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☆ Remnants of 5,000-year-old tavern discovered in Iraq include an oven, refrigerator, benches for customers, and even an ancient beer recipe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Archaeologists found the remains of a 5,000-year-old tavern in Iraq, CBS News reported. The site is known to be among the earliest urban centers of the Sumerian civilization. A primitive refrigerator and a recipe for beer were among items uncovered. Archaeologists also found a recipe for ancient beer at the site, CBS News reported. Pittman told AFP the archaeologists also found a refrigerator, as well as "hundreds of vessels ready to be served" and "benches where people would sit."

☆ 10 smart real-estate investing strategies to follow now as nationwide home prices begin falling, according to a housing industry guru and investor
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

BiggerPockets' Dave Meyer predicts a year ripe with uncertainty for the real estate sector. Real estate investor and expert Dave Meyer has good news: national home prices are due for a decline in 2023. But alongside the coming correction, Meyer warned investors that the real estate sector will also include its fair share of obstacles and volatility this year. What's more, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to real estate investing, since housing markets are highly diverged between regions. Homebuyers need to stay calmIn addition to those three pieces of advice, Meyer shared seven more real estate investing strategies to consider this year in his 2023 real estate market outlook report.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's psychiatrist was hired at FTX to 'coach' and counsel employees, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

SBF's personal psychiatrist was on staff at FTX, according to the Wall Street Journal. Dr. George Lerner was hired to engage with employees as a "coach," not a medical professional, the Journal reported. In an email, Lerner told the Wall Street Journal he focused on creating a sustainable work environment while at the company. "They were amazing people — driven, brilliant, wanting to make a positive impact on the world," Lerner told the Journal. Following the collapse of FTX and amid charges of fraud against Bankman-Fried, Lerner told the Journal he's now focusing on rebuilding his private practice.

☆ Abuses Proliferate in Police Squads Like Memphis's Scorpion Unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Katherine Long | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +27 min

Street Crime Unit. Jon Naso/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesMemphis police chief Davis also has prior experience with special street crime units. Street crime squads are popular among politicians who say only aggressive policing will reduce violent crime. In the late 1990s, the Street Crime Unit tripled in size, amid a panic over a rising number of homicides. In a city grappling with violent crime, authorities touted the Street Crime Unit as a bright spot.

☆ They Poured Their Savings Into Homes That Were Never Built
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Isabelle Qian | Agnes Chang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +13 min

We talked to four people who emptied their life savings and took out huge loans for homes that have not been completed. “It was a simple dream — to have a home, a family,” Mr. Tang said. Mr. Tang, who works in a restaurant, sold a small place he had out in the countryside. “When I think about the unfinished apartment, it’s as if I’m falling from heaven to hell, ” Mr. Tang said. Homeowners atop one of the unfinished apartment towers call for construction to fully resume.

☆ I quit the big city to become a virtual assistant in the Spanish mountains. Here's how I work fewer hours and got started without personal-assistant experience.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Helen Taylor, a 40-year-old virtual assistant living in the Asturias province of Spain. But from my research, I realized that "virtual assistant" is an umbrella term for a lot of different work. Associates work for a lead virtual assistant who hands over the tasks they may not have the time or ability to complete. I started by offering clients tasks I knew I could do. I start work early so my clients in London can start at 9 a.m. with a clean inbox.

☆ I left Manhattan for LA. It's easier to make friends, my cost of living is lower, and I'm so much happier here.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Daniel Zahler | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

I got the full New York City experienceI lived in Manhattan for 12 years. In 2015, I decided to sublet my West Village pad and spend the winter in Santa Monica. Santa Monica is one of the priciest areas of California, but it's still cheaper than Manhattan. Today I'm paying $3,000 a month for a spacious apartment in the heart of Santa Monica with amazing views of mountains and palm trees. New York City is unrivaled in its energy and diversity and is the major league of cities — truly world-class.

☆ I spent $165,000 on a 215-year-old home I found via Instagram. It's falling apart, but I have big plans.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Kayli Angeleaux bought a home via Cheap Old Houses, an Instagram account with 2 million followers. She found it via Cheap Old Houses, an Instagram account and newsletter started by Elizabeth and Ethan Finkelstein that spotlights homes for sale across the country and abroad that are, mostly, less than $150,000. Cheap Old HousesAngeleaux and her husband Connor, 29, are chronicling the intense restoration process on YouTube. I was on the Cheap Old Houses Instagram, and I spent way too much time on there. And then on May 11, 2022, I got the Cheap Old Houses email.

☆ Sheng Thao, once homeless and fleeing abuse, becomes the mayor of Oakland, California
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Claire Wang | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Thao spoke with NBC Asian American about her vision for Oakland and how her upbringing shaped her advocacy for working families. Mayor-elect Sheng Thao is greeted by supporters following a news conference at City Hall in downtown Oakland, Calif., on Nov. 23, 2022. Jane Tyska / East Bay Times via Getty ImagesNBC Asian America: You’re the first Hmong American to become mayor of a major city. The Hmong community itself is already politically engaged. That’s made a huge impact especially on our Hmong girls because the Hmong community is still quite patriarchal.

☆ China's big consumer market isn't rebounding to pre-pandemic levels just yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

For the past six months, revenue had dropped to 30% of typical levels, Chong said. The travel season for China's big holiday runs this year from around Jan. 7 to Feb. 15. That's twice what it was last year, and 70% of 2019 levels, China's Ministry of Transport said Friday. It noted most of the trips will likely be for visiting family, while just 10% will be for leisure or business travel. By that time, people will have been able to process their passport applications, while the number of international flights may have recovered to 50% or 60% of 2019 levels, Chen said.

The best hotel credit cards all have one outstanding benefit that gives cardholders the incentive to renew year after year: free night certificates and/or bonus points that are worth more than the annual fee. 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent in your top three spend categories each quarter through 12/31/23, then your top two categories each quarter. Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases, Card Members are eligible to select an Earned Choice Award benefit. Show more Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR) 20.24% - 27.24% Variable Editor's Rating 4.4 /5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 4.4 out of 5 Stars Our editor's ratings analyze fees, bonuses, rewards, and benefits to highlight the simplest and most valuable credit cards available. Credit Cards With Annual Free Nights Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)How do I use a free night certificate?

☆ I write and direct Christmas movies. It's easy to fall into a formula — this is how we try and keep ours fresh.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Jack Needham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Sandra L. Martin says it's a "huge challenge" to keep Christmas movies "fresh." I've directed 12 films so far, and I've done three Christmas movies in the past two years. I hadn't made a Christmas movie until 2020When COVID-19 locked everybody down, all of our work was canceled. Keeping Christmas movies fresh is a huge challengeIt's easy to fall into a formula where someone moves from the big city to a small town. Christmas movies are now an industry, and a booming industry at that.

☆ 'Selling Sunset' star Jason Oppenheim shares what he looks for when buying a new home and his top advice for buyers in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Dorothy Cucci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

He says low inventory won't change anytime soon and that homes sitting on the market are often hidden gems. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jason Oppenheim, president and founder of The Oppenheim Group and star of Netflix's 'Selling Sunset.' Low inventory plus high demand equals higher prices; low inventory plus low demand (which we have now) creates a balance. In a low inventory market, you usually have to give up a few items on your wish list. If you're a seller in a big city, you're gonna have to be patient, but there's going to be decent demand.

☆ How cockatoos are outsmarting humans to feast on our garbage
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Emily Newman | Will Storey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

As cities expand, scientists are examining the relationship between animals and human garbage. Cockatoos in one Australian town have discovered ingenious ways to pry open garbage bins and feast on food waste. But just because wildlife has access to human food, doesn't mean it's good for them. In one Australian suburb, wild cockatoos taught themselves how to open garbage bins. But just because wildlife has access to human food, doesn't mean it's good for them.

☆ The Emotional Benefits of Wandering
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Alison Gopnik | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Psychologist Alison Gopnik explores new discoveries in the science of human nature. One of my greatest pleasures is to be what the French call a “flâneur”—someone who wanders randomly through a big city, stumbling on new scenes. The surrealists used to choose a Paris streetcar at random, ride to the end of the line and then walk around. And think of Mrs. Dalloway in London, Leopold Bloom in Dublin or Holden Caulfield in New York. But is there any scientific evidence for the benefit of “street-haunting,” as Virginia Woolf called it?

The city's homelessness crisis, both an incubator for street crime and a corollary to skyrocketing housing costs, touches almost every facet of life in L.A., even when it's just a backdrop. Bass vowed Sunday to attack it head-on by declaring a citywide state of emergency, an idea that had been circulating through City Hall since at least 2015. Bass is promising a new day and inspiring L.A.'s guardians to forget about the bickering, at least for a moment. "Where there’s will, there’s women," she said. "And where there’s women, there’s forever a way."

☆ A 'California girl' settled down in a remote Canadian city with her husband. They were finally able to buy a home and have a slice of the American dream.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Bill Murphy Jr. | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Erin Ventura had no intention of leaving Los Angeles — until she met her Canadian husband, Justin Chiang. Erin Ventura grew up in Los Angeles, and she describes herself as "a California girl" through and through. But since Chiang was a Canadian citizen and Ventura was American, they had to choose which country to live in. Ventura said her husband was making a bit over 60,000 Canadian dollars a year playing in the military band. But I think in this case it's more of a 'big city, small city' kind of thing.

☆ In Tulsa, Modest Home Prices and ‘Wholesome’ Living Lure Big City Buyers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( David Christopher Kaufman | Photographs Christopher Creese For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

As the Covid pandemic raged around them, Ari Kaplan, his wife, Hannah Phillips-Kaplan, an interior designer, and son, now 13, were looking for somewhere new to live after nearly two decades in Los Angeles. “We wanted to raise our son somewhere more wholesome and with a stronger sense of community,” said Mr. Kaplan, 50, the chief financial officer for e-commerce company Mamenta. “And we talked about Austin, Portland, Charlotte, Denver and New York,” he said. The Kaplans’ list quickly whittled down to New York and Denver. But in the former “I’d just be changing one crazy for another crazy,” Mr. Kaplan said, while the latter felt just “too liberal and crunchy.” And so the Kaplans landed in Tulsa, Okla., the hometown of Ms. Phillips-Kaplan, 43, spurred by family connections, the city’s booming tech scene, its reasonably priced upmarket housing and its middle-of-the-road political climate.

☆ I bought a second home in Spain for $250,000 because I don't want to live in the US anymore. It's half the cost of living in Manhattan.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Michael Steven Grant and his partner bought a second home in Sitges, a town near Barcelona, Spain. Grant worked in nonprofit fundraising before starting in July with VistaFutura, a company that helps Americans purchase and maintain property in Spain. After many years on the west coast I ended up on the east coast again, in Manhattan, eight or nine years ago. A year ago my partner and I were thinking of where we wanted to buy a second place with the hopes of, down the road, retiring to and living full-time. We went back to Spain in March of this year and saw maybe a dozen places, none of which we liked.

☆ This comedian went viral for his TikTok series seeing how long he could live on $100 in New York City
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Kahlan-Rosenblatt.Jpg | Kalhan Rosenblatt | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The purpose is to be transparent about where he spends money and where he is able to save money. It’s my video,’” Hoy said. Because of the experiment, he said, he has also given up drinking alcohol, which has helped him save money. Beyond learning how to stretch his money, Hoy said, the response to his experiment has been exciting. Already, he has sold four shirts at $18 apiece, which he said means he could soon tackle his next $100 experiment.

☆ How I Learned to Be Grateful for What I Have, Rather Than Feeling Guilty
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Francesca Fontana | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The big lesson the author carries from her grandmother: Her sacrifices were made out of love and hope for her family; they were not transactional or conditional. They moved to the big city of Chicago to find work. One took day shifts while the other took nights, working long hours while raising two daughters. Her story always had a happy ending: They transcended their upbringing and gave their children and grandchildren a better life. I loved to hear her tell that story; I cherished its lessons.

☆ 5 apps to help you find new people you (and your dog) actually want to meet
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Jen Glantz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But for those resolving to make new friends in 2023, there's help from some new apps and platforms designed to help connect those living near each other with similar interests. The platform, which is free, allows users to create a profile and connect with age-verified people with similar interests living nearby. When you download the app, you're able to chat with other neighbors on the app. Users can download the app, then create a profile for themselves and their dog. 222Perhaps one of the most unique new apps brands itself neither as a dating app nor as a friend-making service.

☆ A real estate investor who owns 109 properties and is pacing for a 2008-style 'massive opportunity' explains which loans to secure to take advantage of the correction
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Travis Hanson secured a guardian line of credit so he can take advantage of a market correction. Finally, you can consider a home-equity line of credit (HELOC), which uses your property as collateral against the loan. Hanson uses LOCs when his own cash is already tied up. To determine rent rates, Hanson uses AppFolio, a property management software. Hanson then uses the app to send a postcard to the owner on record, offering to buy the house.

☆ ‘Slumberland’ strands Jason Momoa in a nightmare of a movie
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A movie about dreams becomes the stuff of nightmares in Netflix’s utterly misguided “Slumberland,” an attempt to build a sprawling fantasy adventure from the bones of the early-20th-century newspaper comic strip. Most notable as a vehicle for Jason Momoa, this wannabe spectacle from “The Hunger Games” director Francis Lawrence serves up lots of special effects desperately in search of a story. The realm of dreams is described as “a world with no consequence,” but as constructed, that comes in a movie with no clear creative compass, proving more mystifying than magical. Along the way, they run afoul of something called the Bureau of Subconscious Activities, a surreal bureaucracy that sees Flip as an outlaw. Those attributes feel wasted, however, in the surreal confines of “Slumberland,” which, as amusement-park-type names go, doesn’t even qualify as a nice place to visit.

Now, a woman from Austin, Texas, has come forward because she nearly died when she couldn’t get a timely abortion. “We found out that we were going to lose our baby,” Amanda said. “To see in a matter of maybe five minutes, for her to go from a normal temperature to the condition she was in was really, really scary,” he said. That leaves the Zurawskis scared – and furious that they might never have a family because of a Texas law. She and Josh worry about women in rural areas, or poor women, or young, single mothers in states like Texas.

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