• Rite Aid is closing even more stores in 2024. See if yours is on the list.

    Rite Aid
    Rite Aid is planning to close more stores in 2024.

    • Rite Aid is planning to close more stores in 2024 as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
    • The drugstore chain has shuttered almost 550 locations since October, NBC reported.
    • Rite Aid has been shrinking its store count for years, losing ground to rivals Walgreens and CVS.

    More Rite Aid stores are closing as part of the retailer's voluntary bankruptcy.

    The latest list includes 27 stores in Michigan and Ohio, according to filings from the retailer's bankruptcy case. That brings the number of stores put on the chopping block and named in filings this year to 100. Most of those came in February.

    The company said last fall that it would shutter about 150 Rite Aid stores.

    Since the drugstore chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October, Rite Aid has closed nearly 550 stores, NBC reported, including this latest round.

    A Rite Aid spokesperson did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on the latest list of proposed closures.

    "Rite Aid regularly assesses its retail footprint to ensure we are operating efficiently while meeting the needs of our customers, communities, associates and overall business," a Rite Aid spokesperson told BI in February about the first round of closures this year. "In connection with the court-supervised process, we notified the Court of certain underperforming stores we are closing to further reduce rent expense and strengthen overall financial performance."

    Rite Aid has been shrinking its base over the past decade. The chain had about 4,600 stores in 2013. It sold about 2,000 of those to rival Walgreens in 2017 after federal regulators blocked Rite Aid's proposed sale to Walgreens.

    The company currently says that it has about 1,600 stores — a fraction of the networks that rivals CVS and Walgreens have built.

    Here's the list of Rite Aid store closures for 2024:

    California:

    Lakewood: 5520 Woodruff Avenue

    San Diego: 8694 Lake Murray Boulevard

    Needles: 1020 East Broadway Street

    North Hollywood: 11350 Victory Boulevard

    Fontana: 9940 Sierra Avenue

    Livermore: 968 Murrieta Boulevard

    Hemet: 260 North Sanderson Avenue

    Westminster: 6767 Westminster Boulevard

    Studio City: 10989 Ventura Boulevard

    La Crescenta: 2647 West Foothill Boulevard

    Los Angeles: 3230 West Slauson Avenue, 11750 Wilmington Avenue

    Tustin: 630 East 1st Street

    Susanville: 1615 Main Street

    Redlands: 700 East Redlands Boulevard, Suite A

    Moreno Valley: 24991 Alessandro Boulevard

    Simi Valley: 1159 East Los Angeles Avenue

    Colton: 2025 East Washington Street

    Fresno: 4224 East Shields Avenue

    Rancho Cucamonga: 9650 Baseline Road

    Fountain Valley: 17904 Magnolia Street

    Temecula: 39782 Winchester Road

    Connecticut:

    Milford: 1360 Boston Post Road

    Delaware:

    Harrington: 17069 South Dupont Highway

    Idaho:

    Boise: 10600 Fairview Avenue

    Maryland:

    Baltimore: 250 West Chase Street

    Cambridge: 798 Sunburst Highway

    Massachusetts:

    New Bedford: 824 Purchase Street

    Revere: 467 Broadway

    Michigan:

    Detroit: 4612 Woodward Avenue

    Midland: 2006 N. Saginaw Road

    Howell: 1002 East Grand River Avenue

    Added in June:

    Livonia: 37399 6 Mile Road

    Burton: G4033 Fenton Road, 6026 Lapeer Road

    Flint: 4519 Richfield Road

    Ludington: 936 East Ludington Avenue

    Wyandotte: 1998 Biddle Avenue

    Spring Lake: 603 East Savidge Street

    Bay City: 3880 Wilder Road

    Marlette: 2985 Main Street

    Grosse Pointe Farms: 107 Kercheval Avenue

    Milford: 640 North Milford Road

    Allen Park: 15411 Southfield Road

    New Hampshire:

    Milford: 586 Nashua Street, Unit 8-9

    Franklin: 951 Central Street

    New Jersey:

    Clementon: 1360 Blackwood Clementon Road

    Haddon Township: 249 Cuthbert Boulevard

    Newark: 104 12th Avenue

    Bayonne: 1097 Broadway

    Newton: 237 Spring Street

    Logan Township: 335 Village Center Drive

    New York:

    Brooklyn: 249 7th Avenue, 7812 Flatlands Avenue

    Auburn: 153 Grant Avenue

    Hartsdale: 196 East Hartsdale Avenue

    Bronx: 901 East Gun Hill Road, 2426-34 Eastchester Road, 1179 East 233rd Street

    Elmira: 119 West 2nd Street

    Le Roy: 151 West Main Street

    Poughkeepsie: 40 Vassar Road

    Buffalo: 2474 Bailey Avenue

    Mount Vernon: 47 East Prospect Avenue

    Ohio:

    Marion: 1081 Mount Vernon Avenue

    Lorain: 2709 Broadway Avenue

    Middlefield: 15596 West High Street

    Brookpark: 15149 Snow Road

    Maple Heights: 21800 Libby Road

    Cleveland: 11702 Lorain Avenue

    Warren: 2154 Elm Road NE, 1560 Parkman Road NW

    Geneva: 633 South Broadway

    Amherst: 100 South Leavitt Road

    Bryan: 1221 West High Street

    Added in June:

    Ashtabula: 2148 Lake Avenue

    Cleveland: 3402 Clark Avenue

    Defiance: 1816 East Second Street

    Youngstown: 3527 Canfield Road

    Coshocton: 218 Chestnut Street

    Springfield: 1805 South Limestone Street

    Oregon: 3362 Navarre Avenue

    Toledo: 2434 West Laskey Road

    Alliance: 1895 West State Street

    Massillon: 242 Lincoln Way West

    Bowling Green: 722-740 South Main Street

    Wheelersburg: 8130 Ohio River Road

    St. Marys: 1502 Executive Drive

    Tiffin: 530 West Market Street

    Oregon:

    Portland: 600 NW 10th Avenue

    Gresham: 1555 N.E. Division Street

    Pennsylvania:

    Greencastle: 200 North Antrim Way

    Allentown: 6822 Hamilton Boulevard

    Doylestown: 472 N. Main Street

    Phoenixville: 200 Kimberton Road

    Altoona: 1600 9th Ave. Suite 35

    Harrisburg: 501 South 29th St. Suite A

    Sharon: 60 South Water Street

    Virginia:

    Hayes: 2460 George Washington Memorial

    Suffolk: 1517 Holland Road

    Washington:

    Everett: 1825 Broadway

    Walla Walla: 2028 East Isaacs Avenue

    Belfair: 23940 NE State Route 3

    Seattle: 1820 N 45th Street

    Do you work at Rite Aid and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • 12 influencer athletes who are set to dominate the Paris Olympics and your FYP

    Olympians Ilona Maher, Simone Biles, and Tom Daley.
    Olympians Ilona Maher, Simone Biles, and Tom Daley.

    • The 2024 Summer Olympics will begin in Paris on July 26.
    • Elite athletes are sharing their daily lives and intense training routines on TikTok.
    • US Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher has 1.1 million followers on the platform.

    The 2024 Summer Olympics are just around the corner, and as elite athletes polish their routines and compete in final qualifiers, they're taking fans along for the ride on TikTok.

    The platform is a popular choice for sharing training schedules, daily routines, skits with teammates, and brand partnerships.

    Such partnerships can play a key role in funding their Olympic lifestyles, especially in niche sports like synchronized swimming or volleyball, which don't garner the same attention as other sports like soccer or basketball.

    In fact, Business Insider reported in 2021 that a global study of 500 elite athletes found that nearly 60% of them did not consider themselves financially stable.

    Since sponsorships are largely dependent on an athlete's popularity and performance, TikTok and other social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube have become important, albeit necessary, ways for athletes to gain a notable following and increase their chances to collaborate with major brands like L'Oréal, Amazon, Delta, and Brooks Running.

    Ahead of final team announcements for the 2024 Olympics, here are 12 elite athletes who are prepared to dominate Paris and your For You Page this summer.

    All follower counts were accurate as of June 20, 2024.

    Ilona Maher is an Olympic rugby player who uses her platform to promote body positivity.
    Ilona Maher Team USA portrait.
    Ilona Maher Team USA portrait.

    Arguably the No. 1 Olympic TikToker is rugby player Ilona Maher, who has 1.1 million followers.

    Maher, 27, first went viral three years ago during the Summer Olympics in Tokyo thanks to sharing a behind-the-scenes view of the Olympic Village and its notorious "anti-sex beds."

    Now, she shares everything from her fashion and advice, to, most notably, body positivity content. As an accomplished rugby player with World Championship and Olympic experience, Maher has been vocal about her love for her body.

    NCAA.org reported that at the Team USA Media Summit in April Maher said she tries to show her audience that they don't need to sacrifice their femininity or beauty to play a physical sport like rugby.

    "That's a little bit why I wear the lipstick when I play. I can tackle hard and run hard but also, you know, still feel beautiful and still bring that into it. It's not like you have to sacrifice that," she said.

    Her talent and outspokenness have led to collaborations with brands such as L'Oréal, Brooks Running, Delta, and Maybelline as she promotes #beastbeautybrains.

    As they continue final preparations for Paris, Maher and her rugby sevens teammates will be striving to beat their sixth-place finish from three years ago and make it to the podium for the first time in US women's rugby history.

    Find her TikTok here.

    World No. 2 women's tennis player Coco Gauff is also set to document her Olympic debut.
    Coco Gauff reacts after winning the quarterfinal of the 2024 French Open.
    Coco Gauff reacts after winning the quarterfinal of the 2024 French Open.

    2023 US Open champion and 2024 Roland-Garros women's doubles champion Coco Gauff, 20, is poised to return to Paris for her Olympic debut after a positive COVID-19 test forced her out of competition in Tokyo.

    As the WTA Singles No. 2 women's player in the world, Gauff has already qualified for the Olympics.

    Her 632.6K TikTok followers should expect to see plenty of outfits, thrift hauls, competition highlights, and dances throughout the tournament.

    Find her TikTok here.

    British diver Tom Daley is making his fifth Olympic appearance.
    Tom Daley poses with his medal at the Doha 2024 World Aquatics Championship.
    Tom Daley poses with his medal at the Doha 2024 World Aquatics Championship.

    British diving legend Tom Daley has returned from retirement for a fifth and final Olympic Games. Since his debut in 2008 at just 14 years old, Daley has become an Olympic fan-favorite known not only for his incredible skill but also for his poolside hobbies, knitting and crocheting.

    He shares all of this, plus parenting content, funny trends, and collaborations with brands like Rimmel London, Adidas, and Casper, with his 1.3 million TikTok followers.

    Find his TikTok here.

    Daniella Ramirez is bringing Olympic-level ASMR content that gives an inside look at synchronized swimming.
    Daniella Ramirez Team USA portrait.
    Daniella Ramirez Team USA portrait.

    If you've never heard of synchronized swimming, allow 22-year-old Daniella Ramirez to be your introduction.

    Ramirez is a third-generation synchronized swimmer, following in the footsteps of her grandmother, mother, and sister, per Team USA. This summer, Ramirez and her teammates will represent USA Artistic Swimming at the Olympics — the first time the team has qualified since 2008.

    While she shares behind-the-scenes looks at her life and partnerships with L'Oréal, she is best known on TikTok for her Knox ASMR content.

    Knox is a brand of clear, flavorless gelatin that synchronized swimmers use to coat their hair to keep it perfectly intact during competitions. Her videos of putting on the substance and, more importantly, taking it off have garnered hundreds of millions of highly satisfying views from her 480.9K TikTok followers.

    Find her TikTok here.

    Cameron Brink is prepared to make her Olympic debut.
    Cameron Brink of the Los Angeles Sparks reacts during a game against the Seattle Storm in June 2024.
    Cameron Brink of the Los Angeles Sparks reacts during a game against the Seattle Storm in June 2024.

    WNBA rookie Cameron Brink is ready to add another accomplishment to her belt this year as she prepares to compete in the Olympics' 3×3 basketball tournament.

    "My first dream before being a WNBA player was to be an Olympian, so it's amazing. It's one of the highest honors as a basketball player, so I don't take it lightly," she told the Los Angeles Times in June 2024.

    Brink has been a member of USA Basketball since 2017. She won gold in the 2018 FIBA U17 Women's World Cup and the 2019 FIBA U19 Women's World Cup, as well as in 2023 at the FIBA 3×3 Women's World Cup where she was named MVP.

    Since joining the Los Angeles Sparks in April 2024, Brink has become known on social media for sharing her game-day fashion, dance videos with teammates, and partnerships with brands like Skims, Optimum Nutrition, L'Oréal, and New Balance.

    Fans should expect many more runway-worthy looks and behind-the-scenes adventures from Brink and her teammates as they go for gold in July.

    Find her TikTok here.

    Veteran USA Volleyball player Erik Shoji has garnered 1.1 million TikTok followers.
    Erik Shoji during the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
    Erik Shoji during the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

    The veteran libero from Honolulu has gained a large following on TikTok sharing training highlights and behind-the-scenes looks at life as a professional athlete.

    Shoji has been a member of the US Men's National Volleyball Team since 2013 and won a bronze medal during the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, according to USA Volleyball.

    He now plays professionally in Europe, where he's won two Champions League titles with the Polish team ZAKSA, as well as four Polish league trophies.

    Find his TikTok here.

    Lina and Laviai Nielsen have documented their rise from 2012 Olympic volunteers to 2024 Olympians.
    Lina Nielsen (L) and Laviai Nielsen (R) at the World Athletics Indoor Championships.
    Lina Nielsen (L) and Laviai Nielsen (R) at the World Athletics Indoor Championships.

    Twins Lina and Laviai Nielsen are British track-and-field athletes who compete in the 400-meter hurdles and 400-meter dash, respectively. They are also training to compete on the same 400-meter relay team, as they did at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in March, where Great Britain placed third.

    The sisters have a combined TikTok following of more than 160,000 and more than 16,000 subscribers to their joint YouTube channel, "The Nielsen Twins." Together, they document their lives training and competing, as well as funny trend videos and partnerships with brands like Bulk.

    Both Lina and Laviai have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and they hope to show others what they can achieve despite the disease.

    "A lot of people assume MS automatically leads to disability, but it does not. For a lot of people living with MS, they can continue normal activity and exercise. If we can shine a light on that side, then it can start to change that narrative," Lina Nielsen told The Daily Mail in June 2024.

    Great Britain's official athletics team for the 2024 Olympics won't be announced until July 5.

    Find Lina's TikTok here, and Laviai's TikTok here.

    The name Simone Biles is synonymous with Olympic greatness.
    Simone Biles at the 2024 Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships.
    Simone Biles at the 2024 Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships.

    And for good reason.

    The 27-year-old from Columbus, Ohio, is a seven-time Olympic medalist with four gold, one silver, and two bronze; as well as a 30-time World Championships medalist with 23 gold, four silver, and three bronze, making her the most decorated gymnast of all time, per Olympics.com.

    Now, Biles is a favorite for her third Olympic team following an impressive first-place all-around finish at the 2024 Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships earlier this month — dominating every event with a first-place finish, per NBC Sports.

    The star has been relatively quiet on TikTok in the lead-up to the Olympic trials on June 27. Still, we're hopeful she'll return to social media to share inside looks at Team USA, her gymnastics teammates, and her husband, Jonathan Owens (if he's in attendance), with her 884.7K TikTok followers.

    Find her TikTok here.

    Biles isn't the only US gymnast ready to dominate Paris — Frederick "Fred" Richard is also hoping to bring home the gold medal.
    Fred Richard celebrating his bronze medal win at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in 2023.
    Fred Richard celebrating his bronze medal win at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in 2023.

    Fred Richard, 20, from Stoughton, Massachusetts, is ready for Olympic trials on June 27.

    In 2023, he became the youngest individual world medalist in US history after finishing third in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, per USA Gymnastics — and he hasn't slowed down since.

    Richard finished second overall at the 2024 Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships earlier this month. He also placed first on the floor exercise and second on the high bar — his favorite event — per NBC Sports and USA Gymnastics.

    Richard shared clips from the competition with his 662.3K TikTok followers and is known for posting his training highlights and Olympic countdown videos. In May, he even shared how he collaborated with Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Noah Lyles to improve his running technique for the vault exercise.

    As a favorite to make Team USA Gymnastics, Richard will be looking to make more history and help the men's team medal for the first time since 2008 when they took home bronze.

    Find his TikTok here.

    Long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall is taking her followers along for the ride toward Olympic redemption.
    Tara Davis-Woodhall Team USA portrait.
    Tara Davis-Woodhall Team USA portrait.

    Long-jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall isn't new to the Olympics. The 25-year-old debuted in 2021 in Tokyo but finished the competition in a disappointing sixth place.

    Now, she's ready for bigger and better — in March 2024, Davis-Woodhall won gold at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships.

    A month later, she told Olympics.com she feels "more joy" preparing for these Olympics than she did for Tokyo.

    "Now, I'm living with my husband in Arkansas and we just enjoy life to the fullest. We have so much fun with everything that we do," Davis-Woodhall said.

    She and her husband, Paralympian Hunter Woodhall, have established a large social media following across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. They share their daily lives in Arkansas, training schedules, and other fun relationship insights.

    Davis-Woodhall has 266.3K TikTok followers and 474K Instagram followers, as well as 778K subscribers to the couple's YouTube channel, "Tara and Hunter."

    Olympic trials for women's long jump begin on June 27, so it's only a matter of time until Davis-Woodhall's return to the Olympic stage may be secured.

    Find her TikTok here.

    Reigning all-around Olympic gold medalist Sunisa "Suni" Lee is hoping for another Olympic run.
    Sunisa Lee at the 2024 Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships.
    Sunisa Lee at the 2024 Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships.

    Lee made history at the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first woman of Asian descent and the first Hmong-American to win the Olympic gymnastics all-around title. She also won a silver medal in the team event and a bronze for uneven bars.

    Just last year, though, an Olympic return seemed uncertain as she dealt with a kidney disease that put her training on pause, she told Self in October 2023.

    Lee made her return to elite competition at the Core Hydration Classic in August 2023 and qualified for the US Championships. There, she finished fourth overall — just 0.15 points behind third-place finisher Kayla DiCello — with a second-place finish on the balance beam and a fourth-place finish on uneven bars, NBC Sports reported.

    With 1.5 million TikTok followers and counting watching her leotard reveals, get ready with me's, and partnerships with brands like Marriott, L'Oréal, and Amazon, all eyes are on the 21-year-old as she aims for another shot at Olympic gold.

    Find her TikTok here.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • I dined at Disney World’s only Michelin-starred restaurant for $375. You’ll want to snag a reservation even if you don’t care about the theme parks.

    casey taking a selfie in front of the entrance to victoria and alberts in disney world
    Victoria & Albert's in Disney's Grand Floridian Resort was recently awarded a Michelin star.

    Disney World made history in April by earning the first and only Michelin star for a restaurant owned and operated by a US theme park.

    The famed restaurant, Victoria & Albert's inside the Grand Floridian Resort, offers prix fixe tasting menus starting at $295 a person with optional drink add-ons.

    I've been visiting Disney World for 20 years but never stepped foot inside the Grand Floridian restaurant until this month.

    After hearing rave reviews from friends and influencers online, I wanted to try it myself to see what the hype was about.

    Here's how it went.

    Victoria & Albert's has been at Disney World since 1988.
    casey posing next to th award plaques at victoria and alberts in disney world
    The restaurant has won numerous awards over the years.

    Although Victoria & Albert's only received its Michelin star in April, it opened at Disney World 20 years ago.

    The restaurant has also previously received accolades, such as several AAA Five Diamond awards and the Forbes Travel Guide Five Star award.

    In other words, it's been a highly coveted reservation for years.

    I was let in promptly at my reservation time and had a table in the main dining room.
    empty main dining room at victoria and alberts in disney world
    The dining room is fairly intimate, with upscale details.

    My reservation was scheduled for 5:30 p.m., and I was promptly escorted to my table.

    The main dining room, which had 14 tables, had a blue theme and a giant chandelier in the middle of the ceiling.

    My table in the front corner was lovely. But it was close to the entrance, and I could hear the outside noise from the resort.

    There are also two other dining rooms in the restaurant.
    chef's table at victoria and alberts in disney world
    The Chef's Table room is smaller.

    In addition to the main dining room, there's Queen Victoria's Dining Room and the Chef's Table. Both have limited capacity and are uniquely themed to enhance the experience.

    For example, the Chef's Table is in the heart of the kitchen, so you can see the food being prepared right in front of your eyes.

    Both additional rooms are more expensive than the main dining room, with Queen Victoria's starting at $375 and the Chef's Table starting at $425.

    My servers were friendly and gave me a personalized keepsake menu.
    silver envelope siting on a place setting at victoria and alberts in disney world
    My menu had my name on it.

    My server, Sherry, came over and gave me a personalized menu to take home.

    Since I had never dined at a Michelin-starred restaurant, I had lots of questions. Luckily, all the servers were enthusiastic about providing answers and sharing their love of the establishment.

    The evening started with a nonalcoholic spritz as a welcome treat from the staff.
    hand holding up a menu next to a champagne glass with a mocktail at victoria and alberts
    I sipped on a mocktail while I looked over the 10-course meal.

    After I was seated, a server came over with a nonalcoholic spritz to cleanse the palate. It was cherry-flavored with edible flowers mixed in.

    I don't drink alcohol, and I didn't opt for the add-on alcohol or nonalcoholic pairings. But this was a welcome treat to start the night with.

    The meal consisted of 10 courses and lasted about four hours.
    fancy plate of garganelli at victoria and alberts in disney world
    The garganelli had a beautiful presentation.

    I'm glad I came with an empty stomach because there were 10 courses to enjoy.

    Each course was timed perfectly over the span of about four hours, and the combination of flavors made for a delicious evening.

    Some highlights included the dashi with fava beans and white asparagus, the garganelli with sugar snap peas and saffron, and the cauliflower gazpacho blanco with Marcona almonds.

    My favorite course was the Green Circle chicken.
    fancy plate of chicken from victoria and alberts in disney world
    I loved the chicken and risotto.

    I've been to my fair share of top-notch restaurants in New York City and beyond, but I've never had food prepared quite like this.

    The chicken course was moist, and the risotto (made from sunflower seeds) had a unique texture that led to an explosion of flavors in my mouth.

    It was easily my favorite thing I ate.

    The harpist played Disney songs all evening.
    person playing the harp in the dining room of victoria and alberts in disney world
    I got to request a song for the harpist.

    A harp player sat in the center of the dining room, playing music to fit the upscale ambiance.

    Most of the songs were from Disney movies, such as "Beauty and the Beast," "Mary Poppins," "Tangled," and "The Little Mermaid."

    She played intermittently, about every 20 minutes or so, and even walked around to the tables to take requests. I asked if she could play "I See the Light" from "Tangled" — it was one of the highlights of my night.

    The last bites of the night consisted of a decadent and fruity dessert sampling.
    an array of small desserts from victoria and aberts in dinsey world
    The opera cake was my favorite dessert.

    After all the decadent courses, including the main candied carrot dessert, the server brought a few small (but absolutely delicious) treats to say farewell.

    The opera cake blew my mind.

    Additionally, I ordered a chamomile tea, which was made tableside with plenty of fanfare.

    The bill was expensive, but I knew what I was getting myself into when I made a reservation.
    bill for dinner for one at victoria and alberts in disney world
    With tax and tip, my meal cost almost $375.

    I don't think I'd spend $295 on any meal other than one at a Michelin-starred restaurant at Disney World.

    All Disney restaurants can be pricey, especially character meals. But this was nearly three times the price of a meal at Crystal Palace or Chef Mickey's. Those cost about $65 a person.

    Frankly, I was happy that the meal was under $300 before tax and gratuity. It's still a lot, but I can try to justify the price since it's a highly regarded restaurant. When all was said and done, I paid about $375.

    I also don't feel the need to splurge even more on meals in the other two dining rooms — this was just right for my needs.

    Overall, I was pleased with my visit to Victoria & Albert’s and might return for a special occasion.
    casey holding a nonalcoholic mocktail at victoria and alberts
    Victoria & Albert's definitely isn't a new go-to, but it's worth the splurge occasionally.

    Of all the restaurants I've dined at in Disney World, I've never been to one quite like Victoria & Albert's.

    The food was spectacular, the servers were friendly and knowledgeable, and the overall ambiance and experience were unique.

    If you're looking to celebrate a special occasion or simply want to enjoy a high-quality meal at Disney, I'd definitely suggest trying to get a table.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Up 78% in a year, is it too late to buy Lovisa shares?

    A young woman's hands are shown close up with many blingy gold rings on her fingers and two large gold chains around her neck with dollar signs on them.

    The Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV) share price has skyrocketed, rising 77.63% over the past year and 194.95% over the last 5 years. That’s an impressive return to its shareholders, dwarfing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 5.4% and 16.7% during those time periods.

    The affordable jewellery retailer has been restlessly rolling out its stores globally, expanding its presence to 860 stores across more than 40 countries.

    Can it continue this impressive growth in its business for its shareholders? Let’s see what experts are saying.

    Strong 1H FY24 results

    In February, the company announced its 1H FY24 financials, showcasing strong growth despite challenges in the broader retail market.

    While its comparable store sales were down 4.4%, the rapid store expansion was more than enough to offset the impact, leading to an 18.2% growth in its revenue to $373 million.

    Operating income grew 16.3% to $81.6 million, while its net profit after tax (NPAT) was up 12% to $53.5 million.

    At the heart of its growth strategy are its rapid store roll-outs. During the 12 months to December 2023, the company added 74 new stores and entered into three new markets, including China and Vietnam.

    Lovisa CEO Victor Herero commented:

    The company has continued to deliver solid sales and profit growth and invested in the structures to support our steady global expansion. This positions us strongly to move forward with growth in both existing and new markets.

    What experts say about Lovisa

    Many sing praises of Lovisa’s expansion strategy. Tribeca fund manager Jun Bei Liu snatched some Lovisa shares using a brief drop in the share price in early June, citing its strong management team as my colleague Bernd highlighted.

    Since then, the company announced the planned departure of its CEO, Victor Herero. Despite this, Bell Potter remained positive on Lovisa shares as it sees the incoming CEO John Cheston, who is the current CEO of Smiggle, as equally impressive.

    Morgans is another positive broker on Lovisa. Analysts at Morgans believe the company is well-positioned for long-term growth in light of the retailer’s expansion into mainland China in FY24.

    How cheap are Lovisa shares?

    Looking ahead to the next three years, Lovisa shares are trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 42x for FY24, 32x for FY25, and 26x for FY26, using earnings estimates by S&P Capital IQ.

    These earnings estimates imply the market is expecting the company will grow its earnings-per-share by 33% in FY25 and another 21% in FY26.

    The Lovisa share price closed trade on Thursday up 1.8% at $32.73. At this price, the company offers a dividend yield of 2.5%.

    The post Up 78% in a year, is it too late to buy Lovisa shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 5 May 2024

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Kate Lee has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Lovisa. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Lovisa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Donald Sutherland’s huge ‘Animal House’ negotiation mistake cost him millions

    Donald Sutherland, Animal House
    Donald Sutherland in "Animal House."

    • Donald Sutherland was instrumental in getting "Animal House" made when he signed on.
    • He did it as a favor to director John Landis but wanted more money instead of points.
    • He went on to regret it as the film made $141 million worldwide against a $3 million budget.

    "National Lampoon's Animal House" is one of the greatest comedies ever. Yet, when it was being made, not even one of its stars believed in the potential of a small comedy about toga parties.

    That is why when it came down to Donald Sutherland taking a fee of either 2% of the film's gross profits or $35,000, he took the latter. He later recalled it as a mistake that cost him a lot of money.

    Despite the movie's now classic status, studio execs didn't have much faith in "Animal House" at the time.

    According to Matty Simmons' "Fat, Drunk, and Stupid: The Inside Story Behind the Making of Animal House," these were the words of Universal Studios boss Ned Tanen after he read the first outline for the movie: "Everybody is drunk, or high, or getting laid. I'd never make this movie."

    It wasn't until the production promised Tanen that they could make the film for $3 million that Universal signed on. However, the studio still wanted a star to sell the movie to audiences.

    For Universal, "Saturday Night Live" stand-out John Belushi wasn't enough, so director John Landis went to his friend, Donald Sutherland (a huge star by 1978), and asked him for a favor. A hesitant Sutherland ultimately agreed to be in the film, but only after Landis told him that all his scenes could be done in a day.

    The studio and the comedy now had its "star." Yet, there was still the important matter of just how much Sutherland would get paid for the one day on set.

    Sutherland wanted more cash upfront rather than a stake in the profits

    Simmons said the studio wanted a star but "wouldn't pay for a star." This led to a negotiation that Sutherland would regret for years. 

    "[Sutherland] first asked for $250,000 and, in Landis's words, 'The studio said, 'Get the f— outta here!'" Simmons wrote. 

    Universal then countered Sutherland's offer with a simple $20,000 for a day's work plus points (a percentage of the profits) on the film. 

    Donald Sutherland in 2019.
    Sutherland once said he'd rather not know how much his "Animal House" blunder actually cost him.

    The problem was that Sutherland wanted nothing to do with points in the film. According to the book, Sutherland famously told Landis: "I can't take that offer. I just want the money. I don't want any points in the movie."

    Universal eventually offered a fee of $35,000 with no points for a day plus one — in Hollywood speak, meaning technically two days of work because you can't hire an actor for just one day in case they go over time. Sutherland happily accepted that offer and went on to play the film's pot-smoking professor, Dave Jennings.

    Then, on July 28, 1978, Sutherland and the rest of the world saw the finished product when "Animal House" hit theaters, and comedy would never be the same.

    'Animal House' was an animal at the box office.

    "Animal House" would become one of the most successful comedies ever, pulling in over $141 million at the box office on the $3 million production budget Universal was initially promised. Adjusted for inflation, that's about $674 million in today's dollars.

    Even in 2024, it still ranks as the 62nd highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time in terms of domestic gross.

    In a 2012 interview on the "Opie and Anthony" radio show, Sutherland said that the number of points he was offered was 2%.

    When asked, "Do you know what would 2% roughly have translated into?" Sutherland smirked and responded, "I don't want to know."

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • My husband and I used a ‘Cinderella’ rule to limit our kids’ screen time. We don’t regret it.

    top of a clock showing 1 minute to midnight
    In the Estrada household, the internet disappeared at midnight.

    • Maria and Dexter Estrada locked their kids' devices at midnight with Google Family Link and Microsoft Family Safety.
    • Emphasizing screen time moderation, the Estradas suspended this "Cinderella" rule on weekends.
    • Both children excelled, winning $67,000 in science awards and pursuing tech and medical careers.

    This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Maria Estrada, 51, who is a plant-science lecturer at Fresno State and the mother of two teenagers. It's been edited for length and clarity.

    As a mom of two kids, I've struggled with screen time.

    I didn't want my kids to be on the computer a lot. I've seen a lot of articles about kids being on computers, smartphones, and iPads.

    Still, I believe in moderation. If you say no, it's giving them a signal that they cannot do it and that you are not respectful of their emotions, their needs, and their wants.

    teen girl texting on smartphone wearing pink jacket
    Setting a midnight cutoff helped limit the Estrada children's screen time.

    My husband and I are immigrant parents, so we are a little bit strict. We cannot tolerate some bad behaviors. For example, you need to be respectful with older people.

    But we allow them to be kids, including online. My son loves video games, and they both watch YouTube.

    I didn't want to just say no to their online activities, and of course they used the internet on weeknights for their school assignments. But when they were in middle school and younger, we had a Cinderella thing: At midnight, all the wifi would disappear.

    How we locked their devices at midnight

    four people standing in front of a stage wearing lanyards two young people in the middle holding up round brown medals
    Left to right: Maria Estrada, her kids Pauline and John, and her husband Dexter, after the kids won first place in the plant science category at a science competition.

    My husband, Dexter, used two different apps to lock our kids' devices so they couldn't stay up late texting, watching videos, and playing games. He used Google Family Link for their phones and Microsoft Family Safety for their computers.

    Both apps allowed him to lock the kids' devices, though they could still receive calls and texts from the contacts we chose, such as ourselves. He could lock them out on a timer, so he set the lockout to go into effect at midnight and lift in the morning.

    We also asked them to finish their school assignments before playing video games or watching YouTube on weeknights.

    They got a break on the weekend. The midnight cutoff was lifted on Friday nights and reinstated Sunday nights.

    Our son found a way around the internet block

    teenage boy in red shirt working on tiny computer and three smartphones on a white card table with small plants growing under a grow light an a white cat sitting on an armchair beside him
    John Benedict Estrada works on infrared images for one of his science fair projects.

    When my son was in high school, he found a way to bypass the midnight block and connect to the internet. He's so honest that he told us he'd found a way and the trick wouldn't work anymore.

    Uh oh, my husband and I thought. But we weren't mad. Our son had an innovative way of thinking. My husband said that if he can do that, it means he did his homework and found an out-of-the-box solution to his problem. I'm a scientist and my husband is a doctor, so we appreciate that.

    We just told him he had to use the internet responsibly.

    Our kids have both excelled

    I don't do anything to restrict my kids' screen time anymore.

    two teens stand in a field of small crops holding controllers beside a small rover
    John and Pauline Estrada drive their rover around for a science fair project.

    Pauline is 17 now. She's a competitive ballet dancer, and she wants to be a doctor and do medical research. She will put the phone down and say she's done. She knows how to police herself.

    John is turning 20 this year, studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He is not that good about the screens. I still have to remind him and ask him to stop browsing his phone. But sometimes when I see what he's doing, he's looking at the news.

    Between the two of them, they've won more than $67,000 in awards for their science projects, which have used AI and robotics to address agriculture issues in plant science, like drought stress and pesticide-resistant super-weeds.

    I wouldn't say that it totally worked, but the way they use the screens is responsible.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • I ordered chicken tenders from 8 fast-food chains and ranked them from worst to best

    chicken tenders from popeyes kfc and whataburger
    Chicken tenders from Popeyes, KFC, and Whataburger.

    • I tried chicken tenders from Popeyes, Chick-fil-A, Whataburger, Raising Cane's, KFC, Bojangles, Zaxby's, and Cook Out.
    • Popeyes' and KFC's chicken tenders were similar in their crispy texture and flavor.
    • Raising Cane's impressed me with its crispy-yet-juicy tenders and delicious signature sauce.

    I compared chicken tenders from eight different fast-food chains from across the country, and a lesser-known — but quickly expanding — chain took the top spot. 

    Chicken is a hugely popular item at many fast-food chains, and some chains have built their entire business off this one menu item.

    Todd Graves, the richest person in Louisiana with a net worth of $9.1 billion, is the founder and CEO of the chicken-tender restaurant chain Raising Cane's. Graves opened his first restaurant in 1996, and Cane's is growing rapidly, with more than 750 restaurants in the US and internationally and $3.7 billion in annual sales, Forbes reported. 

    While Raising Cane's isn't the only chain that offers chicken tenders, it may very well be the best. 

    Here's how eight fast-food chicken tenders ranked, from worst to best, based on taste and value.

    Of all the chicken tenders I tried, the ones from Whataburger didn't completely wow me.
    whataburger chicken tenders
    Whataburger chicken tenders.

    A three-piece chicken tender cost only $6.72 at Whataburger at the location I visited in Austin, Texas. 

    The chicken tenders were large and perfectly fried.
    whataburger chicken tender
    Whataburger chicken tender with ranch sauce in the background.

    I thought the tenders could only be described as "classic" — they weren't anything out-of-the-box, but I enjoyed them.

    The meat inside was juicy, but I thought the fried coating could have had a bit more crunch.
    whataburger chicken tender
    Whataburger chicken tender.

    The chicken tenders tasted good on their own, as well as with ranch dipping sauce. They weren't bad by any stretch of the imagination. However, I did think the other tenders I tried were slightly crispier and had just the slightest hint of more flavor in the batter.

    Regardless, for a relatively low price, I'd definitely order these again.

    I also ordered chicken tenders from Cook Out, a regional chain I visited in South Carolina.
    cook out chicken tenders
    Cook Out chicken tenders.

    The three-piece "snack" cost $4.99, not including tax.

    The chicken tenders were crispy on the outside.
    cook out chicken tenders
    Cook Out chicken tender.

    They were also a good size. The price was also a great deal for the generous portion I received.

    However, there wasn't an abundance of chicken meat inside.
    cook out chicken tenders
    Cook Out chicken tender.

    These were undeniably classic chicken tenders, similar to the ones from Whataburger, but they were a touch too fried for my liking. However, I thought they were well-seasoned and had a lot of peppery flavor.

    Chick-fil-A's chicken tenders were good … but I really just used them as a vehicle for the chain's Chick-fil-A sauce.
    chick fil a chicken tenders
    Chick-fil-A chicken tenders in a box.

    A three-piece chicken tender costs $8.95 at my nearest location in New York City when it's not included in a meal deal.

    Some of the chicken pieces looked slightly darker and more fried than others.
    chick fil a chicken tenders
    Chick-fil-A chicken tender.

    There were small bits of fried breading scattered on the outside, which I always love with a chicken tender.

    The chicken tenders were nicely fried but still juicy on the inside.
    chick fil a chicken tender dipped in honey mustard
    Chick-fil-A chicken tender.

    However, they weren't quite as crispy as I expected. I wanted a distinct crunch when I bit into the tenders, but they didn't deliver that. In the end, it's largely up to personal preference.

    When I dipped them in the chain's signature Chick-fil-A sauce, the experience was nothing short of mouthwatering. However, the actual chicken tenders were just alright — it was the sauce that took them over the edge.

    KFC's chicken tenders landed towards the middle of the pack.
    kfc chicken tenders
    KFC chicken tenders.

    On the day I tried these, I ordered a five-piece tender meal for $15.85, excluding taxes and fees. However, a four-piece tender meal, which comes with a side, sauce, and a drink, costs $12.80, excluding taxes and fees. 

    The tenders were crispy on the outside, but I thought they were slightly on the smaller side when compared to the others I tried.
    kfc chicken tenders
    KFC chicken tender.

    However, they did have bits of fried breading clinging to the outside that I knew would make for a nice texture.

    The chicken tenders were flavorful and contained a fair amount of white meat chicken.
    kfc chicken tenders
    KFC chicken tender.

    However, the slightly smaller size meant they didn't come out on top when compared to the last two chains I tried.

    My fourth-favorite chicken tenders came from Popeyes.
    popeyes box of cajun fries chicken tenders biscuit on blue background
    Popeyes box with fries, chicken tenders, and a biscuit.

    A three-piece-tender combo came to $16.89, before taxes and fees. The meal deal included a large serving of fries, a drink, and a biscuit, as well as a choice from a variety of different dipping sauces. 

    The chicken tenders from Popeyes were crispy, flaky, and crunchy.
    popeyes chicken tender on blue background
    Popeyes chicken tender.

    I really liked the crunchy outside of the chicken tenders from Popeyes.

    The meat inside was flaky and moist as well.
    popeyes chicken tender on blue background
    Popeyes chicken tender.

    I also thought the batter was quite flavorful — I could taste hints of seasoning and buttermilk, although they weren't quite as buttery-tasting as the Chick-fil-A tenders. However, I thought this meal was quite expensive for only three chicken tenders, even though they were large.

    I thought the chicken tenders from Bojangles were flavorful and super crispy.
    bojangles four piece chicken tenders combo
    Bojangles four-piece chicken tenders meal.

    A four-piece chicken tenders combo came with fries, a medium drink, and a biscuit. It cost me $12.79, excluding taxes and fees.

    I thought the chicken tenders were a good size.
    bojangles chicken tenders
    Bojangles chicken tender.

    The texture and flavor of the breading made them taste like a cross between the chicken tenders from Chick-fil-A and Cook Out. 

    The breading was peppery, just the right thickness, and perfectly encapsulated the juicy white chicken meat inside.
    bojangles chicken tenders
    Bojangles chicken tender.

    I also thought the price was fair considering how much food I received. The chicken tenders paired perfectly with honey mustard but were also tasty on their own. Overall, I would definitely order these again.

    My second-favorite chicken tenders came from Zaxby's.
    zaxbys chicken tenders combo
    Zaxby's chicken tenders meal.

    A five-piece chicken tenders combo came with fries, a small drink, coleslaw, and a piece of Texas toast. I also asked for a side of honey mustard and Zaxby's famous Zax sauce. My meal cost $15.83, excluding taxes and fees.

    The chicken tenders' breading was very similar to Chick-fil-A's in its consistency, flavor, and texture, but I thought these chicken tenders had more chicken meat.
    zaxbys chicken tenders
    Zaxby's chicken tender.

    The breading was perfectly crispy and super flavorful, with a slight sweetness.

    The chicken tenders held their own without sauce but were really taken to the next level when dipped in the tangy Zax sauce.
    zaxbys chicken tenders
    Zaxby's chicken tender.

    Zax sauce tastes similar to Cane's sauce, but I found it to be just ever-so-slightly less flavorful, and creamy. I also thought that it didn't have the same kick.

    However, the chicken tenders really impressed me. They were a good size, extremely flavorful, and addictingly delicious. I found myself craving even more than the five chicken tenders I was given, which is rare for me.

    In the end, it was a really tough call on whether I preferred Zaxby's or Raising Cane's chicken tenders.

    But my favorite chicken tenders came from Raising Cane's.
    raising canes chicken tenders meal
    Raising Cane's box of chicken tenders, fries, toast, and sauces.

    My six-piece meal cost $15.99, including tax, but a three-finger combo that includes three chicken fingers, fries, Cane's sauce, Texas toast, and a regular drink costs $9.23, excluding tax and any additions or swaps. 

    The chicken tenders were super crispy.
    raising canes chicken tenders meal
    Raising Cane's chicken tender.

    The chicken tenders were also thick. After biting in, I could actually see the strips of white chicken underneath, which, in my experience, you don't always find with fast-food chicken tenders.

    The chicken tenders were super crispy and juicy on the inside — I had to give them the win.
    raising canes chicken tender
    Raising Cane's chicken tender.

    I tried the tenders on their own and with the Cane's sauce. On their own, the tenders were simply everything one could ask for — thick, juicy, and crispy on the outside.

    However, the chain is famous for its chicken-complementing sauce, and after biting in, I could definitely see why. It had a slight kick to it, was super creamy, and surprisingly tangy. It paired perfectly with the chicken and was unlike any other sauce I've ever tried.

    In the end, Raising Cane's took home the win for me with the chain's near-perfect chicken tenders and fair prices.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Oakley mogul sells $210 million Malibu mansion to a mystery buyer

    James Jannard stands on stage wearing Oakley protoype glasses where the lenses raise out of the frame
    Jannard onstage at an Oakley sunglasses demonstration in 2004.

    • Sunglasses mogul James Jannard broke a California record with the sale of his $210 Malibu home.
    • It's the most expensive home ever sold in California.
    • Last year, Jay-Z and Beyoncé had set a record after selling their $200 million Malibu compound.

    Oakley sunglasses founder James Jannard just dethroned Jay-Z and Beyoncé — at least in the world of real estate.

    Jannard sold his Malibu mansion for $210 million, first reported by the Los Angeles Times. It's the most expensive home real estate sale in California's history.

    Jannard had bought the estate 12 years ago for $75 million. The new owner's name is shrouded behind an anonymous LLC, the Times reported.

    The mansion includes eight bedrooms, 14-bathrooms, and a tennis court spread over 9.5 acres and was once shrunken down by previous owners who found the original main home "too grandiose," according to San Francisco outlet SFGate.

    The makeover was handled by Michael S. Smith, who also re-designed the White House's Oval Office in 2010.

    The Jannard sale soars past the $200 million price tag Jay-Z and Beyoncé shelled out last year for their 40,000-square-foot concrete compound in Malibu.

    The music industry power couple's home includes a private beach on 8 oceanfront acres.

    Before then, the California record holder was venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, cofounder of the firm Andreessen Horowitz, who purchased a $177 million Malibu home with a private cinema and spa from fashion designer Serge Azria.

    No sprawling West Coast mansion, however, has topped the $238 million New York City penthouse purchased by billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin in 2019. The three-floor trophy property is situated on Billionaire's Row at the south edge of Central Park and remains the most expensive real estate transaction in US history.

    A French chateau owned by the Rothschild family is currently making a bid to beat them all as the most expensive real estate sale in the world, with a current asking price of $452 million, according to Architectural Digest. The historic home spans 100 rooms, 17 bedroom suites, and a 50-horse stable on a property dating back to the 12th century.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Read the letter that landed Donald Sutherland his role in ‘The Hunger Games’

    donald sutherland hunger games
    Donald Sutherland in "The Hunger Games."

    • Donald Sutherland wrote a letter to "Hunger Games" director Gary Ross to get the role of President Snow.
    • The letter was made available to fans as part of the 2012 DVD release of the movie.
    • Ross was inspired to create three pivotal Snow scenes after reading Sutherland's letter. Read it below.

    Donald Sutherland, who died Thursday at 88, had a prolific career spanning decades.

    Many younger fans might know him best as President Coriolanus Snow in "The Hunger Games" franchise, but not everyone might know he campaigned to get the role.

    Lionsgate's successful franchise, based on Suzanne Collins's bestselling book series, pits hero Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) against Sutherland's villainous President Snow.

    In 2014, ahead of the release of "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1," the penultimate film in the main series, Sutherland told GQ he was never actually offered the role of the film's callous, collected president. 

    Instead, he received the part after reading the books and writing an impassioned three-page letter to Gary Ross, the director of the first movie, about the character.

    Via GQ:

    Nobody asked me to do it. I wasn't offered it. I like to read scripts, and it captured my passion. I wrote them a letter. The role of the president had maybe a line in the script. Maybe two. Didn't make any difference. I thought it was an incredibly important film, and I wanted to be a part of it. I thought it could wake up an electorate that had been dormant since the '70s. I hadn't read the books. To be truthful, I was unaware of them. But they showed my letter to the director, Gary Ross, and he thought it'd be a good idea if I did it. He wrote those wonderfully poetic scenes in the rose garden, and they formed the mind and wit of Coriolanus Snow.

    The letter, written as an email, was made available for fans on the 2012 DVD release of "The Hunger Games" in a segment titled "Letters from the Rose Garden."

    It included a discussion of power, Ted Bundy, and the elements of Snow that Sutherland considered most vital to the film. 

    Because the novel is written from Katniss's first-person view, we don't see anything from Snow's perspective or his home, the Capitol. Sutherland pointed out that the film offered such an opportunity, and Ross agreed. 

    donald sutherland hunger games
    Donald Sutherland in "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part I."

    Ross's response to the letter inspired three scenes of Snow in his rose gardens during the games.

    "That's the relationship you want from an actor and director, where it's a give and take," Ross said on the DVD. "It's collaborative. It's one person offering something to the other who then takes it, extrapolates it, runs with it, gives it back to the actor who gives the scene back to me … that's the way filmmaking works best." 

    Read Sutherland's letter to Ross in full below:  

    Dear Gary Ross: 

    Power. That's what this is about? Yes? Power and the forces that are manipulated by the powerful men and bureaucracies trying to maintain control and possession of that power? 

    Power perpetrates war and oppression to maintain itself until it finally topples over with the bureaucratic weight of itself and sinks into the pages of history (except in Texas), leaving lessons that need to be learned unlearned.  

    Power corrupts, and, in many cases, absolute power makes you really horny. Clinton, Chirac, Mao, Mitterrand. 

    Not so, I think, with Coriolanus Snow. His obsession, his passion, is his rose garden. There's a rose named Sterling Silver that's lilac in colour with the most extraordinarily powerful fragrance — incredibly beautiful — I loved it in the seventies when it first appeared. They've made a lot of offshoots of it since then.  

    I didn't want to write to you until I'd read the trilogy and now I have so: roses are of great importance. And Coriolanus's eyes. And his smile. Those three elements are vibrant and vital in Snow. Everything else is, by and large, perfectly still and ruthlessly contained. What delight she [Katniss] gives him. He knows her so perfectly. Nothing, absolutely nothing, surprises him. He sees and understands everything. He was, quite probably, a brilliant man who's succumbed to the siren song of power. 

    How will you dramatize the interior narrative running in Katniss's head that describes and consistently updates her relationship with the President who is ubiquitous in her mind? With omniscient calm he knows her perfectly. She knows he does and she knows that he will go to any necessary end to maintain his power because she knows that he believes that she's a real threat to his fragile hold on his control of that power. She's more dangerous than Joan of Arc. 

    Her interior dialogue/monologue defines Snow. It's that old theatrical turnip: you can't 'play' a king, you need everybody else on stage saying to each other, and therefore to the audience, stuff like "There goes the King, isn't he a piece of work, how evil, how lovely, how benevolent, how cruel, how brilliant he is!" The idea of him, the definition of him, the audience's perception of him, is primarily instilled by the observations of others and once that idea is set, the audience's view of the character is pretty much unyielding. And in Snow's case, that definition, of course, comes from Katniss. 

    Evil looks like our understanding of the history of the men we're looking at. It's not what we see: it's what we've been led to believe. Simple as that. Look at the face of Ted Bundy before you knew what he did and after you knew.  

    Snow doesn't look evil to the people in Panem's Capitol. Bundy didn't look evil to those girls. My wife and I were driving through Colorado when he escaped from jail there. The car radio's warning was constant. 'Don't pick up any young men. The escapee looks like the nicest young man imaginable'. Snow's evil shows up in the form of the complacently confident threat that's ever-present in his eyes. His resolute stillness. Have you seen a film I did years ago? 'The Eye of the Needle'. That fellow had some of what I'm looking for.

    The woman who lived up the street from us in Brentwood came over to ask my wife a question when my wife was dropping the kids off at school. This woman and her husband had seen that movie the night before and what she wanted to know was how my wife could live with anyone who could play such an evil man. It made for an amusing dinner or two but part of my wife's still wondering.

    I'd love to speak with you whenever you have a chance so I can be on the same page with you.

    They all end up the same way. Welcome to Florida, have a nice day!

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • How long should I wait to retire?

    A retiree relaxing in the pool and giving a thumbs up.

    Many Aussies would choose to retire tomorrow if they won the lottery. But for those of us putting in the hard work year after year, when is the right time to slow down?

    Everyone deserves to enjoy the fruits of a lifetime of work, saving and investing. After all, we can’t spend the money when we’re gone.

    Australians are generally in a good place when it comes to saving for retirement. This is due to our excellent superannuation system, which mandates retirement contributions for employees and encourages saving for wealthier individuals.

    If I were weighing up when to retire, there are four things I’d want to consider.

    Large enough nest egg?

    It would be unwise to retire before our finances can support our needs for the rest of our lives.

    Each person has a different view of what their spending may look like in retirement.

    A person in Sydney may need more than $100,000 per year if they don’t own and live in their own home, if they want to go on regular holidays, and so on. Whereas someone in regional Australia may be able to get by on a lot less with simple living.

    I believe a share portfolio with a minimum of $1 million would be required to retire (early) if you don’t have other forms of income. Generating a 5% yield from the portfolio would make $50,000 of cash flow (before considering taxes), which doesn’t go as far as it used to.

    A licensed financial planner can help people figure out a personalised plan to factor in things like spending intentions and how long the assets need to last. Someone retiring at 45 could need the money to last 40 or 50 years.

    Older Aussies can receive financial assistance if they are eligible for it, such as the age pension and rental assistance, so they may not need as much capital to retire.

    Emergency fund

    I believe every adult Australian should have an emergency fund. Workers can lose their main source of income, and businesses can experience a downturn. The COVID-19 period and the GFC showed how dramatically the economy can change for the worse.

    For people considering retirement, I suggest saving at least six months’ worth of spending in cash in an accessible online savings account. A year, or even two years, of saved spending could be prudent.

    You don’t want to have to sell assets at beaten-down prices during a bear market. It would be better to call upon existing cash reserves.

    Healthy and happy

    Some jobs may be more stressful, unfulfilling or physically taxing than others. We’re only on this planet for so long, so if we have a choice to leave that stress behind, it could significantly increase our happiness and relaxation.

    I’m not an expert on health – this is an ASX share website, after all. But health and happiness may be the best investments of all. Having more money won’t help buy back the time we could have spent with friends or family.

    Consider continuing some form of work or volunteering

    Taking it easy doesn’t necessarily mean we have to stop doing everything that has a goal or purpose.

    We can decide to work less in the same industry if we like the job, choose another sector that is more enjoyable, or even volunteer in local communities. Having a routine can help in a number of ways.

    If we do keep working in some way, this can bring in some income and mean we don’t need as much of an ASX share investment balance to retire sustainably.

    The post How long should I wait to retire? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Urgent Message from Motley Fool General Manager, Adam Surplice

    If you’ve ever felt “boxed in” by traditional super funds, or thought SMSFs were beyond reach, this Investment Mastery video series will open your eyes.…

    As you’ll see, I’ve discovered a unique strategy that’s completely changed my approach to superannuation… in fact, I’m personally investing $200,000 of my own retirement savings into it.

    Unlock FREE Investment Mastery video series
    *Returns 28 May 2024

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.