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Survive Election Day with the most uplifting music playlist ever, according to a neuroscientist

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american flag dancing dancers

Election day is stressing people out.

If you need some uplifting tunes to avoid a dissociative fugue (or just get your groove one), a neuroscientist may have just the playlist for you.

Dr. Jacob Jolij, of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, created a playlist of feel-good and uplifting songs — and a formula for finding more of them.

The list was commissioned by the British electronics brand Alba. The company surveyed customers around the UK and Ireland, asking everything from their basic music taste to what sounds they listen to to feel happier.

According to Jolij's blog:

"Basically, they asked me whether I could find a general pattern in the songs that respondents reported as 'feel good songs', and whether they could use this pattern to come up with a "formula". I found this an interesting challenge, so I said yes."

The "most uplifting playlist" was the result.

The analysis

It wasn't as easy as crunching some numbers, though.

As Jolij wrote:

"A 'feel good song' is rather tricky to define. Music appreciation is highly personal and strongly depends on social context, and personal associations. In that respect, the idea of a 'feel good formula' is a bit odd — factoring in all these personal aspects is next to impossible, in particular if you want to come up with a quantitative feel good formula. Basically, what you need are song features that you can express in numbers."

Those features, like tempo and mode, were used to analyze the song data set. Three big things stuck out to Jolij.

One big association that stood out was tempo.

"The pattern was very clear — the average tempo of a 'feel good'-song was substantially higher than the average pop song,"Jolij wrote. "Where the average tempo of pop songs is around 118 BPM [beats per minute], the list of feel good songs had an average tempo of around 140 to 150 BPM."

Second, there was a commonality in the key, he says: "Again a very clear pattern: only two or three songs were in a minor key, the rest was all in a major key."

114787982Finally, the lyrics definitely played a role, at least in the songs that made lyrical sense:

"Of course, a song is more than its score. I have also looked at lyrical themes.

"Predominantly, the feel good songs were about positive events (going to a beach, going to a party, doing something with your love, etc.) or did not make sense at all."

The songs

So after deciding what the formula for an uplifting song was, how did this playlist get created?

"I had little to with that actually — we simply took the most often mentioned song per decade,"Jolij wrote."They fit the 'formula' reasonably well."

When asked if anything on the list surprised him, Jolij told Business Insider: "No, not particularly. Which is a good thing, actually — it shows the idea that up-tempo music in a major key makes the best feel-good song seems to work!"

While this obviously isn't a peer-reviewed study in a journal — and likely won't ever be, Jolij says — anecdotally we can say it's pretty darn good.

We've pulled the songs together in Spotify for you, which you can listen to here:

Pajiba also made the playlist with YouTube videos if you aren't a Spotify user.

Jennifer Welsh wrote a previous version of this post.

SEE ALSO: 5 tips for people stressed about this miserable presidential election

DON'T MISS: MIT built software that creates your worst nightmares

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Here are the coolest 'I Voted' stickers from around the United States

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Susan B Anthony grave i voted stickers

The INSIDER Summary:

• Different cities and states give out different "I Voted" stickers.
• Here are some of the best ones in America.



It's election day! Which means that if you don't vote, you definitely won't get a very cool "I Voted" sticker.

The origins of the iconic stickers are unclear. According to Time, they started to become popular in the 1980s. Now, they're everywhere.

There isn't one type of sticker that's consistently distributed around the country. Instead, states, counties, and cities are responsible for buying and distributing them to voters. My county, for example, didn't give me a sticker at all (I had to get a spare one from a coworker). And if the stickers on Susan B. Anthony's grave is any indication, there are several different sticker designs in Rochester, New York.

I took a look at some of the different voting stickers from across the country. Here are the coolest ones I found:

Tennessee's voting sticker is in the shape of the state, instad of using the typical American flag.

Stickers from a voting place in Provo, Utah, incorperated their state's shape in a more subtle way.

Provo UTah i voted sticker

Louisiana is giving out stickers that incorperate George Rodrigue's famous "Blue Dog" painting.

Now that that's done, I'm ready for a cheeseburger! #ivoted #ilovecheeseburgers

A photo posted by Baker (@bakesfj) on Nov 8, 2016 at 8:33am PST on

Georgia isn't using red, white, and blue colors at all. And it won't let anyone forget that it's the peach state.

Georgia i voted sticker

In Clark County, Nevada — one of the most contested battlegrounds in the country — the stickers are reminding voters that America is one big celebration.

Clark county nevada i voted sticker

New York City's "I Voted" sticker keeps the Statue of Liberty front-and-center.

Voted... #vote #nyc #election2016 #creditsista

A photo posted by Credit Sista LLC (@creditsista) on Nov 8, 2016 at 9:18am PST on

Richmond, Virginia, uses the presidential seal instead of the American flag.

#ivoted #myvotematters #myvotecounts #rva

A photo posted by DeAnn (@msgraytisfaction) on Nov 8, 2016 at 8:49am PST on

Do you love your "I Voted" sticker? Let us know and send us a picture to jshamsian@thisisinsider.com.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Animated map shows where your bottled water actually comes from

15 fascinating political biographies to take you through the election and beyond

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President Teddy Roosevelt book

If you're interested in politics but are in the mood for something other than election coverage, you might try turning off the news and cracking open a biography or autobiography of a past political figure instead.

For everyone looking for inspiration from history, Amazon Books senior editor Jon Foro compiled his list of top political biographies and autobiographies. He focused on American politics and stayed away from very recent and hyper-political publications.

Here are his picks, listed in no particular order, with descriptions in his own words:

SEE ALSO: 24 books that will make you a more well-rounded person

'Personal History' by Katharine Graham

"Graham recounts her time as publisher of the Washington Post and its coverage of Watergate and the Pentagon Papers, an altogether different era of investigative journalism."

BUY IT HERE »



'Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln' by Doris Kearns Goodwin

"Goodwin attributes Lincoln's success — both in winning the presidency and within his cabinet, in a radically polarized environment — to a singular political trait: empathy."

BUY IT HERE »



'Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power' by Jon Meacham

"As multifaceted a character as has ever been seen in American history (not to mention politics), Jefferson was perhaps the ideal leader for the young nation still struggling with external threats and its own identity. Pulitzer Prize-winner Meacham weaves the strands of Jefferson's personality into a complete portrait of a sophisticated politician and thinker — a philosopher-president."

BUY IT HERE »



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Google tech guru Urs Hölzle explained the company's plan to beat one of the oldest laws of technology (GOOG, GOOGL)

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Google IO + Urs CloudFor the last few years, there's been increasing evidence that we're reaching the limits of Moore's Law, the prediction made by Intel cofounder Gordon Moore in 1965 that computing power will double ever two years or so.

That's a potentially huge problem for companies like Google, which needs ever more computing brawn to power its various web services, even as it looks to next-generation problems like artificial intelligence.

On stage at the Structure conference on Tuesday, Google's 8th employee and all-around tech guru Urs Hölzle explained the steps Google is taking to circumvent the limits of Moore's Law — and why he thinks Google Cloud can serve as a kind of an escape hatch for businesses struggling with the same issue. 

"Moore's Law is slowing down for a number of reasons," Hölzle says. "That is a big problem for us internally, but it's a much bigger problem for the IT space overall."

It's a well-timed message, as Google redoubles its efforts to topple Amazon's massive lead on the cloud computing market. In fact, almost exactly a year ago at last year's Structure, Hölzle said that he thought cloud computing could eventually generate more revenue for Google than the advertising business which currently provides more the majority of revenue.

Deceleration

Essentially, Hölzle says, as Moore's Law slows down, it means that IT departments are seeing their costs go up: As companies come to depend more on their computing infrastructure, and as they look to do heavy-duty analysis on their business data, the IT departments need more servers just to meet demand.

And the cost of running all that infrastructure isn't getting cheaper or better as fast as it used to, he says. That means you need more servers, which takes up more room, more energy, and more manpower to manage. But Google has more resources and engineering ability than your average IT department.

Google server, office, colorful

The idea, Hölzle explains, is that if you can't count on normal processors doubling in speed every two years, you need to build systems that are designed to squeeze performance boosts for specific tasks. Even if a new system is only 30% more efficient, you need to take your wins where you get them.

"If you see a 30% opportunity, you have to take it," Hölzle says.

Artificial intelligence

For instance, Google is building special chips, called FPGAs, designed for artificial intelligence, as standard processors prove short of the task. Microsoft is building similar chips for similar ends.

First, this increase Google's performance for its own services, which is good given its huge bet on artificial intelligence. Critically, though, it also means that customers of the Google Cloud, where companies offload huge chunks of their server infrastructure to the search giant, can also reap the benefits for their own AI tasks.

Google Diane Greene

In other words, as Google works around the clock to beat Moore's Law and squeeze efficiencies where it can, Hölzle says that its customers get that new technology, too. Every time Google figures out a better way to do things, he says, its customers benefit, too.

"In the cloud, it's much easier to sort of insert new technology," Hölzle says.

SEE ALSO: Urs Hölzle, Google's 8th employee and tech guru, thinks the cloud could make more money than ads

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A financial expert explains how to avoid a 'fast route to disaster' in your marriage

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Farnoosh Torabi

In an increasing number of American households with children — up to 23% in 2011— married mothers are the primary breadwinners.

But while these women are building their careers and providing financially for their families, they're also upping their chances of divorce as they navigate nontraditional gender roles, says Farnoosh Torabi, a financial expert and the author of "When She Makes More: 10 Rules for Breadwinning Women."

Torabi, who is a breadwinner herself, told Business Insider during a FB Live interview that her No. 1 tip for women who outearn their husbands is to "enlist help and support and accountability from your partner."

"I find that in marriages where breadwinning women are really thriving with their partners ... they actually team up with their husbands," Torabi said. "I find that we forget we are in a partnership and this person sitting next to you wants nothing more than to support you."

Women are sometimes tempted to do it all alone, but Torabi says that's a "fast route to disaster." She instead suggests women ask their partners to claim responsibility for important household tasks, from acting as caretaker to the children to managing the bills.

"That takes a huge load off breadwinning women's plates and allows them to continue to thrive at work, and thrive financially ... and be present in all the other hats that they wear as girlfriend, sister, mom, wife," she said, acknowledging that couples with female breadwinners are going to face challenges outside the home, too, as they're defying societal expectations.

"We want relationships to last and we want to send the message out there in the world that women can earn as much as they want," she said.

Still, these arrangements can only be successful if you open up the lines of communication with your partner and determine personal responsibilities and goals.

Sometimes the right balance also involves investing money in outside help for housework and childcare.

"Because time is money … time is just as valuable as money," Torabi said. "The more money you can shore up for yourself as a busy, breadwinning woman, mom, and wife, the happier you will ultimately be."

Watch more from Business Insider's Facebook LIVE with Farnoosh Torabi:

SEE ALSO: Here's how to combine your money when you get married, according to a financial planner

DON'T MISS: A financial planner reveals the most common money mistake 30-somethings make

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You'll get some pretty sweet perks if you use Apple Pay on the web (AAPL)

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Tim Cook

Earlier this year, Apple announced the second phase of its mission to "kill cash."

It introduced Apple Pay on the web: Basically, if you're shopping in Safari on your Mac, instead of putting in your credit card and address, you can use Apple Pay and your fingerprint to check out quickly. 

If you've got one of the new MacBook Pros, you can use the built-in fingerprint scanner. Otherwise, your computer will use your iPhone's fingerprint scanner. 

Apple Pay checkout buttons have already started popping up around the web.

But Apple wants to give its users even more incentive to use it. So it's offering various deals and perks if you use Apple Pay on the web, according to a holiday page it posted on Tuesday. 

One big deal, for example, is 50% off a one-year subscription to the New York Times. Adidas is offering one or two-day free shipping. Instacart is offering a month of free delivery. 

Here's the full list of deals:

Adidas: Enjoy one- or two-day free shipping from Adidas.

Casper: Buy a mattress and receive a $50 iTunes gift card from Casper.

Grubhub/Seamless: Win a $50 gift card for you and a friend! New diners will also receive $10 off their next order from Grubhub.

Instacart: First-time customers get one month of free Instacart delivery.

Jackthreads: Get 20% off great holiday looks from JackThreads.

Jet: 10% off first three orders and $5 JetCash

Lululemon: Get a $25 gift card if you spend over $150 from Lululemon.

The New York Times: 50% off one-year subscription

1-800 Flowers: Free shipping

Overstock: Free year of Club O Rewards Membership, $19 value

Shopify: Unspecified deals

Spring: 20% off

Vactia: 7% off resort booking

Check out the full list of deals on Apple's website. Apple also says it will be introducing new offers "soon" from:

Abercrombie & Fitch

Bank of America

Caviar

Chase

Hollister

Poshmark

Tumi

Under Armour

Warby Parker

The Washington Post

SEE ALSO: Apple raided a bankrupt startup to make Apple Music better

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Out of 1 billion election tweets, one zinger from Hillary Clinton was the most popular

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Hillary Clinton

This election has been called the Twitter Election as everyone has taken to the social media site to share opinions, make statements, and fire insults and come-backs — especially the candidates themselves.

Twitter was even the star of one of Hillary Clinton's favorite and often-repeated one-liners: "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons."

Twitter was certainly a favorite tool for Donald Trump, who used it to voice everything from thank-you's to supporters to displeasure with those who didn't support him.

So Twitter sifted through itself to look at how the election was actually tweeted. It discovered that people in the US sent about 1 billion election-related tweets since the primary debates began in August, 2015 and the most retweeted tweet of the entire election was from Hillary Clinton's account:

Ironically, that tweet was also probably one of the least understood. While there were quite a few people who probably also wished he would delete his account, it's actually a common sort of Twitter insult meme, the social media equivalent of  "go take a hike.

That said, people also loved Trump's comeback to this insult. It was his most retweeted tweet of the election.

Clinton's second most retweeted tweet was about fact-checking debate. In this tweet, Clinton is calling Trump out on his comments over climate change.

Her third most retweeted tweet was her official announcement that she was running for president back in April, 2015.

Trump's second most retweeted tweet expressed his frustration over the news reports that parts of his wife's speech were identical to parts of a speech previously given by Michelle Obama.

And his third most retweeted tweet was the one referenced in Clinton's second most retweeted tweet. It's a comment Trump made about climate change.

Twitter also discovered one more interesting thing. No matter who wins the actual presidential election, Trump seems to have won Twitter. People mentioned him on Twitter more than they mentioned Clinton. Good, bad, or ugly, people couldn't stop tweeting about Trump.

Twitter election 2016

SEE ALSO: The internet tracked down this guy's stolen car and returned it to him in less than a day

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13 signs you're a stellar employee — even if it doesn't feel like it

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woman work working job employee listen

Are you killing it at work, or are you barely scraping by?

It's not always obvious.

Sometimes, certain bosses or office environments just aren't that big on feedback.

These subtle signs can help you determine if you are, in fact, an exemplary employee:

1. You get along great with your colleagues

Not only are you a delight to be around in the office, you're an awesome team player. Plus, this probably means that you're a great fit for the culture of your organization.

2. You're honest

Good bosses love workers with integrity. You're forthright with your boss and colleagues. You speak frankly and candidly. Most importantly, you don't stoop to using nefarious means to get ahead.

In organizations with toxic cultures, honesty may be overlooked — it might even get you in trouble. But when you're in a company with a strong, ethical grounding, honesty tends to pay off in the long run.

3. You're restless

In Lin-Manuel Miranda's smash Broadway hit "Hamilton,"the titular Founding Father ascends to great heights by virtue of never being satisfied. (This drive also gets him into a bit of trouble, but let's just ignore that for now.)

At a certain point, most of us settle for good enough. Truly stellar employees are never quite content. They're constantly learning new things, trying new approaches, and striving to work smarter. They're a bit restless and always seeking to improve themselves.

4. You hold yourself accountable

Again, in a workplace without integrity, doing this might be a bit of a disadvantage. But if you've got a decent boss, holding yourself accountable and taking on responsibility will likely go over well.

5. You're dependable

You're not flashy. You're like clockwork. You say you're going to do something, and you do it right every time. You're trustworthy and dependable, which makes you invaluable on important projects.

6. You rise above office politics

In corporate America, no one is 100% immune to office politics. Learning to navigate your workplace is an important part of succeeding at your job. (Unfortunately, too often this takes precedence over actually being good at your job.)

However, if you're one of those people who can successfully sail through potentially contentious workplace situations without ever getting mired in the drama, that's a good sign.

7. You mentor others

If others are looking to you for guidance, you can rest assured that they already see you as an excellent worker. You're so good at your job that not only are you successful on your own, but you're able to reach out and help others succeed as well.

8. You do things without being asked

You don't sit around waiting to be told what to do. You go out, find problems, and then work to discover solutions. This allows you to seize each and every day.

9. You speak up

Effective communicators make for dream employees. You don't bottle things up, and you express yourself clearly. That's an important skill.

10. You finish what you start

Ambition and imagination are nothing without perseverance. You might have plenty of great ideas and plans, but if you don't finish any projects, you'll never be a standout worker.

Managers love people who communicate what they intend to do — and then actually go out and do it.

11. You're conscientious — not nice

As Business Insider previously reported, being nice is good, but it won't always get you ahead in the workplace. Employees who get noticed tend to be conscientious — characterized by being hardworking, persevering, orderly, and hungry for achievement.

Coming into work every day with a positive, conscientious attitude will allow you to establish yourself as a model employee.

12. You don't overdo it

The best employees work hard without burning themselves out. This means taking care of your mental, physical, and emotional well being. You shouldn't have to become a work martyr in order to do your job well — in fact, in the long run, burnout will leave you ineffective and drained.

13. You know your weaknesses

The top workers are confident without being arrogant. You're probably in a good place if you know of a few areas where you could use some improvement. But you don't beat yourself about your weaknesses — you acknowledge them and work to correct them going forward.

SEE ALSO: 25 signs you're burned out at work

DON'T MISS: 19 signs it's time to quit your job

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Ivanka Trump says this is the one thing you should always do before firing someone


Why Tesla is buying a German manufacturing company you've never heard of (TSLA)

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Tesla Factory

Tesla announced on Tuesday that it intends to acquire Grohmann Engineering, a German manufacturing company with expertise in automated production.

If Grohmann sounds obscure, that's because it is. But let's put that obscurity in context.

Germany is a manufacturing powerhouse. The country is full of companies that are exceptionally good at making stuff. 

Making stuff is a practice that's been getting more automated since the first assembly lines were developed over a century ago. So it makes perfect sense that Tesla would be looking to Germany for this type of innovation. Tesla manufacturing boss is a former Audi executive — a guy who understands the German manufacturing landscape. 

But that's just part of the story. 

Tesla is, to be frank, up against it. The automaker will do well to deliver 80,000 vehicles this year. It had earlier guided toward something closer to 90,000. CEO Elon Musk wants to ramp that up to 500,000 in just two years. In between, Tesla will be rolling out its Model 3 mass-market vehicle — and striving to fulfill 375,000 pre-orders for the car.

As automakers go, Tesla lives at opposite ends of a spectrum. To one extreme, Musk and his team have created the first viable new car company in decades. To the other, that car company hasn't proved to very good at a core function: building cars.

The struggle

Make no mistake, Teslas are fine automobiles — some of the finest, in my experience. But building cars is all about building them at scale, and Tesla is struggling to get there.

To fix this, Musk has decided to restyle manufacturing not as a competency to acquire, but as a problem to be solved. It's in his nature: he's not a process guy, he's a problem-conqueror. Anybody can build cars and lots of of them, but Musk wants to completely change how they're built.

A company like Grohmann, it seems, provides the critical element to managing that change: automation. Musk's vision on this front is clear: cars can be manufactured much faster, more efficiently, and cheaply than they are now. Robotics and automation are the keys.

And they have to be because it's going to be very hard for Tesla to go from 100,000 per year production to half a million in just 24 months.

SEE ALSO: Tesla is buying a German engineering company to automate factories

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NOW WATCH: Everything we know about the Tesla Model 3

Exit poll: Voters want a 'strong leader'

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Donald Trump

Voters are twice as likely to want to elect a "strong leader" as president than those who cast ballots in 2012, according to early exit poll data on Election Day from Morning Consult/Politico.

At the same time, the percentage of voters that valued a candidate who "shares my values" was cut nearly in half from the 2012 election.

The polling found that 36% of voters polled wanted a strong leader, while 16% wanted a candidate who shared their values. In 2012, those numbers were 18%, and 27%.

The Morning Consult/Politico exit poll was conducted October 18 - November 8 among 6,782 early and Election Day voters.

SEE ALSO: A breakout company broke the dam in 2016 polling, and now it wants to become 'the Bloomberg of public opinion'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A model that has correctly predicted the presidential election since 1980 says Clinton will have a landslide victory

New York police have charged a woman with murder after a commuter was pushed into an oncoming train

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nypd subway

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York police have charged a woman with murder after an unsuspecting female commuter was shoved off a New York City subway platform in front of an oncoming train, killing her instantly, police said on Tuesday.

The 49-year-old victim was pushed onto the tracks at the Times Square station in Midtown Manhattan as a train arrived at around 1 p.m. EST (1800 GMT) on Monday. She was pronounced dead at the scene by police.

The New York Police Department declined to identify the victim until her immediate family had been officially notified.

Acting on information from witnesses, officers at the station arrested Melanie Liverpool, 30, from the borough of Queens, on suspicion of murder, the department said in a statement.

Law enforcement officials do not believe the victim and the suspect knew each other before the incident, police said, adding that their investigation was ongoing.

Last year, a woman was convicted and sentenced to 24 years in prison for fatally pushing a man into the path of an oncoming New York subway train in 2012.

(Reporting by Gina Cherelus; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Richard Chang)

SEE ALSO: A commuter was killed after being pushed onto the tracks in front of a subway in New York

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Phil Jackson is reportedly unhappy with the Knicks offense 6 months after a hiring a new coach to tweak the offense

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phil jackson

The New York Knicks are 2-4, and concerns about their offense are reportedly already emerging from team president Phil Jackson.

According to ESPN's Ian Begley, Jackson is unhappy with the lack of triangle offense the Knicks have been running through their first six games. They are currently 13th in the NBA in offensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions).

Jackson's reported displeasure comes just six months after he hired Jeff Hornacek to be the team's new head coach. Hornacek coached two and a half seasons with the Phoenix Suns and was known for running an uptempo, spread-pick-and-roll offense that many around the NBA emulate. 

Hornacek's hiring was supposed to represent Jackson loosening his philosophy and conceding that the triangle offense (which Jackson used on his championship-winning Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers teams) is not necessarily a fit in today's NBA.

Hornacek was reportedly being given the freedom to install his own offense while incorporating "aspects" of the triangle in halfcourt settings. According to Begley, Hornacek said during training camp, "We talked a lot about it over the summer. Phil's given us the ability to run it anyway we want, how we set it up. We talked what we feel is a good working way to run it with different options. We'll get to all those as the year progresses, but it should be pretty easy."

As Begley notes, players have already expressed their distaste for the offense — but in a different fashion. Derrick Rose, in particular, has been vocal about the triangle and his discomfort running the system, saying he prefers more pick-and-rolls. On Monday, Carmelo Anthony told reporters he was tired of talking about the triangle.

Last season, the Knicks fired Derek Fisher after less than two seasons. It was reported that his straying from the triangle was part of the reason.

More concerning to the Knicks should be their league-worst defense, which is surrendering 111 points per 100 possessions. According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the Knicks are putting assistant coach Kurt Rambis (who was the interim head coach after Fisher was fired last season and was under consideration for the full-time job before Hornacek) in charge of the defense.

The Knicks had a flashy (and expensive) summer, revamping their team to try to make the postseason for the first time in three years. While the season is still young, it's not off to a good start if the team president is already unhappy with his new head coach's offense six games in the season.

SEE ALSO: Warriors announcer unintentionally had the perfect prediction to Stephen Curry breaking the 3-point record and lighting up the Pelicans

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NOW WATCH: What Tom Brady eats to play pro football at 39 years old

Here’s the big problem with legalizing marijuana

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In the past few years, four states have legalized recreational marijuana with the measure on the ballot box in five more states this November. Addiction specialist Dr. Samuel Ball explains the big problems these new laws could have on our country.

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Here's an inexpensive and easy-to-setup smart-home gadget for beginners

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.   

LB130 03_1477533856304xThe world of multi-colored smart lights just got a little bigger (and brighter).

TP-Link has entered the smart bulb market recently and has just launched its multi-color bulb, the LB-130.

What separates this bulb from other multi-colored smart bulbs on the market is that it doesn't require a hub to work.

You can just buy this one bulb. If you decide you like it, buy more; if not, you haven't sunk a lot of money into a full starter kit.

I've tried out a few TP-Link products, and this one is just as easy to set up. Install the bulb in place of any other light bulb in your house, download TP-Link's app, and you'll be up and running in a few minutes.

As an aside, I'm pleasantly impressed with TP-Link's consistency regarding the setup process of its products — instructions are always clear and easy to follow. 

Once you've set the bulb up, you can control it and any other TP-Link smart-home products you have through the company's Kasa app. You can turn this bulb on and off with a couple of taps, or you can change its color by tapping anywhere on a color panel.

I cycled through thousands of different colors and the bulb performed its psychedelic, color-shifting gymnastics without skipping a beat. 

The option of color shifting is the main reason to get this bulb, but if you want to, take a break and select white. You can even change the color temperature of your white bulb if you want to cut down on your blue-light intake after dark.

Amazon Echo owners will be happy to hear that this bulb is also Alexa-compatible, so you will be able to turn it on and off using only your voice. 

If you've never owned any smart-home gadgets before, this would be a good place to start. Because of TP-Link's hub-free solution, you have the opportunity to dip your toe into the smart-home world without having to make a big commitment.

TP-Link Multicolor Smart Bulb, $49.99, available at Amazon

SEE ALSO: Why there's no reason for most people to buy high-tech versions of products they already own

SEE ALSO: Philip's wireless light is a perfect complement to the company’s popular Hue bulbs

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How much a cup of Starbucks coffee costs in 8 cities around the world

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StarbucksHave you wondered why your bank account is suddenly empty? Are you spending every pay check in order to get your morning necessity or mid-afternoon pick me up?

Depending on how strong your caffeine addiction might be, daily visits to Starbucks might be the end to your bank account. If you’re a Starbucks junkie and looking to travel the world, then you should make your plans accordingly.

The thought of spending more money than before on coffee may cause you to cringe. However, desperation for a warm latte or cold brew iced coffee has individuals willing to still pay exorbitant prices.

The quality and taste of Starbucks remains the same no matter what state, area, or region. But the amount of money you hand the cashier varies by country. In order to save money while traveling, I decided to compare the highest priced Starbucks coffees in America to seven other countries with the most expensive Starbucks drinks outside the US.

starbucks pour

1. New York, USA

The most expensive cup of coffee in America is in located in New York. Here, a tall, hot, steamy cappuccino and latte is $3.15. If you find yourself as basic as me, then you may indulge in a seasonal pumpkin spice latte or peppermint mocha, which will skyrocket the price to over 5 dollars.

2. Berlin, Germany

Berlin, Germany has the highest price for a cup of coffee in the world. If you think you're spending outrageous prices in the United States, then you will be in tears to find that a cappuccino costs a whopping $6.06 in Berlin. However, how can you complain when you have the chance to drink coffee alongside the stunning mountains lakes and rolling green hills?

3. Copenhagen, Denmark

You may need to withdraw extra money if you're planning to travel to Copenhagen, Denmark. In second for the most expensive coffee, their rich foamy cappuccino and latte costs $5.84. With drinks different than the US, Denmark has seasonal honey and almond hot chocolate and banana caramel s’more Frappuccino. 

4. Oslo, Norway

Although there are Norwegian coffee shops on almost every corner, you may stick to what's familiar: Starbucks. However, a price of $4.97 for a tall cappuccino and $5.33 for a latte is minor when considering the beautiful views and welcoming coffeehouse environment. In attempts to bring joy to customers during the day, Norwegian Starbucks' have added an "evening menu," which entails alcoholic beverages, mac n' cheese, and delicious flat breads.

5. Helsinki, Finland

In Finland, you might be asking yourself, why would anyone pay $4.80 for a cappuccino and $5.25 for a latte? The real question is why would anyone waste money on a less expensive, flavorless coffee? As espresso lovers know, life is too short for a bad cup of coffee, and Starbucks' even in Finland never disappoint. When the line at Starbucks gets too long, check out these classy cafés in Helsinki that are totally worth the experience.

6. Brussels, Belgium

The guilt of spending $4.75 for a cappuccino or latte will end the minute you taste your iced or steamed drink from Belgium. Unfortunately the price can truly add up, considering true coffee lovers are not a stranger to multiple cups a day.

7. Stockholm, Sweden

Refusing to go a day without coffee may have you paying $4.54 for either a cappuccino or latte. However, these are not the only items you can order since Starbucks' in Sweden just introduced their seasonal banana yogurt and chocolate chip cream Frappuccino.  

8. Paris, France

Drinking coffee near the Notre Dame or the Eiffel Tower may just be the icing on the cake for your trip. In these picturesque parts of France, a tall cappuccino or latte would cost you $4.41. But how can you really put a price on a trip that may be once in a lifetime?

With 24,000 stores in 70 countries, Starbucks has been surveyed to find that their three most popular items — the cappuccino, the latte, and the Americano — continue to vary in price depending on the country. If you're strapped for cash and spending money on coffee is your biggest vice, there's no need to freak out. 

If you spent your entire bank account on coffee in five months like me, then picking a travel destination based on their average Starbucks price may be one of the smartest decision you’ve made.

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Gold has become too expensive for almost everyone (GLD, GLX)

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gold jewelry mirror

The rise in gold prices this year has made the metal less appealing to buyers across the world. 

Global gold demand slumped 10% year-on-year in Q3 to 993 tonnes, according to a quarterly report from the World Gold Council published Tuesday. 

Jewelry demand fell in nearly every consumer market that the council follows, sliding 21% year-on-year in the third quarter to 493 tonnes. The drop was the biggest in two years.

Meanwhile, Iran, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Spain were the only countries where purchases rose. 

Demand from India, which accounts for half of global consumer demand with China, continued to fall in the third quarter, and is down 30% year-to-date. Apart from higher gold prices, stricter regulation and lower disposable income in rural areas weakened the metal's appeal in the country, according to Capital Economics' Simona Gambarini. 

However, the drop in gold prices in October may have encouraged stronger buying into the wedding and festival season, Gambarini said.

Rising gold prices also prompted some owners to take some profits and dump their holdings by recycling. The amount of gold recycled in the third quarter jumped 30% year-on-year to 341 tonnes. 

Unlike retail consumers, however, investors continued to buy gold as a safe-haven asset, surrounded by political uncertainty. 

"The drop in jewelry consumption and central banks’ purchases is somewhat worrying but temporary factors played a role," Gambarini said in a note. "Our year-end target for gold prices is $1,300 per ounce, with potential further upside in the event of a Trump win."

Gold prices have gained 18% this year, and traded near $1,276.55 on Tuesday, down 0.13%. 

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Former US intelligence official sentenced to 20 years in prison for child porn

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Supreme Court

(Reuters) - A former U.S. intelligence official was sentenced on Tuesday to 20 years in prison for producing child pornography following his guilty plea to the charge in August, prosecutors said on Tuesday.

Army Lieutenant Colonel Steven Frederiksen, 42, of Stafford, Virginia, was also sentenced in U.S. District Court to 20 years of supervised release for luring four girls ages 14 to 17 into producing pornography through social media and messaging applications on his government-issued computer, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said in a statement.

Frederiksen, an employee of the Defense Intelligence Agency, tried to do the same thing with two other underage girls. He also possessed more images of child pornography and swapped child pornography with people online, the statement said.

Frederiksen pleaded guilty in August to producing child pornography and attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, holds a master's degree in nuclear physics and is the father of three children.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Alan Crosby)

SEE ALSO: 'The agents are bought': A cartel enforcer says US border agents are on his payroll

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FOX NEWS HOST TO TRUMP: 'If you do lose tonight, what is your next move?'

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Martha MacCallum and Donald Trump

Donald Trump was pressed on Election Day in a Fox News interview over whether he would accept the results of the election should he fall short of winning the presidency.

"If you do lose tonight, what is your next move?" host Martha MacCallum asked Trump.

"Well, I'm going to have to see under what circumstances," Trump said. "I mean, honestly, look, I want everything to be really, really smooth and really, really good. I understand the importance of that. I was very good in history. And frankly, I fully understand that it's very important in so many different ways."

"But, you know, I've been using the word longer before Bernie Sanders was using it," he added, referring to the Vermont senator. "I guess they got it from me. I was talking about his situation, and I was talking about other situations. It's largely a rigged system. And you see it at the polling booths, too."

"Are you saying that this will not be over tonight?" MacCallum pressed.

"No, I'm not saying that," Trump said. "You know, what's happening — I have to see reports that are coming out."

The New York businessman pointed to reports of polling machines switching Republican votes to Democratic ones.

"There's something really nice about the old paper-ballot system," he said. "You don't worry about hacking. You don't worry about all the problems that you're seeing."

Asked how he would address his supporters should he lose, he said a loss would be "very disappointing to those women and men and families."

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How Bill Maher finally made Jimmy Fallon take the election seriously: 'It's not funny'

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bill maher jimmy fallon tonight show

Jimmy Fallon took a lot of heat for his unserious interview with Donald Trump earlier this year, but another comedian set him straight on Fallon's own show.

Host of HBO's "Real Time" Bill Maher lived up to his image as a no-nonsense, foulmouthed political comedian and commentator when he joined Fallon on Monday night's "Tonight Show."

Maher tried to make some political points, saying that while he doesn't think much of Hillary Clinton's candidacy ("She campaigns like a hospice nurse"), he believes Fallon's young audience needs to know that this presidential election is unique — and not in a good way, from his point of view.

"This has never happened before, this kind of election," Maher said.

He went on to mention how Russia allegedly hacked the leaked Hillary Clinton campaign's emails, and yet he claims the FBI is "with Russia."

Fallon tried to take things in a more lighthearted direction, but when the interview turned to giggles, Maher quickly shut him down.

"It's not funny," Maher said. 

Fallon quickly agreed and shut his mouth.

Maher mentioned the "mea culpa" he made on his own show "Real Time" recently, in which he said Democrats including himself made a "big mistake" when they "cried wolf" on other Republicans who were in retropect more tempered than Trump, like Mitt Romney or John McCain.

"It would never have been the end of the world with those guys. This is different. They have no respect for the rule of law," Maher said of the Trump campaign on Fallon's show.

Maher also saved some time to slam undecided voters, telling Fallon what he would tell that group.

"I would say, 'Really? He's a racist, a liar, a tax chat, a deadbeat, a Russian agent, and a sexual predator. How do you find your way out of the door in the morning?'" Maher said.

Watch the video below:

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Hillary Clinton has a plan to make college debt free — here's how

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Hillary Clinton

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has touted her debt-free college plan, over the course of her campaign.

Dubbed the New College Compact, Clinton first proposed the plan in August 2015, and has since refined it.

Last year, the former secretary of state promised that students attending public colleges would not need to take out loans.

"I'm a little different from those who say free college for everybody,"she said on NBC's "Today" show in 2015. "I am not in favor of making college free for Donald Trump's kids. I am in favor of making college free for your grandson by having no-debt tuition."

Clinton's plan would make tuition at four-year public colleges and universities "debt free" and would be calculated based on family income.

Her proposal starts by making public college free for families that earn $85,000 or less annually, gradually lifting the threshold up to families that earn $125,000 a year by 2021. Community college would be free for all students, and interest rates on student loans would be decreased.

Clinton Sanders endorsementClinton's plan would also allow students to refinance student debt at current rates and would lower interest rates on future loans.

She previously proposed spending $350 billion over 10 years for the plan and has moved that estimate up to $500 billion, in part by cutting tax deductions for high-income Americans.

She also noted the proposal would not add any money to the national debt.

While her plan appeals to many in her base, particularly young people who were fans of Bernie Sanders' free-college plan, the biggest criticism is that it's unclear how she will make the plan a reality.

“Her plan at this juncture doesn’t fill out the details,” Peter McPherson, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, told The New York Times.

The plan does indicate that it will be funded by closing loopholes. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, an independent, nonpartisan nonprofit organization has found that the plan could be funded this way.

Still, further details are scant, leading some experts to opine the plan was thrown together quickly as an answer to Sanders' proposal. 

Clinton's plan "sounded much more like something intended to energize a campaign rally,” Lanae Erickson Hatalsky, vice president at Democratic think tank Third Way, told The Wall Street Journal.

Hatalsky noted that the proposal is very short compared to Clinton's other policy proposals, which “are five pages of dense text with very specific ways of how they’re going to pay for it and how much it would cost."

SEE ALSO: Here's where Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump stand on education

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