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How Scientology leader David Miscavige rose to power, according to insiders

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Scientology leader David MiscavigeA&E docuseries "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath" examined how David Miscavige rose to power to become the leader of Scientology.

In order to tell the story of David Miscavige's rise, the series introduced us to former Scientologists with intimate knowledge of the man, including his father Ron Miscavige.

“He rose up through the ranks," Ron, a former Scientologist and author of the book about his relationship with his son, "Ruthless," said on the show.

"He’s a tough kid and smart," he continued. "Once [Scientology founder] L.Ron Hubbard died, he saw his opportunity and he moved right up and took power.”

For the record, the church has declined to take part in the series. It contends that the statements Remini and the other contributors to the show have made about Scientology are false and are driven by a desire to profit or gain publicity from their time in the religion. 

Here's what we learned about David Miscavige from Tuesday's episode:

SEE ALSO: How Scientology costs members up to millions of dollars, according to Leah Remini's show

DON'T MISS: The shocking truth about how Scientology really works, according to one former insider

David Miscavige was a young man with a lot of ambition.

Ron Miscavige and his family joined Scientology in 1971. At 16, David Miscavige dropped out of high school and moved to the Scientology campus in Clearwater, Florida and joined the church's elite SEA Organization. Ron said that within six months, David was working alongside church founder L. Ron Hubbard as a cameraman on the church's films.

“David Miscavige got himself into a position where he had communication with L. Ron Hubbard that nobody else had," Mike Rinder, Scientology's former international spokesperson, said. "And it gave him enormous authority to be telling L. Ron Hubbard that people were doing things, that this was happening, and couching everything in the framework that made him look good and anybody who he felt was a rival look bad.”



L. Ron Hubbard's death and David Miscavige's rise to power.

After steadily rising through the ranks and becoming Hubbard's most trusted advisor, David Miscavige announced the founder's death in 1986. Hubbard's passing was framed as an intentional decision by him to leave his body in order to go on to even higher levels of spiritual being.

“The core belief of Scientology is that you are a spiritual being," show host Leah Remini explained. "L. Ron Hubbard had reached, obviously, the highest level of Scientology there was to reach, promoting this idea that there’s an afterlife, and he found the answer to it by deciding to discard this body to go explore new OT levels. All of this is bulls--t. L. Ron Hubbard died of a stroke.” 

As Hubbard's closest advisor, David assumed the leadership of Scientology. His official title is Chairman of the Board, Religious Technology Center. But according to Mike Rinder, David liked to refer to himself as "the pope of Scientology."



David Miscavige allegedly took on the responsibility of finishing the church's course curriculum, or OT chart, because L. Ron Hubbard wasn't able to complete it before his death.

Tom Devocht, who left Scientology in 2005 after 28 years, worked closely for David Miscavige. His job was to work with city authorities for Clearwater, Florida. He said he was often dispatched to carry out outrageous requests from the leader.

Devocht said that his doubt of the church began after David allegedly divulged that he had L. Ron Hubbard's various writings and was going to finish the OT chart.

“It suddenly hit me," Devocht recalled. "Then, it’s a farce that Miscavige himself was going to finish these off. Hubbard died. He’s not some superpower being.” 

“You have parishioners believing that L. Ron Hubbard obviously reached the highest level of Scientology there was to reach," Remini said, "that he could actually decide to discard his body, because how else was [David] going to keep Scientology going? What if he came out and said, ‘L. Ron Hubbard has died of a stroke.’ Then, why are we doing all this if we’re just going to die of a stroke?”



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

24 mind-blowing facts about Warren Buffett and his $70 billion fortune

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Warren Buffett

With a net worth of over $70 billion, Warren Buffett is the second-richest person in the world, behind only his good friend Bill Gates.

But to those who knew him from the beginning, Buffett's success comes as no surprise: He was picking out stocks at 11 years old and had amassed the equivalent of $53,000 in today's dollars by the time he was 16

Inspired by a Quora thread asking "What are some mind-blowing facts about Warren Buffett," we rounded up 24 astonishing facts about the "Oracle from Omaha" and his massive amount of wealth.  

This is an update of an article originally written by Kathleen Elkins.

SEE ALSO: 15 quotes from self-made billionaires that will change your outlook on money

DON'T MISS: 13 bizarre sleeping habits of super-successful people

While his elementary school classmates were dreaming about the major leagues and Hollywood, 10-year old Buffett was having lunch with a member of the New York Stock Exchange and setting life goals.

Buffett's legendary career all began with an epiphany at age 10 when he was on a trip to New York City with his dad.

Dining with a member of the NYSE planted the idea in young Buffett's head to organize his life around money.

Source: Business Insider



He bought his first stock at age 11.

He purchased multiple shares of Cities Service Preferred for $38 apiece.

Source: GOBankingRates



When Buffett was a teen, he was already raking in about $175 a month — more than his teachers (and most adults).

He pulled this off by dutifully delivering the Washington Post.

Source: Business Insider



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The Internet of Everything — $12.6 trillion ROI expected over the next decade [SLIDE DECK]

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future of retail deck slide 10

Everything around us is becoming connected. As a result, we are seeing shifts in investments and returns. There is already a great demand for network expansion, cyber security and insurance. And generally, the prices of hardware will fall as IoT becomes less of a novelty.

All of this opens up a huge opportunity for everyone to make and save a lot of money. We will invest $6 trillion in IoT between 2015 and 2020, which will yield $12.6 trillion ROI over the next decade. Enterprise will make up the majority of the investment dollars, followed by government and consumer.

BI Intelligence has created a slide deck exploring the most disruptive trends in IoT. To get a more detailed view of the progression, landscape and projections of the Internet of Everything, access the complete slide deck by clicking here.

Some of the topics covered include:

  • The market drivers for the IoT.
  • Forecasts for the IoT market.
  • A breakdown of how many industries are utilizing IoT devices.
  • A look at how governments are using the IoT to revolutionize their cities and defense.
  • An examination of the smart home and connected car market.
  • And much more.

Below are 8 sample slides from the 60-page deck. Want the full deck? Access it here for FREE >>

Want the full 60-page slide deck?  Access it Here - FREE >>



Want the full 60-page slide deck?  Access it Here - FREE >>



Want the full 60-page slide deck?  Access it Here - FREE >>



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

RANKED: The 10 best movies of 2016

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2016 was a horrible year for countless reasons, but one of the few positives was going to the movies. Rotten Tomatoes reports a record number of Certified Fresh movies released in 2016, and Disney’s $7 billion global take at the box office set a new industry record.

So needless to say, there were a lot of great titles in the running for my 10 best this year.

It was hard, but here they are — the films that confirmed why I love going to the movies so much (plus a couple that I felt needed to be mentioned).

SEE ALSO: The 5 biggest winners and losers at the box office in 2016

10. “Jackie”

This haunting look at Jacqueline Kennedy in the aftermath of the assassination of her husband, President John F. Kennedy, is a beautifully constructed retelling of the end of Camelot and the realization that the First Lady is far from the timid person she was portrayed as by the press. Natalie Portman delivers one of the best performances of her career, playing Jackie with a precision that lifts the movie to another level. 



9. “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”

The first standalone “Star Wars” movie was hyped to have a more mature “Dirty Dozen”-like feel and it was just that. “Rogue One” has an originality that gives you a sense of finality when you get to the end. There’s still a lot of reminders that you are inside the confines of the “Star Wars” universe, whether it be characters that show up or locations where scenes take place, but the high stakes of the movie brings an excitement that can be lost at times when watching the main franchise films. 



8. “Moonlight”

Told over three chapters in the life of a young man living in Miami, Barry Jenkins’ beautifully touching portrait of the complexities of life is a movie you have to experience if you are a film lover. The direction, acting, camera work, and score are all at a high level, while the storytelling is some of the most powerful you’ll see all year. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Photos of China's 'Airpocalypse' — where industrial smog makes the country a living hell for half a billion people

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china air pollution

While Americans embrace the crisp, cool air of the holiday season, on the other side of the globe, about a half billion people living in northern China face the "airpocalypse" — or smog season.

The thick, toxic air has caused flights to be canceled, classes to be suspended, and alerts to be issued by the government encouraging people to insulate themselves from air. Under a charcoal-tinted sky and toxic fumes, half a billion people can't live or step outside without wearing masks.

It's a living hell.

As someone who grew up in China for 18 years, the first time I saw blue sky and white clouds was four years ago when I first arrived in Boston for college. I'm not even from the North, where the worst of the smog all but blocks out the sun.

Even having grown up in China, I'm still shocked seeing these pictures — pictures of people trying to live their life under threat, pictures showing what a country has to sacrifice in order to be the world's second-largest economy.

By the way, if you feel the pictures below are not clear or bright enough, it's not because of the picture quality — it's the smog.

China's smog problem has reached "red alert," the highest level in China's four-tiered pollution warning system.

Source: The Guardian



A paramilitary police officer wearing a mask stands guard in front of a portrait of the late Chairman Mao Zedong during smog at Tiananmen Square. Only the silhouettes of people standing further away could be been in the photos.



But not even heavy smog can stop Chinese people from watching the daily flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square even during a "red alert."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

We tried the casual barbecue restaurant that New Yorkers rave about to see if it's really worth the hype

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Mighty Quinn's BBQ 16

While New York City may be one of the most famous cities in the world, there's one thing it just has no claim to: barbecue.

But Mighty Quinn's Barbeque is looking to change that.

With its humble beginnings as a food stall at Brooklyn's open-air food market, Smorgasburg, Quinn's has grown to eight locations in New York and New Jersey on the strength of its amazing barbecue.

It's even spreading internationally, with smokey goodness in four countries, the latest having just opened in Manila, The Philippines.

And with glowing reviews over the years — including one from Pete Wells of The New York Times — I decided to head down to the East Village to see (or taste, rather) for myself how Mighty Quinn's is bringing a barbecue renaissance to NYC.

SEE ALSO: Shake Shack has one of the best breakfast menus in fast food

There are eight locations stateside — six in New York City and one in New Jersey. I swung by the East Village Quinn's in Manhattan on 2nd Avenue and East 6th Street.



The food is served cafeteria style, and the staff is very friendly and rather knowledgeable about the food.



The interior is very dark thanks to the trendy yet dim choice of Edison bulbs on all the lights. Dark, raw wood is everywhere, including the tables, which apparently are salvaged from old New York City buildings. It feels like a more inviting Chipotle interior: fast-casual chic, but folksy and warm.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 38 most valuable enterprise startups of 2016

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thumbs up happy worker man content good nice job employee boss

2016 was an odd year when it came to venture funding.

While there was still plenty of money available, investors weren't as generous with their terms as they were during their check-writing frenzy of 2014-2015. They wanted to nab a bigger piece of equity for the money they put in.  

So, if the previous period was all about "unicorns"– startups that raised so much money at such great terms that their investors valued them at over $1 billion 2016 was the year of the "down round." That's when cash-burning startups had to sell shares for a lower price than they previously commanded.

Given this backdrop, we thought it would be interesting to look at the enterprise startups that did the best nabbing money in 2016 and growing their valuations this year. Enterprise startups are those that sell their products and services to other businesses, as opposed to consumers. 

We asked PitchBook, a company that offers a database of venture and private equity funding, to sift through its vast collection of financial records to come up with this list of the highest-valued enterprise startups of 2016, based exclusively on startups that completed financing rounds in 2016.

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SEE ALSO: 38 enterprise startups that will boom in 2017, according to VC investors

Yieldbot: $95.79 million for online ads

Company:Yieldbot

Date of last round: 8/3/2016

Amount: $35 million

Total funding to date: $65.37 million

Post-money valuation: $95.79 million

Provides a rules-based online advertising service. The company collects visitor data, mines it and then serves advertisements to the visitor.



Skycatch: $96 million for photo drones

Company:Skycatch

Date of last round: 9/19/2016

Amount: $26 million

Total funding to date: $46.01 million

Post-money valuation: $96 million

Provides small flying drones designed to take pictures and video for commercial needs, like logistics. 



Invoca: $100 million for marketing software

Company:Invoca

Date of last round: 3/30/2016

Amount: $29.5 million

Total funding to date: $61.93 million

Post-money valuation: $100 million

Provides a cloud app to help marketers understand why customers are calling, who's calling, and analyze what's being said in conversations.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Apple execs explain why Kanye West's album wasn't on Apple Music first: he 'chose to make a deal with his friend' (AAPL)

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jay z kanye west

In 2016, Apple Music and Tidal fiercely competed for which streaming music service could boast the most "exclusives."

An "exclusive" in this context means that a popular album would be available for streaming on either Apple Music or Tidal for a period of weeks before it was available on the other services, including Spotify.

These promotions convince music fans to subscribe to a paid service, whether it's Tidal or Apple Music. 

Apple had its share of exclusive hits, but one record eluded Apple Music execs Jimmy Iovine and Larry Jackson: Kanye West's "The Life of Pablo," which was on Tidal for six weeks before it was available on Apple Music. 

"We’ll always work together — not everything has to be business," Jackson told The New York Times. "Jimmy and I went to the studio two times to hear the album and give feedback, not for any reason other than we love him as an artist and we just wanted to help."

Iovine explained Kanye's decision was about his now-seemingly rocky relationship with Jay-Z. 

"He was part of Jay’s thing and chose to make a deal with his friend, and I respect that. I kind of felt like it was going to happen before it did," Iovine said.

But, it turns out that, at least in the battle for popular exclusives, Apple Music had a great 2016.

The New York Times points out that five Apple Music exclusives debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart, including Drake's album "Views." 

However, Tidal had West's album, as well as exclusives from Beyonce and Rihanna, totaling three Tidal exclusives to top the charts. 

Check out the Apple Music exclusives to top the Billboard charts in 2016 below: 

SEE ALSO: Apple Music now has 20 million subscribers

Future, "EVOL"

Release date: February 6, 2016

Listen here.



Drake, "Views"

Release date: April 29, 2016

Listen here



DJ Khaled, "Major Key"

Release date: July 29, 2016

Listen here



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

3 times you absolutely shouldn't connect on LinkedIn — and 3 times you should

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LinkedIn

One of the best ways to grow your career is to build a solid professional network, and what better place to do that than on LinkedIn?

With the click of a button, you can send an invitation to connect with someone, regardless if you know them or not — and this is where things can get hairy. Sometimes, sending that LinkedIn invitation is the worst possible choice for your career.

More on that in a minute. Let's start with when it's a good idea.

SEE ALSO: A huge mistake I made on LinkedIn may have cost me a few jobs — here are the most common blunders other people make

Connect when: you know or have met this individual before

It's usually a safe bet to reach out and connect with people whom you know or have met before, granted things were cordial. There's no guarantee that these individuals will be receptive to your invitation to connect on LinkedIn, so don't get too upset if you get a few rejections along the way. However, your chances of growing your network will be greater if you start with the people you already know, versus trying to connect with a complete stranger.

Make note that, if this person is from your past, then you may want to send a brief note reminding him/her of how you two know each other.



Connect when: you're being connecting via a mutual contact

There's nothing better than having your connections open up their networks and put you in touch with someone they know, like, and trust — because that usually means that they know, like, and trust you, too. Growing your network organically is one of the best ways to form real, genuine professional relationships that will help your career. When someone in your network comes through for you like this, know that she is taking a great risk by vouching for you.

Therefore, handle these types of situations with great care and consideration, because it only takes one ungrateful or unprofessional first impression to ruin a chance/connection of a lifetime.



Connect when: you’re hoping to learn from this individual

Part of growing as a professional is learning from people who have been there, done that, and made a name for themselves in a given industry — they’re also known as leaders, innovators, and influencers. These types of individuals don’t necessarily have to be the Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg of your industry, they can also be small business owners or up-and-comers who are doing something disruptive and innovative in your industry.

The point is to connect with the people who are making things happen in their careers/industries, and from whom you can gain inspiration and knowledge.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Check out how dramatically Tesla’s cars have changed over the last 8 years (tsla)

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Elon Musk

Tesla is gearing up to roll out a big update for its cars.

The automaker announced in October that its Model S and Model X cars will now come with new hardware that will boost Autopilot's current capabilities and set the foundation for a fully driverless Tesla later on.

Tesla cars have progressed a lot in just the last year alone. Here's a look back at how far the company has come.

SEE ALSO: Here's how Tesla's new self-driving system will work

Tesla garnered a lot of attention in 2008 when it released its very first electric car — the wildly sexy Tesla Roadster.

The Roadster Sport boasted a range of 245 miles and could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds. Its base price in 2008 was $98,000, according to Car and Driver.

Tesla sold more than 2,400 Roadsters across 30 countries, the company wrote on its webpage.



In 2012, Tesla released its Model S — the first luxury electric sedan on the market.

The car could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds and had a range of 265 miles per charge. It was named Motor Trend’s 2013 Car of the Year.

But the car was pricey at $106,900 before federal tax exemptions.



In late 2014, Tesla released two dual motor all-wheel drive configurations for the Model S, the world's first dual electric motor car.

It was also the first time Tesla made Autopilot standard on every car. The car came in three versions — the 60D, 85D and the top-of-the-line P85D. Above you see the P85D.

The P85D could reach a top speed of 155 mph and could accelerate to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, outperforming the McLaren F1 supercar, Tesla wrote on its blog at the time.

The P85D had a range of about 285 miles and cost $71,200 MSRP, according to Car and Driver. But that model was discontinued in February.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

MEET THE NEW EXECUTIVE BRANCH: Here's who Trump has appointed to senior leadership positions

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President-elect Donald Trump has a lot of key positions to fill in the coming weeks that will shape his next four years in office.

While rumors have been flying around about who he will appoint (some of which we've included here), Trump has so far made 18 official Cabinet-level appointments. That means there are four more such positions remaining.

We'll update this list as he announces more senior leadership positions, but here's what we know so far:

Cabinet All 19

SEE ALSO: Trump's choice for CIA director once said US Muslims who don't reject terrorism are 'complicit' in it

DON'T MISS: Trump's new national security adviser is under fire for his views on Russia, his business ties to Turkey — and his tweets

White House Press Secretary: Sean Spicer

Obama administration counterparts: Robert Gibbs, Jay Carney, Josh Earnest (present)

Duties: serve as the main spokesperson for the Trump administration, provide daily press briefings

Reactions: Spicer's appointment was largely expected because he stuck by Trump throughout the campaign as the communications director for the Republican National Committee.



Counselor to the President: Kellyanne Conway

Obama administration counterparts: Valerie Jarrett, Brian Deese, Shailagh Murray

Duties: continue to act as one of Trump's most trusted senior advisers

Reactions: Some call Conway the "Trump Whisperer" for her ability to manage the president-elect and articulate his appeal to the public. Many expected Conway to take a role in Trump's administration since she has been such a close confidante managing his campaign, though she herself said she resisted taking the job since it could interfere with raising her children.



Office of Management and Budget Director: Mick Mulvaney

Obama administration counterparts: Peter R. Orszag, Jacob J. Lew, Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Shaun Donovan (current)

Duties: produce the president's budget, lead the Office of Management and Budget

Reactions: Mulvaney's desire to slash the federal budget is likely good news for Republican deficit hawks, but it clashes with Trump's plans to increase infrastructure and defense spending.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

15 things you should never do at the office holiday party

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'Tis the season for office holiday parties, which can be fun and festive if everyone is on their best behavior — or disastrous when too many people decide to let loose.

Unfortunately, the latter happens far too often.

"People need to remember that although the holiday party is a time to celebrate, this activity is still a business event and how you behave matters," says Barbara Pachter, an etiquette expert and the author of "The Essentials of Business Etiquette."

"People have said and done all sorts of inappropriate things that have impacted their career by not following simple etiquette rules," she adds. "For example, it is important to stay sober. One young man got drunk at his holiday party, cursed out his boss, and got fired on the spot. The next day he couldn't understand why his badge didn't work. He had no recollection of the previous evening's events."

According to a new CareerBuilder survey, a whopping 69% of employers say they'll throw a holiday party this year. If your company is one of them and you want to keep your job and reputation intact, here are some simple etiquette rules to follow:

DON'T MISS: We asked and you answered — here are 19 of the wildest office holiday party stories we've ever heard

SEE ALSO: The 17 best icebreakers to use at a holiday party where you don't know anyone

Don't skip it

Unless you already have other plans that night that you absolutely cannot miss or change, show up to the office holiday party.

"You may not want to go," says Pachter, but it's important that you show your commitment to the company.

"Your absence will be noticed, and most likely, noted by your boss and other higher ups," she adds.



Don't be the first to leave

Obviously someone has to be the first to leave. But for the same reason that you shouldn't skip the holiday party altogether — it's good for your career to show your face — you should avoid being the first one saying their goodbyes. 



Don't dress inappropriately

The party may not take place during traditional work hours — but that doesn't mean you should dress like you're going to a nightclub.

You should wear clothing you wouldn't be embarrassed to wear to work, but, since it's a special occasion, it's fine to take it up one notch — just don't go over the top.

"It is a party, but your attire needs to be suitable for a business event, not a nightclub. Don’t wear anything that is too short, too tight, too low, or too anything," advises Pachter.

Also, if you normally wear a suit to work, don't show up to the office party in jeans and a T-shirt — or a Hello Kitty onesie.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

13 tricks stores use to get you to spend more during the holiday season

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christmas shopping

It's laughably easy to overspend during the holidays — from catering feasts and baking treats to stocking stuffers and Yankee swaps, the expenses seem to never end.

What's more, most stores are carefully engineered to get you to overspend. Particularly during the last month of the year, they'll tug on your emotions with holiday cheer and load the checkout aisle with tempting holiday delights that are nearly impossible to turn down.

If you want to curb your spending this holiday, start by recognizing these subtle yet common store tricks.

Kathleen Elkins contributed to a previous version of this article. 

SEE ALSO: The 12 key differences between buying and renting a home, in one chart

DON'T MISS: How to split the restaurant bill when you didn't order any alcoholic drinks — but all your friends did

They tug at your heartstrings with a charming holiday ambiance

The holidays are a heartwarming and special time of the year — retailers are aware of this and tug on your emotions even more with charming decorations, cheerful holiday music, and aromatic displays.

We tend to forget to think about money logically even more so during this time of the year, and as a result, overspend. 

Source: GOBankingRates



They put a big, bold "SALE" sign in the window

Even if there are a few leftover Black Friday sales here and there, this is simply bait to get you in the store, where you'll likely buy non-sale items.

There's also a reason they're red, besides the holiday factor: People react faster and more forcefully when they see the color red.

Source: Shopify



They create an inviting atmosphere

Retailers work hard to make the shopping experience feel like a respite from the craziness of the holidays. Both relaxing music and warm, winter scents put you at ease and can soothe you into an elevated perception of the brand, making it more likely you'll buy more.

Don't let a calming atmosphere lull you out of sticking to your budget. 

Source: GOBankingRates



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

NFL Week 16: Our official predictions for who wins this weekend

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Mike Tomlin

The holidays are upon us, which means that after you read this you should turn off your computer or phone and do something with your family!

To the picks!

LAST WEEK: 10-6

SEASON: 114-110-6

New York Giants (-3) at Philadelphia Eagles (Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ET)

I'm still not convinced that the defense can continue to play this well or that the Giants can keep on winning with such a nonexistent run game, but hey, I'll take it!

The pick: Giants -3



Washington Redskins (-4) at Chicago Bears (Saturday, 1:00 p.m. ET)

Matt Barkley is the best former USC quarterback currently in the NFL, but the Bears lose this one. 

The pick: Washington -4



Miami Dolphins (+4) at Buffalo Bills (Saturday, 1:00 p.m. ET)

Matt Moore went from backup to AFC Offensive Player of the Week (against the Jets), but I like Miami with or without Ryan Tannehill.

The pick: Dolphins +4



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

What it's really like to be a professional Santa Claus

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Santa Jim BostonNot everyone can play Santa Claus for a living.

Sure, anyone can don a Santa hat, beard, and suit and invite parents to plop kids on their lap.

But to play a convincing Santa Claus that kids will forever cherish, and to make a living at it, you must become Santa Claus — and that process takes a lot of work.

For Jim Manning, a full-time children's entertainer who has played Santa Jim in the Boston area for 13 years, learning how to become the perfect Father Christmas meant attending a couple of Santa Claus schools, picking up tricks of the trade from other Santas, and learning the nuances of the job through trial and error.

When he's not making appearances at holiday parties dressed as the man in red or the guest of honor at the City of Boston Tree Lighting celebration, he keeps his skills sharp 11 months of the year as "Jungle Jim" of Jungle Jim's of Boston.

This professional Santa understands the value of a top-notch beard — no straggly, wispy nonsense or anything that could easily get pulled off — and knows that keeping kids happy requires getting on their level.

And perhaps most importantly, to truly transform yourself into the magical elf, Manning tells Business Insider that you have to really love kids — and believe that it's your job to be a beacon of hope and joy to them no matter what.

Below, Manning shares his personal journey of being a professional Santa Claus:

SEE ALSO: Inside the school where men train to be the perfect Santa Claus

DON'T MISS: Take a look at Santa's real-life 'office' in snowy Finland, which receives more than half a million letters every year

What exactly does a pro Santa do?

I've been a professional private-events Santa Claus for 13 years. Generally, there are two kinds of Santas — mall Santas and private-event Santas. Mall Santas tend to be older gentlemen — you get to sit in the mall, you might get the photo, and that's that.

But mostly what I do is corporate and private events. I'm the official Santa Claus for the city of Boston's tree lighting, so I do the tree lighting on TV. I was on the cover of the Red Sox Christmas card this year. Most of my work is generally one-hour visits in people's homes, corporate office parties, and they'll have kids there, and sometimes it's just adults.

And I'm a younger Santa — I'm only 40 — and I'm very high-energy, so I tend to put on a little bit of a show: The Night Before Christmas, and caroling, and magic. A lot of people think being Santa Claus means just showing up, sitting on the couch, and letting kids sit in your lap. But what I do is a lot more.

RAW Embed

What does your busy season look like?

The busy season is December, Thanksgiving to Christmas. We start receiving calls and emails in August to book events. Some people will book from the year before. But the real majority of the requests start coming in October and November. And a lot of last-minute requests come in too. The real season starts to ramp up after Thanksgiving.

The first week of December is more promotional work — a lot of photo shoots. I did a photo shoot for Legal Sea Foods, where they had me as Santa Claus taking photos of their clam chowder or their lobster. Drug stores, car dealerships — they'll bring me in to set the tone for the season and whatnot.

Then toward the middle of December, that's when I start getting into more corporate parties, private parties. And then as we get closer to Christmas Eve, the majority of my events are parties in people's homes.

Christmas Eve is the busiest day. I'll do 10 appearances. This year, my first visit is at 11 a.m. and my last visit is scheduled for 9 p.m.

Most weekdays are two to three visits. Weekends are much busier. Sunday I did eight different visits. I'll have five or six days off somewhere in between Thanksgiving and Christmas.



How does it compare to what you do for the rest of the year?

December is the busiest month for my business. We will bring in about 30% of our income for Santa Boston/Jungle Jim's, my children's-entertainment business, during this time. For the rest of the year I'm doing balloon magic shows as Jungle Jim.

During the summer, as Jungle Jim, I'll do 150 performances, most in libraries.

The good thing about being Santa is I don't have as much prep work before an event. It takes me about a half-hour to get into the suit, but then I show up and I am Santa. Whereas with the magic shows and everything, they involve a lot of set up and prep work.

That being said, we devote a lot of man-hours in preparation for December. Pretty much October through December, I'd say 75% of our energy is devoted toward Santa Claus.



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The 50 best colleges in America

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Harvard campus

What makes a college great? They provide a quality education and graduate students on time, they set graduates up to earn well-paying jobs early in their career, and they provide a memorable and enjoyable campus experience that instills pride and loyalty for decades to come.

Business Insider's 2016 ranking uses a formula that relies very little on glamour statistics, like reputation and selectivity, that are featured in many college rankings. Instead, we primarily leaned on data available from the government, weighting early-career earnings and graduation rate the highest.

College years are formative for young adults, so we also gave significant credit to schools that provide a top-notch student-life experience, as measured by Niche, a company that compiles research on schools. Niche assessed the social and community life of universities and provided letter grades based on metrics like campus quality, diversity, party scene, student retention, safety, and athletics.

Other factors that counted for less and rounded out each school's score: full-time retention rate, average annual cost (after accounting for scholarships and financial aid), average SAT score of incoming students, and admittance rate. Read more about our methodology

Read on to see the full list of the best colleges in the US.

SEE ALSO: The 50 best law schools in America

DON'T MISS: The 24 smartest law schools in the US

50. Babson College

Location: Wellesley, Massachusetts

Median salary 10 years after enrolling: $85,500

Average SAT score: 1258

Student life score: B+

A leader in entrepreneurial education, Babson College equips students with the skills to innovate, experiment, and lead in the business world and beyond. The private college has produced numerous successful entrepreneurs in its nearly 100-year history, including Arthur Blank, the cofounder and former president of Home Depot who is the eponym of the college's on-campus entrepreneurship hub.



49. Hamilton College

Location: Clinton, New York

Median salary 10 years after enrolling: $57,300

Average SAT score: 1384

Student life score: A

Hamilton College takes its name from founding father Alexander Hamilton, who served as one of the school's original trustees in 1793 when he was the US secretary of the Treasury. More than 200 years later, Hamilton is still going strong: One year after graduation, at least 91% of the class of 2014 had secured a full-time job or internship or were enrolled in graduate school. For those who entered the workforce, employers included companies such as General Electric, Amazon, and The New York Times.



48. George Washington University

Location: Washington, D.C.

Median salary 10 years after enrolling:$64,500

Average SAT score: 1297

Student life score: A

Located right in the US capital, George Washington University offers more than 2,000 undergraduate courses and more than 70 majors. More than 1,400 students choose to study abroad each year at GW's study centers and partner institutions in more than 40 countries. The school also has some distinguished alumni— former US Secretary of State Colin Powell, former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and actress Kerry Washington all attended the university.



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We compared the Volvo S90 to the Buick LaCrosse — and the winner was far from obvious

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Volvo S90

Two venerable names in the auto industry: Volvo and Buick.

Two names that have endured hard times. Volvo was bought by Ford before the financial crisis, after establishing itself in the US as no-nonsense purveyor of stolid, self-consciously unstylish (some would say boxy) yet very safe family sedans and station wagons. But Ford shed the brand, and it was up to Chinese carmaker Geely to sweep in and save the Swedish day.

Buick was the original General Motors brand and has been around for over a century. But it, too, went through a rough patch during the financial crisis and was nearly killed off by GM, joining Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Saturn. Buick was deemed too important for GM's China ambitions — in the Middle Kingdom, Buick is considered a luxury brand, not a mid-luxury marque as it is in the US, one notch below Cadillac in the GM hierarchy.

Buick survived and has thrived, riding a wave of surging crossover SUV sales.

Volvo is also back, with an impressive lineup of vehicles, including Business Insider's Car of the Year for 2015, the XC90 SUV. 

2017 Buick LaCrosse

As 2016 drew to a close, we tested out Volvo's new mid-size sedan, the S90 (we had earlier enjoyed the S60), and we also got a crack at the latest version of the Buick LaCrosse, also a mid-size four-door.

Here's the thing: on paper, the S90 is a luxury sedan that should run with Audi, Mercedes, and BMW, while the LaCrosse is a mid-market car that shouldn't. But also on paper, the two vehicles match up closely with each other, although the S90 takes advantage of luxury pricing.

So we decided to compare the two, with the idea that Volvo has always been the Buick of luxury brands, while Buick has always been a level below the Big Boys, even if it offered a near-luxury experience.

How did it go? Read on:

SEE ALSO: The 2017 Buick LaCrosse is one of the best sedans you can buy for under $50,000

Up first, the 2017 Buick LaCrosse. As tested, at just over $48,000 in Premium trim, it tipped the sticker scales at over $16,000 less than the S90. But it didn't have all-wheel-drive.

LaCrosse has been in the Buick lineup for about decade, and it's now the brand's flagship sedan. The 2017 model is a bigger vehicle than LaCrosses' past, providing what a lot of Buick owners crave: plenty of legroom and comfort.

The exterior design is stately, with just enough gentle curves thrown in to keep it from being cookie-cutter or uninspiring. The trio of chrome ventiports on each fender is a classic Buick touch, and the car looked just great in the "Quicksilver Metallic" paint job we sampled. In a nice change, Buick has gotten rid of the abstract, all-chrome Tri-Shield badge on the grille and brought back a version of its old-school, red-silver-and-blue cloisonne-style emblem. (Sadly, the old badge still lives at the center of the steering wheel.)

An all-wheel-drive version is available. The engine is a 3.6-liter V6 making a respectable 305 horsepower, absent any turbocharging or supercharging. Fuel-economy is 25 mpg combined city/highway, which is pretty good for a car this size.

The bottom line is that there isn't much to go wrong with the LaCrosse — only a new eight-speed automatic transmission could be an issue, and during the week I drove the car, it wasn't. Multi-speed autos have been cited by Consumer Reports as a source of reliability problems for cars and trucks, but Buick ranked high on the publication's lastest reliability survey. I didn't care for the shifter, a confusing departure from the traditional PNRD, but that's a minor complaint.

You might say that the total LaCrosse package sounds pretty boring, but it's the opposite: it's exciting to experience a car that is reassuringly unlikely to let you down, all while delivering a level of comfort, technology, and refinement that's about as close to a proper luxury vehicle as you can get for under $50,000.



How about the interior?

The near-luxury "content" that your fifty thousand bones buy you isn't on the same stratum of plushess that a lot of BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus owners will be accustomed to. The luxury is low-key, un-blingy, but most of the boxes are checked off.

There are eight-way power seats, heated and cooled, and with a massage function for the driver and a lumbar support.

The leather upholstery ("Ebony" in our tester) strikes a nice balance between firm and cushy. The steering wheel is heated, a feature I think is now expected rather than desired among well-heeled buyers. The familiar blue-green Buick lighting gives the straightforward instrument panel a nice dose of throwback Buick-ness. The heads-up display is futuristic and useful. And the back seat is commodious, with ample space for adults. 

And the overall fit and finish is excellent — superior in many ways to a BMW 3-Series that I recently checked out (in fairness, the 3-Series isn't in the same segment). This is exactly what you'd expect from a Buick, plus a little more, but not so much that you're starting to feel that the brand overdid it.

The overwhelming impression is tasteful, and an improvement on the mechanically similar and also superb Chevy Impala. Fire up the 11-speaker Bose audio system, find a nice stretch of open highway to cruise on, point the LaCrosse down the asphalt, and you'll be in 21st-century American-car heaven. 



And what about the technology — not to mention the driving experience?

The technology package is impeccable. In my book, GM currently has the best overall infotainment offering in the auto industry (called "IntelliLink" in Buicks), combining an intuitive touchscreen interface with 4G LTE wifi connectivity, seamless Bluetooth integration, and OnStar, which among other things forever eliminates the requirement to fiddle with the GPS navigation system or wrestle with a voice commands. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto availability tops everything off.

Driving a Buick sedan is nothing like driving a BMW, Audi, or Mercedes four-door, or even an Acura or Infiniti saloon, but that's the way it should be. For over a decade, Buick has been steadily tightening up the suspension with making its cars too taut, so in sportier driving modes you can get a dose of peppier performance. Our test car features paddle-shifters to allow to semi-manual piloting, but in practice, I didn't use them much. There's no slosh in the LaCrosse, and the big sedan can handle corners capably, even though you aren't going to want to push your luck in any way.

Not that you would be induced to. With advanced "QuietTuning" soundproofing, the LaCrosse cabin is a peaceful place to spend time, even as the car propels itself to 60 mph from a standing start in about six seconds (another complaint: a engine auto-stop-start feature helps with fuel economy, but unlike on many other vehicles with the tech, you can't turn it off with the LaCrosse). At cruising velocities, the LaCrosse is brilliantly placid without without ever feeling like a large rolling couch. A set of advanced cruise-control and driver-assist features makes extended freeway journeys a joy.



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17 of the most ridiculous celebrity purchases of all time

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Paris Hilton

It's easy to understand why a celebrity would want to splurge a little here and there.

A big mansion and a couple of Ferraris? Fine. A trenta-sized drink at Starbucks and extra guacamole on your burrito? Sure, why not.

Sometimes though, celebrity purchases can get outlandish.

From a $200,000 ticket to space to a Mongolian dinosaur skull, these are the most absurd celebrity purchases of all time.

Kim Basinger purchased the township of Braselton, Georgia.

In 1989, Georgia-native and actress Basinger as well as other investors bought 1,751 acres of the 2,000-acre town for $20 million. She wanted to turn the town's farmland into a tourist attraction and film studio.

In 1995, the town was auctioned off as part of Basinger's bankruptcy.



Magic Johnson bought 30 Burger King franchises.

Like many athletes, Magic Johnson turned his post-sports career into a business. While many thread their athletic image with health foods, Johnson decided to go into Burger King franchising in 2004

He also built 105 Starbucks franchises (and later sold them), but he's still hanging on to those Burger Kings.



Katy Perry bought Russell Brand a $200,000 ticket to space.

For his 35th birthday in 2010, Perry bought her then-fiance Brand a ticket for Richard Branson's spaceship company Virgin Galactic.

It's not really clear what happened to the ticket since the couple divorced, but it wouldn't be surprising if Perry still wants to send Brand to space.



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These 16 subscription boxes are the gifts that keep on giving this holiday season

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

BI Holiday Gift Guide_subscription gift_BI Reviews Badge_Table 4x3 1Thanks to the rising popularity of online subscription services, you can get almost anything delivered straight to your door.

These services cover everything from clothes to vinyl records to razors — if you think you might need it delivered once a month, chances are that there’s a company ready to accommodate you.

Subscription boxes are great for personal use. They also make fantastic gifts around the holidays.

The phrase "a gift that keeps on giving" is thrown around a lot, but few things better fulfill that promise than subscription boxes. Instead of one moment of surprise after unwrapping something under the tree, you can send someone you love a present that continues to delight when it arrives month after month.

Below, we’ve collected some of our favorite subscription services that'll also make great gifts this season. Take a look and see if any bring someone to mind who you have yet to cross off your shopping list. That person might still be thanking you come June 2017.

Having trouble figuring out what to get people for the holidays? You can check out all of Insider Picks' 2016 gift guides here.

SEE ALSO: 20 tech gifts under $100 for everyone in your life

READ MORE: 12 perfect gifts for the music lover in your life

DON'T MISS: 21 do's and don'ts of holiday shopping

Wine Awesomeness

Wine! Everyone loves a good glass of wine, especially when enveloped in the strange combination of stress and joy that is the holiday season. But as you probably know, wine is also great year round, and Wine Awesomeness is just the company to help you give the gift of drinking all through 2017.

For $45 a month, Wine Awesomeness will send three curated bottles of wine the doorstep of you or your friend, giving you the chance to try new bottles from new parts of the world while never leaving the comfort of your own home. You also have the option to gift just one box to a friend, if you think three bottles a month might be a bit too much to throw at them.

The perfect gift for:Anyone who enjoys trying out new wines and wants to diversify their palete

What it costs:
$45/box

Best way to give:
You can gift someone a subscription or just a single box.


Learn more here



Vinebox

If three bottles a month is a bit too much for the friend you have in mind (trust me, it is a good amount of wine), Vinebox is a similar service that delivers wine to your door monthly, but by the glass rather than the bottle. It’s a great way to expand your palate to a bunch of new wines, without committing to finishing a bottle when you only feel like a sip.

The perfect gift for:Anyone who wants to diversify their wine palete without committing to whole bottles

What it costs: $27/month

Best way to gift:
You can gift a subscription of three, six, or 12 boxes.

Learn more here



Book of the Month

Exactly what it sounds like, Book of the Month is a great subscription for your bookish friends and family members who are always looking for something new to read. After becoming a member, they'll get to select between five books chosen by acclaimed literary judges on the site each month and get that hardcover delivered to their door. After that, they can choose to participate in ongoing conversations held on the site, or simply read in peace and wait for next month's selections. 

The perfect gift for: Anyone who never leaves home without a book

What it costs: $15/month

Best way to give:
You can gift a subscription of three, six, or 12 months worth of membership.

Learn more here



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8 simple ways to make your boss love you

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boss workplaceWinning your boss' favor isn't so hard to do.

And it's not about kissing up by complimenting their new haircut or volunteering for every single new assignment.

Instead, it's about figuring out what they want from you and being strategic in making them feel good.

To help you ingratiate yourself with your manager, we consulted both scientific research and expert opinion. Read on for the eight most compelling insights we learned.

SEE ALSO: These 9 behaviors separate star employees from everyone else

1. Get to work early

Research from the Michael G. Foster School of Business at the University of Washington suggests that employees who get into the office early are generally perceived by their managers as more conscientious and receive higher performance ratings than employees who arrive later.

And it doesn't matter if those who get in later stay later, too.

If you feel that you'd be more productive working from, say, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. instead of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., consider explaining the situation to your manager and confronting their potential "morning bias" head-on.



2. Ask for advice

You might be wary of asking your boss anything — whether it's how they got to this point in their career or which marketing strategy they think you should go with.

But research from Harvard Business School suggests that asking for advice doesn't make you look stupid — it can make you seem more competent, which is presumably how you want your boss to see you.

In one experiment, 170 university students worked on a series of computer tasks and were told they would be matched with a partner who would complete the same tasks. (The partner was really a computer simulation.) When they'd finished the tasks, the "partner" either said, "I hope it went well" or "I hope it went well. Do you have any advice?"

As it turns out, students who'd been asked for advice rated their "partner" more competent than those who hadn't been asked for advice.

The researchers explain that when you ask for advice, you're validating the person's intelligence and experience, so they feel good about you in turn.



3. Manage up

"Managing up" is a term for learning what your boss really cares about and making sure you deliver on that.

As Dave Kerpen, founder and CEO of software company Likable Local, told Business Insider, "It's about helping your manager look great to his or her manager. And ultimately by doing that you're going to position yourself better for success."

Kerpen expects his team at Likeable Local to manage up to him. For example, he doesn't care that his head of marketing shows up late almost every day — as long as she's on time Monday morning, delivering a great report at the company-wide meeting.

Kerpen recommends either asking your boss directly what's important to them or subtly trying to figure it out on your own.



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