The bull market is now well into its 10th year, and many investors have been scratching their heads, trying to figure out how to be positioned heading into 2020. On top of an upcoming election and the media constantly warning that the next recession could be imminent, the Dow Jones industrial average, S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite have all challenged all-time highs in July. Is this a time for investors to consider rolling out of growth and into value? Some investors might choose the safety of lower valuations and dividends over some of the high-growth stocks. However, value investors had better be very cautious about what sort of "value" they are looking for. One steadfast rule of investing is not to fight the tape. In short, if the market or a sector keeps ticking up, it might not be best to look at the stocks that are down and out. If a stock is hitting 52-week lows when the market is hitting all-time highs, imagine how crummy it might be in a bad market. Still, some investors want to feel like they are getting to buy a stock or a sector when they are at bargain prices and valuations. Value investors have to understand that there are many reasons why stocks look cheap at any given time. If the market is valued at 18 times expected earnings, then stocks valued at eight times and 10 times expected earnings have to sound dirt cheap. There is usually a reason for that. This is where value investors can get caught easily in a so-called value trap. 24/7 Wall St. and its founders have evaluated stocks, bonds and other asset classes for many years now. One issue that remains puzzling is how and why many investors improperly evaluate companies and sectors during a bull market. Value investors want a bargain, but they often ignore or overlook the signs that a value trap is just about to eat into their assets. It is important to consider numerous issues and risks in value investing. Stocks that appear to be cheap are usually cheap for a reason. It's also important in value investing that when those "buy levels" become too tempting an investor should never try to jump in all at once. "Cheap stocks" aren't just cheap for a reason, but they usually stay cheap for more than just a few days or weeks. There is almost always more to an investing thesis than a simple price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio. There is also more than just looking at past balance sheets and assets to determine what a fair value happens to be. Dividend cuts, accounting errors, tax issues, shareholder suits, product liabilities and management fraud call all take a good value story and balance sheet down the drain. 24/7 Wall St. has identified 11 specific areas that investors need to consider when it comes to value investing now that the stock market has again challenged new all-time highs. With the Dow at 27,000 and the S&P 500 having crossed the 3,000 level for the first time, it makes sense to be cautious in stocks and sectors that are down 20% or 30% from their highs. Companies tend to have unique stories, regardless of what is happening in the market or the economy. Just look at the world of conglomerates at this stage of the bull market and try to pinpoint just one or two key issues in each to figure out why they look "cheap" in an expensive market. Ditto for steel and metals stocks, and why are so many transportation and financial stocks screening out as "cheap" and not participating as much as the broad market rally would suggest? It is also easy to find brick-and-mortar retailers valued at less than 10 times earnings in 2019, but that is because the investing community is worried about existential risks from the online and multichannel threats from the likes of Amazon and a few other behemoths. Investors must pay attention to the obvious signs about when value stocks really are value traps at a time when the stock market is hitting all-time highs. If investors are not careful, they could face substantial losses or they could lose their entire investments. Moreover, falling into a value trap often comes with a cardinal sin of accidentally owning a company that they just did not really understand. ALSO READ: Why Cisco Still Qualifies as a Stock to Own for the Next Decade Here are 11 crucial issues for all investors to consider in "value stocks" and "value investing" when the stock market is hitting all-time highs. 1. Cheap Stocks Are Cheap for a Reason (or Many Reasons). When screening for cheap companies, beware what "cheap" really means. If a stock is valued at 10 times earnings when the S&P 500 is valued at 18 times earnings, there may be issues around low growth, asset sales, competition, regulation or myriad other issues. The "efficient market theory" may falter from time to time, but it suggests that the market is never really that wrong and that the market values companies and assets properly based on the known and unknown information at that time. Regardless of what rationale investors and analysts are using to determine how "cheap" a stock or asset is, they have to know going in that there is probably a big reason or a series of reasons that made it look cheap. 2. Never (Ever) Pile Into a Value Stock All at Once. Quite often, value stocks look cheap, and it already has been stated that there can be many reasons why they look cheap versus peers or the market. It seems in at least some ways that the reason a stock looks cheap is less important than a poker adage of "going all in." Never go all-in on a single value stock. Some companies never recover from past woes. Some top management teams falter (or they may even die) before turning a ship around. If a stock is valued far less than peers, generally speaking the only impetus that suddenly will reverse its bad fortune is if a competitor or private equity firm believes it can run the company better. The biggest lesson is not just for individual investors to keep too much of their assets in one company, but to not just buy all at once and not all at the same price. Averaging in, or "nibbling" or "legging," is the only way to go on a value stock. Investors almost never find a true bottom in value stocks, and there often are many times when cheap stocks get even cheaper. Again, they look cheap for a reason, and it can take years for a value scenario to unfold. This is where investors need to concede that the market may remain irrational for longer than the rest of us can remain solvent. The same "never all-in" lesson should be considered when it comes to earnings or other upcoming events. If a value stock is cheap because of poor history, what are the odds that the next earnings or corporate news reaction will be overwhelmingly positive? ALSO READ: How the Case for Owning American Electric Power for the Next Decade Has Changed 3. More to a Story Than P/E Ratio (and the PEG Ratio Trap). At the start of 2017, the S&P 500 was valued at close to 19 times trailing earnings per share and more than 17 times expected earnings per share for fiscal year 2017. These valuations may be high by historic standards of 15 times expected earnings, but the reality is that earnings growth was expected to be close to 10% and interest rates remained quite low. Stock sectors are valued quite differently from each other, and these premiums and discounts change over time. Established banks, telecoms and utilities might have lower P/E ratios than industrials and technology, but that does not make them cheap. When individual companies trade at 10 times expected earnings and the S&P 500 (or their sector) is valued at 15 to 20 times expected earnings, the market is not willing to pay much for the future value on the current earnings. There can be many reasons for the disparity, but the market really never improperly discounts a company or a sector for very long. The PEG (price to earnings to growth) ratio is where investors look at a price-to-earnings multiple versus earnings growth rates. The problem here is that most investors focus on historic growth rates rather than future growth rates. So this PEG ratio often makes many companies look cheap after a hiccup or business change, causing them to be just value traps. Companies can grow earnings for 25% for 10 years, but if their growth is about to slow to 15% or 10% then their PEG ratio simply does not matter using 25% growth in the calculations. Even using a new lower growth number doesn't work if the earnings are set to be under pressure or face sporadic trends. Falling for a cheap PEG ratio can make many companies look cheap in screens, but it is the growth rates ahead and the quality of future earnings that matter more than the growth rates of the past. 4. Beware When Dividends Are Too High Versus Peers. Many stocks have large numbers of investors who are solely focused on the dividends or distributions. After years of tracking telecom, master limited partnerships (MLPs) and other high sectors that have high payout ratios of income or cash flow, we can tell that if a company's dividend exceeds earnings and distributable cash flows per share then it is being funded from somewhere else. Maybe it is taking on debt or eating into its cash from past years. Or maybe it is cash from a one-time event like a unit-sale or asset sale. Regardless, companies with high dividend (and distribution) yields often find themselves in the middle of a short seller war. If companies like AT&T and Verizon have yields of 4% to 6% already, telecom and communications carriers yielding 8% to 10% likely come with much more risk. If a typical utility stock yields 3.5%, then yields of 5% or 6% may have more risks from earnings, regulation or other business issues. The biggest risk about high dividends and distributions is when they have to be cut or eliminated. If investors think a stock looks cheap because of a high dividend, they are likely to be stunned when they see what happens to the share price after a dividend is lowered or eliminated. It can be a very painful lesson. 5. Accounting Concerns (or a Going Concern). If a company is "cheap" in a screen because it has accounting concerns, investors better understand that they probably do not and cannot really understand what they are getting into. If the term "accounting irregularities" is seen, these companies might have problems for many years. They often get the dreaded "earnings restatements," in which years of earnings history has to be reworked, and shareholders generally get hurt in those situations. Then there is the "going concern" note from an auditing firm, where the firm says a business has a risk as a going concern. That means a company may not be viable, or that if it does not turn its ship around it is doomed. These accounting situations have something in common to when you walk in your kitchen at night and see a roach on the counter. What are the odds that this is the only roach in the house? ALSO READ: The 15 Best Dividend Stocks for Retirees to Own 6. Watch Out When Analysts Keep Their Bullish Thesis for Too Long. Analysts may be smart in general, and they may have high knowledge of their fields. Unfortunately, many analysts expect too much from companies they cover. They often just assume that things will always be good ahead, even when business interruptions get in the way of investor gains. Sometimes stocks will drop 20%, 30%, 50% or more, and it is common to see analysts react by maintaining Buy or Outperform ratings even as they lower their formal price targets. Sometimes they remain positive even after cutting their earnings and/or price targets multiple times. This is often a very bad sign. There are of course exceptions, but it can mean that there is more hope and promise to their bullish thesis than there is meat. In many value investing cases, the lesson about analysts being too bullish should also mean that investors should not universally trust analyst earnings and revenue estimates. This plays deeper into the lesson of there being more than a P/E and PEG Ratio to the value story. Many value stocks have a big chance of disappointing investors around earnings and other planned corporate news. Again, they look "cheap" for a reason. Major growth drivers do not grow endlessly (think about drug sales, new phone launches, new food trends, etc.). Just like the rest of us, analysts hate to admit being wrong. Also keep in mind that at almost all times there are more Buy or Outperform analyst ratings on Wall Street than there are Hold, Neutral, Sell and Underweight analyst ratings combined. 7. Beware the Traps Around Book Value. Many companies get screened based on their stated book value. This is the balance sheet review of assets minus liabilities in the simplest form, and then compared to the overall market cap. Many companies have high levels of goodwill or other intangible assets that can greatly skew these numbers. Some companies have a value on their balance sheet that may be quite different (for better or worse) than what the assets could be sold for. Gold companies and oil companies have book values that are highly or entirely subject to the price of the underlying commodities. Financial companies (banks, brokerages, insurance and the like) have book values that can be tied to spot asset prices in the financial markets. Any measure of these can make a book value screen almost worthless. If the price of oil drops 25% in 90 days, does the value of underlying reserves on the books mean that much from 90 days earlier? If the value of financial assets at a bank (loans and investments) falls by 20% in a few months, does it really matter what the prior stated book value per share was before that drop? The real lesson around book value that often proves fatal for investors is that the so-called "value" may be highly subjective. In many cases, the book value on a balance sheet is completely worthless. 8. Beware Stocks Looking Cheap Just Because the Share Price Tanked. Many value investors love trolling through companies with a stock that just fell 30%, 50%, 70% or even more. Balance sheets and other valuation metrics often look cheap after you take 30% to 70% off a stock price. This is frequently a silly way for investors to fall into a value trap. It is not normal for a stock to drop by the double-digit percentages overnight. Nor is it common to see a drop of that magnitude over a period of days or weeks. Sometimes it may look like the market is the real reason for a drop. From 2011 to 2018, there were very few instances where the Dow Jones industrial average or S&P 500 fell by 10% from the peak at that time. Now consider that many stocks fell more than 10%, and some stocks fell 30%, 50% or far more. That probably wasn't the stock market's fault. Maybe it was because of the price of oil or other commodities. Maybe it was because earnings or a series of other bad news trends. Maybe it was because of company-specific or industry-specific exposure to trade and tariffs. Maybe the underlying fundamentals were changing. Whatever the reason or logic for a rapid drop in a stock, no stock is suddenly "cheap" just because its stock price fell sharply. Weak stocks, particularly in a strong market, are more likely to be attractive to short sellers than they are to "smart money" institutional buyers. Now consider this investor adage as a warning: Stocks that hit 52-week lows often keep hitting new 52-week lows for quite some time. ALSO READ: Companies With the Biggest Corporate Debt 9. It Hurts When Growth Stocks Become Value Stocks. The stock market loves stories of endless growth year after year. Many companies are considered to have "growth stocks" rather than value stocks, but eventually the laws of large numbers or the threat of competition come into play. When a company's revenue growth has been 20% per year and it captures a large enough share of its market, growth rates eventually are going to drop or they may peak at some point. These periods of slowing growth, or the end of growth, can be incredibly painful periods for shareholders. Just think about what happened around slowing growth in prior years around the Gap, Dell and HP, Gilead Sciences, IBM, Under Armour and many other great growth stories. Many analysts and investors refuse to accept that growth rates are slowing as fast as the actual numbers suggest. Sometimes they get caught thinking the growth rates can continue endlessly. And sometimes they fall into thinking the PEG ratio matters when earnings growth is suddenly peaking. It is rather painful for investors when the market has been willing to pay 40 times expected earnings for years and then suddenly the market is only willing to only pay 20 times expected earnings. Do the math, and if the earnings didn't more than double during that P/E compression, then you can probably guess what happened to the share price. The end lesson here about value versus growth is that trying to take a value approach into a slowing growth story seems to be a scenario that generates much more pain than reward for investors. 10. Know When Cash and Asset Analysis Is Worthless. You have heard about the risks of looking too deeply at book values. There is another time when investors get wrapped up looking at balance sheets with too much faith. Sometimes an event in a company may garner a major hit to earnings or may create a big loss. When shares tank and investors look at the stated cash or assets on a balance sheet, they are often looking back at numbers that likely just will not matter in the coming months and quarters. If a company had $2 billion in cash at the end of a year, that value does not matter if you consider that the entire cash amount could be targeted by shareholder suits, outside lawsuits, taxing authorities, government agencies or regulatory issues. If a company has to spend all of their cash for new tests or to deal with product recalls or other liabilities, that cash may simply be history. This effort of cash and asset review has been a trap that has wrecked many biotech and financial investors around bad news, where they might put too much faith on what the balance sheet indicates. Accounts receivable can also create a value trap   what if a company's top customer just went bankrupt or a dispute arose? Or what if a customer just had a portion of its assets frozen? Suddenly a company may not have the earnings power ahead, and it may be no fault of the company being evaluated. Another instance that can spell trouble around revenue recognition is the "days sales outstanding" or DSOs. Rising DSOs can sometimes imply that companies are stuffing the channel or shipping products out the door when customers are delaying payments or holding their cash tightly. When companies run into big problems, the cash that value investors are trying to evaluate may already be spoken for in liabilities tomorrow. When companies have problems with accounts receivable, it can sometimes end up with revenue recognition woes ahead. Value investors often need to be rather critical of their faith in cash and receivables. 11. Three Drastic Instances of Value Traps Where Fraud Was a History Lesson. Many generalities can be inferred from a review of what makes a value stock into a value trap. Sometimes the best lesson can be exact references of value traps. The following are some of the most extreme cases of the modern era, but they will highlight some of the risks in quite specific examples where many value investors got trapped and ruined. Enron: This house of cards was an energy powerhouse that was the envy of the world in the late 1990s and into 2000. What most investors did not understand was that there was massive fraud top to bottom with fake profits and shells. Enron looked dirt cheap for a while, and management (crooked management that is) was adamant in its defense and encouraged even its employees to invest all in. Enron looked cheap, but even its debt holders and creditors took huge haircuts. Ultimately, the only real value the Enron shareholders had was if they took physical delivery of their shares to sell to collectors as wall art. Authentic stock certificates of Enron frequently sell for more than $50 on eBay, but that is nothing compared to the losses suffered by its investors. ALSO READ: The Most Valuable Brands in the World Worldcom: This house of cards also was a fraud from the top to the bottom, but it was a failed acquisition of Sprint that really got the value trap crowd in trouble here. Management was selling a great growth story, and then they were selling a great value story when the accusations of accounting fraud started coming out. This train wreck took place over a long period, as many investors just could not believe what was happening. Similar to Enron, WorldCom stock certificates can fetch as much as $50 on eBay and elsewhere for those who are into scripophily. Tyco: One company that grew and grew in the 1990s was Tyco. This was an amalgamation effort of Dennis Koslowski in which he kept making acquisition after acquisition. There was an incredible value in many of the companies acquired and in many of the units of Tyco, but management taking money out of the company and accounting issues led to an 80% share price drop. Many of Tyco's former units live on today, but many value investors were sucked into the value trap here and were stuck for many years. One lesson of Tyco's rise and fall is also not found just in management thinking the company is their personal piggy bank. Companies who only grow larger and larger by making acquisitions often run into problems. Even if no intentional wrongdoing took place, how high are the odds that an error can be made just around accounting system changes from one company to the next?


Alexander Azzi was trying to juggle balls while wakeboarding at Merrimack River in Manchester, New Hampshire. But doing both simultaneously is not easy! He eventually fell, and most likely lost the balls in the water.


You're driving along and suddenly your check engine light goes on. But nothing seems to have changed with the way your car is running. It's OK to let it go for a bit, right? Bad idea. The light is an indicator that there's something wrong with your vehicle. It could mean anything from a loose gas cap to serious engine troubles . "A check engine light cannot be ignored," says John Burkhauser, an auto repair specialist and director of educational programs at Bolt On Technology . "The system is telling you that something has failed and will immediately cause damage to your vehicle that will be costly to repair." Ignoring your check engine light could result in immediate car problems or deterioration over time. "These codes are annoying, but they can be serious enough to leave you on the side of the road," says Lauren Fix, The Car Coach . Make sure that doesn't happen by learning the 14 signs your car is about to die . Why you check engine light goes on You may not be seeing any immediate issues with your car, because your car's internal systems may have the ability to override the cause, Burkhauser says. But it's not running as well as it should be. "Over time and distance, this problem can become a bigger problem and affect other sensors and systems," Burkhauser says. Continuing to ignore the check engine light on can also hide other issues, he notes. Because one light indicates so many different possible failures, other items can fail and be hidden behind the first failure. That can become an issue when the vehicle is looked at to fix the problem. The mechanic may get a list of codes telling them what systems or sensors have an issue, Burkhauser says. There's a specific order of diagnosis, because one sensor or system failure can cause another to system to fail. "The tech needs to fix one item first, then diagnose the vehicle to see if the other issues were fixed," he says. To avoid that and keep your vehicle in the best shape possible, try these 74 car maintenance tips . So why did your check engine light go on in the first place? Here are some common reasons, according to Fix: Lost or missing gas cap Bad oxygen sensor Emission problems Engine problems What you can do about a check engine light Now that you've decided not to ignore your check engine light, you can bring your car in to find out the case. Or you can also figure out what's going on yourself. Fix recommends you buy a pocket scan tool they work in cars made in 1996 and later. Called OBD-II or "on-board diagnostics second generation," the tool will automatically read diagnostic trouble codes. You can get them for about $50 online or in auto parts stores. "You can plug the scan tool into the OBD II port, a 16-pin connector under the dash," Fix says. "If you get a code, write it down." Then check your owner's manual to see what needs to be repaired. But before you bring your car in for service, find out the 30 things car mechanics won't tell you . The post Why You Shouldn't Ignore Your Car's Check Engine Light appeared first on Reader's Digest .


Former Giants running back Orleans Darkwa is said to be "100%" recovered from his Achilles tear (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Darkwa is ready to sign with a team, Schefter hears, so it might not be long before he gets back on the gridiron. Darkwa tore the Achilles tendon in his right leg during an October audition with the Jaguars, a frustrating setback after he had a plate surgically removed from his leg last offseason. The 27-year-old was coming off his most productive NFL season in 2017, rushing for 751 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 171 carries. Previously, the Giants offered him a contract that would have kept him in New York, and he also received interest from the Redskins, Patriots, and Bills. Darkwa turned down a one-year, ~$1MM contract from the Redskins in August of last year, but he might have to settle for a deal in that ballpark if he hopes to play in 2018. Football Outsiders ranked Darkwa as a top-25 running back in both DYAR and DVOA in 2017, meaning that he was both effective overall and efficient on a per-play basis. Furthermore, Pro Football Focus' advanced metrics highlighted his ability to create his own yardage.


Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury didn't feel all that sorry for players who were unhappy with the ratings they received for the upcoming "Madden NFL 20" video game. However, he has changed his stance on their sensitivity a bit since then because he saw how he looks on the game. He has his own beef with the game. But first, let's go back in time. In March, we got a sneak peek at how the video game tries to make everything realistic. Seventeen cameras were used to take simultaneous photos of Kingbury in order to get the most realistic version of the head coach. Cards head coach @KliffKingsbury this morning: 17 cameras taking simultaneous pics that are used to create his likeness for EA Sports Madden NFL 2019 @EAMaddenNFL pic.twitter.com/XFhQPhfei6 - Mark Dalton (@CardsMarkD) March 23, 2019 Even with all that, Kingsbury isn't happy with the way the game makes him look. Asked about the team offensive and defensive rating on Tuesday, he responded about the way he looks on it. "I saw my picture on there, and I'm not pleased with where we're at." We need to talk, @EAMaddenNFL … #Madden20 pic.twitter.com/Y78KrXiaF3 - Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) July 30, 2019 "I had seen a bunch of guys getting in their feelings about their ratings, and then someone sent me a picture of what I look like on there," he said. "So I want to get adjusted on the looks rating. I look like I'm on 'The Walking Dead' in that picture, so I apologize to any of those players I thought, 'Hey, it's just a video game - why are you upset?' Because I saw my picture up there and I'm not pleased with where we're at." Kingsbury has a reputation as an attractive coach and got a lot of attention for his looks while he was coach at Texas Tech. At this point, there isn't much to be done because the game comes out this week. But the Cardinals coach can at least feel the pain players do when they feel they are misrepresented on a game that attempts to be as close to real as possible. Listen to the latest from Cards Wire's Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio . View embedded content MORE: Reds OF Jesse Winker found out mid-game about the Yasiel Puig trade from a fan Saints, Michael Thomas agree on $100M contract extension Roundup: A$AP Rocky Pleads Not Guilty; Katy Perry Owes Damages for 'Dark Horse'; Pound Plummets as Boris Johnson Preps for Brexit Dez Bryant has 'no interest in playing football right now' Jets add offensive line, cornerback depth with 2 signings


Once they officially acquire Andre Iguodala from the Warriors after the July moratorium ends, the Grizzlies won't buy him out right away, reports ESPN's Tim MacMahon . According to MacMahon, Memphis is actively exploring the potential trade market for the veteran forward, with the Rockets and Mavericks among the interested teams. The Grizzlies don't intend to give Iguodala a buyout before the season begins, MacMahon adds. The fact that the Grizzlies will receive a lightly-protected future first-round pick from Golden State in their deal for Iguodala doesn't suggest that he has significant value, but that trade was a necessity for the Warriors, who had to clear salary to accommodate D'Angelo Russell 's new maximum-salary deal under a hard cap of $138.9M. With no similar cap crunch of their own, the Grizzlies will have far more leverage in their own trade discussions involving Iguodala. They shouldn't expect a huge return, given his age (35) and his cap charge ($17.2M), but there's reason to believe that the former Finals MVP would appeal to contending teams. According to MacMahon, he has drawn "significant interest." Whether they use cap room or remain an over-the-cap team and retain their $21M+ trade exception , the Mavericks would have the ability to acquire Iguodala without sending out any salary. The capped-out Rockets would have to get more creative, particularly if they don't want to part with one of their current starters in a trade. While MacMahon doesn't mention the Lakers as a team with trade interest in Iguodala, they'd also have the cap room necessary to make a play for him if Kawhi Leonard decides to sign elsewhere. As MacMahon notes, Rob Pelinka was Iguodala's agent before he became the Lakers' general manager.


Binny Bansal and Sachin Bansal had a very successful 2018. In May of last year, the 37-year-old entrepreneurs sold a majority stake in their India shopping site, Flipkart, to United States retail giant Walmart for a record-breaking $16 billion. The deal, which marks the largest e-commerce acquisition in history, valued the business at $22 billion and amassed the two friends an estimated net worth of $1 billion each. That's not bad for a business that started just over a decade ago as a small online bookstore in India's Bangalore . But it might not have been if it weren't for three important attributes that set the young founders apart, Binny Bansal told CNBC's Christine Tan in a recent episode of "Managing Asia." "I think there are too many things," Bansal said, when asked to what he attributes Flipkart's success. "(But) I'll name a few." Related video: What is Flipkart? 1. Laser focus Firstly, and fundamentally, the duo were relentlessly focused on their business goal, Bansal told Tan. "When we started Flipkart, we were really focusing on books, just one category and focusing on getting the customer experience right for our books," said Bansal, whose business model has frequently been likened to Amazon's. That differed from the dominant approach in 2007, when the company started and several other businesses were trying to cash in on India's growing appetite for e-commerce, he said. While competitors were trying to sell "each and every category under the sun," Flipkart instead focused on mastering one product line. "That really built a great brand for us from a customer service standpoint," said Bansal. Indeed, when Flipkart eventually ventured into other product lines in later years, its leaders learned the hard way that it required a whole new set of expertise. "The mistake we made was that we thought selling electronics would be exactly like selling books," said Bansal, noting that online shoppers in the early days were far more "risk-averse" when it came to purchasing high-value electronics versus low-value books. As a result, the company has had to iterate and offer incentives as it has, over the years, expanded its offering to include electronics, fashion and digital payments, he said. 2. Technology first Secondly, said Bansal, they built a company for the 21st century by putting technology at the heart of everything. "I think the one takeaway for everybody was that technology is the way to scale," said Bansal, who studied computer science engineering in Delhi before joining Amazon for a nine-month stint. As such, Bansal and his co-founder Sachin, a fellow Amazon alumnus, implemented technology into all facets of the business, not just the website itself. That included building it into the marketing, supply chain and pricing sides, he said. "If you're not using technology to solve a problem, you won't be able to solve it at 100 times or 1,000 times when you scale," explained Bansal. 3. Search for talent Finally, the pair focused on hiring great talent, Bansal said. That meant being involved in almost every hire in the initial four or five years to ensure the "talent and culture were sustained," he noted. "The other thing we learned earlier on was that the only way to scale was to hire great talent," said Bansal. "We made sure that the bar for talent at Flipkart was pretty high." That also meant "founder-proofing" the business, said Bansal. When Flipkart sold to Walmart, Sachin immediately stepped down, and Bansal stayed on as Group CEO until departing in November 2018. Bansal today remains on Flipkart's board to help with its "strategic direction." However, even in the years prior to the deal, Bansal said he worked hard to implement a succession strategy. "I had started sort of making the business a little founder-proof even since the middle of 2017 because I found my passion more in helping entrepreneurs and investing," said Bansal, who earlier this year launched xto10x Technologies to help entrepreneurs start and scale their own internet companies. "There was always a clear path that I wanted to follow and I wanted to make the business more sustainable and founder-proof. So, I had installed three CEOs in all our businesses   in Flipkart, Myntra and PhonePe. That's worked out well because after the transition, business has continued." he said.


Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski, a former coach for the national team, stopped by his old team on Wednesday and made a point of catching up with Boston Celtics wing Jayson Tatum, whom coached from a season in 2016-17. Tatum was reportedly happy to catch up with his former coach, saying ( per NBC Sports Boston's Chris Forsberg ): "It's great. It's like old times … That's my guy, I'm happy to say. I'm happy he's here. It's been a while since I've seen him. I talk to him often, but always a pleasure to see Coach … The more experience, the more time I get with Coach - I only got a year with him. I'm always thankful to have him when he's around." Evidently, the Duke product made the most of his reunion with Coach K - as Krzyzewski is sometimes called by his players - soaking up the NCAA legend's counsel on the sidelines. "Everything he tells me, he means well. He just wants me to do better and be better. He's a G.O.A.T., so I always listen to what he has to say," noted the St. Louis native. For the young forward, USA Basketball has been a goldmine of an opportunity to tune his craft with the game's greatest coaches; Wednesday's visit from Krzyzewski while being coached by arguably the games greatest tactician for Team USA, the San Antonio Spurs' Gregg Popovich, soon became a triumvirate of Tatum's basketball past, present, and future. Joining those two coaching luminaries was Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, joking with Krzyzewski he ought to "[y]ell at [Tatum] as much as you can, that way I don't have to". Given how self-driven the young wing already is, that's unlikely to help but the levity behind the off-the-cuff remark reflects the ease with coaching staff Tatum has shown at every level of his game thus far. As to what he and Coach K discussed in their meeting? Sharing a laugh with several reporters trying to pick the small forward's brain on that issue, Tatum joked: "That is confidential, between me and him … But it was good." MORE: 6 takeaways from Packers' preseason victory over Texans Duke Johnson trade: what they're saying around the NFL A furious Chris Davis had to be held back from Orioles manager Brandon Hyde Winners and losers from Patriots' preseason blowout win over Lions Rookie standouts: Ty Johnson, others show potential in first preseason game


Andy Robertson was a standout performer in Liverpool's Champions League-winning season in 2018/19 and has revealed that he and his team mates are hungry for more of the same next year. Robertson provided 13 assists from left-back in all competitions last season, helping the Reds to a 98-point second-place finish in the Premier League and victory in Europe. ✍ On this day in 2017 @andrewrobertso5 became a Red! pic.twitter.com/UG9NqmPSDD   Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 21, 2019 Speaking to The Telegraph , Robertson revealed his delight at his side's European conquest, saying: "Winning the final   that sense of achievement   sunk in quickly. "But the magnitude of it probably won't sink for a bit longer. It is a different feeling when people see you as a Champions League winner. "No one can take it off us. It was just incredible. On that open-top bus with all your pals, seeing how happy everyone is; and then when the bus turned into that main street..." The Scotland international went on to say how that experience has made him and the rest of the squad hungry for more success, adding: "Everyone was in awe of what we had witnessed and experienced. "But there is also a feeling with everyone here of using that feeling, going through the streets of Liverpool with 800,000 people, seeing our captain lift that trophy. It is a feeling we want to carry over. We want more of that." The Champions League victory came one year after the Reds had lost in the final of the same competition to Real Madrid , going down 3-1 in Kiev. Robertson told how the players used that experience to inspire their performances the following season, as he said: "We were using the sense of heartbreak of losing the final to drive us forward. That meant at 89 or 90 minutes of every game we were still flying about." For all their excellence, Liverpool were unable to end their long wait for a Premier League title, as they fell one point short of Manchester City 's tally of 98 points. Reflecting on this, the full-back said: "Look, Man City deserved to win the league. "If you are asking me now would you take 97 points again this season I will say 'yeah'. I just think it was a special season with two teams right at it. But we do not look back with disappointment. "We take all the positives, especially with the Champions League trophy. Had we not won that, it would not have been a disaster, but it would have been hard to take having nothing. That is why we were so determined to get that trophy. And that is why we want more."


Forget the Pontiac Aztek-as if you could-there are plenty of other ugly SUVs out there. Not only did Karl Benz invent the car, he invented the ugly car in the same effort. His 1885 Benz Patent-Motorwagen wasn't exactly a looker, as it resembled a bicycle-tired kitchen chair. But you've got to start somewhere (we're talking, of course, about ugly vehicles, not cars in general). It would be many decades after the world was put on wheels for SUVs to appear, though not long after that ugliness caught up with that vehicle format, too. Pretty much everyone is (or should be) in agreement that Pontiac's Aztek, produced from 2001-2005, is the most repulsive of the breed. Nearly 20 years later, the misshapen crossover, with its narrow hips and insectilian face, remains the butt of jokes and the scapegoat for the death of the Pontiac brand. But is the Aztek really the ugliest SUV ever? Here we've gathered a list of 20 others that have a shot at the title; many also count among the greatest automotive flops of all time . To give these uggos a shot at fairness, then, we've arranged them in unbiased, alphabetical order in the gallery above . Acura ZDX (2010 2013) Our original road test of the 2010 Acura ZDX begins: "We're tempted to believe that ZDX stands for 'zero demand expected.'" Our clairvoyance proved accurate, and the fastbacked, bubblebutted, and birdnosed ZDX found few takers and lasted just three years in the U.S. Acura put this chopped-top version of its popular MDX out of misery in 2013, ironically right as today's "crossover coupe" trend, such as it is, was beginning to build steam behind BMW's X6 and the format spread elsewhere in that brand's lineup, as well as Mercedes-Benz's. Research the latest new models from Acura on MSN Autos Bentley Bentayga (2016 present) Regardless of what you ve heard, Bentayga is not a Swahili word that means cross-eyed cow, but the mistake, were you to make it, is understandable. Despite the Bentley Bentayga 's severe case of Strabismus, known more commonly as misaligned or crossed eyes, it has become is maker's best-selling model. It also is Bentley's first and only SUV. Research the latest new models from Bentley on MSN Autos Buick Rendezvous (2002 2007) Sharing its platform and therefore its unsightly, lumpen-potato shape with the Pontiac Aztek, this poor mutant was doomed from the start. Although there is little resemblance between the Aztek and the Rendezvous, which was produced from 2002 to 2007, the Buick proved GM s design studio could make many of the same mistakes twice. Research the latest new models from Buick on MSN Autos Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT/GMC Envoy XUV (2004 2005) In the early 2000s, GM s design studio was apparently looking to corner the market on ugly SUVs, and it mostly succeeded. Two of its worst projects-besides, of course, the Aztek-were the extended-wheelbase versions of the Chevy Trailblazer and the GMC Envoy. GM stretched these rigs limo-style, adding 16-inches to their wheelbases, deforming the three-row SUVs into proportions so misshapen they have a fun house mirror quality. That the Envoy XUV's roof could be partially retracted (the part over the cargo area) for carrying tall things both made no sense and was completely overshadowed by the GMC's hideousness. Research the latest new models from Chevrolet on MSN Autos Chrysler Aspen (2007 2009) Based on the second-generation Dodge Durango, which itself looked like a Pug sucking on a lemon, the Aspen was the first SUV marketed by the Chrysler brand. That is pretty much where the fun facts end, unless you count the hybrid version Chrysler sold a few hundred of before pulling the plug. Anyway, the Aspen's overly chromed flanks go poorly with the overly flared wheel arches, while the grille appears to be pulled from a 1972 Mercedes and turned on its side. Somehow, the Chrysler still managed to be vapid and generally unattractive. Since most Americans that drive do have eyes, it was a flop. Research the latest new models from Chrysler on MSN Autos Dodge Nitro (2007 2012) Chrysler doubled down on hideous SUV design in 2007 by launching the Dodge Nitro, a rebadged and offensively squared-off version of the Jeep Liberty, right around the same time as the similarly bad Jeep Commander and Chrysler Aspen. Despite its overwrought flared fenders, the Nitro manages to look tall and narrow. Even more intriguing is its underbite face, which appears bearded in the style of C. Everett Koop. Research the latest new models from Dodge on MSN Autos Honda Crosstour (2010 2015) Honda's design team must have shaped the 2010 Crosstour on a bet. As in, "I bet we can make this new wagon/crossover look like a Platypus and the executives will still sign off on it." Well, they did and they did. The resultant Crosstour wasn't popular, but it sure was hunchbacked. After just five years and a single generation, the Crosstour was crossed out. Research the latest new models from Honda on MSN Autos Honda Element (2003 2011) The Honda Element seemed to be inspired by Picasso's Figure dans un Fauteuil, but it's no exercise in Cubism. Instead, it looks like a mail truck got busy with a Honda CR-V-actually, that's not far from the truth, as this relentlessly rectilinear SUV was based on the un-weird CR-V crossover. Later in its life cycle, the Element became slightly less repugnant, thanks to Honda's decision to paint more of its previously raw gray plastic bodywork. Research the latest new models from Honda on MSN Autos Hyundai Santa Fe (2001 2006) The original Hyundai Santa Fe is so frumpy it surely was designed by at least a dozen people who didn't talk to each other but enjoyed group play with clay like Patrick Swayze in the movie Ghost. The SUV's shape is wrought with odd concavities and bulges, like Play-Doh squeezed by a child's fist; from some angles it actually appears dented, as if its front fenders have been hit with a baseball bat. Research the latest new models from Hyundai on MSN Autos Infiniti QX56 (2004 2010) The first-generation Infiniti QX56 (now known as the QX80) was a chromed-up version of the Nissan Pathfinder Armada, meaning that both full-size SUVs were based on the Titan pickup truck. Infiniti fitted the massive QX56 with a car-like nose and elements from its sedans, creating a centaur-like monstrosity with an oddly domed roof and none of the mystical creature s elegance or muscularity. Its immediate followup wasn't great either, with a beluga-like front end; a refresh for 2018 transformed the design into something actually good-looking. Research the latest new models from Infiniti on MSN Autos Isuzu Vehicross (1999 2001) If the Suzuki Vehicross has a calling card, it's that it appears to have more bottom than top, if that makes sense. It also predates the Pontiac Aztek. When the concept version debuted at the Tokyo Auto Show in 1993, we called it fish-faced. Later, we said the production version looks like an escapee from the set of "Battlestar Galactica." Hey, it's still the only SUV ever produced with vampire fangs. Jeep Compass (2007 2017) The design of the current Jeep Compass is clean, decently proportioned, and appealingly upscale (in sharp contrast to the rest of the little crossover, which is decidedly down-market). Mostly, this is because the second-generation Compass resembles a smaller Grand Cherokee. Too bad the original Compass was the exact opposite, with a bug-eyed face, weird roofline, and blocky lower-body detailing. It sold in strong numbers from 2007 to 2017, though for the life of us we can't figure out why. Research the latest new models from Jeep on MSN Autos Lamborghini LM002 (1986 1993) Cool can be ugly, and vice versa. And SUVs don t come much cooler or much uglier than the Rambo Lambo . Angular to a flaw, the LM002 could use a curve or two. Its body panels are as flat as Fenway s Green Monster. And the styling, such as it is, is applied liberally and seemingly without consideration. Hey, why not bend this that way, or toss an angle there? Originally designed for military use in the 1970s, Lambo built about 300 twelve-cylinder "civilian versions" from 1986 to 1993. Research the latest new models from Lamborghini on MSN Autos Lexus LX570 (2012 present) If there s one vehicle that combines everything wrong with Toyota and Lexus design over the last 30 years, it s the current LX570 . The luxurious Lexus version of the venerable Toyota Land Cruiser is now in its third generation and has been homely ever since it debuted in 2008. The LX grew downright grotesque in 2012 when, to the already cosmetically challenged SUV Lexus began adding mutations of its spindle grille along with low-hanging rocker trim. Today s version of the SUV seems to be a caricature drawing of itself, and, wait, isn't it supposed to be for off-roading? Research the latest new models from Lexus on MSN Autos Lincoln MKT / Town Car (2010 present) Sometime around 2006, someone at Lincoln must have decided American luxury car buyers wanted a three-row SUV with the grin of a baleen whale and the appearance of having a loaded diaper. So began the development of what would become the 2010 Lincoln MKT (at least, so we think), which was based on the Ford Flex. A minivan-esque silhouette, grossly long overhangs front and rear, and, though we've already mentioned it, that awful grille are co-conspirators in the Lincoln's ugly play. Even though the MKT remains in production for fleets and hired-car services, it has never sold in respectable numbers; fewer than 3000 were bought last year. Research the latest new models from Lincoln on MSN Autos Nissan Juke (2011 2017) According to Nissan, the Juke's greenhouse resembles the visor of a motorcycle helmet and the small SUV s curvy fenders evoke the so-called "Coke bottle" styling popular in the late 1960s. It sound pretty cool, but in reality the Juke s design is a hot mess, exacerbated by a painfully overdesigned, frog-like front end the likes of which hadn t been seen since the Aztek was put down in 2005. Some people actually find the bug-eyed design cute. We don't. Research the latest new models from Nissan on MSN Autos Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet (2011 2014) Allegedly, Nissan's now-former CEO Carlos Ghosn pushed the Murano CrossCabriolet into production because his wife liked the idea of it. Well, nobody (okay, almost nobody) else did. The two-door convertible crossover was a packaging disaster and visually challenged whether its cloth top was raised or stowed. Like the Aztek 10 years its senior, the Nissan became a punchline and it lasted just three years on the market before we had to say goodbye . Bizarrely, these days CrossCabriolets enjoy a cult following; meanwhile, Mr. Ghosn, for the first time, has bigger problems than being tangled up with the CrossCab's birth story. Research the latest new models from Nissan on MSN Autos Subaru B9 Tribeca (2007 2014) Subaru claimed the B9 Tribeca 's front-end design was inspired by Alfa Romeo race cars of the 1930s. And you could see the resemblance if you squinted really, really hard. The look, which debuted in 2006, triggered more gag reflexes than sales-or, maybe, it was the three-row crossover's inexplicable name-and an updated model with a less controversial face was rushed into production for the 2008 model year. At the same time, Subaru mercifully dropped the "B9" part from the Tribeca's name. Apparently, this arbitrage was enough; the SUV lasted essentially unchanged until its discontinuation in 2014. Research the latest new models from Subaru on MSN Autos Suzuki X-90 (1995 1997) The next time someone tells you there is no such thing as a bad idea, show them a picture of the Suzuki X-90, a two-seat SUV with about the passenger and cargo space of a Mazda MX-5 Miata. Basically a chopped down Suzuki Sidekick, the X-90's tiny dimensions and odd proportions kept its appeal in check. With its narrow track, high stance and tall greenhouse it looked like roller-skate. It's of little surprise, then, that the Suzuki was only sold here from 1995 to 1997. Suzuki XL-7 (2007 2009) Automotive designers are always looking to other art disciplines for inspiration, and the designers of the Suzuki XL-7's second generation divined their vision from the face of rock god Alice Cooper. At least, they must've-how else can you explain the drooping, curvy headlights on the unpopular SUV? The XL-7 also features-if that's the right word-an oddly long nose and too long a wheelbase and overall length for its narrow gait.


In recent days, parts of Puget Sound looked more like tomato soup than saltwater. A large bloom of Noctiluca plankton has turned some parts of the usually blue water a rusty orange or red color. Though blooms of this type of plankton are not unusual, this bloom did happen earlier than usual, likely because of sunny conditions experienced last week. The bloom has been recorded by the Washington Department of Ecology from Tacoma to Edmonds. "It's a non-toxic type of plankton, so even though it looks very dramatic, sort of that tomato-soup-looking bloom, it is not harmful to people," Carol Maloy, marine monitoring unit supervisor for DOE said in a video posted to Twitter . "Although we wouldn't recommend anyone swim in it." RELATED: You may have a shot at seeing the northern lights this weekend -- if weather complies Blooms grow to this size in part because of sunshine and warm weather, but also because other animals don't like to eat it, Camille St. Onge, DOE spokeswoman, told KIRO 7 . The plankton makes the Sound look particularly tomato-soup-y in periods with less wind, as wind and rough waters tend to break up the bloom. Do you see an orange-red hue in Puget Sound? Take a photo and tag it with the hashtag #PugetSoundBloom. DOE will track photos with this hashtag to help with plankton research.


The name alone evokes visions of overstuffed wingback chairs, rich mahogany trim and dining cars with crisp white tablecloths: the Orient Express. The fabled train, which ran from Paris to Istanbul in its heyday at the turn of the 20th century and through the Art Deco age, is a shining example of the golden era of luxury rail journeys . But the passenger train, which has been featured in movies and books such as Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express," might once again carry travelers on its iconic route across Europe and into Turkey. French train company SNCF, which bought the Orient Express when it stopped operations in 1977, has begun refurbishing the cars of the original Orient Express and is weighing the possibility of restarting operations of the elegant train. This week, SNCF is displaying several of the original train cars that have been refurbished at the Gare de L'Est train station in Paris, AFP reported . The cars feature glamorous interior design elements from the train's bygone era, such as leather chairs, velvet curtains and polished wood tables. Three of the cars are dining cars that were on the original Orient Express, according to AFP, while the four other cars were used on the company's other routes in Europe. The restorations began in 2011. "To restore them, we went into our archives to find the original plans or samples of [fabrics] and so forth," executive director of the Orient Express Guillaume de Saint Lager told AFP. "We used exceptional experts." SNCF also found some of the train's original cars in Poland and has spent €14 million ($15.6 million) refurbishing 16 cars, which includes at least nine sleeper cars and four saloons. Other trains, hotels and cruises have donned the name "Orient Express" in recent years. Those ventures, run largely under a travel company now called Belmond, were licensed with the vaunted Orient Express title under a now-defunct agreement with SNCF. None of them operated the original famous train. Guillaume Pepy, CEO of SNCF, says the project is an, "investment in railway heritage." "Our aim is to have the Orient Express on the rails all around Europe," Pepy told AFP. But that undertaking could be more complicated than it seems. "We need to look at the state of the carriages and see under what conditions they could travel again and how they could be brought in line with the security specifications that exist in Europe," Pepy said. The company expects to make a final decision about the train this summer. All photos by CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP/Getty Images.


Whether purposefully sunk for scuba diving exploits or the devastating result of freak weather conditions, we've taken a look at some of the world's most spectacular shipwrecks, as well as how you can visit them. Where to find the world's ghost ships There are few things more fascinating, tragic and eerie than a shipwreck. Whether purposefully sunk for scuba diving exploits or the devastating result of freak weather conditions, we've taken a look at some of the world's most spectacular shipwrecks, as well as how you can visit them. Corpach Wreck, Fort William, United Kingdom Built in 1975, the fishing vessel trawler MV Dayspring once brought mackerel and herring to the shores of the Scottish Highlands. Last launched in the early 2000s, she had been safely moored for over a decade when she ran aground during a storm on 8 December 2011. Corpach Wreck, Fort William, United Kingdom Now, photographers come from around the world to photograph what has become known as the Corpach Wreck, which can be captured with the highest mountain in Britain, Ben Nevis, in the background. See our feature about what else to see in the Scottish Highlands and Islands here . S.S. Point Reyes, California, USA From elephant seals to a magnificent lighthouse, there's lots to see at Point Reyes National Seashore in northern California. In addition to the 1,500 species of plants and animals in the 70,000-acre park there is also the S.S. Point Reyes, a fabulously photogenic shipwreck, one of many along this coast of treacherous rocks. S.S. Point Reyes, California, USA Located in the Tomales Bay, this is another shipwreck that's beloved by photographers with the best shots taken during low tide. But its popularity also means it's under threat   in 2016 a fire damaged the rear of the ship and the exterior and interior have been graffitied. SS Maheno, Australia The SS Maheno was built in 1905 and was one of the first turbine-driven steamers, taking a regular route between Sydney and Auckland. When the First World War broke out, the ship was converted into a hospital ship in Europe. Years later in 1935, SS Maheno was heading for a Japanese wrecking yard when a cyclone caused her to meet her untimely end. SS Maheno, Australia The hull is now the most famous of all the wrecks on Queensland s Fraser Island and is a must-visit spot for the many backpackers that travel up and down Australia s East Coast. Although the wreck is slowly deteriorating due to the island s salty environment, its mainly intact skeleton is fascinating to visit. Fraser Island can be easily reached on a 50-minute ferry from the Fraser Coast. Sweepstakes, Canada If you re fascinated by shipwrecks, head to Ontario s Tobermory. It's home to more than 25 shipwrecks that can be explored on diving or snorkeling tours, or aboard a local glass-bottom boat. The best known is Sweepstakes, a 119-foot schooner that sank in shallow water in 1885 after hitting a rock. Sweepstakes, Canada Sweepstakes remained there for a couple of weeks before being towed into the harbor. After the schooner was examined and found to be beyond repair, she was stripped of all her useful rigging and equipment. Her hull, windlass and part of the original bow rail are all still intact. You can view this piece of history for yourself by driving four hours from Toronto to Tobermory, Sweepstakes  final resting place. Kodiak Queen, British Virgin Islands The Kodiak Queen is an example of how exciting ships can be when they combine history with the future. One of only five ships to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor, the ship was purposefully sunk in the spring of 2017 in the British Virgin Islands to become a man-made scuba site, marine ecosystem and underwater art installation. Kodiak Queen, British Virgin Islands The historic naval ship, along with its art sculpture dive site, is one of entrepreneur Richard Branson s ventures. The sunken art gallery will not only inspire divers with eye-catching artworks, but the sculptures will also become a coral reef and rehabilitation site for the marine population. Bessie White, New York State, USA It s often storms that end a ship s life but, in this case, a storm gave an old shipwreck another lease of life. When Hurricane Sandy hit the US in 2012, the storm also unearthed the skeleton of the Bessie White, a Canadian coal schooner that went aground on Fire Island in the early 20th century. Bessie White, New York State, USA You can easily visit Bessie White on Fire Island by taking a ferry from Long Island, but how much of the wreck you ll see will depend on the weather. The whims of the wind, waves and sand determine how much of the hull is visible. MV Panagiotis, Greece The MV Panagiotis, on the coast of Zakynthos in Greece, is a major tourist attraction, not just for its well-preserved condition, but also for its idyllic location on Navagio Beach, or  Shipwreck Beach . MV Panagiotis, Greece The ship was built in the 1930s and ran aground in 1980 due to stormy weather. It was suspected of being a smuggling ship so, once the vessel ran aground, the story goes that the crew abandoned her to escape the authorities. You can easily explore the ship for yourself by taking a boat to the beach but be warned, the popularity of the site means there will probably be an abundance of other tourists angling to get photos of the rusting hull too. Salem Express, Red Sea One of the most tragic maritime tales of modern times, the Salem Express sank in 1991 in the Red Sea, killing approximately 470 people when strong winds blew the ship into a coral reef, tearing a hole in the hull. Salem Express, Red Sea The ship makes for particularly tragic exploring. Personal possessions, such as suitcases and bicycles, still remain underwater. You can dive around this wreck but need to have the proper level of dive certification due to its depths and the possibility of getting tangled in the wreckage. It's also deemed a controversial dive because of the recent nature of the crash and how well the passengers  possessions have been preserved. Hilma Hooker, Bonaire, Caribbean Just one of over 60 spectacular dive sites in Bonaire, the Hilma Hooker makes for memorable wreck exploring. The 236-foot Dutch freighter originally sank in 1975 but was rescued and sold on. There are many tales about what happened to the ship. One is that it was suspected of drug smuggling and found to be carrying a sizeable stash of marijuana behind a false bulkhead. Hilma Hooker, Bonaire, Caribbean Eventually, the ship was left unattended. It was used as evidence in the drug smuggling case but nobody was paying for maintenance. In 1984, the ship was moved next to a dive site and five days later began to sink. It s now part of the Bonaire National Marine Park and a fantastic wreck to explore, next to two coral reefs and easy to access. Mary Rose, Portsmouth, England The Mary Rose, Henry VIII s favorite warship, sank in 1545 during the Battle of the Solent. She served 34 years at sea, seeing several historical moments in her lifetime from taking troops to Scotland for the Battle of Flodden to attacking the French fleet at Brest. Mary Rose, Portsmouth, England The Mary Rose was raised from the seabed in 1982 after years of archaeological work and now lives in the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth. More than 19,000 items were recovered from the wreck site including human remains, guns and clothes. The ship can be viewed close up at the museum which allows you to see the ship on three sides. RMS Titanic, Canada It s probably the most famous shipwreck of all time: the RMS Titanic sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg, killing nearly 2,000 people. The wreckage of the ship was only found in 1985 when it was discovered that the Titanic had split apart before sinking to the seabed. RMS Titanic, Canada If you have nearly $132,600 (£100k) spare and you re keen to see the wreck for yourself, London-based tour operator Blue Marble Private Travel can organize 10-day trips to the shipwreck. You ll take three-hour dives around the vessel and see glimpses of its former glory such as its grand staircase. Eduard Bohlen, Namibia Namibia is one of the most spectacular places in the world to view eerie shipwrecks for yourself. Its Skeleton Coast is home to thousands of shipwrecked vessels scattered along the coastline, having failed to navigate the tempestuous seas and angry winds. One of these is the Eduard Bohlen, which is stranded in the middle of the desert, a quarter of a mile from the shoreline. Eduard Bohlen, Namibia A former German cargo ship, the vessel ran aground, probably due to thick fog, while it was on its way to Table Bay. Years later, as the desert encroached on the ocean, the ship found its unusual position in the middle of the desert. You can see it for yourself on a flying safari or a guided 4x4 tour from Lüderitz or Walvis Bay. Peter Iredale, Oregon, USA There are plenty of shipwrecks along the Oregon coastline and the morbidly-named Graveyard of the Pacific, but perhaps the best known is the Peter Iredale. You can find it in the Fort Stevens State Park. Peter Iredale, Oregon, USA The ship ran aground more than 100 years ago in 1906 due to heavy winds. Its rusted bow and masts are still intact and visible, poking out of the sand. When the tide is low, you can walk right up to the ship and examine it for yourself. Pesuta, Canada The Pesuta began life as a steam ship before it was converted to a log barge in the early 20th century. After a brutal storm in 1928, it was shipwrecked, ending its life on the picturesque Haida Gwaii archipelago in British Columbia, Canada. Pesuta, Canada The remains of the Pesuta are a popular tourist attraction, with many people taking a four-hour hike through forests and beaches until they reach the wrecked ship. MV Captayannis, Helensburgh, Scotland Known in Scotland as the  sugar boat , the MV Captayannis was a Greek sugar-carrying ship that sank in the River Clyde in 1974 after a wild storm. MV Captayannis, Helensburgh, Scotland The brutal storm forced the ship to roll onto her port side and she s still that way decades later. Plans to blow up the wreckage were abandoned over worries about a nearby bird sanctuary. It s never been removed and has become a popular attraction for tourists, divers and birds. SS Francisco Morazan, Michigan, USA The SS Francisco Morazan was built in the 1920s for German owners but was sold to various governments over the years. She was to take her last journey in November 1960 from Chicago to Holland. SS Francisco Morazan, Michigan, USA Strong winds, fog and heavy snow caused the ship to run aground 300 feet off the southwest shore of South Manitou Island, Michigan. The crew abandoned ship soon after and the vessel has been there ever since, now home to various species of bird. You can hike to view the ship for yourself from the shore or take out a kayak to see it close up. Garðar BA64, Westfjords, Iceland Once a fishing vessel, the steel ship Garðar BA64 was built in the same year as the Titanic was launched. Originally called Globe IV, the former whaling boat is now 107 years old and rusting away in the stunning surroundings of the west coast of Iceland. Garðar BA64, Westfjords, Iceland The ship has been out of service since 1981 and instead of being scrapped it was run aground in Skápadalur Valley, where it has remained since, drawing photographers keen to capture its beauty.


Two years ago, the Broncos used a second-round pick to select DeMarcus Walker out of Florida State. Today, the defensive end may be on Denver's roster bubble. Walker appeared in ten games for the Broncos as a rookie, but saw the field just three times in 2018. At one point, the Broncos tried to jumpstart his career by moving him to outside linebacker before shifting him back to defensive end, but, so far, nothing has worked. Ordinarily, a team would stick things out with a young second-round pick like Walker, but Walker finds himself buried in a defensive line group that also includes Derek Wolfe , Adam Gotsis , Shelby Harris , Zach Kerr and third-round pick Dre'Mont Jones. To make the 53-man cut, he'll have to leapfrog at least one veteran while staving off the rest of the pack on the 90-man offseason roster. If Walker doesn't stick with the Broncos, you can expect him to immediately draw interest on the waiver wire. The 6'4″, 280-pound defender compiled 16 sacks as a senior at FSU and had the attention of several teams heading into the '17 draft. In fact, before selecting Walker at No. 51 overall, the Broncos pondered a trade up to land him .


The Falcons head into 2019 with three proven defensive ends and a ton of defensive tackles, and they'll hopefully build a quality line out of that group. Whoever their fourth defensive end...ends...up being won't be a huge part of the rotation unless they land a solid veteran. The calculus of the roster is about to change, though, as we noted the other day. The Falcons will once again head into 2020 with some questions at defensive end, as Takk McKinley is currently the only proven player who is slated to be under contract. Vic Beasley , Adrian Clayborn , and Steven Means are about to hit free agency, and John Cominsky is supposedly going to move to defensive tackle in the relatively near future, whether full-time or part-time. While I also suggested recently that roster trends in the Dan Quinn era point to the team only keeping four defensive ends and that Takk, Beasley, Clayborn and Cominsky feel inevitable they have reason to take a harder look at the young players they've assembled this summer. At the moment, there are three contenders for that fourth (or fifth, if Cominsky sticks purely at defensive end) spot, and the Falcons should at least strongly consider keeping one or two of them on the practice squad to mix in with next year. The first is Chris Odom , a name that probably rings a bell. Odom had a nice summer in 2017 but didn't make the Falcons' roster and wound up spending a little time with the Packers and then the Salt Lake City Stallions of the AAF , managing 2.5 sacks in eight games. He won't turn 25 until the season starts and has shown flashes of pass rushing acumen in all of his stints thus far, and he's under a two year deal with Atlanta. I'd consider him the favorite for a roster spot if there's one available. There's also Austin Larkin , a 24-year-old interesting athlete with 2.5 sacks in college and some solid buzz back when he was with the Cowboys , and Durrant Miles, an undrafted rookie coming off of a 4.5 sack season at Boise State. None of these three players scream high-end future starter , but the team's need at defensive end is such that if they simply turn out to be solid rotational guys, the Falcons will have a head start on building out their 2019 defensive end mix. They need to do this because of the looming uncertainty. I'm not suggesting the Falcons will let all their defensive ends besides Takk go next year they're neither that broke nor that dumb but I do think they need to start seriously thinking about what the future of the position would look like, and the potential advantages of having affordable, young depth.


These are the Launch Edition based on the civilian version of the H1. Founded in 2015, Detroit-based Mil-Spec Automotive (MSA) was born with the mission to put Hummers back on the road by effectively recycling old trucks and giving them a new lease on life. You go to them with your H1 or they find one for you, these Mil-Spec Hummers are completely transformed as only the frame and the shell are carried over from the donor car. Intrigued by this idea, Jay Leno wanted to find out more about these modernized H1s and invited the company's Chief Innovation Officer, Ian Broekman, along with President Chris van Scyoc, and CEO/owner Adam Mitchell. The two trucks featured in the video started out in life as civilian H1s, with one of them belonging to a customer who wanted MSA to give it a makeover while the other was actually acquired by the company and upgraded for marketing purposes. Mil-Spec Automotive kicked off production of customer vehicles about 12 months ago and all the trucks built so far belong to the Launch Edition available from $218,499 and limited to 12 examples. See Other Recent Mil-Spec Projects: Mil-Spec's New Custom Hummer Looks Ready To Embrace The Dark Side Is this $250,000 Mil-Spec Hummer A Beauty Or A Beast? Mil-Spec's Baja Beast Hummer Is Ready To Roll Over Everything Mil-Spec's Mental Hummer H1 Track Titan Is A Road Racing Monster The restomodded Hummer H1s visiting Jay Leno's Garage are equipped with a Duramax 6.6-liter turbodiesel engine pushed towards the center of the vehicle that MSA is saying they're practically mid-engined. The engine puts out 500 horsepower and 1,000 pound-feet (1,356 Newton-meters) of torque sent to the road through a six-speed automatic transmission. Compared to the original civilian H1, the Mil-Spec Hummers are actually about 150 pounds (68 kilograms) lighter and have an almost 50:50 weight distribution. Despite weighing a whopping 7,500 lbs (3,401 kg), the Mil-Spec H1 does 0-60 mph (0-96 kph) in around six seconds thanks to the mountain-moving torque delivered by the massive diesel engine. Fuel economy is not too shabby either, with up to 20 miles per gallon realistically possible and the ability to run it on biodiesel. Jay Leno hopped behind the wheel of a restomodded H1 and drove it to experience how Mil-Spec modernized the truck not just in terms of the hardware, but also as far as the interior is concerned. Speaking of which, the width of the center console perfectly illustrates the size of the truck, while footage shot from the outside shows the Launch Edition is nearly as wide as the lane. Source: Jay Leno's Garage / YouTube


PARIS   The get-in price for Friday's Women's World Cup quarterfinal match-up between the United States and France is hovering around $425. That is a high-rent price that serves as proof of the passion there is for women's soccer, even if the sport's signature event feels like it is operating on a shoestring marketing budget. Blame FIFA or blame the French organizing committee or just blame decades of indifference to this sport specifically, and women's athletics in general, that is finally coming awake. Whatever it is, the distance between the on-field product and the off-field promotional efforts are stunning. On Friday night, France and the United States, the world's top two teams, are set to play in an epic clash that could very well determine the World Cup. There is incredible talent, ferocious competitive spirit and a simmering rivalry built on mutual respect for the quality of the foe. It should represent everything women's soccer can be   sports in general, really   hence the huge sums fans are willing to dole out to bear witness inside the 46,000-seat Parc des Princes. The crowd is expected to be near 50-50, the Americans' strong traveling fan base snuffing out any home-nation advantage. "What a showcase piece," U.S. coach Jill Ellis said Monday. "I'm sure a lot of people would want it later in the tournament, but it is what it is … Probably myself and [French coach] Corinne [Diacre] are both like, 'You know what? We've got good players, good teams, good set-ups. And let's go for it." Yet all over Paris, the nation's largest city, its capital and where the contest will be played, there is little of that "let's go for it" mindset. You'd be hard pressed to know the Women's World Cup, let alone this specific game, is even being staged here. There are few billboards, signs, banners or pretty much anything else touting the event. Fan festivals are minimal. Restaurants and bars aren't plastered with signs welcoming fans or saying they are serving the official beverage, or whatever, of the World Cup. A BBC investigation noted that the advertising on the Paris Metro maps features not the Women's World Cup, but a rugby tournament that ended weeks ago. It's no different in smaller host cities, such as Reims, where the U.S. played Monday in front of maybe 15,000 American fans. There is reportedly nothing being spent in other regional cities around Europe with Cup contenders and easy access to the tournament such as London, Berlin and Rome. As many as seven of the quarterfinal participants may come from soccer-mad Europe. In contrast, last year's men's World Cup in Russia not only saw promotions blanket the country, especially in Moscow, but nearly every major historic site in the city had massive and impossible-to-miss signage hyping up … the 2022 men's World Cup in Qatar. This time it's like no one realized, or even cared to realize, that this was a big deal, let alone one with the easy potential of becoming an even bigger deal. That may be the most frustrating part. This isn't failing because of a lack of marketing. It's succeeding in spite of it. Not capitalizing on it is just bad business; collective ignorance overwhelming clear reality. It's particularly striking that this quarterfinal will be the last game of the tournament even held in Paris. Both semifinals and the final are taking place in Lyon, home to powerhouse club Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, yes, but also a rustic city in the southeast portion of the country with a metro population of 2.2 million (and limited hotel space). For an event like this, all roads should lead to Paris, home to 12.5 million people and a global hub of easy travel and tourism. You hold the NCAA tournament subregionals in Boise. Not the Final Four there. Everyone running this event should be ashamed, although don't hold your breath on that occurring. The only way to get a FIFA official to feel shame is to bribe them to feel shame. Regardless, FIFA should be both funding its own promotional efforts for the women's game as well as demanding, contractually, that the host nation spend considerable sums on it as well. When asked about the lack of everything, a FIFA spokesman told the BBC, "One of the main promotional objectives is to maximize the audience   both in front of their screens and in the stadiums. Even though outdoor advertising is a part of that campaign, it is only one of several platforms deployed in this phase. In Paris, the outdoor advertising is centralized around the stadium and around the FIFA fan experience." Well, when France hosted the 2016 men's European Championship, public viewing parties were set up across the country, including massive screens surrounding no less than the Eiffel Tower. No such thing exists for the Women's World Cup. About the only plus of a soccer tournament going on around the famed tourist destination is the Fox Sports broadcast platform set up in the far distance across the Rhine. At least television understands what they have here. Networks have reported record viewership numbers not just here in France (despite some games being on cable), but in England, the United States and other nations around the world. Women's soccer has come an astounding distance over the past couple of decades, with the quality of play rising. The competition is tremendous. The fan base is diverse. The storylines are rich. The action and anticipation are capturing attention. This has gone far beyond the empowering message that women's sports deliver to half the population, where young girls learn the same lessons of teamwork and relentlessness that boys have for centuries. That endures, of course, but mostly this is just a lot of fun. Which is what Friday night here should be   France v. the United States, a heavyweight clash that everyone has been waiting for and hoping to occur. "Hopefully a complete spectacle, just an absolute media circus," U.S. forward Megan Rapinoe said. "I hope it's huge and crazy. That's what it should be. "This is the best game," she continued. "This is what everybody wanted. I think we want it. Seems like they're up for it … It's going to be totally awesome. This is what everybody wants, and these are the biggest games that you kind of dream about as a kid." If you've got $400-$500, you can get into a far corner of the stadium and watch. And FIFA didn't think this was a big enough deal to merit marketing? More from Yahoo Sports: Trump disagrees with Rapinoe not singing the anthem Bucks superstar Antetokounmpo named MVP over Harden Why an emerging receiver can boost the Cowboys' offense How winning ugly could be a good thing for the USWNT Related slideshow: Best of the Women's World Cup (Provided by imagn)


P olice in Venice recently fined a pair of backpackers from Berlin €950 (US$1,059) and asked them to leave the city. Their offense? They were caught brewing coffee on a portable stove on the steps of the city's historic Rialto Bridge on Friday, July 19. While that may seem innocent behavior to some, it's actually in violation of the city's ban on public picnics, which prohibits people from eating or drinking while sitting on the ground at specific sites, including St. Mark's Square and the Rialto Bridge. But that's not the only bad behavior you can be charged with there. In addition to commonplace offenses like littering, buying goods from illegal street vendors, and defacing public or private property with graffiti, Venice has also made a few more unexpected things against the law as part of an ongoing campaign to curb the effects of overtourism and poorly behaved travelers. Here are six other things that can get you in trouble in Venice. 1. Sitting down in St. Mark's Square Turns out just sitting in undesignated areas in St. Mark's Square is against the rules. According to the Città di Venezia's website , it's forbidden to sit in the following places around St. Mark's Square except at one of the cafés or restaurants located there: Beneath the arcades of the Ducal Palace, at the Piazzetta dei Leoncini on the square's north side, on the steps and beneath the arcades of the Procuratie Nuove, in the Napoleonic Wing, outside the Sansovino Library, as well as at square's entranceway, known as the Piazzetta San Marco. In fall 2018 , Venice's mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, proposed an extension of this sitting ban beyond St. Mark's Square and to raise the fine from €200 to €500 (US$223 to $557). While it was up for discussion with the city council, it appears that it has yet to be passed. 2. Feeding the pigeons in St. Mark's Square In 2008 , tossing bread crumbs to the pigeons that gather in the city's most iconic square became illegal. Because the excrement the birds leave behind is acidic, it can damage the mosaics on the historic buildings that surround the piazza. The bird-feeding ban also extends to all public areas of the city, including its squares and canals. If you're caught feeding pigeons or seagulls that also frequent the area you can expect a fine between €50 and €200 (US$56 to $223). 3. Jumping into or swimming in the canals Even though the city is surrounded by water, you'll be fined €450 (US$502) if you "swim, dive, or immerse oneself in streams, canals, whether public or private, and in St. Mark's Basin, or in any water spot near any inhabited municipal area," according to the city's website . 4. P utting padlocks on bridges or other monuments A proliferation of love locks appeared on the Rialto Bridge, the Ponte dell'Accademia, and the Ponte degli Scalzi in the early 2000s. It is now officially illegal to attach padlocks to Venetian bridges as well as any other monument. When the ban was first introduced in 2016, it carried a shocking €3,000 (US$3,344) fine. The price has been relaxed, but attaching one today will still get you slapped with a €100 (US$111) fine. 5. Walking around partially unclothed or wearing a bathing suit in public No matter how hot it gets in the summer, both men and women who walk around without shirts or who wear swimsuits in public in Venice can be fined €200 (US$223). 6. Riding or pushing a bicycle in the city Only city residents and children up to eight years of age are allowed to use bicycles in the city. Even if you're only pushing one by hand, you could be fined €100 (US$111). In addition to the police, a team of "decorum angels" also makes the rounds at Venice's busiest sites to make sure that tourists don't break these rules. While they can't fine you or ban you from the city as the police can, they can contact the police if you don't comply. Similar Rules Elsewhere in Italy Venice isn't the only city that has strict rules against eating in public. Last year, Florence issued a new law that made it illegal to eat on sidewalks or in shop doorways in the historic city center during peak lunch and dinner hours. Visitors who disobey these rules can be fined as much as €500 (US$557). More recently, in June, Rome 's mayor, Virginia Raggi, officially made it illegal to eat and drink on the city's famous monuments. It's also against the law to climb on monuments, walk around partially unclothed, or wade in the city's fountains. Associated Press contributed reporting to this article. WATCH: Why cities like Venice don't want mass tourism (provided by CNN) >> Next: 7 Surprisingly Illegal Things to Avoid in Europe


Looking to get fit? From a bike parade to kiteboarding lessons, there's plenty to do when it comes to sports and fitness activities coming up in Long Beach this week. Read on for a rundown. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 2019 Great American 4th of July Kids Bike Parade From the event description: More than 500 kids are expected in Justin Rudd's "Great American 4th of July Kids Bike Parade" presented by Rudd's nonprofit 501c3 Community Action Team (CAT). There will also be a kids patriotic speech contest and a kids patriotic costume contest. When: Thursday, July 4, 10-11 a.m. Where: Granada Beach Parking Lot (in front of Rosie's Dog Beach), 1 Granada Ave. Price: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Rowing Classes at Roworx From the Roworx deal description: The classes at Roworx are led by US National Team rowers at the location of the 1932 Olympic rowing events and 1968 Olympic rowing trials, which means students can get an up-close look at Olympic-level training. One-hour rowing classes usually incorporate strength training to burn calories more efficiently. Where: Roworx, 5750 Boathouse Lane, Marina Pacifica Price: $27 (75% discount off regular price); $50 (75% discount off regular price); additional deals are available. Click here for more details, and to score this deal Kitesurfing Lesson on Land From the Southern California Kiteboarding deal description: From a safe spot on the beach, instructors demonstrate how to hold and control the kites used in kitesurfing. They work with small groups on the shore until their pupils can fly comfortably on their own, without training wheels tied to the kitestring. Where: Southern California Kiteboarding, 1 Claremont Place, Belmont Shore Price: $41 (59 percent discount off regular price); $79 (60% discount off regular price). Click here for more details, and to nab this deal This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


If you're a fan of the arts, mark your calendars: there's plenty to do when it comes to artsy events in Chicago this week, from a craft class to a rooftop mural debut. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Ignite Talks Chicago From the event description: Ignite is a high-energy evening of 5-minute talks by people who have a burning idea and the guts to get onstage and share it with their hometown crowd. Think TED but more fun! Ignite Chicago is open to everyone to attend. Doors open at 6 p.m., presentations start at 6:30 p.m. When: Tuesday, May 28, 6-9 p.m. Where: Catalyst Ranch, 656 W. Randolph St., #3W. Price: $20 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Spring Dance Community Convening From the event description: Share a cup of coffee and engage in discussions, hear industry news, and more! Featured speaker from the Actors Fund regarding educational scholarship and grant opportunities for dancers, and no-cost career services. When: Wednesday, May 29, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Where: Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. Price: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Reading: Sheila Heti From the event description: In Sheila Heti's genre-bending novels, life's vexing questions course through the pages like underground rivers, whether she's asking How Should a Person Be? (2010) or thinking about Motherhood (2018) without having children. Here, Heti shares a new text. When: Thursday, May 30, 6-7 p.m. Where: Swift Hall, 1025 E. 58th St., Floor 3 Price: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Needle Felting: Craft Class From the event description: Needle felting is a fiber art that allows one to create "paintings" with wool fibers. Needle felting is simple, mess free, and anyone can do it! Once you start, you will get hooked on this colorful craft! I will provide everything needed. Each guest will leave with a completed project as well as a kit with the tools to create more felted artwork at home. When: Wednesday, May 29, 6-9 p.m. Where: Eggsperience Cafe, 3233 N. Broadway St. Price: $60 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Rooftop mural debut From the event description: Locals and visitors alike will have a new reason to stop and look up this summer. Located 24 stories above the Loop at 100 W. Monroe at the Hyatt Centric The Loop Chicago, this stunning blacklight mural will cover the entire East, West, and South facing walls of AIRE, further enhancing Chicago's already remarkable cityscape. When: Thursday, May 30, 12 a.m. Where: 100 W. Monroe St. Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.