I don’t imagine that the women who died last week at Sandy Hook Elementary School thought of themselves as first responders, let alone as heroes.

As teachers and school administrators, their job descriptions did not call for them to confront armed criminals. Their training did not include special weapons and tactics to stop a young man on a murderous rampage, although the school in Newtown, Conn., did have security procedures that may have saved many lives beyond the 20 children and six adults who were killed there last Friday.

Yet when the unthinkable happened, the women (most of the staff at the school, and all of the adult victims, were female) did not hesitate to offer their lives in exchange for those of their young charges. We are told that Dawn Hochsprung, the 47-year-old principal, and Mary Sherlach, 56, the school psychologist, were cut down as they charged at gunman Adam Lanzain an effort to stop the carnage. First-grade teachers Victoria Soto, 27, and Anne Marie Murphy, 52, were killed as they used their own bodies to shield their students. Teachers Lauren Rousseau, 30, and Rachel Davino, 29, also died with some of their students.

Throughout the building, other teachers calmly shut their doors, covered their classroom windows and kept children calm and quiet amid the sounds of deadly mayhem. Some sang softly with the children; others read to them. Unlike many of the youngsters, the adults knew what was happening nearby.

Stories of such valor no longer startle us. Though human tendencies toward panic and self-preservation will always make heroic conduct exceptional, we are discovering through sad experience that there are a lot of exceptional people.

When a shooter attacked the Clackamas Town Center mall near Portland, Ore., this month,Allan Fonseca repeatedly entered the building to guide shoppers to safety through the interior corridors and stairwells. Fonseca works at the mall’s Lancome store. Many other mall workers locked their gates and herded shoppers into storerooms to wait out the danger, much as the teachers at Sandy Hook would protect their students soon afterward.

Earlier this year, several men killed in a theater shooting in Aurora, Colo., used their own bodies to protect the women who accompanied them to the midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises.”

When would-be shoe bomber Richard Reid tried to bring down an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami in December 2001, his fellow passengers helped to restrain him. Passengers again pitched in to subdue underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who tried to destroy an Amsterdam-to-Detroit flight on Christmas Day, 2009. (Abdulmutallab posed less of a threat because, rather than exploding, his underwear burst into flames and left him with serious burns.)

Of course, our most vivid memories of everyday people pressed into heroic acts come from the attacks of 9/11. From the passengers on United Flight 93, who battled their hijackers and prevented their aircraft from reaching its target in Washington, D.C., to the many individuals, known and unknown, who helped strangers and co-workers escape from the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, we could fill volumes with stories of courage and self-sacrifice. Nor does any of this diminish the bravery of professional first responders, who also rushed to assist strangers in these instances and countless others.

Tragedies like Newtown tend to confirm our worst fears and most strongly held beliefs about what is wrong with the world. If we believe in the need for stricter gun controls, we see last Friday’s events as proof of our position. If we think the system of mental health care is at the root of the problem, we see its role in this tragedy. The same is true of calls for armed security (or even armed teachers) at schools, or for God to play a greater role in American public school classrooms. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee contributed the observation about God, in case you were wondering.

Tempting as it is to look for instant answers and quick solutions, I think the discussion of those issues, important as they are, can wait.

Right now I find my thoughts coming back to the reservoir of goodness, empathy and love that so many people around us seem to carry. It can, in an instant, turn an ordinary person into a hero. I find this knowledge comforting at a moment of unfathomable sadness.

For more articles on financial, business, and other topics, view the Palisades Hudson newsletter, Sentinel, or subscribe to my daily opinion column, Current Commentary.

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It’s often said that New Year’s Eve is for amateurs.

To that end, there are some obvious destinations that any joker could tell you will be “fun” on New Year’s Eve.

Steer clear of the obvious and increase your chances of getting to the front of the line without having to use your elbows, and of course, your wallet.

A little research can unlock some equally exciting New Year’s Eve celebrations at slightly less traditional destinations.

Here’s our rundown of the most obvious New Year’s Eve hot spots and their off-the-beaten-track alternatives:

For the city that just missed making the list, check out the Hopper Blog!

1. Instead of Edinburgh, Try: Prague

Edinburgh is famous for its effervescent “Hogmanay” celebrations to wring in the New Year.

For a chilly European New Year’s in another incredibly gorgeous and historical city, why not Czech out Prague? Grab a spot on the banks of Vltava river to take in the incredible fireworks display that lights up the city at midnight.

For a crazier scene, join the crowds shooting off their own fireworks in Prague’s iconic Old Town Square.

The city is known for its lively club scene, and venues like trendy dance club Mecca are sure to be packed with people ushering 2013 in with a whole lot of electronica and euro-pop.

For an all inclusive evening, grab a ticket for an evening on a Party Boat, and spend the night toasting champagne and mingling on a cruise of through the heart of the City of a Hundred Spires.

2. Instead of New York, Try: Toronto

Sure, you could go smash yourself up against a million other people in Times Square or pay $200 to go to a nightclub, but why not ring in 2013 in another cosmopolitan city without the headaches that come with trying to hail a cab in Manhattan on Dec. 31 (trust us, it’s impossible).

Toronto offers the urban nightlife of Manhattan, with a little more breathing room and a more reasonable Canadian price tag (comparison: a deluxe room at the Four Seasons in New York for New Year’s Eve is $1,195 USD, a deluxe room at Toronto’s Four Seasons is $518).

Toronto’s equivalent to the Times Square Ball drop happens at CityTv’s celebration in Nathan Square, where celebrities gather for the countdown to midnight and fireworks.

Make sure to check out Toronto’s Distillery District, a lively area full of restored Victorian Industrial buildings and chock full of cafes, galleries and bars.

2. Instead of Amsterdam, Try: Reykjavik

Every year hundreds of thousands of partiers flock to Amsterdam for New Year’s to enjoy its lively club scene, the notorious cafes, and the incredible free-for-all that is Amsterdam’s fireworks display at midnight.

If fireworks are your New Year’s raison d’etre, consider Iceland’s Reykjavik instead.

Not only will you save on flight time and hotel cost (the average cost of a 4 star hotel in Reykjavik for New Year’s is $130 while Amsterdam’s four star hotels average at $300), but you’ll enjoy a similarly lively fireworks scene along with Reykjavik's signature bonfires.

Neighbors gather to light bonfires, toast the New Year and watch the sky light up with fireworks. Like the Netherlands, Iceland has an open policy regarding fireworks during New Year’s, which means they are liable to erupt from any and all corners of the city!

Later, everyone heads to the bars and clubs in Reykjavik's downtown center to ring in the New Year with live music lasting to 6 am on January 1st.

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Every day, 10,000 people enter New York’s Grand Central Terminal—with no intention of catching a train. They come to slurp bivalves at the Oyster Bar or cocktails at the Campbell Apartment.

They gawk at the ceiling embellished with gold constellations, browse shops, and take tours. It’s enough to make the landmark one of America’s top five most-visited attractions.

Click ahead to see the most-visited attractions >

Location, of course, plays a role, and many of the most popular attractions are found in major cities such as New York, San Francisco, and Seattle. Size, too, matters. While the National September 11 Memorial had an impressive 4.5 million visitors during its first year (it opened on Sept. 12, 2011), it was dwarfed by Central Park with 100 times the area.

Yet for every traveler drawn to the big city, there are others who embrace the great outdoors. With its accessibility and size, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a natural choice for millions—more than 9 million to be precise, making it the No. 16 most-visited attraction in the nation.

Like it or not, the white-tailed deer, black bears, and brilliant foliage of the Great Smokies can’t quite compete with the popularity of Disney among Americans and international visitors; five theme parks made it into the top 20.

To determine these rankings, we gathered the most recent data supplied by the attractions themselves or from government agencies, industry reports, and reputable media outlets.

Read on to find out which tourist attraction claimed the No. 1 spot with more than 41.9 million visitors in 2011. Were you one of them?

The Methodology: Our definition of tourist attractions included natural, cultural, and historic sites as well as recognized areas of limited geographic scope like the Las Vegas Strip. (We eliminated national parkways as they spread over extensive distances).

Accurate numbers weren't available for some popular attractions such as Waikiki Beach in Honolulu and the Atlantic City Boardwalk in New Jersey.

In the case of transportation hubs like Grand Central Terminal or San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge that bring in both travelers and locals, we focused as much as possible on visitor data that excluded the strictly commuting set.

Check out the most-visited attractions >

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Best of 2012

Best Travel Gadgets 2012

World's Most Visited Ancient Ruins

America's Most-Visited Monuments

World's Most Popular Landmarks

Times Square, New York City

Annual Visitors: 41,900,000

Neon signs, megastores, street performers, and historic theaters lure tourists to this five-block intersection that has become increasingly family-friendly.

The addition of pedestrian-only areas with café tables, for instance, has made it more appealing to hang out here.

At the small museum within the visitors’ center, the 2007 New Year’s Eve Centennial Ball drops four times an hour.

Write a wish on a piece of confetti, and it—and two tons of other pieces of confetti—will flutter down on Times Square at midnight New Year’s Eve.

New York City

Central Park, New York City

Annual Visitors: 40,000,000

Locals and visitors alike find respite among these 843 acres of paths, lawns, lakes, and gardens in the center of Manhattan.

Walk, skip, skate, ride a bike, row a boat or ride in a horse-drawn carriage.

You can admire the views from 19th-century Belvedere Castle; check out the modest-size zoo; or join the fans who gather to pay quiet tribute to John Lennon at Strawberry Fields.

Central Park, New York City

Union Station, Washington DC

Annual Visitors: 36,500,000

Designed during the age of railroads and opened in 1907, this grand train station was built to be a monumental gateway—symbolized by its many arches—to America’s capital.

The Beaux-Arts gem is also a gateway to commerce, with more than 120 shops and eateries.

The 36 statues of Roman legionnaires lining the balcony were originally nude, but concerns that the public would be shocked led to the addition of strategically placed shields.

Union Station, Washington DC

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I have a wedding coming up this week, and it’s black tie.

I have a terrible confession though…I do not own a tuxedo.

I know, I know, what kind of respectable menswear blogger lacks this true staple of formalwear?

But, I just have not attended the necessary events to warrant the dough for quality cloth like that.

So I am improvising with a slick black suit, a crisp white shirt, and a sharp charcoal wool tie to give it a little texture.

I had a thought that suspenders could add a little sophistication to the look and little old-school flair.

Let’s take a closer look at the historical menswear staple common to every level of style from the skinhead/punk, to the banker on Wall Street, to the black tie gala, and of course now, the stylish hipster.

The Belt Starts Here

Suspenders originated over 300 years ago. At the core, they are simply fabric worn over your shoulders to help hold your pants up from the front and the back.

Unlike a belt, which cinches your pants tight around your waist to keep trousers from falling, suspenders merely hold them in place. This is important to consider when thinking about your silhouette, and your pants. If the waist is too big, suspenders won't help the pants look tighter; they merely help keep pants in place…literally suspended around the waist.

Albert Thurston introduced the first modern suspenders in 1822. Thurston invented the suspender in response to the high cut of pants at the time, which made a belt unrealistic. Still, men continued to view suspenders as an undergarment.

The belts we know and love today returned to prominence by the 1930s as the stylish waistcoats (that were used to hide suspenders from view) became less worn. But suspenders live on.

When to Suspender

Are suspenders formalwear only? As you’ll see above, they were historically viewed as undergarments. However, high quality suspenders—often made of silk—are notably white collar wear, only to be attached by buttons that are placed on the inside of a waistband.

RULE: If you do choose to go the button route, be sure your shoes match the leather of the suspenders! Clip on suspenders, which attach to the waistband of any pants are also a viable option. TIME.com notes, “In the 1960s, British skinheads adopted suspenders as part of their working-class look—often attaching them to tight blue jeans that didn't really need help staying in place.”

Though perhaps not as formal, many writers agree that it is OK to wear them with pants that even have belt loops. No matter how they attach, they are not formalwear only. If you’re as cool as Larry King you can get away with them anywhere.

Why not try it out to add some texture and a layer to your daily wear. Just be sure the fabric color matches or contrasts your shirt, pants, socks…you know, the usual rules of matching.

The Conclusion

In my opinion, it depends entirely on the material and the make. If they are silk then wear them to your next cocktail party or black tie event. Whether they clip or button, I'm not concerned—if they look sharp, and you know how to match, then break the rules.

However, be forewarned: This sartorial staple is not on trend yet, so be prepared to stand out. My only piece of absolute advice is widely agreed upon by every style writer—never wear suspenders and a belt together!

The GQ Style Guy puts it best: “Whenever I see a man wearing a belt and suspenders, which is not all that often, I think, Now, here is a pessimist. Guys who wear a belt and suspenders probably carry umbrellas on sunny days and wear more than one condom.”

Essentially, this modern man is explaining that one would only wear both pieces if he was that worried about his pants falling down, in which case he probably worries about the sky falling daily, the world ending tomorrow, and spilt milk. What are you so worried about hiding?

As we enter the holiday season, whether it’s a holiday party, a new years bash, or a gift, check out some of these modern sharp suspenders and find the one that’s right for your style from street, to punk, to heritage, to classic, to formal.

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If you are a baby boomer lucky enough to have one or both of your parents alive and involved in your life, there is a good chance that you are deeply involved in their lives, too – particularly in dealing with the infirmities of old age.

You may not be quite as involved, however, as Socorrito Baez-Page and her husband, David Page. Ms. Baez-Page’s mother, Viola Baez, lives in her daughter’s backyard in a structure nicknamed a “granny pod.” The Washington Post recently profiled the family and their use of what is essentially a portable hospital room that can be assembled on the property of its occupant’s child or other primary caregiver.

The MedCottage is not cheap at $125,000, though assisted living facilities and in-home caretakers are not cheap either. Depending on the senior citizen’s particular needs, many of the pod’s amenities may be quite helpful. But my reaction, which mirrored that of several readers who posted comments on the story, is that this is an attempt to use hardware to solve a problem that is really mostly about labor.

In Baez’s case, both her daughter and her son-in-law are doctors, and her daughter can devote substantial time each day to looking after her mother. Most of us do not have the training or the resources to provide comprehensive care to aging family members. Who will assist the growing number of elderly Americans that need care?

Nursing homes offer a variety of skilled labor, but they are very expensive. Many residents end up relying on Medicaid after they exhaust their own financial resources. These costs are driving Medicaid expenses to unsustainable levels. As my colleagues and I have previously written, long-term care insurance is a deeply flawed response to this problem, because any such insurance that is realistically priced will be too expensive for most people who might need it. Insurance cannot magically make a large and likely expense get cheaper.

Elderly people who are placed in nursing homes may also find that their privacy is curtailed and that they have less opportunity to spend time with family. Many would prefer to remain in their own homes if they could get enough help to keep them safe and comfortable. Good home health aides, however, can be hard to find and even harder to keep. There are agencies that provider such personnel, but the agencies’ overhead and profit margin add significantly to cost, while turnover and the limited pool of qualified help can affect service quality. As with most services, there are good and bad providers.

Individual households can try to directly employ their own help. Many Americans are still looking for work, but not many have the patience and domestic skills to tend infirm and often highly demanding elderly patients at rates most families can afford. Plenty of workers outside the country are ready and willing to step into that gap, but immigration laws restrict this avenue, even when U.S. nationals are not readily available to take these jobs.

Households that directly employ caretakers also face a variety of confusing tax and regulatory requirements, which can trip up even those employers doing their best to comply. Besides withholding, remitting and reporting the correct taxes on wages, household employers must deal with disability, worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance, and wage and hour requirements that vary from place to place and frequently change. Failure to take the required steps can bring steep penalties.

Ultimately, hardware is not going to be more than a small part of the answer. We have to find an affordable pool of people to look after the growing numbers of elderly Americans. That help may not be entirely within the United States. I suspect we will see increasing numbers of older Americans moving abroad, not only in early retirement, but into their later years as well. Off-shore institutions, especially in relatively nearby Mexico and the Caribbean, will increasingly advertise to older Americans, pointing out that their retirement savings will often last longer overseas.

There is nothing wrong with spending one’s golden years in the warm, southern sun. But it would be a shame to force our parents and grandparents to spend their last years far removed from their families simply because of financial considerations. We love our senior citizens. We want to keep them close. A granny pod in the backyard is only a small part of the answer.

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As we transition to the winter months, two kinds of people emerge.

There are the gung-ho winter activities lovers — the people who live for 5 am wake-ups and fresh tracks in the snow, undaunted by even the coldest temperatures.

Check out these awesome mountains >

Then, there are the people for whom the thought of spending several hours outside in 30 degree temperatures sounds like pure torture.

What’s a family to do then, when faced with planning a winter vacation for a combination of ski bunnies and the snow averse?

Here at Hopper we live for these travel quandaries and have pulled together our list of best ski destinations with something for everyone.

To do this, we looked at the biggest resorts in the East and West, narrowing it down to mountains that are easily accessible by plane or car with a wide variety of on and off mountain activities.

From challenging black diamonds to cozy chalets, here are the mountains that offer the best of both worlds:

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Europe's Best Ski Resorts

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Stowe Mountain, Vermont

Two very different ways to hit the slopes in Stowe, VT.

Stowe, Vermont is a New England winter wonderland with an Alpine vibe. In 1950 the Von Trapp family (famously depicted in the movie classic Sound of Music) opened a ski lodge in town, and the place has been a mecca for families ever since.

Stowe Mountain Resort is one of the largest in New England, boasting 116 trails over 39 miles. Mt. Mansfield, one of Stowe’s two peaks, is the highest in Vermont and the birthplace of downhill skiing in VT.

The first slopes were carved into the mountain in 1933. With terrain for all abilities (16% beginner, 59% intermediate and 25% expert), everyone from wobbling school kids to wild teenagers will have plenty of trails to choose from.

Non-skiers will be equally occupied. Stowe Lodge boasts a top of the line Wellness Center and Spa for pampering. The town is classic New England with clapboard colonials and a white church.

It’s also home to more than 70 unique stores and several outstanding restaurants. Off mountain activities include dog sledding, a trip to the Ben & Jerry’s factory or a tour and tasting at Boyden Vallery winery.

Under 4 hours from Boston and a little more than 6 from New York, it’s accessible from most everywhere in New England. Burlington is the closest airport, just 45 minutes away from Stowe’s snowy peaks.

Mont Tremblant, Quebec

Mont Tremblant, like the Alps, but in Canada.

Mont Tremblant is like Disney World on ice. Just 90 minutes from Montreal, it’s a winter playground in the vein of the great European resorts, which means awesome skiing and snowboarding but just as much off mountain fun.

First, the ski facts: with 95 ski trails, four separate slopes, and 13 lifts, there’s enough terrain here to keep even the most intense athletes happy and buzzing on adrenaline for days. The off mountain activities are equally buzzworthy.

Tremblant boasts its own casino and over 40 top tier restaurants and bars. The resort village is home to number of chic boutiques as well as a spa and wellness center. Families will love the movie theatre, ice skating rink, acqua club, and dog sled or helicopter tours.

Mont Tremblant also wins for its charming ambiance. Its distinctly European vibe is entrenched by the abundance of native French speaking Quebecois and its quintessential Alpine architecture.

Its village set up, with many of the bars and restaurants accessible on foot and by skis, means it’s easy for families of all activity inclinations to meet up for lunch or dinner.

Flying into Montreal from NYC and Boston is more affordable for East Coasters than a trip out West, and the drive (7 hours from Boston and 8 from NYC) is not so prohibitive either.

Snowbird/Alta, Utah

The best of both worlds, less than an hour apart.

Utah’s Snowbird and Alta resorts are known for being havens for dedicated skiers & snowboarders (note: Snowbird allows both, Alta is skiing only).

While this would suggest it’s not necessarily the best spot for the snow sport averse, its prime location makes all the difference. Only 45 minutes from the surprisingly hip Salt Lake City, non-skiers have access to all the amenities of an urban center.

With an elevation of 10,550 feat, Alta easily trumps Eastern peaks and has 116 trails on 2,200 acres of land. Yes, everything is bigger in the West. Like so many resorts, Snowbird/Alta has a top of the line spa as well as several heated pools and hot tubs for all your relaxation needs.

Further afield, there’s a lot to do in Salt Lake: explore the city’s unique Mormon culture at the Church History Museum and Temple Square or hang with some “hipsters” in trendy neighborhoods like 900 South & 900 East. Enjoy great local food and good music at Tin Angel (very kid friendly) or farm to table fare at the Copper Onion.

Park City, home to the Sundance Film Festival, is only an hour or so from Alta, and another fun day trip for the mountain weary. Since it’s so close to Salt Lake City, Snowbird and Alta are an easy plane ride for most travelers, and since SLC is a Delta hub, chances are you’ll be able to score some affordable flights as well.

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You’ve planned your trip within an inch of its life, from the location of your seat on the plane to the perfect dinner reservations at that place so-and-so recommended.

Your flight goes fine, you land at destination X, hop in a cab and head to your hotel. The taxi pulls up, the valet opens the door, and suddenly you’re faced with a dilemma.

Check out the tipping tips >

How much should you tip the ca bby? What’s the proper amount to tip the doorman and the bellhop?

Depending on the destination, the tipping customs can vary. To help, the team at Hopper has assembled our handy guide to gratuity.

We’ve run through the most popular travel destinations for the average American and pulled out the key rules for polite tipping.

If you frequent these locations you’ll want to take note, savvy compensation can ensure you enhanced service and friendly faces on your next stay.

Read more from Hopper Travel:

Top Las Vegas Casinos

Punta Mita Travel Snapshot

Spain Travel Snapshot

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Christmas in New York

Las Vegas

In Las Vegas, cash is king, so it should be no surprise that tipping is practically an art form in this city. It starts in your cab, where taxi drivers generally receive 15% on top of the fare.

At your hotel, plan on three separate tips: one for your bellhop, maid, and the concierge. Depending on the level of service, a concierge can get upwards of $100 but in most cases $10 will do. As for the your bags and room, the average is $5-10 for you bellhop and about $1-$2 per night for the maid.

Eating out in Vegas is a must (Joel Rubichon or bust), and with great service comes a great tip; you should account for 15-20% of the bill.

If you’re headed to Vegas chances are you’ll be setting foot in a casino or two. Depending on the level of your winnings, tip accordingly to your dealer. The good news? If you are wiped clean, no  tipping is needed. Keno and Bingo runners are generally rewarded with a $1 to $2 offering.

Mexico

Americans love visiting Mexico. In fact,  34% of all outbound US travelers find their way there annually. Visitors frequent the country’s Aztec temples, sparkling beaches and luxury resorts.

At your hotel, plan on leaving 20-50 pesos per day (or $2-$4 USD) for the maid service . Bellhops get 10-20 pesos ($1-$2) on average.

If you plan on eating out, tipping in Mexico is a must. At most restaurants it is typical to round up your bill to add an additional 10-15% (think rounding ~$26 to $30).

If you drive in Mexico, the rule of thumb dictates giving your gas station attendant 5 pesos (about 50 cents). Taxi drivers don’t expect tips.

If you opt for a guided tour of Chichen Itza or any Mexican destination, plan on a 100-200 peso gratuity (8-16 dollars). This is baseline, so if your tour guide really wows you with their knowledge of Mayan architecture consider a more generous tip.

But, the question arises, should you tip in American dollars or in pesos? Although not required and most places accept US dollars, tipping in pesos is not only appreciated but a polite gesture.

Spain

Europe is also high on Americans’ places to travel, accounting for over 19% of all outbound travels each year and the Iberian peninsula remains a top destination. Spain boasts an amazing cultural legacy from the Moorish architecture of Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba to Goya’s masterpieces at the Prado in Madrid. Not to mention those tapas...

Spain, like much of Europe, is not a cheap destination (despite its current economic woes), and even after you pay for your transportation and hotel costs you can't forget to budget tipping. Leaving an extra few dollars won’t break your bank, but not leaving it could ruin a trip. No one likes awkward waiter encounters, so 5-15% will adequately compensate them. However, if your service was short of your expectations you can leave without gratuity and won't be ostracized.  

Getting around in Europe is easy. Planes, trains and automobiles are all fairly accessible, and Spain is no exception. When opting for a taxi you can take a sigh of relief, as tipping is not expected. However, to save face it is typical to round up your fare to the nearest euro (think 10.5 euros to 11).

Although in some places you might be able to get away with spending US dollars, you will want to convert your cash at the start of your trip or use a credit card. But be warned: tipping in restaurants on a card is frowned upon.

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This post originally appeared on Zagat's Buzz Blog.

Give thanks this holiday season — to the chefs who are saving you from cooking for the family, that is.

Thankfully, the Big Apple is providing its residents dining options that will make you wish Thanksgiving were every day.

We've rounded up a list of hot spots where you can enjoy festive, seasonal dishes all day long after the parade. Just be sure to make those reservations now, as Turkey Day is traditionally one of the industry's busiest.

Back Forty

This East Village Thanksgiving prix fixe features a traditional bird along with options like roasted delicata squash and wild sockeye salmon. And don't forget to save room for dessert, because who can pass up heirloom apple pie? Seatings are available from 2-8PM, and it's $60 per person.

The Details:190 Avenue B # 1;212-388-1990

Del Frisco's

From noon to 9 PM this Midtown steakhouse will be serving up a special three-course prix fixe Thanksgiving menu. Eighty dollars will get you holiday favorites like butternut squash soup, apple sage stuffing and pumpkin cheesecake. And if you feel like tackling dinner at home, they're here to help — a selection of signature sides will be available for takeout so you can focus on not burning the bird.

The Details:1221 6th Ave.; 212-575-5129

Edi & the Wolf

Make your way over to this East Village Austrian restaurant to celebrate the holiday with chefs Eduard Frauneder and Wolfgang Ban's three-course prix fixe dinner. Enjoy dishes like roasted duck with sweet potato purée, spaetzle with wild mushrooms and Brussels sprouts and a sweet ending of pumpkin pie and champagne ice cream. Seatings are available from 3 PM-12 AM, and it's $45 per person.

The Details:102 Ave. C; 212-598-1040

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It’s incredible how fast the value of currency is changing these days; by that we mean it’s incredible how fast that 20 euro bill in your wallet suddenly turns into a couple awkwardly large coins lost somewhere at the bottom of your backpack.

While studying abroad may feel like an extended vacation most of the time, one thing is most certainly not luxurious about the experience: your ever-tightening budget.

The good people at Party Earth understand your desire to avoid the inevitable kiss-of-death email from Mom with the subject line “stop spending money on alcohol.”

They also understand the importance of spending money on beer, which is why they’ve compiled a list of great student bars throughout Europe that are guaranteed to offer you a cheap drink and a good time.

This story was originally published by Party Earth.

N’Importe Quoi: Paris

If you are on the hunt for the kind of bar that still has an “Operation Flash Boob” policy in place that awards free shots to girls who show their assets, N’importe Quoi is the quintessential place to make that happen.

Although it isn’t much to look at on the inside or out, this tiny dive bar offers endless drink specials and no-frills fun. From the bottle-spinning bartenders, to the rowdy crowd of college students looking for some cheap thrills, everything about N’importe Quoi makes it one of the perfect bars in Paris for some down-to-earth boozing.

16 Rue du Roule
75001 Paris

The Roxy: London

Although The Roxy boasts ivory chandeliers, chamois barstools, and sleek leather loungers, patrons will most likely be focused on dancing to the venue’s retro and pop DJs and surviving the crowd swell of university students. If you get to The Roxy early enough you can enjoy half-priced wine and beer during Happy Hour that runs Monday though Friday. Wednesday is official student night where you will find crowds of rowdy lads and lasses enjoying affordable drinks and socializing shoulder-to-shoulder.

3 Rathbone Place
London W1D 1

Chupitos: Barcelona

Chupitos is a rowdy bar that specializes in creative shots and dramatic bar service performances, some of which involve lighting the bar on fire with a blowtorch. The tiny bar attracts a mix of fun-loving locals and young international travelers looking to grab a simple and cheap drink. The venue is a dark hall with a bar on one side and spunky menu board featuring shots with names like “the General” and “the Monica Lewinsky” on the other. The cramped but wild atmosphere at Chupitos makes this one of the best bars in Barcelona to pregame some late-night adventures.

Passeig de Colón, 8
08002 Barcelona

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I wrote an article (link below) about cashing out of the NYC housing bubble and moving to Reno, NV. No one knows when the bubble will end, but when house prices exceed fundamental rents and wages, watch out!

This article focuses on Las Vegas because it is a very interesting city with lots of bad press, much of it unfairly gained.

Anyway, Reno is great for outdoor types and I don't regret defending that city every chance I get. However, I have since relocated to Las Vegas and am enjoying the mild and warm weather here. Las Vegas is a great place so when I saw this quote at this Patrick.net blog post, I had to share it with all you guys who are pondering a lifestyle change. Apparently you are not the only ones:

"I was born and raised in Manhattan in a neighborhood that became more and more crime ridden every year. We gave up and moved to Yorktown Heights in Westchester. The utilities, mortgage and prop taxes ($10K for prop taxes alone) were a sleigh ride to hell. We stuck that out for 13 years and moved to Las Vegas in 2006. Life is easier here, more affordable. You can park anywhere. The people I've met are friendly (much more so than in Westchester.) I guess it depends on what you're used to. I like the weather here. I don't miss snow. I would not walk around at night in the area we rent in now. But I wouldn't do that in NY either, if I had any qualms about it. When I first got here I rarely met another NY refugee. Now they're coming in droves."

To be fair, not all responses to my article have been positive, but this quote pretty much sums up how I feel. And you poor New Yorkers, you can't park anywhere you want? Who can go through an entire lifetime not being able to park where you want?

And think about it New Yorkers, no snow! There is virtually no snow in Las Vegas. Can you grasp living where there isn't any snow, and no major humidity in the summer to boot? You can't even imagine it can you, unless you hop down to Florida now and again.

The summers in Las Vegas are warm, but they are not as stuffy as Palm Springs, another place I really like. That sea level heat can be quite "close", if you know what I mean. Las Vegas, on the other hand, sits above 2000 feet above sea level on the strip and west of it is even higher. Obviously Lake Las Vegas and most of Henderson are lower than the strip but are beautiful. Just a little hotter there.

There are a lot of misconceptions about Las Vegas. It is a lot nicer than many folks think. Not all of Las Vegas. But I bet there are well over 100 square miles of pretty nice living in Las Vegas. There are 35 square miles in Summerlin alone. Las Vegas totals about 300 square miles for two million people. 300 square miles crams 8+ million people into New York City proper. Wow, what a difference.

As I was driving down Tropicana Boulevard looking at the New York skyline, I was thinking to myself, at least here you can visit NYC, eat the good food, and go home in 15 minutes! What a hoot.

So far, the hottest day I have spent in my new city was 115. It felt like 109. But the heat generally is intense in two weeks in July and in two weeks in August. Global warming does impact some summers, and makes things a bit hotter. But if you don't get snow your body adjusts to warm just fine. I have been more miserable in the east with 95 degrees and 90 percent humidity. Talk about close.

And, as I write in my article about the pros and cons of living in Las Vegas, parts west of the strip have a rise in elevation. It makes a large difference, and cools down more at night.

We had a weird rain on August 22 and I thought I would need a jacket walking my dog through a trail in Summerlin. It is close to where I live, so I try to go up the plateau just a bit for cooler weather for a dog built for cool. But to almost need a jacket on August 22 was nice.

It won't get much cooler than that in January people!

I happened to be talking to a server at the Agave restaurant in Summerlin and he told me that Brooklyn was high crime and not so clean as he remembered it. I don't know since I have only driven through Queens a long time ago. But he said Las Vegas was clean and in his area there was little crime. He loved it. Las Vegas was his second favorite place to live, the first being San Diego. But San Diego is stupidly expensive, and it doesn't have the strip.

So anyway, I hope I have been able to show you a glimpse of Las Vegas absent a bunch of negatives that are most certainly exaggerated. Check it out sometime, New Yorkers, and you could improve on your lifestyle. If it is good enough for Pia Zadora, hey, it has to be great right? 

For further reading:

Pros and Cons of Living in Las Vegas

Prostitution is Illegal in Las Vegas and Reno: Funny Stories

New Yorkers: Escape that Housing Bubble and Move to Reno, Nevada

Pros and Cons of Living in Los Angeles

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The yellow taxi is a New York City icon.

But in a city that prides itself on being on the cutting edge, those cabs are bound by an archaic system that shows no signs of budging.

New York’s taxi medallion system was established back in 1937. For decades, there were 11,787 cabs in the city, and that number has barely inched up to 13,237 today. Only medallion taxis are legally authorized to pick up street hails.

You can generally find medallion taxis at airports and in Manhattan below 96th Street or so. In some parts of the outer boroughs, you might go days without seeing a yellow cab—unless you happen to catch one in the act of dropping off another passenger, since taxis are legally required to take passengers anywhere within New York City (though this requirement is not always observed).

In the capital of American capitalism, the car-for-hire industry has been carved into fiefdoms and locked in a time warp that disadvantages drivers and passengers alike.

The medallion system is the basic problem in New York’s taxi industry, and the basic problem with the medallion system is that medallions are treated as private property that can be bought and sold, rather than as licenses or franchises that ultimately belong to the city itself.

New York’s medallions are traded through a close-knit community of authorized brokers. Medallion owners make their money through appreciation in the medallion’s price and by leasing their medallions to cab drivers.

Back in the ‘30s, the medallions functioned more like licenses, and could not be leased. When that changed in 1979, medallion prices began their dramatic rise. Last year, medallion prices passed the $1 million mark. Purchasing a medallion is effectively out of reach for most taxi drivers. Only about 40 percent of New York’s fleet is operated under individual, rather than corporate, medallions; even those only have to be driven by the owner occasionally, and can still be leased.

Bhairavi Desai, the head of New York’s nonprofit Taxi Workers Alliance, described the system as “feudal.” The system enriches medallion owners and the financial system that has sprung up around them, while injuring the drivers themselves.

So it is only a small added insult that, in order to maintain this misguided system, the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission seems inclined to prevent drivers from using modern conveniences to find customers who want rides.

Uber, a company based in California, wants to get its smartphone app into the hands of New Yorkers, drivers and passengers alike. The app allows taxi seekers to broadcast their location with a push of a button. Available cabs that are nearby receive the request on their version of the app, which allows them to go find a fare they might have otherwise missed.

The TLC claims that, among other potential violations, Uber is violating the rule against pre-arranged rides for yellow cabs. Instead, the commission would rather force drivers to wander the city aimlessly, burning $5-per-gallon gas looking for street hails. (The commission says it might get around to authorizing one or more apps sometime next year, probably in return for the city getting some cash from the vendor.)

Street hails might quickly become obsolete anyway. If given the choice, who wouldn’t prefer to press a button and have a cab come to meet them, especially in the outer boroughs? Travis Kalanick, Uber’s chief executive, is still confident that his service and services like it are the future. “The bottom line is the genie is out of the bottle,” he told The New York Times. It’s hard to imagine that a population as obsessed with cutting-edge convenience as New York cab riders would willingly give up such a useful service once it’s in their hands—a fact Uber is betting on by offering its service for free in a preview stage.

If street hails eventually vanish, what exactly will a $1 million medallion be worth? It will be interesting to watch the city that invented the New York minute try to modernize a taxi system stuck in the era of Fiorello LaGuardia.

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Many years ago, my older cousin Billy volunteered to teach adult education classes to inmates at New York’s Sing Sing Correctional Facility, not far from his home in the Hudson Valley.

A businessman and part-time teacher at a nearby community college, my cousin saw his efforts as giving a break to people who could use one. I thought it was an interesting thing to do, even if it made him the first of us cousins to go to prison.

Cancer took Billy much too soon, in the mid-1980s, but by then others were recognizing the value of prison education. Crime rates were much higher in those days, and as tougher sentencing laws took hold, prison populations soared. Far too many offenders ended up in a revolving door system, in which they would be convicted, incarcerated and released, only to re-offend and end up back behind bars. A scattering of volunteers like my cousin were gradually replaced by scores of formal programs offered through institutions of higher learning.

A lot changed after Congress eliminated inmate eligibility for Pell Grants in the late 1990s. Within three years of the decision, 350 prison higher education programs had become eight. Sing Sing lost its program, so once again the inmates there turned to volunteers. These philanthropic educational efforts coalesced in an organization known as Hudson Link.

One of my clients, a very successful man who is highly enthusiastic about the program, recently brought Hudson Link to my attention. Since 2001, it says it has delivered 260 college degrees and has had a recidivism rate of zero.

Obviously, the rate won’t stay zero forever if the program continues, nor is it realistic to expect no repeat offenders at all if you consider similar programs for prisoners nationwide. Yet the difference in numbers between repeat offenders with and without education is still striking. A 2010 article in Corrections Today cited an Indiana study that placed the recidivism rate for prisoners who completed a GED at 20 percent less than the general population. The rate for inmates who earned a college degree was a full 44 percent less.

Hudson Link and programs like it have slowly gained ground in recent years, though many states still do not have prison education programs. New York is one of even fewer states offering multiple programs. Those that have performed best are often programs sustained by a particular college’s strong commitment or by a centralized, state-organized effort.

An example of college commitment can be found in Boston University’s Prison Education Program. The program has operated continuously since 1972, though it no longer offers master’s degrees now that students cannot get Pell Grants. Boston’s PEP also encourages research on prison education and offers resources for educators and journalists interested in the topic.

North Carolina effectively uses the centralized model. The state Department of Corrections works directly with North Carolina’s community college system to organize and support educational offerings for inmates. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill also partners with the department to offer correspondence and on-site courses that can be transferred for college credit upon an inmate’s release.

It is a lot cheaper to educate someone than to incarcerate him. CBS recently reported on a study that put the average cost per inmate at $31,307 in fiscal 2010; at around the same time, the State University of New York spent less than $8,000 annually per full-time student. Educated ex-convicts have a better chance of getting better jobs – any jobs, really – and of staying out of prison.

Corrections officials also report that inmate conduct and discipline improve when a facility offers college classes. Inmates themselves have commented that the culture behind the walls changes for the better; racial divides that often permeate prisons can be bridged in the classroom. Chrisfino Kenyatta Leal, the 2011 valedictorian of the Prison University Project at California’s San Quentin State Prison, discussed this in his commencement speech. “Normally prison culture forces men to divide themselves along strict racial likes and forbids socializing with other races,” he observed. “It occurred to me that at San Quentin the power of education had actually changed the culture within the prison.”

The benefits of education can also filter down to a second generation. Hudson Link student Gregory Brown said, “My educational level can influence whether my twin sons aspire to be criminals or whether they have the self-confidence to pursue occupations that challenge their minds.” Leal touched on the same point in his commencement address, pointing to education as a way to break the “cycle of incarceration” from one generation to the next.

The expansion of online courses is providing more options for inmate learning. However, programs face funding cuts from financially strained state and local governments. It is easy for inmate education to become the victim of a politician’s wish to appear “tough on crime.”

Rebecca Ginsburg, director of the Education Justice Project at the University of Illinois, argues that politics, rather than cost, is the greatest barrier to providing inmate education. “The biggest obstacle is the widespread sentiment, in the United States, that education is a private good, that in educating incarcerated people we are rewarding them, and that prisons should be uncomfortable, punitive sites of vengeance,” she told University World News.

This is not a new debate. We have long vacillated between seeing prison’s primary goal as rehabilitation or punishment. The simple fact, however, is that most inmates are going to be released eventually. The only sensible option is to try to prepare them to successfully navigate life outside prison walls.

I suppose I am like most people who do not have a relative behind bars; we tend to think of prisons mainly as warehouses for those who have offended. There is another option, though, which offers a chance at self-improvement for inmates and at better long-term outcomes for all of us.

Hudson Link and similar organizations understand this. So did my cousin Billy.

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When I am in New York, I spend time in both the village of Hastings-on-Hudson and the town of Greenburgh. It’s easy, since my New York home is in both.

Hastings-on-Hudson, population 7,849 as of the 2010 census, is located completely within the town of Greenburgh, population 88,400. Both are, in turn, part of Westchester County.

When my kids were growing up, they couldn’t cool off in the Greenburgh town pool; they had to join the Hastings pool instead. They were educated in schools that are part of the Hastings-on-Hudson Union Free School District, whose boundaries extend beyond the village itself. Some of their classmates belonged to the Greenburgh pool.

Greenburgh has a police force, but its cars never drive past my house, because Hastings-on-Hudson has a force of its own, along with a Department of Public Works that fixes streets and collects trash. Being too small to support a paid fire department, the village relies on volunteers, who do quite a good job. But, just the same, I’m glad smoke detectors and other modern improvements have reduced the frequency and consequences of house fires.

As homeowners in both Hastings-on-Hudson and Greenburgh, we pay taxes to both. Our town taxes are reduced to reflect some services that the village provides. Overall, however, we pay around three times as much in taxes, per dollar of property value, in New York as we do on our main home in Florida or our vacation home in Vermont.

As I have written here before, companies control cost by eliminating redundancy. The public sector, however, tends to be less concerned with efficiency and the economies of scale. The result, in New York and some other places, is a proliferation of tiny localities, each with its own facilities, its own staff and its own taxes.

Hastings-on-Hudson and Greenburgh are just two of more than 10,000 local jurisdictions in New York state. Efforts to reduce that number have met fierce opposition. In 2009, as attorney general, current Gov. Andrew Cuomo helped push through a law to make it easier to dissolve superfluous layers of government. Under that law, called the New N.Y. Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act, 10 percent of residents or 5,000 registered voters, whichever is fewer, can force a vote on whether to consolidate or dissolve duplicate jurisdictions. But few empowered citizens have emerged to take advantage of the law.

Michigan also recently passed a law to enable citizens to do away with unnecessary municipalities. The first merger proposed under that law failed last month, with residents of the tiny Onekama Village, located on Lake Michigan, voting 139 to 86 against joining with surrounding Onekama Township.

New Jersey saw a big win for consolidation last year when neighboring Princeton Borough and Princeton Township agreed to a merger that is expected to save about $3.2 million. But other New Jersey towns have been reluctant to follow the Princetons’ example, and the state continues to be dotted by so-called “doughnut towns,” where one municipality completely surrounds another.

In all three states, governors have aggressively advocated consolidation, recognizing that the high property taxes levied to support so many municipalities are a major impediment to economic progress.

Critics of municipal duplication are generally quick to blame resistance to consolidation on local public employees, who fill those duplicative jobs, and on county-level politicians, who are accused of using miniature jurisdictions as patronage mills. There is a fair amount of truth to this. In local politics, where elections are often determined by a handful of votes, it is easy for entrenched interests to keep unwelcome change at bay.

But there is more to the story. The truth is that, despite the inefficiencies, most people like their small towns. In some cases, opposition to mergers is a pure matter of dollars and cents. Residents of one district may not want to pay taxes to fix up a pool on the other side of town, or they may be reluctant to share resources with neighbors who have less to put into the pot.

Often, however, there is something else going on – the inexplicable (at least to me) lure of the hyperlocal. The localists usually put arguments about schools front and center. It’s true that the schools in Hastings-on-Hudson, where each grade has only around 100 to 120 students, are excellent. But I expect that has far more to do with the size of individual classrooms and the socioeconomic makeup of the district (heavily populated by doctors, lawyers, psychologists and other professionals) than with the size of the district. Neighboring localities have similarly high-performing schools. I see no reason why our districts cannot consolidate to save on administration and overhead without compromising educational performance.

My guess is that the defenders of local government really want smallness for its own sake. In large suburban areas like Westchester, whose countywide population is just under 1 million, the inconveniences of small-town life, including the nitpicking and nosiness that plague actual small towns, can begin to look a lot like charm. So the borders that were originally drawn when people traveled on horseback and left calling cards for their friends continue to cut across modern landscapes.

While my neighbors may be willing to pay extra to have a smaller local government, I’d be happy just to have a smaller tax bill. Or maybe take a dip in that Greenburgh pool.

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Tonight, as the sun sets on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, I am going to come face to face with the woman who, according to some, stood by while I was attacked and mutilated as a helpless infant.

I’m looking forward to it. Mom makes really good soup.

I am the opposite of an observant Jew. I will not be fasting today on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. I routinely eat all sorts of forbidden foods. I enter temples only for such occasions as weddings, bar mitzvahs and funerals. If there is a Supreme Being, we have reached an unspoken accord: He doesn’t bother me, and I don’t bother Him.

Yet I was brought up in a kosher home by parents who always belonged to a temple. As a youngster, I went to Hebrew school four days a week after public school classes ended, until my own bar mitzvah. The woman I married – in a synagogue – is the daughter of Holocaust survivors. Our upbringings were so similar that we had the same childhood bedroom furniture, and our parents bought us the same sets of dishes (“stoneware” that was sold by A&P supermarkets in a long-ago promotion) for our respective first apartments after college.

I see my background as a cultural tradition rather than a theistic faith. My wife says I’m Jewish and I just don’t know it.

One more thing: Like most men born in Jewish households, I was circumcised in a religious ritual when I was eight days old.

Circumcision has become a topic of public discussion these days, thanks to efforts here and abroad to ban the practice when applied to boys who cannot give consent because of their age.

A district court in Cologne, Germany, ruled this summer that circumcision of young boys is a physical assault. A public prosecutor brought charges against a doctor who circumcised a 4-year-old Muslim boy (Muslims also observe circumcision as a religious requirement) after the boy was brought to a hospital for bleeding, which is a rare and usually minor complication of the procedure.

In California, activists tried last year to put initiatives on the ballots in San Francisco and Santa Monica to ban the practice in those cities. The Santa Monica petition was withdrawn after it attracted blatantly anti-Semitic support, while a court struck the San Francisco initiative from the ballot.

Commenting on the controversy, the Brattleboro (Vt.) Reformer opined that circumcision is “cruel, inhuman, shameful and medically unnecessary, and should be limited to those 18 years or older who have the reasoning ability to make the decision for themselves.”

Mom, how could you let them do this to me?

Anyone who has ever observed the men attending a Jewish circumcision ceremony, which is called a bris, knows that this ancient custom would die quickly if left up to the men themselves. We can’t even watch it being done to a baby without wanting to hide under a sofa.

Yet we don’t stop it, and we allow the custom to be practiced on our own sons. It isn’t because Jewish men have something against Jewish baby boys, or because misery loves company. We continue the custom, as our forebears have for thousands of years, for two reasons.

The first is simply that it is harmless. We don’t miss what we don’t know we ever had. Having the foreskin of the penis snipped away is a lot less traumatic at eight days old than at 18 years. Circumcision doesn’t interfere with sexual performance or pleasure. It doesn’t interfere with fertility. By some measures, it can have some benefit in reducing sexual transmission of disease. To those who assert that baby boys are perfect just the way they come into the world, my response is: absolutely. And they’re just as perfect when there is a little less of them.

But if modern legal systems can’t fathom how the removal of a piece of skin cannot be actionable, I suggest we take criminal courts out of the equation and let circumcised boys, upon reaching adulthood, sue their parents for the value of what was taken. They won’t get much. I have a wife and two daughters, so I have spent time in Coach stores. I know what expensive leather looks like. That’s not what we’re talking about here.

The second reason we continue the custom is that it binds us to generations that went before. Untold numbers of men have been killed because their circumcision marked them as different from their oppressors. Continuing the tradition honors their memory and triumphs over those who sought to stamp out their faith. It marks us as members of a club. We are the have-nots in a world dominated by haves.

It would have been immensely painful to my parents and, especially, to my in-laws, if we had turned our backs on this central tenet of their beliefs. The grandparents’ happiness could never justify genuinely harming a child, of course, but circumcision’s opponents are making something big out of something very small, while they overlook the magnitude of what they would take away.

So I find myself writing about circumcision not because I care deeply about keeping religious custom, but because I care deeply about maintaining cultural tolerance and respect that is critical in a complex, multiethnic society. We are, in fact, a much more tolerant society than in the past, but that tolerance must be constantly guarded against backsliding.

Circumcision is not the only arena in which a casual, perhaps unknowing, intolerance has shown itself recently. The political reaction against “Wall Street” has unacknowledged anti-Jewish overtones, at least to my ears.

Last week the Occupy Wall Street protesters took to the streets to mark their one-year anniversary, which happened to fall on the Jewish New Year. So, this year, they occupied Rosh Hashanah in the streets of Manhattan’s financial district.

The demonization of “bankers” and “Wall Street” and especially the name “Goldman Sachs” also had an ugly ring to it. Perhaps not everyone heard it, but certainly some did. A YouTube clip of CEO Lloyd Blankfein appearing before a Senate committee in 2010 brought out such observations as “Innocent in Israel, wanted in the top 10 in every other non-Jewish controlled nation.”

Not to give too much weight to the YouTube trolls, but when we cast people as “other,” whether because of their religious rituals, the amount of money they make or the industries in which they make it, this is typically the result.

My mother doesn’t owe me any apologies. If she wanted me to take one for the team, I’m happy I was able to oblige. She has paid me back with a lifetime of love and soup.

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Very rarely does a super sports car think about saving fuel.

It is all about packing as much power as possible to get the maximum output, which results in massive fuel consumptions.

But with the world's leading companies looking at the green side, Lamborghini couldn’t be left far behind. The brand new 2013 Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 gives out a better fuel efficiency with a cylinder deactivation and innovative start/stop system.

With one of the world’s most advanced start/stop systems, the new Aventador is able to deliver the energy restart after a routine traffic stop through high-performance capacitors known as supercaps.

It might sound fancy and technical but what these supercaps basically do is bring the car to full V12 power in a very fast 180 milliseconds, one of the world’s fastest systems.

Also keeping in mind Lamborghinis lightweight objective, this unit reduces the over all weight by 3 KGs as it supplies power to the electronic systems of the car. Guess what the best part about this system is? It lasts virtually the entire vehicle life.

The Cylinder Deactivation System is another feature on this new LP 700-4 and this comes in handy when the car goes below a speed of 135 km/hr. The CDS acts up in conditions less than 135 km/hr and turns of one cylinder bank effectively making the car run as an inline 6. The smallest of acceleration and the V12 kicks right back in taking the car’s power to full capacity.

These new systems have brought out the best in Aventador’s fuel efficiency and bring consumption down to 16 liters/ 100 KM and reduced CO2 emissions from 398 g/km to 370 g/km.

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I heard a story recently at my alma mater, the University of Montana, which sheds some light on the peculiar logic of diversity, affirmative action and political correctness on American campuses today.

One of the school’s academic units recently underwent an accreditation review. The visiting team of academics and administrators gave the program high marks in all areas except, as you have probably guessed, diversity. The accreditation itself was renewed, but the reviewers made clear that they want to see greater effort in the future.

I can’t name the program here, but I can tell you that it has a long history of reaching out to Montana’s Native American community, which is by far the state’s most prevalent and needy minority group. It has worked hard to attract native students to the campus, and it has sent many non-native students to work in educational and community service programs on the state’s seven reservations.

This program has demonstrable diversity, but it is the wrong kind of diversity. The out-of-state reviewers wanted to see more African-American students on the campus in Missoula. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, except that Montana’s population is only 0.5 percent African-American. In this particular discipline, even programs in states with large African-American communities have had trouble attracting many black students. Any such students who came to Montana would have to be prepared to pay nonresident tuition, move to a distant and unfamiliar community and enter a profession that, while rewarding, does not pay particularly well. Montana is a beautiful place, and attending college there can be a great experience, but this particular recruiting assignment is a heavy lift. In the end, the nonwhite, U.S.-born, out-of-state students who might be persuaded to come are likely to be socioeconomically similar to their white out-of-state counterparts. What is the point of targeting them for their pigmentation, rather than their credentials and career interests?

Nonetheless, the university’s administrators and the dean of the program under review are not eager to challenge the demand for greater diversity. I saw an excerpt of this academic unit’s multi-year plan, which repeats the diversity objective so many times that it sounds more like a chant than a goal. I suppose the program could open a branch campus in Oakland, Calif. Short of that, I’m not sure that it can achieve the desired African-American recruitment, or even that it should try.

The meaning and merits of diversity are in the news these days. The Supreme Court recently heard arguments in a challenge to the University of Texas’ practice of awarding preference to certain nonwhite students. The school argues that all students in a classroom benefit from multiple viewpoints, and that because there are so many small classes at the school, minority enrollment needs to be sustained to ensure those viewpoints are represented in most classes.

That is both a specious and demeaning argument. It reduces the viewpoint of the students, both white and nonwhite, to just a function of the color of their skins.

If educators truly want diverse viewpoints, they should seek those diverse viewpoints directly. Is there an accreditation panel out there that demands more Republicans or Libertarians? Or students with a background of hunting or skeet-shooting, who might have a different perspective on the Second Amendment? Or students, of whatever race, who are the first in their family to complete high school or attend college, or who have lived in a homeless shelter or in a car?

Would it make any sense at all for a school like the University of Texas to grant admissions preference to the daughters of a former president, raised in a household with two highly educated parents, on the basis of their race? Should schools even be in the business of determining the race of their students? One disturbing aspect of the Texas case is the revelation that applicants’ files are coded to disclose whether they are white or black.

I suspect the Supreme Court is going to finally strike down the use of race in public university admissions. As Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in an earlier case, “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.”

The demands being imposed on the University of Montana, and the school’s meek acquiescence to them, demonstrate that the academic clamor for racial preference has become a goal without a legitimate purpose. It is another argument why, as I have written before, state or federal agencies should wrest control of the accreditation process from self-interested academics who are wasting public resources to further private agendas.

In the meantime, the Supreme Court can bring us a step closer to being a society where what truly matters is the person you are, not the skin color you happened to inherit.

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Your outfit may be awesome, but it's the details that get noticed.

No matter how nice your tie is, nobody will remember it if your knot looks like a pile of scrambled eggs.

These videos will show you all you need to know about the knots you need for every formal occasion.

Every man should have these mastered. And we're here to help.

Just remember: Sometimes all it takes is a little extra move to make that old tie look fresh.  

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It’s hard to compete with a well-kept Spanish-colonial city for charm, romance, and splendor.

The plazas, cobblestone streets, courtyard homes, and flowered balconies take you back to Spain's grand colonial era in a way that is hard to match and that can make for a very appealing retirement lifestyle.

The best part is that some of the grandest Spanish colonial cities are also some of the most affordable places to think about retiring.

1. Cartagena, Colombia

Of Spain’s cities on this side of the ocean, Cartagena, Colombia, is often recognized as the most beautiful, with a lot to offer potential expats or retirees.

As colonial cities go in the Americas, some would argue that Cartagena is king. It is one of the world’s few remaining walled cities, has been largely restored, and is very well preserved.

You’ll be impressed by the number of shops, cafes, and restaurants.

Cartagena combines the best of old Spanish America with the richness of the Caribbean. The courtyards and narrow streets are old Spain, while the bright colors of the houses add a Caribbean flair.

The traditional Colombian cuisine on offer in places like Cafetería Bocaditos may be reminiscent of Madrid, but the women walking about with giant trays of fresh fruit balanced on their heads remind you that you're on the shores of the Caribbean.

Plus, Cartagena offers a number of attractive beach areas that attract large numbers of expats. These beach areas are not in the historic center, but a few minutes away by cab.

Thinking more practically, the infrastructure in this area is great, with drinkable water, well-maintained streets, cable TV, high-speed Internet, and a convenient international airport just minutes away.

The weather in Cartagena is either warm and dry or warm and humid, depending on when you go. (May through November tends to be humid.)

One downside to retirement in Cartagena can be the tourist annoyances—the ever-present vendors trying to sell you something, the scamming moneychangers, and, at times, the numbers of tourists themselves.

Early-risers can avoid this by exploring places before 9 a.m. Also, if you don't like typically hot Caribbean weather, then Cartagena wouldn't be a good choice for you.

2. Colonia, Uruguay

While far less recognized than Cartagena, Colonia’s Barrio Histórico (original historic center) can be an unbeatable retirement option.

The Barrio Histórico is an island of history adjacent to an otherwise modern city.

The neighborhood is on a peninsula, mostly surrounded by water, meaning it will never become the center of a large metro area or see any through-traffic. Yet the more-modern sections of town are close at hand.

Further, while the district itself boasts 17th century buildings, streets, and ambiance, Barrio Histórico still enjoys Uruguay’s generally first-rate infrastructure.

Another benefit of living in Colonia’s Barrio Histórico is that it’s relatively crime-free compared with almost anywhere else in Latin America.

You can enjoy its inordinate number of cafes, shops, and fine dining establishments, day or night, without worrying about your personal safety or belongings.

3. Casco Viejo, Panama

Casco Viejo in Panama City is another top colonial city retirement option.

Like Colonia, it’s on a peninsula and not central to the rest of the city. Yet just a few minutes away, Panama City offers almost anything you could want, from modern stores and supermarkets to international-standard medical care.

On the other hand, Casco Viejo’s state of restoration is nothing like that in Colonia. While Colonia’s Barrio Histórico is virtually 100 percent restored, Casco Viejo is still a work-in-progress.

There are many nicely restored buildings and parks, while many others are in stages of decay.

You do have a good selection of shops, cafes, and nice restaurants in Casco, but petty crime can be more of a concern than in Colonia.

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Luxury real estate is making a comeback throughout the country, and some of the hottest markets have a lot more in common than solely an expensive price tag— from thriving and diverse economies to historical significance, a multitude of colleges and hot spots, and great weather (at least for part of the year).

Here’s a glimpse at some of top places to find the finest amenities homes have to offer.

New York City

Entire books could be (and have been) written about luxury real estate in the greater New York area. As the city grew — and grew, and grew — luxury markets sprung up outside the boroughs, as power brokers used their Manhattan paychecks to finance everything from “cottages” in the quintessential summer celebrity hangout of the Hamptons to bedroom communities filled with mini-mansions on former farmland in New Jersey and Connecticut. When it comes to luxury in New York and the surrounding areas, it’s all about where you want to be and what you need in a home, because the options are endless.

For those looking to live right in the middle of the action, One57, under construction in midtown Manhattan, offers it all. Called “the global billionaire’s club” by the New York Times, the soaring, 1,004-foot tower overlooks Central Park and has nine full-floor apartments. On a clear day, residents can see all the way to the Bronx. Amenities include all services of the attached Park Hyatt Hotel as well as a “discreet side entrance,” pet wash area, performance hall, private dining room, billiard room and a 24-foot aquarium.

Pricey Big Apple purchase of 2012: Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev spent $88 million on a penthouse for his 22-year-old daughter.

Los Angeles

Second only in size to New York, Los Angeles is a city built on the California dreams of its many residents who move there in pursuit of fortune and fame. Like its starry-eyed population, the homes that make up L.A.’s luxury market are as different as can be, from tiny bungalows that sit on some of the country’s most expensive land to massive modern glass-covered marvels overlooking the Hollywood hills. Spectacular suburban luxury living can also be found in Los Angeles County in areas such as Pasadena.

In L.A., a valuable feature for its famous luxury residents is the ability to keep the paparazzi at bay with high hedges, fences, security systems and long driveways. An early 2000s ordinance prohibits hedges over 6 feet high, making homes with existing high hedges quite the commodity among celebrities, who now trade these homes like deeds in a Monopoly game.

San Francisco

San Francisco is known for real estate prices as steep as its legendary hills, so more or less everyone pays luxury prices. Residents will tell you the pricey real estate is well worth it for the quality of life in this quirky, inclusive and truly charming area of the country. Tony Bennett’s not the only person who left his heart in San Francisco: Almost everyone who has visited or lives there feels the same way.

Famous for its turn-of-the century Painted Ladies, or Victorian-style homes — many of which have been lovingly cared for, restored and modernized over time — San Francisco offers luxury in the old as well as in new condos that have recently popped up in the Financial District and South Beach (yes, in San Francisco) neighborhoods.

In San Francisco, two of the priciest neighborhoods offer location-based luxuries — Presidio Heights and Sea Cliff. Presidio Heights is made up of mainly two-level single family homes with coveted yards at the front, back and sometimes sides of the properties. Sea Cliff, as the name implies, is situated directly on the Pacific Ocean and features stunning views of sunsets so breathtaking, you wouldn’t believe they are real. Sometimes luxury comes solely in the form of an impeccable location.

Miami

With waterfront and oceanfront property abounding, every part of Miami has its own distinct flavor of luxury property, from celebrity-owned mega-mansions to soaring condos offering the ultimate in style and amenities. Miami began as an escape from the cold North, and while it remains a haven for snowbirds and a great investment for overseas buyers, it now has its own thriving year-round sense of culture and community. With sunny days and a sizzling nightlife, Miami takes luxurious living to a whole other level.

One example of Miami’s glamour is the home of a name synonymous with luxury: Versace. Gianni Versace’s Casa Casuarina mansion has 10 bedrooms directly on Ocean Drive and a 24-karat gold inlaid pool.

Washington DC

Our nation’s capital is more than just a hub of politics. It’s a cultural powerhouse where independently spirited artists, writers and musicians create alongside government workers and contractors living out the 9-to-5 lifestyle. It’s a true melting pot of cultures, cuisines and viewpoints with history around every corner. Like other luxury hot spots, there is something for everyone, from the old classic residences on Capitol Hill and Georgetown to new luxury construction throughout the district and in the bedroom communities of Northern Virginia and Maryland.

Georgetown is home to many of the most luxurious homes in the District of Columbia, with gorgeous views of the National Cathedral. Many of these beauties, some dating to the 1800s, have other luxe features including staff quarters, private saunas, koi ponds and room to throw little “get-togethers” for up to 150 guests.

Can’t decide which of these luxury markets you love the most? Why not buy in each? If you can afford it, these cities have a lot to do, see, eat and experience, making every day a new adventure.

Related:

• Why Celebs Love South Florida
• Bi-Coastal Celebs: Stars Who Own Homes in NYC and LA
• Luxury for Rent in These Homes

SEE ALSO: Take A Tour Of America's Most Expensive Zip Code

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