Air Force? Chuck Yeager : I'm consultant test pilot to the commander, flight test center. It's a non-paying civil service job, but allows the Air Force to benefit from my years of experience in research flying. It also enables me to fly current aircraft. MT : Prior to your autobiography, your name was known to the public, but not your face. Your face is now very much in the public eye does that bother you in any way? CY : No, it doesn't bother me. Since the AC-Delco commercials, people do notice me, and the most common question is: Are you who I think you are? I just ask them, well, who do you think I am? MT : What airplanes do you own? CY : My Falcon XP is the first plane I have ever owned. It isn't an ultralight because it's been modified to carry two people, has a radio, and goes above the regulated ultralight speed. MT : What is your favorite airplane? CY : No question, for propeller planes it would be the P-51 Mustang. It was the ultimate prop fighter well-designed, fast, and with over 8-hour range. In jets, the Northrop F-20 Tigershark is probably the highest-tech single-cockpit fighter out there right now. MT : What cars do you own, and what's your favorite car? CY : I have a Chevy S-10 Blazer and an '85 Corvette. I guess my favorite car would have to be the Corvette. MT : Did you always enjoy research flying, in spite of the dangers? CY : Yes, but sometimes the flights were awfully hard work. In the X-1 and X-1a flights, the liquid-oxygen tanks were right behind my back and there were no heaters, so it was freezing inside the cockpit until all the fuel was burned. I was bolted into the cockpit with no way out until back on the ground, so I had to develop a fatalistic attitude about it. I was disciplined enough from my combat flying that I just did it it needed to be done. Exactly like you go into combat knowing there's a strong chance you won't come back. MT : But the risk must have been enormous in some of those early rocket flights. CY : It was, but in the case of the sound barrier, there was no risk too great not to go supersonic. It was a barrier that was limiting all progress in aviation. I was prepared to donate my life. Incredible as that sounds, I saw it as no different than thousands of combat missions I had flown. Being a military pilot, it never entered my mind not to do it it was my job. MT : Were the risks greater in combat or research flying? CY : No doubt research flying was the more dangerous of the two. In combat it was one-on-one, you against him, so you could depend on your own skills. We were better trained than they were better pilots so we had an advantage. In research flying, the unknown factor always got you. I was doing things in those aircraft which had never been done before, and no one knew what to expect: what would break or explode. Expanding the envelope was necessary to accumulate data, so we did it, but it was dangerous. MT : Are today's research fliers facing any different challenges than you did, or is the envelope any different? CY : No. Altitude and speed still define the envelope for each aircraft, but today's envelope is totally predictable as a result of computer technology, wind tunnels, and simulators. There are no surprises now when a pilot first flies a research plane; he has done it all, many times before, in a simulator. MT : Do modern pilots have the same skills as you? CY : I don't think they have the same mechanical feel for their planes today. The aircraft systems are more complex, but the planes are easier to fly because of the complexity. They have computerized flight control systems like STABAUG (Stability Augmentation), etc., which tend to spoil the pilots. When I get back in a P-51 now, I think, "How did I ever fly this goddamn thing?" It's yawing all over the sky and you have to be on top of it all the time. MT : What are the major differences between flying when you started and today's jet-jocks? CY : The amount of time in the air. I would typically fly 100 to 200 hours per month. Today it's much less than that. During WWII, the training programs were very accelerated. In 1943, the Army Air Force reported 22,800 major aircraft accidents excluding combat! A representative number today would be 200. We were just flying all the time for gunnery practice, skip bombing, dive bombing, formation, etc. MT : Who was your No. 1 here? CY : General James Doolittle. He was an airshow pilot, test pilot, race pilot, and dedicated military pilot who led the raid on Tokyo. More up-to-date, I admire people like astronaut Joe Ingle, who took his crew into space and recovered, repaired, and replaced in orbit the Hughes satellite. That shows real professionalism. MT : Flying seems a lifetime passion. Do you still have it? CY : It's not something I was born with. I never saw a plane on the ground (except for one that crashed in our cornfield) until I was 15. After I started flying in the Air Force, I did learn to love it, and it's still as much fun after all this time. MT : How long do you plan to keep flying? CY : As long as I can pass the physicals and continue to enjoy it. MT : If you could replay your life, would you change anything? CY : Nope, I couldn't have planned it any better.

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Like other Toyota trucks and SUVs, the 2010 4Runner looks angry. It's grille gives it an attitude not found on the 2009 4Runner, and you can decide for yourself whether that's a good idea. The front fascia is chunkier on the 2010 4Runner than before, perhaps befitting its position in the large SUV lineup as the sport-utility with some serious offroading abilities. New on the Trail model, the area just below the upper grille is painted black, adding contrast and forcing a comparison to the Mitsubishi Lancer and 2010 Outlander in the process. Squared-off wheel wells appear on the 2010 model, as do huge bulges in the sheetmetal on the doors. Lower door cladding distinguishes the 2009 model from the new one. Taillights on the new model pop out from the metal while the black or chrome "4Runner" bar above the 2010 SUV's rear license plate is a nice touch. This 4Runner's body style is likely to stick around for six or more years: how well do you think its styling will age?

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Ever noticed how after a late night out with your man, you have a harder time the next day than he does? It's not all in your head. Thanks to different hormonal makeups, we suffer more emotionally and physically when we're short on zzzs. "Poor sleep certainly had a more profound effect on women than on men," says Edward Suarez, Ph.D., an associate professor at Duke University School of Medicine and lead researcher of a study that looked at the relationship between poor sleep and poor health. He found that for women, reduced sleep was associated with a significant increase in risk of heart disease and diabetes, as well as more stress, depression, anxiety, and anger. However, these associations were weaker or nonexistent for men. What gives? Testosterone. Levels of this hormone rise after poor sleep in men, and "because it decreases insulin and increases muscle mass, testosterone has an anti-inflammatory effect, which kept men's stress hormones lower," he explains. Unfortunately for us, women's hormones, especially progesterone, do not have that same stress-dampening effect. Estrogen is known to have an anti-inflammatory effect, so the decline in the hormone as we get older could contribute both to worse sleep and to feeling even crappier after a night spent tossing and turning. And while you may have seen recent headlines proclaiming that women need more sleep than men, the truth is a lot more complicated, says Aric Prather, Ph.D., an assistant psychiatry professor at the University of California, San Francisco and author of a larger 2013 study that confirmed Suarez's findings. "I don't think there is any good evidence yet that women need more sleep than men," Prather says. "The present data is more in support of the fact that women may be more susceptible to the negative effects of poor sleep quality." In both studies, physiological stress was measured by looking at blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), which rises in response to inflammation and is considered a better marker of stress than looking at cortisol levels alone. The volunteers were also asked to rate their sleep quality. In addition to overall snooze time, Suarez's study looked at four different aspects of "disturbed" sleep: how long it took subjects to fall asleep, how many times they woke in the night, how long it took them to fall asleep again, and if they awoke too early in the morning. Surprisingly, it wasn't just the total number of hours in the sack that made the difference. According to Suarez, the No. 1 factor correlated with an increase in CRP for women was taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep when they first hit the sheets. This is a double-whammy for women, he says, who not only are we 20 percent more likely to suffer from insomnia than men but also suffer more ill effects from it. Large epidemiological studies have found that women tend to rate their quality of sleep as worse than men even when their sleep is shown through objective measures to be better. "This raises the question of whether women may be more sensitive to sleep problems, which may have biological consequences, including elevations in inflammation," Suarez says. Kelly Glazer Baron, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and director of the Behavioral Sleep Program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, adds that bad sleep can become a vicious cycle: Shoddy shut-eye boosts stress, which in turn causes insomnia for many people, leading to even more stress on top of what you experience every day. But there are things women can do to mitigate these effects. "We can improve how we prevent disease over lifetime simply by making small improvements in our sleep," Suarez says. This is why it's important to promptly treat sleep problems, especially insomnia. Baron says that if your insomnia reaches the point where it is making it hard to function during the day, talk to your doctor about lifestyle modifications and other options. She also recommends establishing a regular fitness routine. "It's been known for a long time that exercisers sleep better," she says, citing her recent studies showing that 16 weeks of aerobic exercise at moderate intensity four days a week helped women get at least seven hours of sleep a night and also improved their perception of the quality of their rest. [Tweet this tip!] Finally, don't forget the recommendations from the National Sleep Foundation, Prather says (which you likely can recite in your sleep or as you stare at the ceiling): Go to bed at the same time every day of the week, avoid heavy meals before bed, establish a relaxing bedtime routine, don't nap, and exercise daily.

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Mayer had been set to speak with executives representing the likes of brewer MillerCoors and Greek yogurt maker Chobani at the dinner, which was arranged as part of the Cannes advertising festival But several attendees, including Interpublic Group CEO Michael Roth, ended up leaving before she got there, according to those familiar with the matter. "It is another instance where she demonstrated that she doesn't understand the value of clients, ad revenue or agencies," one WSJ source said. Another anonymous source told Business Insider that Mayer had executives rearrange busy schedules so the dinner could be held at 8:30 p.m. sharp. "We aren't commenting on the story other than to say that we value our partnership with IPG and all of our advertisers," a Yahoo spokesperson wrote in an email to The Huffington Post

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The new Infiniti M, seen in Tokyo in Nissan Fuga guise, eschewed the 2009 Los Angeles auto show floor in favor of a private debut down the road at a glitzy Beverly Hills hotel. On the outside, the 2011 M features Infiniti Essence Concept-inspired styling with round, swoopy bodywork and a new take on the Infiniti grille. Behind it, an updated 330-hp V-6 or 420-hp V-8 can be found and later a hybrid drive system will join the mix. All will be mated to Infiniti's seven-speed automatic transmission and AWD is optional. Also available is a Sport package that will upgrade the brakes, add bigger wheels and tires and tighten up the suspension. Inside, the M gets a new dash trimmed in wood with silver powder and a new user interface that help to refine Infiniti's previously button-heavy setup. The 16-speaker Bose audio system also employs Bose's noise-cancellation technology to reduce exterior noise while the new Forest Air system replicates the gentle breezes and fresh smells of the forest. You can read more about the new M in our complete First Drive of the prototype version here, then catch it in the metal at your local Infiniti dealer in the spring.

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A little over a month after its world debut at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show, Lexus' most ambitious -- and most expensive -- car ever, the $350,000 552-hp-V-10-powered 2012 LFA, made its first appearance at a major North American auto show in Los Angeles. Here's what editor-at-large Arthur St. Antoine, who had the chance to sample the supercar at the famous Nurbugring Nordschliefe thought about the LFA's on-road behavior: First impression: The LFA rides hard. Really hard. No variable shocks; the chassis is chef's choice only. On smoother stretches of autobahn, the stiffness is largely irrelevant, but it's not hard to imagine the LFA growing tiresome during extended drives on brittle roads. The V-10 is scintillating: It pulls hard, flaunts seemingly hidden torque (that light package), and propels the car ferociously (Toyota claims a 0-to-60 of 3.7 seconds and a top end of 204 mph). At 6000 rpm it's just screaming away -- with 3000 rpm left! The sound is racy, but nowhere near as arousing as a flat-plane-crank Italian V-8. Full-bore on the track, shifts are quick enough-but, again, the superstar blueboods with their dual-clutch boxes fare far better. Steering feel is solid, though when teasing out the limits the chassis is nervy. The LFA lacks the easy, "organic" feel of, say, the SLS AMG. In contrast, the Lexus is very much a "digital" car -- it brandishes all the requisite high-tech weaponry, yet it feels distant. It's the difference between a car from a company that's been making supercars for decades, and a car from a company that's making...well, it's first supercar ever.

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Right around the same time General Motors teased the world with a new "Baby Buick" at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show , several lightly-camouflaged examples of the Delta-platform based, Opel Astra-infused premium compact sedan were spotted in Germany having a siesta. In addition to avoiding the hatchback bodystyle, GM will also likely avoid the mistake of not installing U.S.-market switchgear -- a gaffe it made when it brought the previous-generation Astra over as a Saturn. Unlike the recently unveiled Chinese-market Buick Excelle, which is essentially the 2010 Astra hatch with a Buick grille, the U.S. model will have a more unique front end. Under the camo, these examples looks to be virtually identical to that of the car shown in GM's LA show teaser (pictured at right). Engine options will most likely consist of the 138-hp 1.4-liter turbocharged four also set to be offered in the Chevrolet Cruze (and the Astra), with the Regal's 182-hp 2.4-liter four possibly offered as a premium option. In China, the Excelle is offered two 1.6-liter four-bangers making 116 or 138 hp and a 181-horse 1.6-liter turbo-four, but those are not used in the U.S. and would have to be separately EPA certified. Still unclear is whether the U.S. Buick will wear the Excelle badge or something different. Skyhawk and Skylark are nameplates that were used on previous similarly-sized Buicks and one could possibly be revived for the new car. Given how close to production these spied prototypes appear, it's not out of the question that a prototype version of the new Buick could show up in January at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, but at this point we'll just have to wait and see.

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Not to be confused with the Charles Schulz characters or allergy-attack-inducing food, the Honda P-NUT is an ultra-futuristic design study designed for the urban dweller that the Japanese automaker unveiled at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. The grammatically-challenged Personal-Neo Urban Transport is a rear-engine, rear-drive three-seater that clearly draws inspiration from the Japanese kei car despite being designed at Honda's Los Angeles-based Advanced Design Center. Its 133.8-inch overall length is equal to the maxium allowed for a kei car, though its 68.9-inch width far exceeds the kei car maximum. It's not a particularly tall vehicle, however, topping out at 56.7 inches. There's a lot of CR-Z in the sheetmetal, which fits with Honda's angle of designing a microcar that doesn't look like a conventional one. Whether that's a good thing or not is up for debate, but the mission has certainly been accomplished. The engine bay is modular and can accept a traditional gasoline engine, a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain, or a purely electric setup. Seating arrangement is similar to that of the McLaren F1 supercar, with the driver taking center stage and the two passengers on either side. Honda claims that this gives all three as much legroom as can be found in a midsize sedan. Interior design is certifiably modern Honda, with the same kind of white-and-blue plastic that can be found in the Insight. There's little in terms of controls and instruments (it is only a design study, after all), but the windshield apparently doubles as a heads-up display for the navigation system and back-up camera.

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Racing, by nature, creates drama. Some of those dramatic moments are high points in the history of sports: miraculous finishes, extreme competition, cheering the champion, or rooting for the seemingly outclassed underdog. As they used to say on ABC's "Wid World of Sports," "The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat." So much of it happened during our 60 years in business, and mnay of these memory makers were covered in our pages. As we continue our 60th anniversary celebration, here's a look at some of the racing moments, machines, and men and women that stand out. 1. BATTLE ROYALE In what has become one of the most watched racing videos on YouTube, Gilles Villenueve in his Ferrari battles Rene Arnoux's Renault at the '79 French Grand Prix. Their dogfight lasts several laps, wheel to wheel, each passing the other with both on the razor's edge. The amazing part: They're fighting for 2nd place. Villeneuve prevails, but just. 2. LITTLE ART Ferrari is dominating Alfa Romeo in the World Championship for Makes sports car series in 1972, but enters only one car in the Targa Florio that year. The diminutive Arturo Merzario is suffering from the flu that day and is competing against four factory Alfas. But as each one fails, "Little Art" feels better, gets faster, and ultimately outruns the last of them to set a lap record and win the second-to-last of the great Italian open road races. 3. BREATHE, NOW PUSH. NOW BREATHE, NOW PUSH Dan Gurney leads the 1962 Daytona Continental sports-car race (now the Rolex 24), which like most enduros is a timed race. The Eagle Scout parks his ailing Lotus 100 feet from the start/finish line. As time expires and cars fly by just feet away, Gurney pushes it across the stripe to claim the win. 4. STAR-SPANGLED SPECTACULAR On June 10/11, 1967, Dan Gurney and AJ Foyt win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Shelby American-entered Ford Mk. IV. A week later, Gurney takes the Grand Prix of Belgium in his own AAR Eagle racer, becoming the only American driver to win an F1 race in a car of his own construction. This magic week of victories has become one of the greatest accomplishments in all of sports. 5. THE CLOSE(EST) SHAVE Many Indy 500 finishes have come down to the wire, but none is closer than in 1992. Al Unser Jr. beats Scott Goodyear off the fourth corner of the final lap to take the checkered flag by the narrowest margin in 500 history: 0.043 second. In Victory Circle, a near-tears Little Al says, "You just don't know what Indy means." 6. BRONCO BUSTER After winning the Indy 500 in 1963 and the Trans-Am championship in 1970, Parnelli Jones reinvents himself yet again, this time as an off-road racer. He and co-driver Bill Stroppe partner to win the Baja 1000 in 1971 and back it up with a repeat victory in '72. Their tube-frame Ford Bronco is nicknamed Big Oly, in honor of sponsor Olympia Brewery. 7. INTO THE FOURS White-haired, underfunded, 50-years-plus former drag-boat and motorcycle racer Eddie Hill is supposedly over it (the hill, that is). Hardly: On April 9, 1988, he sets the first elapsed time in the four second range (4.990 seconds) at the Texas International Hot-Rod Association Nationals. An on-board computer readout shows he set the record on seven cylinders, as one failed at launch. 8. A STIRLING DRIVE Stirling Moss never won the world driving title. Nor did he win overall at Le Mans or Indy. But his epic victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia stands as one of the all-time great drives in motorsport. He pilots the famous Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, with automotive journalist Denis Jenkinson as his co-driver. Moss recently turned 80 and competes in vintage racers as often as he can. 9. THE PASS Bryan Herta is leading the CART race at Laguna-Seca in 1996, destined for his first series victory. But destiny is a funny thing. Alex Zanardi dives underneath him, off the racing surface and into the dirt, pulling off what has become known as The Pass. Zanardi goes on to win the CART championship in 1997 and '98. 10. FORD (FINALLY) WINS LE MANS Henry Ford II tries to buy Ferrari in the early 1960s, but is rebuffed. He retaliates by launching Ford's Total Performance campaign, which includes an all-out assault on the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of Ferrari's most significant stomping grounds. After falling short in 1964 and 1965, the Deuce's boys get it done, finishing 1-2-3 in 1966, then win the race the next three years running. 11. DALE DOES DAYTONA Believe it or not, there are many who said Dale Earnhardt was somewhat less of a NASCAR driver because he'd never tackled the Daytona 500. The Intimidator shuts 'em all up by winning the Big Race in 1998. He dies trying again in 2001, and then his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., punctuates the poignancy of it all by winning the 500 in 2004. 12. MAGIC AT MONZA Mario Andretti has never driven a turbocharged F1 car when Enzo Ferrari personally calls and asks him to substitute for the injured Didier Pironi at Monza in 1982. With minimal practice, the 42-year-old F1 champion puts the car on pole in Italy and is leading when engine trouble relegates him to a 3rd-place finish. It doesn't matter, the tifosi are still cheering. 13. YOU GO, GIRL On April 20, 2008, Danica Patrick shakes up the boys and rewrites the open-wheel-racing history book when she becomes the first woman to win an Indy Car race (including USAC, CART, OWR, and Champ Car series). And it's not a walk in the park either; the 2005 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year passes for position, makes it stick, and then takes the victory in fine style. 14. NOBODY'S FOOL, INDEED Paramount Pictures wants to give actor/racer/race team owner Paul Newman a 70th-birthday present, so the studio buys him a ride in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 1995, sponsored by his latest film, "Nobody's Fool." Newman, Tommy Kendall, Mark Martin, and former MT contributor Michael Brockman finish 1st the GTS-1 category (and 3rd overall), making "PLN" the oldest driver to earn a class win in a sanctioned, professional motor race. This record still stands. 15. CRASH AND (TEMPERS) BURN At the 1979 Daytona 500, Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison crash entering turn three on the last lap while battling for the lead. Richard Petty, half a lap back, holds off AJ Foyt and Darrell Waltrip for the win. Cale, Donnie, and Bobby Allison duke it out in the turn three infield as America watches live on CBS. NASCAR goes from racing to entertainment. 16. FANGIO THE GREAT Many put Juan Manuel Fangio near or at the top of the list of Greatest Drivers of All Time. The five-time F1 champion from Argentina has had enough great moments to fill an article of his own, but his drive at the Nurburgring in 1957 could be called his best ever. At the wheel of his Maserati, even the soft-spoken Fangio admits that he was "in a state of grace." 17. AJ TAKES FOUR No other name is more associated with the Indy 500 than Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. AJ cements that connection by winning his fourth 500 in 1977, becoming the first driver in history to notch that amazing accomplishment. Foyt wins the race a fifth time in 1999...this time as a team owner, with Kenny Brack at the controls. 18. LE GIANT KILLER The Mini was never designed to be a racer, but it sure became one. Paddy Hopkirk, Timo Makinen, and Rauno Aaltonen team to take the overall victory at the 1964 Rallye Monte Carlo. Hopkirk backs it up with another win in 1965, but is denied the hat-trick in '66 when the entry is disqualified by the French officials...over illegal driving lights. Poetic justice: Mini wins again in '67. 19. HE WHO WOULD BE KING Richard Petty is stuck at 199 NASCAR victories for what seems a lifetime. But it all comes good in 1984 when the King finally notches 200. It's an All-American moment if there ever was one: The race is the Firecracker 400 at Daytona, the date is July 4, and President Ronald Reagan is in attendance, the first sitting president to attend a NASCAR race. 20. CHAMPION AT HEART Ferrari's Felipe Massa and McLaren-Mercedes wunderkind Lewis Hamilton battle each other back and forth for the 2008 F1 championship. It comes down to the season's last race, in Massa's home country, Brazil. Felipe finishes 1st and takes the championship, but his euphoria lasts but seconds, as just behind him, Hamilton passes Timo Glock, earning the additional point he needs to snatch the driving title from the passionate Ferrari piloto's hands. F1 crowns Hamilton its youngest-ever champion. 21. A SMASHING VICTORY Daytona 500, 1976. Richard Petty and David Pearson crash on the last lap in turn four, Petty spins and kills his engine. But as Pearson also spins, he stabs the clutch to avoid stalling and limps his battered Mercury across the line to win. The finish, Pearson's first 500 victory, is the slowest under green-flag conditions in Daytona 500 history. 22. 24/7 Driving an Audi, Tom Kristensen is one of the team drivers who win the 2004 running 24 Hours of Le Mans. It's his seventh overall victory at La Sarthe, eclipsing the previous record of six held by Belgian great Jacky Ickx. Kristensen wins again in 2005, raising the bar to eight wins. 23. SPIN AND WIN Mario Andretti is ahead of Danny Sullivan during the 1985 Indy 500 when the wily vet baits the former taxi driver into a risky banzai pass. Sullivan pulls it off but can't make it stick, spinning a full 360 degrees, yet amazingly not crashing. Blinded in a cloud of smoke, Andretti somehow avoids hitting him. Sullivan recovers, pits for new tires, and goes on to take his only Brickyard victory.

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In a traumatic event, we have two options: We can either crumble under the stress and devastation of what is happening, or we can choose to overcome and recreate a life that we are proud to call our own. In his new book Supersurvivors , psychologist and author Lee Daniel Kravetz profiles a variety of people who have chosen the latter route. He joined HuffPost Live host Caitlyn Becker to discuss what makes a person a "supersurvivor," and how persevering through the worst of traumas can lead to a person's greatest success in life. "Surviving anything is to be admired, and it's not a small thing," Kravetz said. "A supersurvivor is somebody who made the choice to dramatically change his or her life after surviving a traumatic event." To explore this concept further, Kravetz told the story of a woman named Asha Mevlana, whom he credits as the story that launched 1,000 stories for his work. "When we met her, she was a cancer survivor," he said. "She was a young woman who had just graduated from college, moved to New York, and had a great job at a startup until the unthinkable happened. ... But she told us early on that for her, the hardest part was not the actual treatment. ... It was the moment after she had come out of her traumatic experience. It was the moment where she realized she couldn't go back to living her life the way it had been before." Mevlana chose to leave her job and old life, and began taking improvisational violin lessons -- something she had always wanted to do. After discovering this new talent, she moved to Los Angeles to see what could become of it. "Within one year of moving to LA, she got a contract with Universal Records," said Kravetz. "She was playing with CeeLo Green, with Jay-Z, with Mary J Blige. She was on the American Idol band, The Tonight Show band, and traveling all over the world essentially with this new life she chose for herself." To hear more of Kravetz's supersurvivor stories, watch the full HuffPost Live clip in the video above. This article originally appeared in The Huffington Post

lifestyle

It's not hard to see why the rocky pinnacles of Meteora have been featured in fantastical works...this place looks truly magical. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Meteora is located in Greece's Plain of Thessaly, about four hours from Athens. The site was once home to 24 monasteries ( six are still standing today ) that sit atop those iconic rock pinnacles that stand at more than 1,300 feet and appear to be " suspended in the air ." The site is mostly undiscovered by tourists, according to Atlas Obscura , but that could change. Meteora's role in " Game of Thrones " as "the Eyrie" might just turn it into a destination for fans making a pilgrimage to the show's filming locations. The site was also featured in the 1981 James Bond film, " For Your Eyes Only ." So, why should you go here? For the views, for the scenery and for the climb. Visitors can ascend the rock pinnacles and visit the still-functioning monasteries. Even if you're not religious, it's an incredible, bucket-list worthy experience. In the meantime, check out photos of Meteora below. This article originally appeared in The Huffington Post

lifestyle

I am a living, breathing victim of productivity traps. I'm scrolling through Tweetdeck, looking at really boring baby shower photos on Facebook and texting a group of people about what we'll do for dinner, all in place of writing about how to be more efficient and less distracted at work. The irony. But the truth is, I'm not a victim at all. There may be a bunch of obstacles that get in my way every single day, but I have the power to overcome them and get back to work (and you do, too). What it takes is intention, mindfulness and practice. We've grown accustomed to responding to pop-ups and alerts in real time; we're hooked on them, and today's goal is to learn how to get unhooked. Gemini Adams, author of The Facebook Diet , once told me that "we're addicted to that little notification." Our brain gets a boost when something new arrives in our inbox. But the feeling is equivalent to that of a sugar rush, and -- like sugar -- ultimately does more harm than good. The harm? While you may spend just a minute or two scrolling through cute cat photos, it'll take much more time for you to truly recover from that distraction and get back to work. Research from the University of California, Irvine sums up the crux of the problem. As Gloria Mark, professor of informatics at the University, told Fast Company, workers are interrupted -- or self-interrupt -- about once every three minutes , and it takes them about 23 additional minutes to get back on track. In essence, we're wasting a lot more time than we're conscious of wasting. Mark's research nods to the fact that multitasking effectively is just not possible . When you think, "Oh, I'll just check Facebook for a sec while writing this memo," you are signing up to perform two very separate actions. You can't do both at once -- your brain cannot handle it -- and you're the one who loses, because neither activity gets your full attention . So: We know drifting from a project we need to complete is bad, and we should stay focused. But there is so much to be distracted by behind our little screens. The machines that help us accomplish great things are the same ones getting in our way. But there are, have no fear, opportunities to remedy this. You may not always be able to control the external, off-screen preoccupations that stymie your work productivity (like a loud, nagging co-worker), but here are some ways to take charge of the time-suckers that are in your control. The problem: Too many tabs Why it's hurting you: "Dozens of open tabs signifies either procrastination on a truly epic scale or a chronic inability to focus on an immediate task at hand. Either way, it's not the sign of someone working efficiently," Angus Kidman writes on LifeHacker . Kidman goes so far as to say that you should never have more than nine browser tabs open at once. While that is up for debate , there's no doubt that the teeny, crowded icons become less useful and more distracting as they pile up. If you refuse to believe that, because you think you defy science and are some sort of master multitasker, know this: Tabs are even making your device inefficient. "Open enough browser tabs and it doesn't matter whether you're running Chrome or Firefox or IE or Safari or Opera: your system is going to slow down and eventually your browser will crash altogether, quite possibly bringing your entire environment down with it," writes Kidman. The solutions: The simplest thing you can do is to stay on one tab until you are finished with it and then close that tab. I don't know, try it some time. Other, more realistic things you can do: Find an app or extension that will save the sites open in your tabs for later. This will declutter your browser and give you more time to spend on what needs to be completed in the present moment. Pocket and Readability are two free options that allow you to bookmark or archive a website so you can revisit it when you have the leisure time. Another solution? Get an extension that'll help control your tab behavior. There are several that will organize your tabs into neat packages, but the point here is to spend less time away from the one tab you need open. Nerdy-sounding tools like Window and Tab Limiter (for Firefox) and Controlled multi-tab browsing (for Chrome) will limit the number of tabs you can have open at a time. A new tab won't open once you've maxed out. This might help you consider what's important to have on your screen, and what's not worth the procrastination. The problem: Email, email, email Why it's hurting you: Oh, there's so much wrong with how we use email. We spend 28 percent of our workweek dealing with email in some way, according to a 2012 report from the McKinsey Global Institute . Let's say you work 260 days a year. That means you spend nearly 73 days monkeying with email. Lord. First things first, we need to readjust our expectations of how email should work. Office culture has trained us to expect an email response within a matter of hours -- and sometimes minutes. That effectively means we're supposed to be responding to emails all day, while also completing tasks unrelated to email. But, as we've discussed, each pause we make to complete a different task drains efficiency. You think you're "working", but interrupting yourself to do email business is just as bad for you as interrupting yourself to drool over s'mores recipes . The solutions: To start, you should vow to stop using your inbox as a task list. You'll never get it down to zero (the nature of emails is that they keep on coming), and handwriting your to-do list is a smarter, more effective way to keep track of items and mark them as complete . Next, rethink the way you incorporate email into your life (remember: this is all in our control). Instead of responding to each new notification (that detrimental sugar rush), devote certain chunks of your day to checking and responding to email -- the same way you'd schedule a meeting. Turn off pop-up windows and vibrations that alert you each time a note hits your inbox. If you're nervous about missing something important, schedule a calendar reminder every 30 minutes or so to prompt you to check your email. This will be much less distracting than constantly looking at your inbox, only to find that Banana Republic is having another sale or some other useless piece of junk that you brain then has to work to recover from. On the junk mail note: It might be worthwhile to carve out some time to do some weeding. Unsubscribe from newsletters you never open, and find a filtering system that works for you . But make sure to make this an item on your to-do list -- not a dragged-out task you intersperse between your other work. The problem: Gchat and other messaging tools Why it's hurting you: We've been here before . Gchat forces you to multitask (not possible), makes miscommunication very easy and shoves you off the rails the minute you're on track. The solutions: Hate to be repetitive here, but block off times of the day in which messaging is appropriate. You have the power to defend your time. If someone needs to reach you, he or she will find a way. You can attempt to go invisible or host an away message of some kind, but chances are, if online chat has whittled its way into your daily habits, it will be a temptation difficult to resist. Instead of chat, when you need to communicate with someone, try picking up the phone or even walking to a colleague's desk when that's an option. The problem: Your smartphone Why it's hurting you: The minute you start getting in the swing of things -- you didn't even want to procrastinate! -- your phone lights up with a text. Then it bings to alert you of a new email and vibrates to remind you about the meeting you're currently sitting in, taunting your brain with its incessant ringing. The solutions: Easy. Turn it off. Put your phone on airplane mode. Do something to disable those push notifications . It's all very redundant: When you're at your desk, you don't need your phone to alert you of an email. Here is a great guide to pruning your notifications to stop distracting you. You can rely on those 30-minute calendar reminders you've vowed to schedule instead. The problem: Everything Why it's hurting you: You just can't focus. With all of these distractions, it's hard to imagine how you ever would. The tabs, the accumulating notifications, the friend nagging you about happy hour, all in the space of an enclosed little screen is, to put it lightly, overwhelming. The solutions: First, let's take a deep breath together. All right. You can start with a few tools that'll help control your at-work behavior. Extensions like Nanny , Strict Workflow and the ironically named Freedom restrict you from visiting certain websites based on your selected preferences. If you find yourself really unable to focus on a single thing, take it as a sign that your brain needs a little break (after all, it's had to recover so many times today). It sounds counterintuitive, but taking breaks throughout the day will actually make you more productive, less stressed and maybe even a little happier. If you find yourself bogged down, get up and move around. Just a little bit of movement can do wonders. If you can't get away from your trusty swivel chair , find assistance from online tools that prompt you to do absolutely nothing. Like the site Do Nothing For 2 Minutes , for example. The smart, simple window asks you to be still for just two minutes. "Just relax and listen to the waves," it reads. "Don't touch your mouse or keyboard." It sounds elementary, but it can be challenging to "just be" with a piece of technology that has an infinite number of ways to sizzle your brain. Try it out, reboot then get back to work. This article originally appeared in The Huffington Post

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"How are we going to keep the children busy this summer?" In some parts of the country, the school break is quickly approaching, while it's already begun elsewhere. Regardless of the timetable, you'll hear that one big question. Certainly, many families are planning for vacations and excursions, summer camps, sports activities, play dates and lessons. But what about downtime? Every summer, there are hours, even days, when children are simply home. I know this well as the father of two grade school-aged sons and two more young men. Parents everywhere give special thought to how they can lure their kids away from TV, video game consoles, computers and smartphones. Sure, all those electronic devices can help keep children amused, as long as you set limits on time and monitor content. But I'd also like to suggest another activity to share with your children, one that sometimes gets overlooked: cooking. My two young boys love to cook with their mother and me. They'll assemble Panini with their choices of bread, sliced meats, cheeses and condiments, then cook them (closely supervised, of course) on a countertop electric panini machine. Or together we'll select ripe, juicy fruit from the farmers' market, such as summertime berries, and we'll freeze them and then puree them in a food processor to make healthy sorbets. And sometimes, for a special treat, we'll get more indulgent. A lot of children (and grownups) enjoy snacks or desserts featuring spreads made from chocolate and nuts. But few people stop to think how easy such spreads can be to prepare. That's why I'd like to share my recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Spread. Easy though it is to prepare, it delivers results even better than versions you scoop out of a jar. Why? Because you start with nuts you roast yourself to a rich golden brown, maximizing their flavor. And you use your favorite chocolates, the best you can find in the supermarket or specialty shops. Some precautions are in order, of course, especially when cooking with kids. Don't make this recipe unless you're certain that no one who might eat the spread is allergic to the nuts. And when roasting the nuts, working with a sharp processor blade, or heating the cream and stirring the mixture, keep little hands safely clear. Even at a distance, I can guarantee you that children will be enthralled as they see the chocolate melt and blend to become a deliciously fudgy mixture. Enjoy it as a dip for pretzels, a spread for crisp apple slices or graham crackers, or an ingredient in gourmet s'mores. It will delight your children -- and make the adults in your house feel like kids on summer vacation! CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD Makes about 5-1/2 cups 1/2 pound shelled raw hazelnuts 9 ounces milk chocolate (about 38 percent cocoa solids), coarsely chopped 7 ounces dark chocolate (about 65 percent cocoa solids), coarsely chopped 1/2 cup glucose syrup or light corn syrup 2 cups heavy cream 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sea salt Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet or pan. Put them in the oven and roast until they smell fragrant, their skins are dark and cracked, and the nutmeats underneath look deep golden brown, about 15 minutes, stirring them 2 or 3 times while they roast. Remove the nuts from the oven and leave them at room temperature until cool enough to handle. Pour the nuts into the center of a clean kitchen towel. Fold the towel over the nuts to enclose them completely and then rub the nuts thoroughly inside the towel to dislodge their skins. Pick out the nuts, transfer them to the bowl, and carefully shake the skins from the towel into the trash. When the hazelnuts are completely cooled, put them in a food processor fitted with the stainless-steel blade. Pulse the machine on and off several times to chop them coarsely; then, run the machine continuously until the nuts form a paste, stopping once or twice to scrape down the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to remove the paste from the processor bowl, working carefully around the sharp blade, transferring the nut paste to a bowl. Set aside. Put both the milk and dark chocolates in a mixing bowl. Drizzle the glucose or corn syrup over them. In saucepan, warm the cream over medium heat until it reaches a simmer. Pour the simmering cream over the chocolate in the bowl. With a wire whisk, begin stirring in the center of the bowl to combine the melting chocolate and cream. As the chocolate begins to blend with the cream, forming a smooth, shiny mixture, stir in more and more chocolate from the sides until the mixture is completely smooth. Add the hazelnut paste and sea salt to taste, and continue stirring until the nut paste and the chocolate and cream are completely blended. Spoon the mixture into individual small serving glasses or bowls or into 1 or more larger serving containers. Leave it to cool and set at room temperature. Then, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

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Though the job of a fashion designer may seem glamorous, those in the industry rate their work as meaningless as fast food cooks do, according to a new survey by PayScale. The salary information company surveyed workers in 484 jobs about things like salary, job satisfaction and sense of meaning in their work. To illustrate the results, PayScale created an interactive graphic (see below) that charts an occupation's median pay against the percentage of people in that job who report a high level of "meaning" at work. It also lets you search by industry, education level and experience level. The study found a vague correlation between money and sense of meaning in a job -- you may notice both anesthesiologists and surgeons are rich and believe they're making a difference -- but the association is by no means absolute. For example, despite having a modest median pay of $45,400, 89 percent of clergy members feel more meaning than other workers. Musicians can also boast that more of them are satisfied at work than any other profession, despite a median salary of $49,800. This echoes findings of previous studies, which find that money does bring happiness, but only up to a point. Learn About Tableau

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We've all been there: We get home after a long day, throw ourselves into what we think will help us unwind and... nothing happens. We can't shut off our brains. And before we know it, we're back to being busy because what else are we going to do? With so much going on, we just can't relax. So how can this problem be remedied? Just because you can't seem to unwind doesn't mean you're an uptight individual who is incapable of finding calm -- the truth is, your inability to relax may be lying in the everyday habits you're naturally practicing. If you're looking for an uninterrupted, serene moment, ditch these relaxation mistakes you might be making -- you may find you'll be able to unwind after all. You're still on your phone. Facebook newsfeeds, Twitter timelines, Instagram notifications... it's no wonder we can't calm down. If you want to switch off your brain for a while, consider switching off your smartphone. Research has shown that we check our phones approximately once every six minutes (yikes!). Our devices have been proven to stand in the way of our relaxation (and really, it's no surprise -- who hasn't been tempted to check their emails while off duty?). If you're attempting to unwind, it might be time to toss the smartphone. You're not taking advantage of silence. When was the last time that you just sat for a moment in total silence? The truth is, when we tune out the soundtrack of our lives -- whether it be the murmur of a TV or even the sound of our neighbors -- we can reap many relaxing and mental benefits. Silence is known to be incredibly therapeutic , and it can even boost your ability to focus and your capacity for creativity. You're reading a book on your tablet. If you're in bed trying to soak up some calming moments with literature before you drift off to sleep -- but you're doing so through the illuminated screen of your iPad -- you might want to think twice. Studies have shown that the blue light emitted from our screens can actually disrupt our shut-eye , making that relaxing reading habit more of a nightmare. Next time, swap your touch screen for a good ol' paperback book. You'll be more prepped for a relaxing rest. You're thinking about relaxation too much. It's a common cycle with stress and anxiety: The more you think about something, the more strung-out you feel. It may sound counterintuitive, but the same can be said for relaxation. The more pressure you put on yourself to be calm, the further away you're going to drift from it. Instead, focus on positive thoughts, some of which may not have anything to do with relaxing. Looking on the bright side can force stress out of the brain, allowing your mind to solely focus on other, happier things . This GPS Guide is part of a series of posts designed to bring you back to balance when you're feeling off course.GPS Guides are our way of showing you what has relieved others' stress in the hopes that you will be able to identify solutions that work for you. We all have de-stressing "secret weapons" that we pull out in times of tension or anxiety, whether they be photos that relax us or make us smile, songs that bring us back to our heart, quotes or poems that create a feeling of harmony or meditative exercises that help us find a sense of silence and calm. We encourage you to visit our other GPS Guides here , and share with us your own personal tips for finding peace, balance and tranquility. This article originally appeared in The Huffington Post

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Every morning, my phone fills up with notification badges a dozen little inboxes asking to be cleared before I even get to my email. Dutifully or obsessively, I open them all as I walk my dog. There's a special pleasure I take in swiping through LinkedIn Contacts, a standalone app from the professional network. Job changes, work anniversaries, and mentions in news articles add up to a customized newsletter about people I know through my world of work. LinkedIn is doubling down on this aspect of its Contacts app for iPhones, and it's even renaming the app LinkedIn Connected in an update available in the App Store Thursday morning. LinkedIn Plays Its Cards Right The first thing you'll notice about LinkedIn Connected is its visual design, which uses the "card" metaphor you now find everywhere from Twitter to Tinder to iPhones . Where LinkedIn Contacts had blurbs next to small profile photos, Connected presents each person's news on a full-screen card. LinkedIn's new Connected app highlights job changes and other news about work contacts. There's less weight in the interface given to looking up contact information, though you can still do that. "What we heard from members was the value was the updates," says LinkedIn's David Brubacher, who oversees the company's relationship products. Most, like me, used the old Contacts app in the morning while preparing for their day. The hope is that Connected's updates will prompt users to send messages through LinkedIn and use the service for more than just job hunting. Connected also syncs more directly with the iPhone's calendar, if users permit it, to find meetings with your contacts and give you a LinkedIn-powered briefing book on the people you're spending your day with. (Contacts did something similar, but only with Web-based calendars.) Reconnecting With Users As a new and improved version of Contacts, an app that's become habit-forming for me, Connected looks like a winner. And LinkedIn could use a winner in mobile. LinkedIn is in a fierce fight with the likes of Google, Microsoft, and Facebook to own your professional identity . Connected plays into that strategy, by putting a layer of data that only LinkedIn has over your address book. (On LinkedIn's website, the existing Contacts feature and its feed of updates serve a similar function.) Proving that its data has value in building new connections and strengthening existing ones is crucial for LinkedIn. It is facing a lawsuit from users who claim it spammed their professional contacts . Intro, a service which added LinkedIn data to emails , flopped amid privacy concerns and got shut down earlier this year. Connected seems far less likely to spark such worries. For one thing, it's so clearly useful (and a little addicting). With LinkedIn's new app, Miranda Priestly might not have needed two assistants to remember her contacts. And there are futuristic hints within Connected of how it could become even more useful like the assistants whispering names and biographical details in Miranda Priestly's ear in The Devil Wears Prada. LinkedIn engineering director Vinodh Jayaram says the way Connected combines calendar and contacts data to pop up timely information about people you're about to meet is an example of " anticipatory computing ," similar to what Google does with its Google Now service or Foursquare does with its location-based recommendations . If you want to get really crazy, imagine a location-aware version of LinkedIn Connected designed for wearable devices. It would whisper to you or flash an alert on your wrist to tell you how you know all the people in the room, moments before you rub elbows with them. That's what networking looks like when it's truly networked. Photo of business cards by Faruk Ateş

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(HealthDay News) -- Men who have a vasectomy may be at increased risk for aggressive prostate cancer, a new study suggests. But the risk is comparatively small, the researchers acknowledged. And several urologists not involved with the study said more research is needed to determine if the study findings are truly accurate. For the study, Harvard researchers analyzed data from more than 49,400 American men who were followed for 24 years, starting in 1986. During that time, 6,023 cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed among the men, including 811 fatal cases. The 25 percent of the men in the study who'd had a vasectomy had a 10 percent increased risk of developing prostate cancer, according to the study published online July 7 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology . Vasectomy was not linked with an increased risk of low-grade prostate cancer. But it was associated with a 20 percent higher risk of advanced prostate cancer and a 19 percent greater risk of fatal prostate cancer, respectively, the study authors said. Even among men who had regular prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening tests for prostate cancer, those who had a vasectomy were 56 percent more likely to develop fatal prostate cancer. This link was strongest among men who had a vasectomy at a younger age. However, the absolute risk of developing deadly prostate cancer was small, the study authors noted -- 16 of every 1,000 men. "This study follows our initial publication on vasectomy and prostate cancer in 1993, with 19 additional years of follow-up and tenfold greater number of cases. The results support the hypothesis that vasectomy is associated with an increased risk of advanced or lethal prostate cancer," study co-author Lorelei Mucci, associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, said in a university news release. About 15 percent of men in the United States have a vasectomy. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death among American men, although most men diagnosed with the disease don't die from it. "The decision to opt for a vasectomy as a form of birth control is a highly personal one and a man should discuss the risks and benefits with his physician," study co-author Kathryn Wilson, a research associate in the department of epidemiology, said in the university news release. Dr. Louis Kavoussi is chairman of urology at North Shore-LIJ Health System in New Hyde Park, N.Y. He said: "I would be cautious about applying these findings to clinical practice right now. This is not like cigarette smoking causing a large number of people to develop lung cancer. This is a small increase in the risk of prostate cancer. I think further studies really need to be mandated in a better controlled fashion. "There are a whole host of potential unknown reasons why this potentially could be real," he added. "On the other hand, this is a retrospective study -- a backwards-looking study over many, many years, and the increased risk is small. So can this be an error in statistics? There are many papers over the years that don't show a correlation with this." Dr. Aaron Katz, chairman of urology at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y., suggested that men who've undergone a vasectomy may simply have their cancers caught more often because they see their doctor more often. "Several studies have looked at the association between vasectomy and prostate cancer. It is well known that men who have had a vasectomy are more likely to be seen more frequently by urologists in follow-up than men who never had a vasectomy, and will undergo more frequent PSA testing," he said. The Harvard researchers said they were able to compensate for factors such as more frequent visits to doctors before reaching their conclusions. Kavoussi added: "The implications of this study, if it becomes dogma, can be quite profound in society. All of a sudden birth control has been pushed entirely onto women. There are potential side effect issues with birth control for women as well." Support for the study was provided by grants from the U.S. National Cancer Institute, among other sources. More information The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about prostate cancer .

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Although recent rumors suggest the next Mazda RX-7 would be powered by a naturally aspirated Skyactiv rotary engine with around 300 hp, Motoring.com.au reports that a turbo rotary could make as much as 450 hp. The report also suggests the next Mazda RX-7 will arrive in 2017, which would be 50 years following the arrival of Mazda's original rotary-powered coupe, the 1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport . Initially Mazda was said to be developing a naturally aspirated engine based on the Mazda RX-8 's 16X design with a laser ignition. Now the Japanese automaker has reportedly added a twin-scroll turbo to boost power to around 450 hp. While the next rotary-powered sports car was supposed to share its basic architecture with the fourth-generation Miata , the chassis won't be able to handle the additional power of the turbocharged engine. Mazda is now testing modified versions of the discontinued RX-8's chassis. The next Mazda RX-7 will adopt the automaker's Kodo styling could be closer in size to the Miata rather than the last generation RX-7 sold in the U.S. from 1993-1995. The name of Mazda's new rotary-powered sports car also hasn't been confirmed, though the automaker has reportedly registered RX-7 and RX-9 with the Japanese trademark office. Should Mazda turbocharge its upcoming rotary-powered sports car? Share your thoughts below. Source: Motoring.com.au

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Kevin Scott, senior vice president of engineering at LinkedIn, asks an important question of every job candidate he interviews: "What job do you want after you work at Linkedin?" Yes, that's right. Before employees even join the Silicon Valley company, Scott outwardly acknowledges that they're not likely to stay put. And he implies his approval and acceptance of that kind of move. It's been the case for decades now that workers no longer expect to build their career within a single company. But it remains rare for employers and employees to structure their workplace culture and contracts around that shift. Workers continue to enter into work arrangements with indefinite end dates, much like the contracts their grandparents signed more than half a century ago. And employers continue to focus intently on retaining talent, even though data show their staffers are not likely to stick with them for the long haul. Scott's interview strategy is part of a broader culture at LinkedIn that is centered around creating employee-employer relationships that are better suited for today's economy. In a book published this week, "," LinkedIn's chairman, Reid Hoffman, along with co-authors Ben Casanocha and Chris Yeh, make the case that businesses across all sectors should similarly reinvent their compacts with workers. The authors argue that employers should adopt a strategy in which employees work in two- to four-year "tours of duty" discrete, specific periods of work. The employee and employer agree to meet at the end of the tour to discuss next steps for the worker's career, which could be a different assignment within the company or a move to a new workplace. Both sides then work together to make that new position a reality. (If the thesis sounds familiar, it's because the authors first put it forward in a last year.) Here's how they describe the tour of duty model: "We see this approach as a way to incorporate some of the advantages from both lifetime employment and free agency. Like lifetime employment, the tour of duty allows employers and employees to build trust and mutual investment; like free agency, it preserves the flexibility that both employers and employees need to adapt to a rapidly changing world." Indeed, the information age's tenor of constant change seems to be the best argument for the tour of duty model. The skills that made an employee an essential player at a tech start-up last year might make her more of a middling one this year if, say, the company has pivoted away from a certain coding language or changed its model to focus on software instead of hardware. It's not that her skills have become outmoded, it's just that they're no longer as central at her particular employer. In a tour of duty model, both she and her employer would have an easy out, a clear path and forum for acknowledging that she'd be better off somewhere else. Is LinkedIn's tour of duty model poised to become a cornerstone of the American work contract? Or is it destined to be a workplace set-up more like "manager-less offices," which are oft-debated by management experts but rarely used in the real world? It's too early to tell, of course. But on talent and human resources issues. In addition to LinkedIn, tech giants Google and Intuit also use tours as part of their workforce strategies. Hoffman, Casanocha and Yeh also write in "The Alliance" that the kind of employee they believe is best equipped to help a company thrive is the one with the most entrepreneurial, flexible mind-set. This may seem counterintuitive: Isn't someone with an entrepreneurial spirit highly likely to leave my company? Why should I invest in them? The authors turn to the story of a technologist named Benjamin Black. In 2003, Black, an employee of Amazon.com, wrote a memo saying that the e-commerce giant should use its infrastructure to sell computing power. The idea eventually grew into Amazon Web Services. Black left Amazon in 2011 to launch a start-up, but AWS pulled in an estimated $3.8 billion in 2013. The example suggests that the company is better off having had Black on its staff for a brief stint, even if they couldn't hang onto him forever. (Disclosure: Jeffrey P. Bezos, chief executive of Amazon.com, owns The Washington Post.)

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The 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 is gaining a new Sport Package Plus option. The automaker announced the new addition on its Facebook page, providing just a few details of how the package will augment the baby Benz. New mechanical bits include an AMG-developed front axle and suspension system to improve handling. Also included is a "more aggressive" exhaust system, likely a bit rowdier and louder than the stock version. AMG-style 18-inch rims will be a distinctive exterior detail, while the interior gets MB Tex/Dinamica sport seats that look almost as good as the ones found in the CLA45 AMG. Information on the package's release date or pricing have yet to be announced. The 2014 CLA250 is currently available with a $2200 Sport Package that adds the chrome diamond-block grille, 18-inch AMG twin-spoke rims, and perforated front brakes with painted calipers. Sport Package Plus could cost at least twice that, considering the more substantial items. In all, the new package sounds like the closest you can get to CLA45 AMG-like handling, without the CLA45 AMG's 355-hp 2.0-liter turbo-four or its pricey $48,375 price tag. The CLA250 starts at $30,825 and is powered by a 208-hp 2.0-liter turbo-four, with 4Matic all-wheel drive costing $2000 more. Source: Mercedes-Benz

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On the night of the New Hampshire primary in January, a young man of twenty-six stood at the back of the crowd in the Nashua High gym and watched his boss deliver a speech conceding defeat to Hillary Clinton in the day's election. And even though his boss, Barack Obama, had lost, Jon Favreau couldn't help but smile. Obama had won big in Iowa just five days before, sending the Clinton campaign into a death spiral, but Hillary's surprising comeback meant that any notions of putting her away quickly were now dispelled. This would be a long, bloody fight for the nomination. Yet they all smiled. Had there ever been a more triumphal concession speech, ever? And then the senator got to the emotional heart of the speech, the part when he recognized that nothing this big is easy. "For when we have faced down impossible odds, when we've been told we're not ready or that we shouldn't try or that we can't, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can...." Speeches claiming victory are never as interesting as those conceding defeat, because people are never more interesting than when they lose. In any case, neither Favreau nor his cowriters Adam Frankel and Ben Rhodes had been expecting to have to concede anything that evening. But things change quickly. After consulting with Obama for about half an hour -- Obama talked, Favreau typed notes -- they decided to reprise the hopeful refrain of "Yes, we can...." which had been the slogan of Obama's 2004 senate race in Illinois. And at that moment, a mere presidential campaign was transformed into a movement, coalesced around three simple words. He is too busy to read much. "I'm embarrassed to say that since college" -- Favreau graduated from Holy Cross in 2003 -- "I've been so busy speechwriting for Kerry and then Barack that I haven't been reading all the good literary stuff I used to read back in the day." As for speechcraft, while he says the speeches of Bobby Kennedy are his favorites, he also says Peggy Noonan is his all-time favorite speechwriter. He cites Ronald Reagan's Pointe du Hoc speech marking the fortieth anniversary of D-day as his favorite of hers, and in Noonan's sugary epic, you can hear the faint echo of Barack Obama talking about his grandfather. Favreau also says he has greatly admired the writing of Michael Gerson, who was President Bush's main speechwriter for five years, especially his address to the joint session of Congress after the September 11 attacks. Gerson returns the admiration. One night in New Hampshire, he sought out Favreau at a campaign rally and introduced himself to talk shop. And Favreau is right, Gerson's speech for Bush that September 20 was one of the great speeches in American history. But it must be noted here that with that speech the discord between speech and speaker has never been more pronounced, for we have come to know that Gerson's boss never fully grasped the power of words. With an exalting script, Gerson could make George W. Bush sound like Winston Churchill for an hour. But it is Jon Favreau's task and his gift that he is able to make his boss -- a fellow who has been known to write a sentence or two on his own -- sound like Barack Obama. More from Esquire 27 More New Geniuses Whose Ideas Will Change the World! The 10 Worst Members of Congress The Esquire Cover Gallery: Explore 75 Years of Magazine History Women We Love: Sexy Celebrity Photo Galleries PLUS: News Analysis from Esquire's Weekly Political Column

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I just checked out Brenda Della Casa's feature, " 8 Dating Mistakes Even Smart Women Make ," and I thought I'd respond with a guy's version mistakes WE tend to make on the first date. 1. Too many texts "Do u like Italian food?" "Does 7 work or do u prefer 8?" "I'm on my way" "Running 3 mins late" "Looking for parking" "Did u bring yr wallet?" Dude, she wants James Bond, not Woody Allen with a cell-phone. Swoop by in your Jag (preferably one that's been altered to dispose of enemies and avoid capture), escort her to her seat, whisk her to dinner, and then charm her until she's only wearing her delicious foreign accent. Swoop. Escort. Whisk. Charm. There's no "text" in there. Seriously, just make a plan and stick to it. If possible, leave the phone at home. 2. Checking his manners at the door I eat incredibly quickly. It is a terrible habit and off-putting to my dinner guests. But these aren't the only manners I'm talking about. There's his behavior toward you (his interest in conversation topics that appeal to both of you, for example) and others on your date (your friends, the waiter, strangers). Manners are just consideration for others, and he should be thinking of you first. 3. Too much too quick "Oh, you and your mom have not spoken since your teens, and you have bad credit, and you're considering teaching in Korea for a year, and you have some skin issues … wow, that's a lot. Excuse me, I need to run away very very quickly." Both men and women have a keen sense of smell when it comes to desperation and oversharing, whether it's on the internet, or on a first date, it is a dead giveaway that something major is lacking in the confessor's life. Get a journal. Or a therapist. But leave the poor girl, who you've known for all of 70 minutes, out of it. 4. Talking too much about sex This is a straight-up killer. Girls like a guy who's edgy right? Someone who is not afraid of sex? Um, yes, but slow down there, pervert. A few months ago, I ran into a young woman whom I took on a few dates last year we got to talking and I asked her why things never went further. "It just sorta fizzled," she told me "… And on one of our first dates you mentioned that one of your friends in college was a dominatrix, and that freaked me out." Now, I didn't spend my college years in and out of s/m dens, but I had some out-there friends, and yes, one of them earned some money on the side as a dominatrix. Is this anything to be embarrassed about? No. Is this something I should be bringing up on a first date? No! Should you get to a second, third or fourth date, or even a date that ends the next morning, there will be plenty of time to talk about sex. Feel free to hint around the periphery, but when it comes to sex talk, save it. 5. Drinking too much If we could see ourselves after too many drinks, we wouldn't want to date us either. Add nerves to this equation, one or two beers I think it probably works the best with charm. As well, one of my greatest flaws is my short-term memory it's terrible another factor that's multiplied after too many drinks. Not exactly a winning combination when trying to get to know someone. John: "Oh man, you sound like you work really hard. You probably get that from studying business at Penn." Date: "I went to Circus School. And I studied tumbling. Pass me my stilts I'm outta here." Or something. 6. Dwelling on your job I know. I know. Some guys work in the Peace Corps or run rehab centers for puppies or star in their own sitcoms, but the vast majority of us have normal, boring jobs, that frankly, don't make for great date conversation. I write about TV and movies and celebrities from time to time, and yes, those things can be interesting and fun to talk about, but what I really do is spend a great deal of time in front of a laptop, staring at a blank screen, or debating whether to use the word "maybe" or "perhaps." Your job is not who you are, it's what you do, and while it does take up 10 hours of your day, the details, past "this funny thing happened at work today" are probably best kept off the table at first. Besides, he should be asking about you! 7. Following up too hard, fast and often. You had a good date she was receptive to your playful banter; you guys both thought that the Where The Wild Things Are movie went nowhere; she said she'd like to see you again; you even got a kiss goodnight great. Now breathe. In fact, take two breaths. All your romantic instincts may be telling you to grab your phone and start texting. It won't hurt to tell her how much fun you had, right? It's probably a good idea to lock down that next date, right? She'd probably want to know what you're doing later that night, just in case she wants to come over, right? WRONG. Take the phone, place it on the other side of your home, and leave it there. Do not approach the phone. Do not glance at the phone. Forget the phone exists. The phone is kryptonite and you are Superman. Touch it, and you become weak. There's no hard and fast rule here (on how many days, hours, or weeks you wait to call), except one: Don't appear over-eager. There is nothing less sexy than the smell of desperation. Time has the power to cleanse. Wait until it feels like the right time. Call her. Magic. 8. Looking for perfection or what my mom would call nitpicking or the opposite. I stole this one directly from Brenda Della Casa's reciprocal list for women. But it holds for both. Men have idiotic, ridiculous, unrealistic standards for women to meet on a first date. Entire sitcoms have been written about our ability to write someone off for the stupidest of reasons: "She looked like she might get old quickly." "Her perfume was weird." "She smelled like butter." "Her eyebrows were weird." "She ordered two appetizers." "She used the word dichotomy too much." "She's a liberal." "She's a conservative." "I dated her cousin at camp when we were 13." "She knows people I work with." "Her jaw was too strong." None of these are legit reasons not to see someone again. It's entirely possible that he does have legit reasons, but these are not them. These are excuses. And they go the other way too. I know plenty of guys who will keep going on dates because they are lonely, or because she's hot, or because they can't find anyone they really like, or because they just feel like they should. Worse than excuses, these situations are a waste of everyone's time. And there's no excuse for that.

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DON'T look for perfection. Dating can lead to all kinds of tricky situations. To help you navigate even the most awkward moments, we've compiled our 50 best dating tips some new, some old given to us by experts, moms, women like you, and even Justin Timberlake. Encouraging you to settle isn't our style, but separating your desires from your deal-breakers can give your love life a major upgrade. "There are some qualities that your mate must have -- being honest, for example -- and others, such as movie-star looks, that should be thrown in the would-be-nice category," says Elizabeth R. Lombardo, Ph.D., author of "A Happy You: Your Ultimate Prescription for Happiness." "Sit down and realistically figure out what characteristics are nonnegotiable and then be open-minded about the rest." BING: TOP DATING SITES DO expect to meet men in unexpected places. "Keep your eyes open at all times for opportunities to meet quality men, not just when you are all dressed up to go out," says dateologist Tracey Steinberg. BING: BEST PLACES TO MEET PEOPLE DON'T assume that somebody's not interested in you. Don't conclude that if you don't think you look cute, you don't look cute to someone else, says Paula Bloom, author of Why Does He Do That? Why Does She Do That?."So if you're running to the grocery store after the gym, and some guy starts talking to you and trying to make conversation with you, you may be thinking he just wants to talk to you when he's actually really trying to make a connection with you. If you don't think you look attractive, you might miss it." BING: DATE CONVERSATION STARTERS DO be confident and make the first move. The jury is in: Men really do prefer women who make the first move. "It's not because it takes the pressure off of them," said Christopher Brya, coauthor of WTF Are Men Thinking. "Instead, it shows that you're confident, which is really the biggest turn-on." Many guys sense that the frequency of men making the first move (asking for phone numbers or dates, etc.) is actually diminishing. As one guy put it, "Waiting for a man to make the first move is real old-school and outdated." Plus, if you're a take-charge woman in every other facet of your life, why be a wallflower when it comes to men? BING: HOW TO BUILD CONFIDENCE DO make it easy for men to date you. True story: Guys have a fear of rejection. If you make it easy for them to ask you out, the more apt they'll be to do it. "Making it easy means telling a man in the clearest terms that you are interested and wouldn't say no to a date," says Harlan Cohen, author of Getting Naked: Five Steps to Finding the Love of Your Life (While Fully Clothed and Totally Sober). BING: FUN DATE IDEAS DON'T go out in one huge group. "The best size group to go out with is three," says Shannon Fox, the author of Last One Down the Aisle Wins. Going out alone might invite men to talk to you but only because you seem vulnerable and desperate. Two is too easily unbalanced. (What nice guy wants to ask a girl to dance if it means leaving her friend all alone?) And four is too intimidating -- no guy wants to risk putting himself out there in front of a gang of potentially critical women." BING: GROUP DATE IDEAS DON'T worry about his age or yours. The times have changed, and age just isn't as relevant anymore when it comes to dating. Miguel Almaraz, coauthor of WTF Are Men Thinking, said, "Younger men -- 20 to 30 -- really do like dating older women. In fact, 66 percent of the men we polled [for the book] said they would date older women." The main reason given? Experience. BING: WHY YOU SHOULD DATE A YOUNGER MAN DO put a friend in charge of finding you a date. Not great at seeing who's good for you? Then stop trying and let a friend do it for you. Whitney Casey, author of The Man Plan, says to pick a (preferably coupled-up) close friend and put her in charge of finding guys -- any other guy you meet automatically goes in the friend zone. "You'll only go on dates with someone she sets you up with," Casey says. Not only does this help you date better men, you'll also end up acting more genuinely around other guys you meet when the should-I-date-him pressure's off. BING: SHOULD YOU DATE A FRIEND? DON'T limit your online dating searches. Doing the online dating thing? Make sure you cast a wide net. "Extend your search two inches in height below what you want and two years older and younger than what you think you are looking for," says Brenda Della Casa, author of Cinderella Was a Liar. BING: ONLINE DATING TIPS DON'T pretend to be someone you're not, even online. Online dating is competitive, but being yourself is essential. "If you're pretending to be someone you're not, you're going to end up on a date with a person who is compatible with the person you're pretending to be, not the person you actually are," says Lisa Daily, author of How to Date Like a Grown-Up. BING: ONLINE DATING PROFILE TIPS DO give people permission to want you and not want you. OK, this might sound trite, but it really does make a lot of sense: "The Universal Rejection Truth of Dating and Relationships says that thousands of people will want to date you, but millions will not," says Cohen. "Until you can give people permission to not want you, it will be too hard to meet the people who do want you." BING: HOW TO BE YOURSELF ON A DATE DON'T waste your time dating a show-off. "The bravado? That guy needs to save it for the golf course." -- Justin Timberlake BING: DATING RED FLAGS DO be nice to everyone. "I can't stress this enough," says Rachel DeAlto, author of Flirt Fearlessly: The A to Z Guide to Getting Your Flirt On: "You never know where an encounter is going to lead. That guy you met at the gym but aren't into? That woman you met at the networking event last night? They might be the one to introduce you to your dream guy." BING: HOW TO GIVE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION DO tell a friend when you want to be more than friends. "Unless you have only one friend and telling this friend means losing your only friend, it's not friendly to keep a friend from dating the best possible single person on the market -- you," says Cohen. BING: HOW TO TELL IF YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST FRIENDS DO go on a date with someone you feel so-so about. If you haven't been on a date in a while, this could be the ideal opportunity to get back out there and practice. "I recommend meeting up with the guy for only an hour over coffee or one drink," says Smitten blogger Ariane Marder. "Because you're not invested, you really have nothing to lose -- besides a precious hour of your time that could be spent trying to figure out why no one is asking you out. (Sigh.)" BING: TYPES OF GUYS TO AVOID DATING DO allow yourself to be wooed. "It feels good to be treated like a lady. If a guy really likes you, he'll pick you up and take you out, not ask you to drive across town for cocktails and a sleepover." -- Alison Brie, star of Mad Men and Community. BING: TYPES OF WOMEN TO AVOID DATING DON'T plan a complicated date. Start with the basics. It's tempting to be creative and plan a date that's fun and outside-the-box. But don't underestimate the value of the tried-and-true standards. Almaraz says, "While men like creative dates, they said they would prefer those types of dates later in a relationship." Sixty-two percent of men polled for his WTF Are Men Thinking? book said they prefer dinner or a movie for a first date. One even said, "Dinner is always good as long as it's relatively casual. I think going too fancy on a first date can reek of desperation to impress. You're there to get to know the other person, not to get involved in activities that present opportunities to ignore each other." BING: EASY DATE IDEAS DO let go of the day's frustrations before a first date. "When chatting about your day, it may seem natural to bring up the bad day you had at work, the argument with your friend, or the fact that you couldn't find parking earlier," says James Wadley, Ph.D., the author of Would You Marry You? But on a first date, you might want to "keep your bad attitude at home, and then go out to meet others to show them how adaptable, resilient, and sexy you can be." BING: TIPS ON HOW TO RELAX DON'T go overboard on dressing sexy. Sure, you want to look hot on a date (we've got you covered with tons of outfits guys love, but don't go overboard. "On dates and when out trying to get dates, I recommend dressing about 20 to 30 percent sexy," says Steinberg. "Give him a little something for his imagination." BING: FIRST-DATE OUTFIT IDEAS DO wear shoes that are comfortable. We love our pointy-toe stilettos too, but if you're seeing someone new, maybe go brogue instead. "Some of the best dates are the ones that continue going on beyond what's planned," says Bloom. "You're improvising, and you don't want uncomfortable shoes to be the reason you cut short a date that's going well." BING: ROMANTIC DATE IDEAS DON'T booze it up with a new guy. "Imagine you have two brains. One weighs risks and rewards, keeps you informed about morals and ethics, and warns you about unwise choices. The other seeks pleasure and feel-good experiences, creates erotic appetite, and drives you to satisfy that appetite," says Brian Alexander, coauthor of The Chemistry Between Us. "As anybody who's been on a diet and has faced down a plate of gooey chocolate chip cookies can tell you, it can be pretty tough to resist pleasure under normal circumstances, but when you drink alcohol, you are helping to cripple your rational, reasoning brain and giving your pleasure-seeking brain a huge megaphone. So, let's say you're out with a guy. He's cute, but you're feeling just so-so about him and you probably wouldn't want to go out with him again. But to make the date a little more fun, you start in on the martinis. Soon all you can see is the cute. A few hours later, you're looking at a very awkward morning." BING: WHAT YOUR DRINK SAYS ABOUT YOU DO learn to really listen to the man sitting across from you on a date. "He is telling you all you need to know those first few times you get together. Really tune in when he drones on like a mama's boy or blabs incessantly about his ex. If he's unavailable -- married, moody, or obsessed with his motorcycle -- toodles to him. Really hear what he's sayin' right off the bat, ladies, and you'll save yourself a whole lot of heartache down the road." -- Maryjane Fahey and Caryn Beth Rosenthal, authors of Dumped BING: HOW TO LISTEN TO YOUR PARTNER DON'T treat dates like performance art. Remember, you're not only trying to impress the guy; you should be seeing if he's a good fit for you. "I tend to forget that and treat dates like I'm on a stage in front of an audience of one," says Smitten blogger Gena Kaufman. "I plan my wardrobe for hours, perfect my makeup, and once at the bar, it's show time: jokes, stories, hair flips, etc. If a guy seems charmed by my act, I consider it a good date. But then flash forward to a third or fourth date, when I realize that while I was so busy being excited that he liked me, I forgot to actually notice whether I was interested in him." BING: HOW TO IMPRESS ON A FIRST DATE DO flirt. "Make eye contact and smile at anyone who catches your eye for three seconds," says DeAlto. "If he is interested, he will approach. In a relationship? Keep flirting! Continue to make him feel like the center of the universe. It will do wonders for your connection." BING: HOW TO FLIRT DON'T forget your manners. We can't imagine this is something you'd ever do, but a little reminder never hurts: Say thank you."Good manners have become so old-fashioned that men now wait for the thank-you at the end of the date as a way to see if she's worth seeing again," says Brian from New York City. "I don't care if the woman looks like Kate Beckinsale and has a Ph.D.; if she can't be bothered to utter those two little words, I am never calling her again." BING: TABLE MANNERS 101 DO order what you really want. "Don't be afraid to eat like a man. A guy would love to see a woman with a healthy appetite." -- Michael Urie, star of Partners BING: WHAT SHOULD YOU ORDER ON A FIRST DATE? DO pay attention. Guys notice when you're interested in what they're saying, so make sure he's got your full attention. "Give him direct eye contact about 80 percent of the conversation, be positive, and smile easily," says Steinberg. "A group of wild coyotes could break down the door, but you would be too enthralled to notice!" BING: SHOULD YOU DATE YOUR EX? DON'T ask the "five-year plan" question too soon. "Talking about at what age you'd like to get married and have kids too early in the conversation changes the whole tone of trying to get to know someone," says Jessi Bockting from Louisville, Kentucky. "It suddenly feels like a job interview." BING: WHEN TO HAVE THE WHAT ARE WE TALK? DO look for red flags. "People have a great way of telling you who they are, if you are willing to listen," says Della Casa. "I once knew a woman who went on a date with a guy who jokingly told her he lacked empathy. She brushed it off and wondered why he was so callous with her feelings six months later. If the guy you are dating makes questionable comments, is rude to the waiter, or otherwise sends your gut into a spin, move on." BING: DATING RED FLAGS FOR WOMEN DON'T let him know you've been online-stalking him all week. Look, we know that you've been investigating this guy online since you learned his last name. (We don't blame you, and chances are he's done the same to you.) But if you start in on his alma mater, favorite bands, and how his hair looked in 2004 (which was found thanks to your mad skills at image searching), you are going to creep him out. Big-time. -- Daniel Holloway and Dorothy Robinson, authors of Dating Makes You Want to Die (but You Have to Do It Anyway) BING: ANNOYING KINDS OF FACEBOOK COUPLES DO casually touch him. "The way to a man's (or a woman's, for that matter) heart isn't through his stomach, but his eyes," says Alexander. "Humans have evolved to read the emotions of others, and one way we do it is by looking into the eyes. When we touch each other, even with a casual arm stroke or a friendly hug, and look into each other's eyes, we can trigger a series of chemical events in the brain that lead us to open ourselves up to another person. A hormone called oxytocin is released, driving this response. That's followed by dopamine, a chemical that motivates us to seek out rewarding experiences, like being with you." BING: DATING BODY LANGUAGE EXPLAINED DON'T talk about your ex. No good can come of this! You'll seem either bitter, heartless, or still hung-up -- and any one of these is a huge turnoff. -- Em and Lo, Daily Bedpost BING: DATE CONVERSATIONS TO AVOID DON'T apologize for being who you are. "Why waste valuable cocktail time with your pals with some wuss who can't handle you. Screw anyone who has a problem with that -- no discussion!" -- Maryjane Fahey and Caryn Beth Rosenthal, authors of Dumped. BING: BEST FIRST-DATE DRINKS DO be aware of time. "When you're on a date, one of the ways to know it's going well -- if you guys are connecting -- is, as the date's wrapping up, if you're thinking Where did the time go? versus Oh my God, I'm so glad this is over," says Bloom. BING: HOW TO TELL IF A DATE IS GOING WELL DO read into the first kiss. It may seem like dating 101, but a kiss at the end of the evening really does shed light on how he feels. "This may sound hard to believe, but a whopping 74 percent of guys polled in WTF Are Men Thinking would not kiss their date at the end if they were not attracted to her," says Almaraz. "If you're on the date and you like the guy, lean in for that kiss. If he's into you, you'll know quickly." BING: THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT KISSING DO play it straight. "Honesty, with yourself and the person you're dating, is always the best policy," says Alexander. "I don't just mean telling the truth about what you do, or that you're not really that great a skier, but also honesty about what you want. Any man worth your time will appreciate a woman who has reasonable expectations for him -- and him for you. Also be honest about what you want from life. Conforming to what you think he wants isn't a great recipe for anybody." BING: DATING RULES TO LIVE BY DO accept that a date is not a relationship. Remember that most dates are nights out with strangers -- even if you've gone on three of them. "It's OK to be excited, but take some time to get to know the person in front of you before you plan your future together in your head," says Della Casa. BING: WHEN DOES DATING TURN INTO A RELATIONSHIP? DON'T be a friend with benefits if you want a relationship. "If you want to date someone, do not pretend you are OK just having sex," says Cohen. "If you've started and want to know if someone wants to be with you or just your vagina, stop offering the benefit until you can get a commitment." BING: IS FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS A GOOD IDEA? DON'T expect anything if you sleep with him. "If you want to sleep with him, go ahead -- just be safe! -- but understand that most men have a remarkable ability to separate sex and emotion," says Della Casa. "If he's not calling you his girlfriend, taking you to dinner, or otherwise courting you beforehand, don't expect a roll in the sack to change that." BING: MOST COMMON RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS DON'T overanalyze or investigate if the guy doesn't call you again. "You two didn't click. So what? Move on and don't take it personally. Don't cloud yourself up with negative thoughts -- it'll just drive you nuts, and you know it." -- Maryjane Fahey and Caryn Beth Rosenthal, authors of Dumped. BING: DATING & TEXTING DO date at your own pace. "My mom told me that I should never compare my relationship with my friends' relationships. About five of my girlfriends got engaged within six months of one another, and I started wondering what was wrong with me. Was it OK that I didn't feel ready to marry my boyfriend of two years? Did that mean I didn't really love him? My mom said, 'You can't put yourself -- or the relationship -- on a time line because of the way another relationship has progressed.'" -- Kaci Eaves, Fort Worth, Tex. BING: MOST COMMON MARRIAGE FIGHTS DON'T talk yourself into a relationship. "If it doesn't feel right, then it's wrong," says Cohen. "Relationships shouldn't be complicated, and it shouldn't take convincing yourself someone is good enough for you." BING: MOST ROMANTIC TRIPS DO stop asking for love advice. "When you ask for 20 people's advice on what to do in a particular situation, you can become paralyzed by information overload and end up going against your best judgment, says Daily. "Just go to one or two close friends when you need a hint in the love department. Or even ask yourself if you need advice at all -- most of the time you probably already know what to do." BING: CELEBRITY RELATIONSHIP ADVICE DO remember that you're the object of your affection. "I take myself out, treat myself to massages, and am making a conscious effort to be my own beloved," says Marder. "When I feel down, I think about what I would say to someone I care about and do the same for myself. I figure as long as I'm living single, I may as well make it worth it." BING: HOW TO PAMPER YOURSELF DON'T text. "Communicating by text doesn't trigger the same responses in our brains as interacting face-to-face," says Alexander. "Texting is less rewarding and provides less of the chemical reactions that lead to human bonding. It's not like you shouldn't ever text, like if you're late or want to change plans, but if you've got anything important to say, including something seductive, texting isn't the way to go." BING: TEXTING DON'TS DO trust your instincts. "Years ago, I suspected that my boyfriend was cheating. I even went looking through his phone for proof. The thing is, guilty or innocent, it didn't matter. I already knew in my gut that he was wrong for me. Now I listen to my gut and save myself the detective work." -- Genese Jamilah, Savannah BING: SIGNS HE'S CHEATING DON'T waste time being jealous. "That guy your best friend just got engaged to was right for her, not you, and her engaged status doesn't mean you will always be single," says Della Casa. "Be happy for your friends and not only will your friendships flourish, but you may even meet someone at their weddings." BING: HOW TO OVERCOME JEALOUSY IN A RELATIONSHIP DO your best to listen to your friends when they tell you your new boyfriend is a jerk. "When the people who love you the most have a problem with someone who knows you the least, listen up," says Cohen. "These people probably see something you are too afraid to see or want to avoid acknowledging." BING: SIGNS YOU'RE DATING THE WRONG PERSON DO stay positive. "Even if you have had a few frustrating experiences, a great attitude will make all the difference," says DeAlto. BING: HOW TO STAY HAPPY & POSITIVE DO have a life outside your relationship. "You never know, one day your boyfriend or girlfriend might say goodbye," says Cohen, "and if you always have a life, you always have somewhere to go, something to do, and someone to go with." BING: NEW HOBBIES TO TRY

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There's good news in the joy business these days: Recent research suggests it's not a fancy lifestyle that makes people happy. "Rather, any effortless pleasure or thing that strengthens social bonds or gives you a positive sense of control has measurable mental benefits," says Leaf Van Boven, associate professor of psychology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. So we teased out the latest tips from positive-psychology pros. They're all easy and potent...and most don't cost a dime. Flower Power A cheap sunflower stem for your desk gives a bunch of benefits in one. It has associations with the sun and an almost human-looking face, and the color of its petals has been shown to evoke positive emotions. Plus, people with plants in their offices actually feel happier about their jobs, according to a new study in HortScience. Give a Pup a Massage Just hanging around an animal has been shown to reduce stress and lower your blood pressure. But if Fido is high-strung, you can both benefit from rubbing him down, starting around his neck and moving down his spine in small circular movements. He'll be relaxed and ready to unleash more of that unconditional love. Plus, you'll get a boost from making another creature feel great. Take the Long Way Home Routines comfort humans, but ironically, switching them up and making them more novel also creates positive emotions. Once a week, throw a curve into your commute by swinging by a park on the way home or taking a river road to enjoy the scenery. Gleeful Eating Who doesn't love to chow? Follow these tips to get an even bigger mood boost from your meals. 1. Choose a white plate. Its clean palette accentuates the positive emotions you get from looking at a variety of hues and focuses your senses, making food taste better. 2. Color code your meals. A rainbow of colors makes you happy, but red may trigger you to eat more, so add yellow corn, some peppers, purple eggplant, and a sprig of mint or parsley. 3. Order first at a restaurant. After the first person goes, others tend to choose differently and wind up less satisfied with their pick, says Dan Ariely, PhD, author of Predictably Irrational. Love Notes 101 Firing one off to your man or even a great friend can bring you a feeling of contentment, says financial adviser Brent Kessel, author of It's Not About the Money. So we brought in singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, whose romantic songs are iTunes best sellers, to help craft the perfect one. 1. Know your subject. If the object of your affection loves a certain food, color, quote, or animal, write about that. Be specific. 2. Avoid the words heart, soul, rose, forever, and die. All are grossly overused and make you seem unoriginal. 3. Don't rhyme. Ever. 4. Illustrations are always cool. 5. Make him/her smile. Laughter is the best aphrodisiac. Just Say No The happiest people feel they have power over their time, says David G. Myers, author of The Pursuit of Happiness . Say “Sorry, I'm already booked” to a distant cousin's shower or a nonessential work lunch. Light a Scented Candle for No Reason Stop saving your pretty pillar for entertaining and hookups. (What, you alone aren't worth it?) Burn that thing to wick's end, especially in a scent like lavender or green apple, which have been proven to lift your mood. Eat Nostalgic Snacks You sorta recall loving Fruit Roll-Ups or s'mores as a kid, but chances are, it's been a million years since you've had them. Let us reintroduce you to their selling points: (a) Yum, and (b) the taste flashback brings up the sweet memories linked to these treats. Set an Absurdly Easy Goal Even if it's just Get to work on time , Clean out wallet , or Make homemade vinaigrette , “accomplishments, no matter how insignificant, strengthen your sense of control over your life, and happiness is a by-product of feeling in control,” says psychologist John Reich, PhD. Flake Let that mountain of laundry slide for a weekend, and instead, simply read a great book or take a walk in nature. If you can't hang out at home without guilt, apartment-sit for a pal. “Most of us are wired to do things to make ourselves happy, but just being in the moment creates joy,” says Kessel. Find Your Perfect Hue Painting a wall at home can have a mood-boosting effect, says psychologist Nancy J. Stone, PhD, who studies the impact of color. It's thought that blue is calming (ideal for bedrooms) and green creates a relaxed feeling (good for living rooms). Yellow is said to be cheery — a great kitchen hue. Go for a Run Scientists recently confirmed the existence of the endorphin-fueled runner's high, so get out there and go till you hit your wall. Then ride the exercise buzz...and the sense of satisfaction, whether you made it 1 mile or 10. Crack Open a Cold One Postsweat After Ultimate Frisbee with pals, try drinking a beer. It can actually help you rehydrate and prevent muscle pain, says a University of Granada study. More from Cosmopolitan 6 Instant Confidence Boosters Brillant Ways To Save Bucks Stay Positive at Work How to Be Just Bitchy Enough Yes, You Should Trust Your Gut

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More from Glamour 10 Things He's Thinking When You're Naked 15 Things Men Don't Want You to Know About Them 7 Ways to Convince Any Man You're Right His Top 10 Sex Wishes Revealed 12 Secret Signs He's Into You Recently, I went on my first-ever road trip with a boyfriend. Not counting family vacations, I'd never spent so much time on the road and I'd never traveled with my guy (or any guy, for that matter) before. So, how'd it work out? Pretty well, I think. 1,100 miles and three states later, we didn't kill each other nor spend 1,099 miles bickering, so that's a thumbs up in my book. While I'll spare you the stories of the treasures discovered in the roadside rest stops along the way, I will give you my best advice for surviving your own long car ride with your guy. 1. Pre-arrange your entertainment selection. Before we set out, we picked out an audiobook that we wanted to listen to for the longer stretches of our ride. We'd also discussed in advance some CDs that we both wanted to hear, so we avoided the tug-of-war that can be the in-flight entertainment, so to speak. 2. Come armed with an inside joke. There's no avoiding it a lack of sleep and proper legroom can make even the happiest person a little grouchy. If things start to get a little tense, rely on an inside joke to break the tension. Ours? A funny word that I'd randomly blurt out any time either of us were feeling a little crabby. Miraculously, it worked. 3. Make your bathroom stops strategic. Another unexpected way to break up any moodiness that's creeping into your car rides? Truck stops. Not only will getting a chance to stretch your legs and relieve yourselves relax you both, but C and I had some of the funniest moments on our trip in highway rest centers, where the slogans on the t-shirts (including "Tequila makes my clothes fall off"), the hilariously tacky souvenirs and the curious portable food choices had us laughing for hours. 4. Be extra-helpful while he's behind the wheel. Since we both live in New York and neither one of us has car insurance, we had to pick one of us to do all the driving, or buying temporary insurance would have gotten way too expensive. So, C drove the whole way. I helped him out with accessing his food and drink while we were on the road, and did an extra-diligent navigating job. Overall it helped make the whole experience way more pleasant. 5. Wear something that's not a pain to sit in. The last thing a guy wants you fussing with on the trip? Your outfit. OK, sure, you wanna look cute but trust me, he'd much rather you pick jeans over a cute skirt if it means you won't have to stop a zillion times to adjust your adorable but completely inappropriate outift. Video: Get a Good Night's Sleep In Your Car> More from Bing and MSN Lifestyle Site Search: See more on road trips , traveling with your guy and romantic vacations .

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The three-date rule, as firmly practiced by Charlotte York in "Sex and the City," stated that the third date was the appropriate time to have sex with a guy. But according to this survey , the old three-date rule is out, and now, women are waiting five dates before having sex. (Evidently, they are also waiting for 12 text conversations, two gifts, and three movie nights. Um, OK I guess?) Sure. Five dates seems like an OK amount of time to spend getting to know each other. But so does three dates. So does 20 dates. So does three years of dating and a six-month engagement, if that's your thing. My point is, there isn't a universal right amount of time for every person. There isn't even necessarily a right amount of time for one person in every situation. Maybe with one guy, you couldn't keep your hands off each other on the first date, but then with the next, it took you months to feel comfortable. If you have your own rule for yourself, that's fine, but a) I think you should consider breaking it every once in a while and b) even if you don't, don't assume your rule is right for anyone else. Just like any other thing in life from waking up in the morning to buying a house to having kids we don't all have to do it at the same time. End of discussion. Just kidding, it's never the end of discussion! So discuss: Do you follow a rule for when to sleep with someone? If so, what is it? And even if you don't have a rule, per se, is there a general amount of time that feels right to you? More from Glamour: • 10 Beauty Tricks That Make Guys Melt • 10 Most Wearable Spring 2014 Fashion Trends • 50 Wedding Dresses That Will Make Your Heart Skip a Beat • 25 Celebrity Hairstyles That Will Make You Want Bangs • 10 Wardrobe Essentials Every Woman Should Own

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[Editor's note: John Ortved is the male half of the blogging duo behing Glamour.com's dating blog, Single-ish . This is an excerpt from that blog.] Recently, the Supreme Court did some trimming of the Miranda Rights (those rights made apparent to a suspect when police are arresting him: "you have the right to remain silent," etc.) This will ultimately change the way lawyers, accused criminals and police interact and could have profound effects on our justice system, but in my little world of dating and blogging, it immediately turned my attention to the following: Do we have dating Miranda rights? And if so, what are they? 1. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to keep some things to yourself. To have diaries, email accounts and text logs that are privy to no one but you. You do not have the right to go smooching other people and keep that to yourself, but you do have the right to fantasize about smooching others and then write about it in your diary, talk about it with your friends, or just have a good old time with those thoughts by yourself. 2. You have the right to avoid parenting. You're his girlfriend, not his mommy. If he needs someone to reassure him constantly, tell him how great he is, and wash his socks, he should spend less time being needy and more time working so that he can afford a life coach, paid fans, and a maid respectively. Conversely, if she needs someone to pay for everything, fight her battles, and prop her up against every minor insecurity, she should consider her right to move back home or date a much older man. 3. You have the right to ask but not to tell. Relationships die if they don't progress or they stagnate, which for some of us is just a long, slow death. Sometimes change needs to happen, and you have to ask for it. Maybe you need him to go out less. Maybe he needs you to be more affectionate. Maybe you need him to be nicer to your family. Maybe he needs you to do something different in bed. It's up to you to ask, and, unless you feel like an ultimatum is your only option, up to no one to tell. 4. You have the right to dates … if he cannot afford a dinner date, it will be up to him to get creative. A girl likes to be taken out. Not just "like." It's her right as an attractive, scintillating, fun-loving woman. I know young women who, from dating jerks, or just hipsters, have literally never been asked out on a proper date. I'm not saying that he has to show up in a fancy car with flowers and chocolates for your mom, but a proper date from time to time is necessary. 5. You have the right to clean up after yourself and only yourself. I am not the tidiest of all people, but I try, and other people's mess (in space I've shared with a significant other) drives me up the wall. If it's a space you share, even if he just stays at your apartment from time to time, it deserves to be respected. 6. You have the right to see your friends. Jealousy is a killer. As is neediness. If you can't handle him spending time with his friends without you, maybe you just can't handle him. And if he can't handle you doing your own thing, whether it's work, family time, or your girlfriends (guy friends too!), maybe he needs to grow up and find something to occupy his time with other than worrying about what you're doing. 7. You have the right to be right ... and wrong. Everyone argues. It's a fact of relationships. And someone is always right and someone is always wrong. But that's not the point. How you approach arguments and their resolution can define you in a relationship. Are you a gloater? Do you hold grudges? Can you get over things? Do you choose your battles or do you focus on the smallest little things? 8. You have the right to judge and be judged. Hey, taste is important. People who are overly judgmental are annoying, but people who don't judge anything are worse. We need to judge things to curate the people, places and things we want in our lives. There's only so much any of us is, or should be, willing to put up with.

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More from Cosmopolitan 9 Surprising Things Men Look For in a Wife 8 Fascinating Facts About Women and Relationships What Men Secretly Think of Your Hair and Makeup The Best Gifts for Your Sex Life 8 Things Guys Notice About You Instantly Everyone got a promotion...except you If a bunch of your co-workers just got promoted and you didn't, you may need to start hunting. But before you do, step up and ask for more responsibility at your current gig. Be straightforward and tell your boss you'd like to advance in the company, and say you want more opportunities outside of what you're currently doing. If your higher-up seems open to it and gives you new things to do, it means you might be able to grow. But if he or she seems hesitant, it shows they may not value you, and you need to start looking. You daydream about being something else It's not an uncommon situation: All your life, you've wanted to be a veterinarian -- and yet here you are, stuffing envelopes at some random office job. Or waiting tables. Or whatever. And while it's totally understandable to take a temporary 9-to-5 just to make ends meet, you need to give your gig an expiration date. Pick a day in the future when you'll start really trying to make your dream gig happen. In the meantime, ask your boss if you can help with the stuff at your company that's more in your desired path. If you want to be a lawyer but you're currently an administrative assistant, see if you can do some extra work with the legal department at your company. That way, even though you're not actually working at a law firm, you're still getting experience in the field -- and it'll be way easier to make the leap when you're ready. You seriously dread going to work Getting upset or fed-up on the job every once in a while is normal. But if you have a case of the Mondays on pretty much every other day of the week, too, then...ding ding ding!...you probably need to make moves. Being unhappy at work causes you to be unproductive, and you'll start churning out work that's not up to par. And that'll make you feel even crappier. So if you've been unhappy for a more than a month or two, start trying to find a workplace environment that you'll enjoy more.

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New research has uncovered a fascinating little strategy for achieving any goal. Curious? Read on to find out what you need to do. It's a commonly held belief that whenever you set a new goal for yourself -- whether it's scoring your ideal job, writing a screenplay, or yogacizing your bod down a size or two -- you should broadcast it to everyone you know. After all, the more people you tell, the more likely you'll do it because you don't want to be thought of as a failure, right? Wrong. New research shows the opposite is true. A study conducted at New York University found that blabbing about your goal can give you a false sense of accomplishment, making you less likely to actually go after it. BING: HOW TO VISUALIZE WHAT YOU WANT Reaping the Benefits Here's an example: Imagine you tell a friend that you want to train to be a long-distance runner. Your bud has a "Oh, wow, that's great!" reaction, and you get a jolt of satisfaction and pride. You feel so satisfied, in fact, that you lose motivation to get up early and jog. Why should you, when you're already reaping the benefits of being known as a runner? The smarter strategy: Don't tell a soul. Of course, that's easier said than done. Keep reading for more reasons to stay mum, plus tips for achieving your dream on the down-low. Why Secret Dreams Are So Freakin' Powerful Okay, so you can at least tell your BFF, right? Nope. "By not telling anyone, you're making sure your goal is something you're really doing for yourself," says K.C. McCulloch, PhD, an assistant professor at Idaho State University who worked on the study. That's opposed to, say, just wanting to have something impressive to talk about at parties. Plus, you won't run the risk of letting anyone else's opinions get in your way. "What stops a lot of people from doing the things they dream of is other people," says Susan B. Wilson, a life coach in Michigan and founder of Get Over It, Move On! "If you tell someone you want to apply to a graduate program, they may go on about how terrible the campus is...and you may start to believe them when you really should be trusting your own gut." Beyond that, loved ones may have ulterior motives for being naysayers. If you announce that you're going to be devoting tons of time to a big goal, a good friend or your significant other may worry that he or she will see less of you and subconsciously distract you from the finish line.Two more reasons why keeping your dream a secret will help your cause: You'll be so antsy finally to be able to share it with everyone that you'll put your nose to the grindstone and get it done as fast as possible. And doing something just for you feels selfish in a really good way. "Women tend to overextend themselves for loved ones," says psychologist Lucy Jo Palladino, PhD, author of Find Your Focus Zone. "So if they can have something that is solely theirs, it can feel really special." How to Self-Motivate When No One Knows Staying on task without support from your friends and family might sound impossible, but there are some easy, tried-and-true ways to do it. "There's something called the fantasy realization theory that has proven to help people attain whatever they want," says McCulloch. The gist is that you must fantasize about your goal on a regular basis -- think about all the awesome consequences of achieving it. Then think about all the negative things you'll have to deal with along the way: sacrificing time with friends, paying for expensive classes, etc. "Often, people think about only either the really good stuff or the terrible stuff," says McCulloch. "But by considering both, you make the fantasy more realistic, and it will seem more attainable." Not only that, but it also helps you plan exactly which steps you need to take to get there. "Surrounding yourself with people who have some connection to your dream is also sure to push you forward," says McCulloch. If you want to get into the fashion industry, for example, schedule lots of time with fashion-forward pals. They may not know what you're trying to do, but being around them will keep your eyes on the prize. If You Have to Blab to Someone… ...Make sure you pick the right person to share your dream with. "Choose someone you trust completely who has never been competitive with you and has been successful at achieving her own goals," says Palladino. Can't think of anyone who fits the bill? Zip your damn lips, and try writing an anonymous blog (just be sure to turn off the comments option). That way, you can tell the whole world without suffering any of the negative effects of outing your secret.

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Does your love life always seem to stall after the first or second date? You might be shooting yourself in the romantic foot without knowing it. Check out the missteps that experts and women who've been there say could be holding you back from love. Complaining About Your Day on a Date "When chatting about your day, it may seem natural to bring up the bad day you had at work, the argument with your friend or the fact that you couldn't find parking earlier," says James Wadley, Ph.D., the author of "Would You Marry You?" But on a first date you might want to "keep your bad attitude at home, and then go out to meet others to show them how adaptable, resilient and sexy you can be." Asking About His Five Year Plans Too Soon "Talking about at what age you'd like to get married and have kids too early on in the conversation changes the whole tone of trying to get to know someone," says Jessi Bockting, from Louisville, Kentucky. "It suddenly feels like a job interview." Seeing Being Single as a Problem This kind of thinking can lead women to believe they're being "too picky" or "too needy," says Karin Anderson, Ph.D., the author of It Just Hasn't Happened Yet, and it can cause them to create a fake personality. "When they present this phony self, they naturally attract the wrong men, and ultimately these relationships fail," she says. Not Making New Single Friends "Continuing to make friends when you're single can be as important as getting out and meeting men," says Kate Galvin, from Philadelphia. "When you don't have a circle of girls also facing singledom, you don't have anyone kicking your butt to get out there and meet people. It's easier to hang out with your married/in a relationship/platonic pals than motivate yourself to go out." Watching Too Many Chick Flicks "Chick flicks paint a vision of love that just isn't realistic, and then you have all these expectations and you start painting a picture of 'the perfect man' in your mind. But a person's imperfections are what make him interesting, and that doesn't mean he won't be right for you." Amy Landon, Louisville, Ky. Going Out in a Huge Group of People "The best size group to go out with is three," says Shannon Fox, the author of Last One Down the Aisle Wins. Going out alone might invite men to talk to you but only because you seem vulnerable and desperate. Two is too easily unbalanced. (What nice guy wants to ask a girl to dance if it means leaving her friend all alone?) And four is too intimidating no guy wants to risk putting himself out there in front of a gang of potentially critical women." Over-Romanticizing Your Perfect "Type" "There was a period of time I wanted to date only tortured artists I just love the idea of being someone's muse," says Erica DelGrosso, from Queens, New York. "But I realized that they are tortured because they are selfish and make things hard for themselves. Only when I finally let that go did I meet my husband, who constantly inspires me." Telling Him What You Think He Wants to Hear "I used to work so hard to make sure my interests matched those of the guys I was trying to attract I'd play up things I was mildly into. But the second I stopped trying so hard to impress others and started doing things that made me happy, I gained loads of self-confidence and love found me." Erin Fritch, Brooklyn, N.Y. Asking for Too Much Love Advice "When you ask for 20 people's advice on what to do in a particular situation, you can become paralyzed by information overload and end up going against your best judgment, says Lisa Daily, the author of Stop Getting Dumped! "Just go to one or two close friends when you need a hint in the love department. Or even ask yourself if you need advice at all most of the time you probably already know what to do."

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Tear up your old "love list" for your ideal mate, says dating writer Amy Spencer, and write a new one based not on what you think you want, but how you want to feel. Get some additional tips from her book "Meeting Your Half-Orange: An Utterly Upbeat Guide to Using Dating Optimism to Find Your Perfect Match." Your "Type" Don't ask for a physical type; ask to feel madly attracted to him! My friend, let's call her Paula, used to date only skinny intellectual types. Then she began looking, she says, "with my heart instead of my eyes." Along came a rounder, cuddlier creative guy whom she found herself so drawn to that they got married three mere months later. The fact is, if you spend every night out scanning the room for a broad-shouldered, dark-haired Ken doll, you might overlook the one who could really give you butterflies. Laughing Together Don't ask for a sense of humor; ask to laugh! When I was single, I prayed to meet someone with a great, biting wit. Then I dated a stand-up comic and it was depressing. Learn from my mistake, and look for a relationship that makes you and your partner feel lighter, happier and understood, one in which you can find your own brand of funny together. Find Someone Passionate Don't ask for a guy with a great job; ask to admire his passion! I used to dream of marrying a doctor, an architect, an airline exec who came with free flights. But aside from empty wishes (see: free flights) and a little stalking, that got me nowhere. So I started to ask to feel inspired by a partner's passion, and soon an artist stepped into my path. I didn't know him, but I recognized him immediately and, yes, I married him. Rethink Your Love List? Forget the superficial musts, says author Amy Spencer, and focus on how you want to feel in the relationship. Here's how … MUST Be Funny? Your old love list says: He's got to be Tracy-Morgan-meets-Larry-David funny. Your new love list says: I want us to laugh our tails off. MUST Fit Your Ideal Man Attributes? Your old love list says: Dark hair, blue eyes (cute babies!) You new love list says: I want to be madly attracted to him. MUST Be a Fitness Fanatic? Your old love list says: He has to keep his (chiseled, hairless) body in top shape. Your new love list says: I want to feel we're living an anti-couch potato lifestyle. MUST Be Tall? Your old love list says: He's got to be tall enough that I can wear heels at the wedding. Your new love list says: I want to feel safe and, yes, feminine in his arms. MUST Be Competitive? Your old love list says: He must be as good at Scrabble as he is on his Wii. Your new love list says: I want to feel like he gives my brain a workout. MUST Be Wealthy? Your old love list says: Rich!!! Your new love list says: I want to feel secure and proud of him, socially and privately. MUST Compliment Me? Your old love list says: He should tell me I'm beautiful daily. Your new love list says: I want to feel pretty, makeup optional. MUST Be Ultra Attentive? Your old love list says: He's got to be a good listener. Your new love list says: I want to feel heard and understood. MUST Share My Opinions? Your old love list says: We should believe in the same causes. Your new love list says: I want to feel like he "gets" me.

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