Author: openjargon

• Kate Boardman has visited 54 countries around the world and lived in 10, including the US.
• She's enjoyed spots like France and Bali but says people should visit underrated places like Oman.
• In Ecuador, she climbed an active volcano, and in Guatemala, she swam with hammerhead sharks.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kate Boardman, a 36-year-old former teacher and current content creator from Massachusetts who has lived and traveled all over the world. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I first lived abroad when I was 15, when I participated in an exchange program in Germany. I lived there for a year, attending school and staying with a host family.

That was my first exposure to living overseas and truly immersing myself in other cultures. From there, the travel bug hit me hard. It inspired me to study international business in France while I was at university, and future trips after that.

I've been to 54 countries and lived in 10, including the US. The sense of freedom and self-growth that comes from traveling is unbeatable. I also love being able to see the world in a different way.

The most popular destinations are popular for a reason.

Everyone talks about Paris, London, Bali — all travel destinations that are super popular, in part thanks to social media.

I lived in Bali in early 2012 and saw it expand firsthand. There was a lot of construction — with many beach clubs being built — and it became overcrowded by foreigners. It's led to locals being priced out of their homes.

I also think spots like Cancun are super overrated; there are way cooler places to visit in Mexico. Many tourists spend a week in an all-inclusive resort and think that's fun — but that couldn't be more unattractive to me.

Obviously, there's still beauty in places that are oversaturated and famous. But I think that there's an excitement that comes from experiencing places that are off the beaten track.

It's often in those places that you can have the most surprising experiences.

I was treated like family in Iran

I would say my favorite country that I have visited is Iran. I went in 2018 and was there for 10 days.

Normally, when I'm traveling, I backpack alone and stay in hostels as a solo traveler. However, in Iran, if you're American, Canadian, or from the UK, in order to get permission to enter the country, you need a set itinerary and a licensed travel guide.

It was a very coordinated trip and a bit more challenging to visit, but it was so rewarding because I was welcomed with the warmest hospitality.

One of the unique aspects of this trip was how close my guide and I became. He went above and beyond, inviting me over to his family's house for dinner, where I got to meet and hang out with his friends and family. It was truly special.

Because I had a guide, everything was kind of set for me in Iran. He arranged different accommodations, including a road trip through the country, where we stayed in various cities at different guesthouses.

It only cost me around $1,000.

The nature and landscape of Iran are absolutely beautiful and amazing. The sights, attractions, and history are mind-blowing. You've got these gorgeous mosaics everywhere. All of the architecture had my jaw dropping in awe while walking around.

The food is also delicious, and the markets are incredible, each filled with gorgeous textiles, jewelry, turquoise, and rugs.

I would totally visit there again. I hope the political situation changes because that would definitely be one of my group trip destinations. I think it's just incredible.

Georgia took me by surprise

Georgia is just one of those countries that's not on a lot of people's radar. And then they go there and they're like, 'Whoa, that's awesome. Why didn't I know about this before?'

I knew very little about Georgia before I visited in 2018. I spent only five days in the country, but I was completely blown away.

I stayed in Tbilisi, which is the capital city. It's a really beautiful, trendy, and artsy kind of city. It has amazing wine and incredible food.

Probably one of my favorite things about the trip is that I stayed in this hostel called Fabrika. It was an old Soviet Union sewing factory that they turned into a super cool, industrial, hipster hostel.

In Tbilisi, I also went on a pub crawl throughout the Old Town, which featured a bunch of underground cellars and bunkers that have been turned into trendy nightclubs and bars.

During my time in the country, I took a trip out to the countryside to an area called Kazbegi, which is absolutely stunning. There were gorgeous and breathtaking mountains, hills, and massive churches.

In the city, I also had a Turkish bath, which is a big thing in Georgia. I got a full scrub down.

Guatemala has something for everyone

When most people from the US think about going to Central America, they're focused on Mexico or Costa Rica. Guatemala seems to be a place that kind of gets overlooked.

But life is great in Guatemala.

You've got beautiful weather all year round, the jungle, rainforests, and the Caribbean's white sand beaches, while the Pacific side has its black sand beaches. It's got a little bit of everything.

I first lived in Guatemala in 2021, where I worked as a teacher at an international school. They provided housing in Guatemala City. However, after I finished working for them, I moved to a beach town on the Pacific coast and lived there for about six months.

I've traveled there on other occasions too, staying for periods of four or five months.

The typical salary for a Guatemalan is about $500 a month, with a good salary being $1,000. I would say that $2,000 a month is more than enough to live there extremely comfortably.

There are a lot of digital nomads moving there, especially to Antigua — an old colonial town with a lot of charm, cobblestone streets, and painted buildings.

There's just so much to do in Guatemala; it's so magical.

The biggest must do is hiking the active volcano called Acatenango. Sometimes, you can see it erupting right from its base camp. There's not many places in the world where you can experience that.

Another good place to visit is El Paredon, a super up-and-coming hippie surf town. The surfing is great, and you've got these black volcanic sand beaches. It's just a really laid-back place.

Lake Atitlan is also an incredible spot. It's surrounded by volcanoes and several Mayan villages, each with its own personality and vibe.

Oman's deserts are magical

Oman is in the Middle East, bordering the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. I've been there three times between 2016 and 2018.

The country is culturally rich, and the capital city, Muscat, is really beautiful. It has old traditional marketplaces and gorgeous architecture — the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is definitely worth checking out.

The deserts there are incredible, so doing a desert trip is a must. I camped out in the desert with the locals, rode camels, and drove Jeeps over the sand dunes.

Having tea and watching the sunset in the desert was magical too.

Oman also has wadis, which are basically big canyons in the middle of the desert with swimming holes. There, you'll find bright turquoise water contrasting with the orange rock.

The country's islands are also beautiful and incredible for snorkeling. They look like you'd be in the Caribbean, but you're in the Middle East.

The Galapagos Islands are truly like nowhere else in the world

I visited Ecuador last year for about six weeks. I was leading a gap year program with a group of high school students. We split our time between the Galapagos Islands and the mainland, which consisted of cities and the Amazon.

Because Ecuador has incredibly unique biodiversity that doesn't exist anywhere else in the world, The Galapagos Islands are an absolute must. I've never seen such incredible wildlife in my life; so many species exist only on those islands.

While visiting The Galapagos, my group went snorkeling with 50 to 100 hammerhead and Blacktip sharks. We also swam with sea lions and saw giant tortoises.

Another amazing aspect of Ecuador is learning about the Aztec or Inca culture. My group did a homestay and lived with a family for about 10 days and learned about their way of life.

We experienced how connected they are with Mother Earth, whom they refer to as Pachamama, and learned about their traditional medicine: They grow their own food and seek out plant medicine when they're sick, rather than relying on processed foods.

Learning about and sharing their way of life was truly special.

I want to show people how to travel the world

There are many beliefs people have about different countries and cultures, sometimes considering them too dangerous, expensive, or unattainable.

I want to inspire more people to explore, step out of their comfort zones, and experience more of the world. In the future, I plan on hosting group trips with the goal of bringing people to these countries and showing them why they are so life-changing.

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• Wall Street's head honchos are wary of economic threats like inflation, recession, and war.
• JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon, Goldman's David Solomon, and Citi's Jane Fraser warned against complacency.
• BlackRock's Larry Fink and Blackstone's Steve Schwarzman flagged fear and uncertainty in markets.

The bosses of Wall Street's biggest firms struck a cautious tone on the US economy during their first-quarter earnings calls, transcripts provided by AlphaSense show.

They suggested inflation and interest rates could drop, and the economy might keep growing and skirt a recession. But they also warned that stubborn price increases, persistently high borrowing costs, a painful downturn, and overseas conflicts are threats that shouldn't be ignored.

Here are the latest warnings from eight financial titans, lightly edited and condensed for clarity:

1. Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan CEO

"I'm on the more cautious side. We're okay right now. It does not mean we're okay down the road. If the 10-year bond rate goes up 2%, every asset on the planet, including real estate, is worth 20% less. Obviously, that creates a little bit of stress and strain.

"If things stay where they are, we have the soft landing that seems to be embedded in the marketplace, the real estate will muddle through. They won't muddle through under higher rates with a recession. That would be tough for a lot of folks, not just real estate, if that happens."

2. David Solomon, Goldman Sachs CEO

"I'm mindful that US equity markets are hovering near record levels at a time when we continue to see headwinds, including concerns around inflation, the commercial real estate market, and escalating geopolitical tensions around the world. This combination could slow growth.

"While the environment is constructive and markets expect a soft landing, the trajectory is still uncertain."

3. Jane Fraser, Citigroup CEO

"Growth this year looks poised to slow in many markets and conditions are generally disinflationary.

"I couldn't agree with you more about geopolitical risks and fragility. I think the market's too benign in its risk pricing on some of these factors."

4. Larry Fink, BlackRock CEO

"I've spoken before about the fear we see today, some of it stoked by increasingly political polarization in the world.

"There's still a record amount of cash on the sidelines. I think this stems from fear and uncertainty, but it's hard to achieve retirement or long-term objectives by holding cash."

5. Stephen Schwarzman, Blackstone CEO

"The market environment will remain complex. The economy is stronger than expected, but it's starting to slow a bit. We believe inflation will trend lower this year, although the pace of decline has slowed recently.

"Geopolitical turbulence, including wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, adds further uncertainty to the business environment. And 2024 is a major election year, as we all know with nearly half of the world's population going to the polls, which injects unpredictability around the future of important policies that impact the global economy."

6. Ted Pick, Morgan Stanley CEO

"We're in a period that comes after financial repression, where we'll have some inflation and some real rates.

"It depends on whether rates are higher because they are sustaining continued growth in the US, or if they are higher for a period of time and are followed by a tough landing, in which case we're in recession and clearly then things will slow down."

7. Michael Santomassimo, Wells Fargo CFO

"Weaker loan demand reflected the impact of clients being cautious, given the higher rate environment and the anticipation of lower rates this year as well as some potential uncertainty in an election year.

"Given what's happening in rates, plus what's happening in quantitative tightening, what's happening in sort of the economy overall — it's going to all matter in terms of what happens with deposit levels."

8. Alistair Borthwick, Bank of America CFO

"Higher for longer is probably better for banks as a general statement. An awful lot will depend upon just the 'why' for rates. If it's just because it's taking a little while longer for the inflation to nudge down before the next set of cuts, that's probably a good environment for us.

"It's only been a quarter since we were last here talking about six cuts. Now, it's three. So, we just have to watch this play out and stay patient."

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• Royal Caribbean invited me to spend three complimentary nights on its new Icon of the Seas in January.
• My eight favorite amenities included the waterpark and jazz bar.
• I've yet to see most of the amenities on my list on other cruise ships.

There's a reason Royal Caribbean's new mega-cruise ship is only operating seven-night sailings.

The 1,196-foot-long, 20-deck Icon of the Seas is packed with bars, restaurants, and things to do. Any shorter of an itinerary, and you might not have time to experience all it has to offer.

If you're a frequent cruiser — especially with Royal Caribbean — amenities like the mini-golf course and water playground may not seem exciting.

But of all the activities the new world's largest cruise ship has to offer, my eight favorites are, for the most part, ones I've yet to see on another vessel.

Take a look at what made the cut.

1. The six-slide waterpark

It wouldn't be a roundup of Icon of the Seas' best amenities without a mention of its waterpark.

Plenty of family-friendly cruise ships have waterslides, but few have six — or even one that requires a multi-person raft.

However, if you don't like the feeling of your stomach dropping, I'd advise skipping the 46-foot-tall drop slide.

2. The adult-only suspended infinity pool

The 7,600-guest Icon of the Seas has seven pools and nine hot tubs. As a kid-fearing adult, I loved the grown-ups-only suspended infinity pool.

I spent my time there perched at one of its in-water loungers, contently splashing my legs around the water, wondering if I actually hated cruises.

While I would've preferred a quieter atmosphere (the DJ did not, in fact, play smooth jazz), the pool's views, day beds, and lack of screaming children were hard to beat.

3. The Crown’s Edge thrill 'ride'

There's no need to grab coffee before harnessing up for the part-zipling, part-agility Crown's Edge course. You'll be jolted awake when the floor drops from beneath your feet, leaving you dangling 154 feet above the ocean before the zipline kicks in.

Unfortunately, it comes with two costs: $49 and a spike of anxiety.

4. The 'Wizard of Oz' and 'Aqua Action!' shows

If you hate cruise shows, Icon of the Seas could make you change your mind.

The ship's riff on Broadway-approved "Wizard of Oz" — 16-piece live orchestra and flying bed included — delighted me, a hater of most musicals.

For something less traditional, the semi-circle AquaDome theater hosts a compelling multi-disciplinary swim, dive, and aerial show reminiscent of Cirque du Soleil.

It's the first show-at-sea I've seen with a waterfall and nine-foot-tall robotic arms, and so far, it's one of my favorites.

5. The live jazz bar

Ya like jazz? So do I.

Icon of the Seas has plenty of live music venues — including rowdy karaoke and dueling pianos bars, if that counts. But if you're a jazz fan or looking for a peaceful nightcap, none of these options will top the live music at Lou's Jazz 'n Blues.

6. The customizable Mediterranean-style wrap at the five-stall food hall

The mega-ship's food hall wasn't nearly as diverse or exciting as the one on Norwegian Prima.

But compared to the rest of my mediocre meals on Icon of the Seas — including dinner at a specialty restaurant — my complimentary pork pita wrap from the food hall's Mediterranean-inspired stall was admittedly pretty decent.

The Cava-like meal was balanced, succulent, and filling. Ending it with a strawberry nutella crepe from one of the vendors didn't hurt either.

7. The Pearl Café with sweeping ocean views

Everyone takes a picture inside the Pearl. But few people know that the best part about the glittering structure isn't what's inside it — it's what's behind it: the Pearl Café.

Admittedly, the food wasn't standout.

But it's 2024. In this era, we don't dine for food. We dine for vibes. And the Pearl Café was definitely "serving" (even with its mediocre sandwiches).

At first glance, I had snubbed the dining and lounge area as a rip-off of a generic airport coffee shop. But during my three days on Icon, I returned to the centrally located space more often than expected. It turns out it's a great place to get some work done.

8. The lounging pods that tower above passerbys

Speaking of vibes, if you're looking for a secluded place to drink (as in, not the swim-up pool bar), few will top the Overlook Pods, perched just behind the AquaDome.

If you want to feel like you're drinking in a nest atop a tree, bring your coffee-infused cocktail from nearby Rye and Bean to one of the elevated pods. .

Just don't drink too much. What goes up must come down. And to get down from the pods, you'll have to take the stairs.

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• The Nigerian online crime group known as the "Yahoo Boys" is now using AI in its romance scams.
• Romance scams cost Americans $1.3 billion in 2022, according to the FTC.
• One quick way to spot a deepfake is to do a reverse image search.

Does he seem too good to be true? It might be because he's a romance scammer called a "Yahoo Boy" who wants to steal your life savings.

The Yahoo Boys are an online crime group based out of Nigeria that creates fake online personas and uses them to target victims, according to the Department of Justice. Once gaining the victims' trust, the scammers use a pretense to solicit money, like the need to pay an emergency medical expense.

Last year alone, the FBI's Internet Crime Report estimated that Americans lost more than $650 million to romance scams. The Federal Trade Commission, which casts a wider net, reported that, in 2022, these scams netted a whopping $1.3 billion. Many of the victims are older and targeted for their life savings, family inheritances, and retirement funds.

Kate Kleinert, a 69-year-old widow, previously told BI that she lost $39,000 to an online romance scam. By the end Kleinart said she had lost most of her savings, her late husband's life insurance, pension, and income from Social Security.

"Losing the money — that was devastating. But losing that love and the thought of that family that we had? That's what crushed me," Kleinart told BI.

And if it wasn't bad enough, the scam is becoming more sophisticated alongside the latest technology. The Yahoo Boys now uses AI to create deepfakes to dupe even the most alert internet users. Over the last two years, the Yahoo Boys started experimenting with deepfake video clips and video calls, according to Wired.

"Deepfakes" leverage AI to replace the likeness of a person in a video or audio clip. David Maimon, a professor at Georgia State University and head of fraud insights SentiLink, told Wired that the scammers using deepfakes often set up calls through Zoom. They use a webcam paired with software that changes their facial features.

In February, a Hong Kong-based finance worker handed over $25 million to scammers who used deepfakes in this way to impersonate chief financial officers, according to CNN.

In February, a Salt Lake City jury indicted seven members of the Nigerian group. Prosecutors accused them of using money transmitters to help them launder funds obtained from the romance scheme overseas, according to the Justice Department.

The scam in Utah ran from March 2018 through June 2019 and cost victims more than $8 million, police said.

Trina Higgins, US attorney for the state of Utah, said in a public service announcement that victims in the state lost more than $3.6 million to romance scams in 2022. Higgins recommended people looking for love online be careful what they post on social media, ask lots of questions about the people they meet, and research anyone with whom they want to get romantically involved.

Above all, the US attorney's office warns to "never send money to someone you haven't met in-person."

One quick way to spot a deepfake is to do a reverse image search and check the true source of an image.

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• Meta introduced Imagine, a new AI image generation feature.
• The feature uses Meta's AI model, Llama 3, for sharper, high-quality images.
• The feature is part of a broader announcement Meta made last week.

Meta wants users to let their imagination run wild, with an assist from its AI model.

Meta announced a new image generation feature called Imagine this week that allows users to create images in real time. The company is rolling out the feature in beta to users on WhatsApp and the Meta AI website.

To use it, users simply type the prompt "Imagine" followed by a description of the image they're trying to generate. Meta said the image will change "with every few letters typed."

The feature draws upon Meta's latest open-source large language model, Llama 3, which the company says creates "sharper and higher quality" images and has a "better ability to include text in images."

Once a user creates an image, they can "animate it, iterate on it in a new style or even turn it into a GIF," Meta said.

Meta's image generator is one of several updates to its AI assistant that the company announced last week. The assistant can now accommodate requests as specific as restaurant recommendations with "sunset views" or "vegan options," offer users interior decor inspiration for a new home, or help them study for a big test by explaining tough concepts.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg referred to the company's "big AI news" as "pretty wild," according to Axios. But Meta is still catching up to competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic. The company is still training its larger models of Llama 3, and when released it's likely to be on par with OpenAI's GPT-4 and Anthropic's Claude 3 Opus, which were both released in March.

See Imagine in action below:

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• The spring season is here, and billionaires are switching up their style for the warmer weather.
• Italian brands, trendy sneakers, and more are catching the eyes of the elite.
• Here's what the best of Silicon Valley are wearing in 2024.

The world's wealthiest bosses are stepping out to an array of social events this spring, and their style choices are indicative of what's trending among the top 1%.

Tech billionaires are stepping it up from the basic t-shirt and jeans they're known for donning. Today, they accessorize with sunglasses, unique outerwear, and sometimes flashy watches.

"They're getting a little more attention, and I think they like it," Victoria Hitchcock, a fashion lifestylist and personal brander in the San Francisco Bay area, told Business Insider. 

She added: "All of a sudden, they're standing out as potential future icons in areas they never intended to go."

Look no further than Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg as a real example of this fashion upgrade to his techy street style. The Facebook founder might still be wearing the classic t-shirt and jeans, but he's recently opted to pair it with a chain necklace and New Balance sneakers.

Hitchcock told BI that Zuck's new style is part of a larger "strategy" over the last few years to "make him approachable and show that he's a fun guy."

Here's what Zuckerberg and his fellow wealthy tech titans are wearing this spring, according to style experts.

The shacket

In March, Bill Gates was spotted in a navy top while sitting in the crowd of a tennis match. At first glance, it's a basic collared shirt, but the Microsoft founder is right on trend with the look the men of Silicon Valley are going for.

"It looks formal, like an old dress shirt, but they're actually knit, so it's got a much more casual vibe," Hitchcock said.

Sometimes referred to as a shacket, the top is thick enough to be considered outerwear but can be styled as a shirt on its own.

It's unclear exactly where Gates picked up his shacket.

Hitchcock's clients, who include wealthy tech bosses in San Francisco, often opt for the luxury Italian brand Herno when purchasing similar clothing.

And Bob's Watches CEO Paul Altieri said it's intentional that the top dogs are choosing to wear "clothing that has no name at all" on its exterior. The choices are in line with the quiet luxury trend that continues to dominate runways and street style.

Their favorite sneaker brands

Google founder Sergey Brin recently went down a red carpet wearing sneakers with his suit, and it's certainly not uncommon for tech execs to keep it casual.

"We have seen a decline in interest for limited edition sneakers, while interest in low-key luxury sneakers from George Esquivel and the Zegna Triple Stitch remain high," Nicole Pollard Bayme, CEO of LA-based styling firm Lalaluxe, said.

The New Balance sneakers — particularly popular with Gen Z right now — worn by Zuckerberg could be a hint that billionaires are also paying attention to current style trends.

And there's On, a brand that has more recently taken over the shopping lists of Hitchcock's clients over the last three years. Shoes from On go for less than $200.

Sporty sunglasses are in

As for accessories, sporty metal-frame sunglasses are a favorite for men, especially when billionaires are attending outdoor sporting events.

It's no surprise that Nike founder Phil Knight blocks the sun with his own brand, but the silhouette of the shades is a great example of today's trends.

"When they're watching sports, they're not going to wear higher-end quality tortoise frames," Hitchcock said. "They go for metal, which is really funny because I don't think women switch out their glasses for sporting events."

The women in charge want kitten heels and expensive jewelry

As for her female clients, Hitchcock said they're going for understated shoe options and eye-catching jewelry.

It's kitten heels — oftentimes Manolo Blahnik — with their jeans and blazers completed with "high-end luxury" jewelry for the elite women of Silicon Valley.

For example, a cat's eye chrysoberyl gem ring with 26 diamonds from jeweler Oscar Heyman (pictured above) runs her clients about $320,000.

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• A24 is getting backlash for using images to promote "Civil War" that, according to a report, are AI-generated.
• One image apparently meant to show Chicago had an iconic building in a nonsensical location.
• Some wondered why A24 would use AI given how controversial its been in the film industry. 

"Civil War," the most expensive film to date for film-industry darling A24, crushed at the box office in its first weekend — but some images used to promote the film have been met with swift and stark backlash.

The film, which had a production budget of $50 million, follows a group of journalists sometime in the near future when the US is in a full-blown civil war. The movie topped the box office on its opening weekend, selling an estimated $25.7 million in tickets in North America — a figure that includes me, as I saw the film on Sunday.

A few days after its successful opening, A24 posted a series of images promoting the movie to Instagram, but the post was quickly met with outrage over the apparent use of AI.

An unnamed source close to the film told The Hollywood Reporter that the images were AI-generated. A24 did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

In an initial swipe of the images, which appeared to show places across America destroyed and war-torn, you might not notice anything off — unless, of course, you're from Chicago, as I am, in which case you probably laughed out loud when you reached the fifth slide, as I did.

The image shows the iconic Marina City towers, a pair of buildings constructed in the 1960s that are adjacent to each other and span almost an entire city block on the north side of the Chicago River. Even if you're not from Chicago, you might recognize their distinctive appearance, famous for resembling a Midwest favorite: corn on the cob. (They were also featured on the cover of the beloved 2002 indie album "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" by the Chicago-based band Wilco.)

The image shared by A24 would certainly be evocative — one of the towers is burning — if you can get over the fact that the Chicago River is somehow now flowing in between the two buildings, meaning one of the towers now appears to be sitting on an island that currently does not exist.

Theoretically, there could be a time in the future when the landscape of downtown Chicago is fundamentally and absurdly altered to fork the river and create this island, allowing one of the towers to be relocated. But, um, what?

It also wasn't the only aspect of the images that raised eyebrows. One image appears to show soldiers in a boat somewhere near Los Angeles pointing their guns at a giant swan. Perhaps the swan is meant to be a paddle boat, like the ones you can rent on Echo Park Lake? It certainly does not look like it. Plus, if you zoom in, the soldier in the back of the boat appears to be entirely missing legs, with his upper body floating in space.

Another image that looks like it's supposed to be Miami features a car that appears to have three doors. And in an image that apparently is meant to be New York City's Washington Square Park, the historic arch now seems to have a street running between it and the rest of the park. Other potential AI fails in the images have also been called out.

The backlash in the comments was swift, with people blasting A24 for supposedly using AI-generated art. "Why do you keep posting these ridiculous AI posters. Hire an actual artist," one comment with more than 6,000 likes said.

"A24 using ai for advertising might be a sign, maybe its the beginning of the end for a company that used to rely on indie aesthetics," a comment that got over 3,000 likes said of the company, which made a name for itself in part for indie movies that were also accessible. "It's incredibly disappointing."

The source close to the movie who talked to The Hollywood Reporter said the AI-generated images were meant to convey the potential impact of a fictionalized civil war.

"These are AI images inspired by the movie," the source told the outlet. "The entire movie is a big 'what if,' and so we wanted to continue that thought on social — powerful imagery of iconic landmarks with that dystopian realism."

Some commenters also questioned the wisdom of A24 using AI, given the AI concerns expressed during the film-industry strikes last year and a recent controversy with another movie.

Promotion for the horror-comedy "Late Night with the Devil" has been bogged down by complaints that the filmmakers used AI. The directors have said that, in conjunction with their graphics and design team, they used AI for three still images that were then edited further and appeared in the movie briefly.

Marketing for "Civil War" has been controversial even beyond the use of AI, with some people criticizing it as misleading. For instance, none of the scenes depicted in the controversial ad images appear in the movie.

In part because of the marketing, when I saw the film, it was quite different from what I expected, and yet I loved it.

But a large reason I loved the movie was how terrifyingly plausible it all felt. I felt like I was watching a place I know intimately torn asunder. The result was deeply unsettling, a reaction I imagine the filmmakers wanted.

The images A24 posted do not do that feeling — or the movie they're supposed to be promoting — justice.

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• Kreskin J. Torres, a Lyft driver, has traveled across all 50 states, documenting his dining experiences.
• Torres is working on a book, an app called Rideshare Foodies, and is organizing a national potluck.
• He said gig driving is just temporary and has helped him achieve his larger goals.

Kreskin J. Torres, 35, has eaten his way through all 50 states — including Alaska and Hawaii. His ticket to doing so? Driving for Uber and Lyft.

The Army veteran and Baltimore native has documented his dining on his blog Rideshare Foodie. After seven years, he's learned the most profitable times of day to drive, the best locations to find riders in each city and the optimal strategies for maximizing tips.

"You just got to work smarter, not harder," Torres said. "From my experience, I've been in every state, so I know how every city works now."

At the same time, he's been able to pursue his foodie passions. Torres is now working on a book called "Taste of the States," his recommendations app called Rideshare Foodies, and planning a series of events to honor dishes from various states and their history.

While driving for ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft can be a flexible way to earn money for people like Torres who have more than one hustle, it can also be a recipe for burnout. Among the dozens of drivers Business Insider has spoken with over the past few months, many are already dreaming of what's next — starting a business or finding new modes of employment.

And that's Torres' main career advice for those considering it. After all, he's not planning to do the job forever, as he hopes to transition away, though it helped him jump-start new paths for his future.

"Do not make this the end all be all," Torres said, noting how Uber and Lyft have threatened to pull out of Minneapolis. "When it started, it was advertised as a gig, a side hustle."

Traveling the country as a gig driver

As a veteran, he said this job has been relatively stress-free and helpful for not feeling lonely, a similar sentiment he's heard from veterans with PTSD.

"I enjoy meeting and connecting with different people and getting to see different places," Torres said.

He decided to spend his next few years on the road using driving to fund his adventures and to meet locals who could point him to the best restaurants and experiences.

"The great thing is you get to learn about different cities and how everything operates," Torres said.

He moved to San Antonio, though he works mainly around the more-profitable Austin area, and has explored the South and Southeast.

While he doesn't make much money from his blog, he said driving has allowed him to try everything from Navajo tacos in Arizona to biscuits in chocolate gravy in Arkansas to huckleberry swirls in Montana. Driving has led him to some of his favorite restaurants like I693 Red Zone Grill in Jackson, Mississippi; Strawberry's BBQ in Holcomb, Missouri; and Rice & Roll by Xing Xing in Wichita.

Learning the most profitable places and times to drive

Torres noticed he would get more profitable rides driving around suburbs, airports, and sports stadiums, locations coveted by drivers as they get more tips and sometimes elevated fares.

He learned New Year's will always be profitable, though rides slow down around February before picking up in mid-March. It's led him to be more methodical about the types of rides to take, as well as planning when to save more of his earnings and when to splurge a little on food and travel.

"After seven years, I'm a lot more experienced. It depends on the time of the season, so I usually can do a lot more business in college towns," Torres said. "I would visit a city, see what they're known for, a little history behind it."

Torres was making enough to comfortably travel the country, though he's always been careful since he said passengers are sometimes confused by his out-of-state license plate. He also faced a permanent deactivation from Uber last year over a dispute over the color of his car.

He doesn't have a wife or kids, nor does he have an apartment, as he mainly lives out of his car to save money. He acknowledges that growing competition on the road and lower earnings could put a greater dent in savings for people with families or permanent residences.

Torres has transitioned to driving full-time for Lyft, and he typically is online for 12 hours a day but only actively drives five to six hours in between waiting around airports.

He said he's increasingly put himself in his passengers' shoes to determine the best places and times to drive — he likely won't put in the effort to drive during rain, and he's more likely to do later trips around concert venues or bars.

To continue supporting his travels, he said he sometimes does airport rides at 3 or 4 a.m., as well as rides between 6:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. during the morning rush. He also said being online around noon is fruitful for corporate workers, while 3 p.m. is right when schools let out. He usually tries not to drive around evening rush hours but sometimes resumes later at night.

He also devotes more time to driving between Wednesday and Sunday, when rides are more frequent, whether for "whiskey Wednesdays" or Friday afternoon happy hours. This is also when he can best network with passengers and hear their stories, as he said he occasionally gets to drive famous people.

Torres said drivers should consider this a short-term opportunity while working toward long-term goals. As he eases off the app, he has his eyes set on more international travel in the coming months. He's also investing more time in his food app, a local recommendation tool that functions like a Facebook group in which people ask questions about, for example, the best bartender in the area or where to go for particular dishes. It has launched on Android and set to be released on Apple by the summer.

"The most positivity that you can get out of it, do whatever you can and get the most out of it," Torres said. "The next few months will probably be my last time doing this because I'm focusing on other things, so I always had a plan for the things I was going to do."

Are you a ride-hailing driver who's struggling to pay bills or has had recent success? Have you recently pivoted to a new career from driving? Reach out to nsheidlower@businessinsider.com.

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• A millennial earned roughly $225,000 secretly working two full-time remote jobs. 
• He used the extra money to buy a truck, start an Airbnb, and grow his savings. 
• But several factors led him to ultimately decide that "the juice wasn't worth the squeeze."

In 2022, Luke was making six figures annually working remotely as an e-commerce professional based in the South.

But he had a lot of downtime — and he's "not good with having a lot of downtime," the 37-year-old told Business Insider.

"I just figured I'd find a second role that paid well enough but wasn't overly demanding," said Luke, whose identity is known to BI but he asked to use a pseudonym due to his fear of professional repercussions.

Roughly three months later, he was secretly working two full-time remote jobs and earning about $225,000 a year in combined income. He said he used the extra money to make a down payment on a truck, start an Airbnb, and pad his savings.

But earlier this year, after roughly 13 months of being "overemployed," Luke quit his second job. While he considered carrying on, he said five factors were working against him: an upcoming promotion in his first role, a difficult boss, the recent birth of his first child, higher taxes, and a return-to-office mandate.

Over the past year, Business Insider has spoken with more than a dozen job jugglers who used their six-figure earnings to pay off debt, plan for an early retirement, and afford expensive vacations and weight-loss drugs. While some employers may be OK with their workers taking on a second job, doing so without approval could have repercussions if a worker is caught.

While working multiple full-time jobs can be very lucrative, fierce competition for remote roles has made this unattainable for many people. What's more, return-to-office mandates and burnout can make job juggling unsustainable.

Luke shared how he tried to keep both jobs going as long as he could — and why he ultimately decided to give one up.

Juggling both jobs felt manageable and worthwhile — until it didn't

Luke's overemployment journey was a bit of a roller coaster.

Before he found a second job that stuck, he said he started one that only lasted about a week before his employment was terminated. Luke wasn't sure if his job juggling had been exposed or if the company just changed its mind — he never found out.

When Luke started his more successful job juggling stint, it wasn't too difficult to manage both jobs. He said he only worked between 40 and 50 hours a week between the two roles and didn't have much trouble avoiding double-booking his calendars.

But he said the boss at his second job often left him frustrated.

"I hate my boss with a passion," he told Business Insider before he quit.

Over the past year, both work and home responsibilities made job juggling even more difficult. At his primary job, he said an upcoming promotion forced him to take on a bigger workload and put in longer hours. At home, he and his wife welcomed their first kid.

At the same time, the extra income from his second job — which paid about $80,000 a year — wasn't boosting his finances quite as much as he initially expected. That's because it slotted him into an income bracket with higher tax rates.

"Of the money I made from the second job, a third of it, I had to basically hold back just for taxes," he said.

"The juice wasn't worth the squeeze"

Earlier this year, Luke faced perhaps the biggest challenge in his overemployed journey: His primary job was switching its policy from fully remote to hybrid by the middle of 2024 — which would require him to come into the office a few days a week.

For many job jugglers, a return-to-office mandate would be the nail in the coffin — at least for their existing working arrangement. But Luke tried to figure out how to keep both jobs going.

On the days he had to work on-site, he could use his personal office to juggle both jobs without anyone peeking over his shoulder, he said. His main concern was that his employer would notice that someone from a different company was using the internet connection.

However, after weighing the challenges the hybrid policy would present, in addition to the other downsides of job juggling, Luke ultimately decided that "the juice wasn't worth the squeeze." His second job would have to go.

But he didn't immediately hand in his two-week notice. That's because he thought he could get a few easy paychecks first.

Luke said his company typically went through a multi-step process before parting ways with poor-performing employees, so it'd be possible to string out the process for at least a month.

But he soon decided this strategy wasn't worth the extra income either — and called it quits.

"I'm not going to try and juggle both jobs," he said in March. "I thought about it, but with the new baby and a promotion coming, it's just too much."

Are you working multiple remote jobs at the same time and willing to provide details about your pay and schedule? If so, reach out to this reporter at jzinkula@businessinsider.com.

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• A UK couple found a trove of 17th-century coins during a home renovation.
• The collection includes Elizabeth I silver shillings and Charles I gold coins.
• More evidence that a home might be hiding an amazing and valuable secret.

A UK couple's home renovation project turned into a profitable venture when they discovered a $43,000 treasure trove under their kitchen floor.

Robert and Betty Fooks were renovating their farmhouse in southern England when they found a valuable collection of 17th-century coins concealed beneath their kitchen.

Fooks' South Poorton Farm is a 17th-century cottage located in a small hamlet in West Dorset.

The couple purchased the long house in 2019 and removed the modern concrete floor during their extensive renovation.

The coins were discovered while digging down two feet to expand the downstairs area.

The discovery is the latest in historic and valuable discoveries made accidentally in people's backyards, basements, underfloors, behind walls, and in attics, and evidence that your home could be hiding an amazing secret.

Betty Fooks, an NHS health visitor, told the Guardian: "It is a 400-year-old house, so there was lots of work to do. We were taking all the floors and ceilings out and took it back to its stone walls.

"One evening, my husband was digging with a pick ax when he called to say they've found something. He put all the coins in a bucket. If we hadn't lowered the floor, they would still be hidden there," she said.

The collection was handed to the British Museum for identification and cleaning.

Dukes Auctioneers said on its website that the British Museum believes the coins were deposited on one occasion around 1642-4. The English Civil War began around this time, and the area around Poorton experienced much conflict.

The "Poorton coin hoard" comprising 1,000 coins is now set to go under the hammer on April 23 at Duke's Auctioneers.

The collection, which includes Elizabeth I silver shillings, Charles I gold unite coins, James I silver sixpence coins, and more, has an estimated value of £35,000, or $43,600.

Business Insider contacted Duke's Auctioneers for comment.

Spectacular discoveries

In 2019, a similar discovery was made by another couple in England.

A hoard of 264 coins English gold coins from 1610-1727 was unearthed by an unnamed couple digging up their kitchen floor.

The trove was believed to have been once owned by a family of traders who made their fortunes in Baltic trading.

The collection sold at auction in 2022 for £754,000, or $842,330.

Small and easy to hide, coins feature in many of the secret troves unsuspecting homeowners have stumbled upon. Other lost artifacts have ranged from first editions of superhero comics to rare vintage cars.

But one of the most spectacular discoveries was an Italian Renaissance 16th-century masterpiece hidden under an old matress in an attic in France in 2014.

The "Judith Beheading Holofernes," believed to be a canvas by Caravaggio, was later sold for $170 million.

The unnamed family who shared the astonishing windfall speculated that work may have been spirited out of Italy by an ancestor who fought in Napoleon's army in the early 19th century, reports say.

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