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WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The Most Famous Olympic Figure Skaters Of All Time

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nancy kerrigan

During the two weeks of the Winter Olympics, female figure skaters are the most famous people in the world.

From the early days of Peggy Fleming, to the Harding-Kerrigan scandal, to America's sweethearts Michelle Kwan and Tara Lapinski, skaters are the face of the Winter Olympics.

But what happens when the medal ceremonies are over?

THEN: Peggy Fleming won the only gold medal for the U.S. in 1968.



NOW: Fleming and her husband owned a winery that closed in 2011. She is still involved with the promotion of U.S. figure skating and was injured in Joe Biden's motorcade crash at the 2010 Olympics.

Source: The Examiner, AP



THEN: 19-year-old Dorothy Hamill won gold for the U.S. in 1976 while sporting her signature hair-do.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The Sexiest Instagram Stars Alive!

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Emily RatajkowskiInstagram is useful for a number of things, from keeping in touch with your friends to documenting your last vacation.

But there are also a number of people who have gained fame by way of the social media platform.

These 27 star Instagrammers made a name for themselves by posting their photos, and look damn good doing it.

Jonathan Nafarrete

Followers: 20,899

Nafarrete isn't the star of his Instagram photos, but when he does appear in one it's usually with someone kind of famous (like Annalynne McCord from "Nip/Tuck").

The digital ad professional has collaborated with brands like Audi USA, Nike, Sheraton, and T-Mobile for their own Instagram photo campaigns, but in his spare time runs the group Instagram LA, which organizes "Instawalks" and networking opportunities for brands and Instagram users.

Follow him here.



Broderick Hunter

Followers: 22,405

The 6'2" Southern California native was on a fast track to becoming a professional basketball player or physical therapist when a photographer discovered him on Facebook. Shortly after, Hunter modeled for his first shoot and posted the photos on social media. The overwhelming response from friends convinced him to make the career change.

Today, he's represented by the industry elite Wilhelmina Models, and posts steamy samples from his portfolio on Instagram.

Follow him here.



Dorothy Wang

Followers: 24,228

As the daughter of the billionaire Golden Eagle International Group CEO, 25-year-old Wang describes herself as "funemployed." She stars in E!'s new reality show "Rich Kids of Beverly Hills," which follows five spoiled twenty-somethings as they shop and gallivant through the Hills.

Her Instagram account is evenly split between selfies and blurry going-out pics.

Follow her here.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Tour The Gorgeous Sacramento Mansion That Once Belonged To Eddie Murphy, On Sale For $12 Million

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eddie murphy

A 2.5-acre estate that once belonged to Eddie Murphy is now on the market for $12 million, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Sacramento, Calif. home has 10 bedrooms (including one with Shrek-themed decor), 14 bathrooms, four wet bars, tennis courts, a swimming pool, and a 9-car garage. The Murphys sold it to real estate investor Patrick K. Willis back in 2007, when Eddie and his ex-wife Nicole were finalizing their divorce.

Willis paid $6.1 million for the house, which is still the largest residential purchase for the Sacramento area. It's currently listed with NRS Luxury Estates. 

Willis reportedly never moved into the house, and the decorations that the Murphys had originally chosen remain in place.

The mansion is situated on 2 and a half acres of land in the Granite Bay suburb of Sacramento.



The entrance is wide and dramatic on approach.



Inside, lots of purple details grab your attention.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This iPhone Case Doubles As A Stun Gun And Packs A 650,000-Volt Punch

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Yellow Jacket At first glance, the Yellow Jacket could be just another beefed-up, ultra-protective iPhone case. 

But it does far more than safeguard your smartphone from drops or spills: It can protect you from physical attacks.

Inside the Yellow Jacket case is a 650,000-volt stun gun that you can activate by pressing a button on the side of the case. 

How much does 650K shock hurt?

Well, a lot.

A 5-second or longer taze could bring a grown man to his knees, though Yellow Jacket says that the case won't cause any lasting damage (just the perfect opportunity to flee if you feel like you're in danger). 

Wanna see what it looks like in action?

The Yellow Jacket case transforms from this:

Yellow Jacket

To this, when activated:

Yellow Jacket

Ye-owch.  

You might not even have to actually stun someone to get him or her to back off, though. Part of the fear-factor of the Yellow Jacket is its sharp, intimidating buzz and the bright blue light it emits. While walking through the CES showroom floor, where we spotted the Yellow Jacket, I was stunned by the ferocious thrumming I heard coming from the company's booth. 

Luckily, though, the company makes it difficult to accidentally stun yourself through the seat of your pants. Before the activation switch works, you need to flip off the cover on the metal prongs and flip the safety switch. Quick and easy enough when you're feeling threatened, but unlikely to happen by mistake. 

Another neat feature of the Yellow Jacket: The case doubles the charge of your phone and will keep 10% reserve battery for emergencies — meaning you can use the stun gun feature on the case even when it's otherwise "dead." 

The company currently sells cases for the iPhone 4 and 4S for $99, with iPhone 5/5S and Samsung Galaxy cases on the way for the spring. 

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Here Are Some Of The Quirkiest Robots In Production Right Now

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Robots

At the end of 2013, our jaws dropped when we took a closer look at the intense, animal-like robots that Google acquired by buying Boston Robotics.

As we cruised the showroom at CES in early 2014, we didn't see any robots quite that amazing, but we did meet some quirky machines that promised to help with everything from doing chores to partying hard. 

Here are some of our favorites.

Paro is a therapeutic robot for people with Dementia and Alzheimer's who are in hospitals that don't allow pet therapy with real animals.



It responds to human speech and touch and is incredibly cute.



This life-sized RoboThespian robot danced and talked at the IEEE booth.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

15 Small Business Owners Share What They Wish They'd Known When They First Started

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Heidi Ganahl

Building a successful business is typically done by trial and error, with many hurdles along the way. And when it's your first company, every day involves making mistakes and learning something new.

We asked small business owners around America to tell us the one thing they wished they'd known when they first started their businesses.

We've broken out some of the best to serve as a primer on getting as much as possible right the first time around. 

Jim Scott, founder and managing partner of mono, has learned that things never get easy in business.

Scott's award-winning creative agency, mono, has had clients including Apple, Target, and the NHL. But in the beginning, like many business owners, he assumed that at some point they'd "make it" and things would get easy. 

"It really doesn’t get easier," Scott says. "That’s one thing I wish I knew back when we started our agency. Like a lot of startups, we launched the company from an attic. And as my two partners and I set out to conquer the world, we thought we’d follow a particular path, one that was exceedingly difficult at the beginning, but eventually, when we made it, it would be easy. As it turns out, we’re still working as hard as we ever have."



John Coleman, CEO and founder of the VIA Agency, has learned that sharp focus enables sustainable growth.

Coleman founded ad agency VIA in 1993, despite having no advertising experience. Today, the Portland-based agency has national clients like Sam's Club, Perdue Farms, and Welch's. He's always had big dreams, but initially that got him into some trouble. 

"Don’t spread yourself too thin," Coleman says. "When I started VIA, I had grand visions of a global network of small, independent offices, and within five years I had people everywhere from Silicon Valley to the mountains of Switzerland. Although the vast group was exhilarating, it spread our resources and attention across too many fronts. Once I established greater focus for the agency, we began to grow in a much stronger and more profitable way. So the fundamental lesson learned was that focus trumps freneticism any day."



Magnetic CEO James Green has learned that you can't grow too attached to a business.

Green, who joined ad technology company Magnetic as CEO in 2011, got his start in entertainment at Walt Disney and Pixar, and has built and sold four tech companies. 

The lesson he learned is a hard one for most business owners: Sometimes you can get too attached to a business. 

"The one thing I wish I’d known when I started a business is that I shouldn’t get emotionally attached to it," Green says. "Companies have no feelings, and they are things, not people. Put bluntly (and laying aside non-profits and other nontraditional entities), companies are here for one reason and one reason alone: to make money. Everyone knows that money can’t buy you love, and by extension it makes no sense to love your company. There may come a time when you have to change it, dissolve it, close it, give it to someone else to run, cede control to investors, or any other number of things."

 


See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 9 Biggest Snubs And Surprises From The Oscar Nominations

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best supporting actress oscars

The 86th annual Oscar nominations were announced early Thursday morning.

"American Hustle" and "Gravity" both came out on top, with each film receiving 10 nominations. 

While we're pretty satisfied with this year's list of nods, there were a few big surprises and snubs.

If you missed the announcement, you can check out all the noms here.

SURPRISE/SNUB: Emma Thompson didn't get a Best Actress nod for "Saving Mr. Banks," but her BFF Meryl Streep scored a nod for "August: Osage County."




SURPRISE: Jonah Hill got his second Best Supporting Actor nomination for "The Wolf of Wall Street."



SNUB: No love for Lee Daniels' "The Butler"— not even Oprah! It was the talk show queen's first film role in 15 years, and the critics praised her performance.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Witches Are Real And Here's What They Look Like

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Photographer Katarzyna Majak discovered a whole new side of Poland when she set out to explore her own spirituality.

It turns out there are lots of modern-day witches, who practice a collection of non-traditional religious and spiritual practices including spiritual healing, shamanism, Wicca, Druidism, and other revivals of Pagan traditions. (Witches are found in the U.S. too, with an estimated 1.2 million people following Pagan beliefs.)

Majak shared a few of these “women of power” with us. Check out more of her work at the Porter Contemporary Gallery.

Over 90% of Poland is Catholic. Because of the country's conservative values, many women pursue witchcraft and other pagan traditions as an outlet for an alternative spirituality.02 Natalia LL, an Artist,  from Women of Power seriesThe women that Majak photographed ranged from early 30s to late 80s. Majak says that they desire to reclaim "matriarchal cults" and female traditions that have long been supressed by Christianity.05 Kasia Emilia, the One who Is, from Women of Power seriesThe scope of their practices is diverse. Many practice midwifery, healing, art, activism, religious initations, spells, and working with herbs.10 Joanna, Leads Womens Circles and Ceremonies for Women, from Women of Power seriesBea "speaks to the woods." She comes from a long line of family that "looked and saw." Like many of the women in photos, Bea carries a talisman, which she believes carries magical properties.03 Bea, the One who Listens to the Woods, from Women of Power seriesParaskiewa is a "whisperer," who mix religion and primeval superstitions to heal and remove spells using prayers. Her grandmother taught her the healing spells that she now uses.04. Paraskiewa, a Whisperer, from Women of Power seriesAnna is also a whisperer. Many, like Anna, have been practicing for generations, says Majak. 09 Anna, Babka, a Whisperer, from Women of Power seriesElwinga is a Druid, a pagan religion associated with ancient Celtic priests. Druids revere nature and perform ceremonies on astronomically significant dates such as the summer and winter solstice.06 Elwinga, a Druid, from Women of Power seriesKatarzyna is a herbal healer. She communicates with "spirits" and combines her knowledge of herbs with actual medical knowledge, to treat those who come to her for help.11 Katarzyna, a Herbal Healer, from Women of Power seriesSome Polish women feel so constricted that they seek spirituality in distant cultures, says Majak. Justyna practices the religion of the Mauri, the indigenous people of New Zealand.12 Justyna, MA URI, from Women of Power seriesVrede considers herself to be a "Volva" or shamanic seeress, meaning that she is in contact with divine spirits.13 Vrede, Volva from Women of PowerMaria is a healer and visionary. She uses plant, animal and mineral-based medicines and spiritual therapies to help diagnose and treat issues. 01. Maria, a Healer and a Visionary, from Women of Power seriesHere, you can see Maria performing a cleansing ritual to rid the soul and body of negative energy.07 Maria in front of the Palace of Culture in Warsaw   video still, from Women of PowerDespite their non-traditional spiritual practices, these women lead normal lives with families and steady jobs. 08 Maria, City cleansing ritual, video still, from Women of Power

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This Is What Happens To Your Body When You Pull An All-Nighter

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crying toilet banker margin call

There's been a lot of talk on Wall Street lately about the grueling hours that junior staff, interns, and analysts, have to work in order to get ahead.

Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan have all announced that they'll start encouraging their young employees to take more time off. It's an effort to improve their quality of life so they don't jump ship for other companies in and out of the financial space once they've been trained.

It could be hard to make this new policy stick, because on Wall Street, the all-nighter is almost a rite of passage.

Here's how it works — You're on an important project, and your boss realizes there's a mistake in the data, or the client pushes up a meeting, or you're just crashing on a deadline. The project has to get done, so you're not going home.

Obviously, spending the night deep in excel instead of deep under your covers isn't just killer for your social life, it also hurts your body — here's what you need to know about how.

It stresses you out.

Your body elevates its levels of cortisol, also known as "the stress hormone" when you don't get enough sleep.



It makes you hungrier and fatter.

There are two opposing hormones in your body that regulate your appetite — leptin and ghrelin. In individuals who lack sleep, the body produces less leptin and more ghrelin which makes you hungrier.

Scientists from Stanford and the University of Wisconsin noticed that after one night of little to no sleep, a person's body mass index increases.



It destroys your ability to concentrate.

According to study in the US National Library of Medicine and National Institute of Health, sleep deprivation affects your brain's frontal lobes, slowing down their communications.

In terms of concentration that means you are impairing your spacial, auditory and visual attention. And forget about doing anything monotonous for a long period of time.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I Bought A 3D-Printed Wallet From Shapeways And It's Awesome

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Screen Shot 2014 01 16 at 11.40.48 AMI've never owned a 3D-printed anything, so I leapt at the chance to spend a Shapeways gift card on myself and buy a new wallet.

Shapeways is a New York-based 3D printing marketplace. Designers, artisans and anyone who's handy in laying out three-dimensional objects can sell wares of their own design through Shapeways. It's a lot like Etsy crossed with a 3D printer.

Here's what happened when I took to the site in search of a new wallet.

Here's the home page at Shapeways.com.



I need a new wallet, so let's see what's what.



The one on the right has my eye.



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Photos Of Sochi In Summer, When It's The Hottest Vacation Spot In Russia

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sochi russia during summer 8"The Soviet government's passion for mass-organizing is on display in Sochi, where the tumbling green slopes of the Caucasus Mountains meet the Black Sea in a subtropical climate that allows a May-to-October vacation season."

That's how the Chicago Tribune introduced Sochi to Americans in a 1987 travel article.

Before winning the rights to host the 2014 Winter Olympics, Sochi was known as a resort town, if it was known at all.

Over a million people visit the Black Sea city every summer to swim, shop, lay on the beach, and generally relax.

You'll see a lot of cold-looking imagery coming out of Sochi next month. But these photos of Sochi in summer show what the host city typically looks like.

Sochi sits on the Black Sea. It's one of the warmest places in all of Russia.



Kids jump off an old concrete embankment.



Just like any typical Jersey Shore town, there's a water park near the boardwalk.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Why Shopping At IKEA Is A Magical Experience Like Nothing In The World

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ikeaHow do you sell 9,500 single-brand home furnishing products in a single store without being too overwhelming?

You do it in a very big and extremely well-designed store.

The only company that has pulled this off is IKEA, which has opened 345 retail locations and is expanding rapidly around the world. The company's $38 billion in annual revenue is larger than the GDP of Serbia, and it aims to reach $50 billion by 2020.

We recently visited the IKEA in Brooklyn and were blown away by the shopping experience. It's not that it's all fun or that IKEA products are that great — they're worth it if you know what you're doing but can be annoyingly shoddy. What impressed me was that the IKEA shopping experience was sort of fun and certainly worthwhile, with thoughtful design that gave me a favorable impression of the brand and led me to buy more.

The IKEA Experience in one customer traffic heat map. The store isn't too overwhelming, but it is overwhelming enough, with signs that direct customers in a disorienting maze, showing them so many products and making them spend so much time that they end up buying more than they planned on.



But first you've got to get there. Located in Red Hook, Brooklyn, the IKEA New Yorkers use is accessible by a free or cheap ferry from Manhattan, which is how my adventure began.



This is where I spend the rest of my day.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A Mom and Her 4-Year-Old Daughter Collaborated On Some Pretty Surreal Art

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Mica Angela Hendricks, an illustrator and graphic artist, has been collaborating on drawings with her 4-year-old daughter Myla since August, and the results are pretty surreal.

Hendricks used to stick to Rockwellian female heads, replete with perfectly ink-shaded curls, and then pass them along to her daughter for a judicious application of oval bodies and bright colors. But these days, she also draws animal and monster heads under her daughter's direction.

"My job will be the monster head, and Myla will say 'it should have one eye, big horns, and rabbit ears,'" Hendricks wrote in an email to Business Insider. "When it's her turn, I'll tell her what to draw, and that's sort of a fun twist, instead of doing each part independently."

Mica Hendricks shore

Mica Hendricks monster 2After Myla adds the bodies and colors the background (including extra people, flowers and trees), Hendricks adds details with markers and paint, like scales or fur spots. 

"The most important thing I've learned from her is not to worry so much about the end result," Hendricks wrote, "and just enjoy the moment and not to be so rigid with myself."Mica Hendricks animal 1She said she has a new favorite every time she and her daughter draw together, but she counts a piece called "Sad Chrysalis" (below) as one of the best. It was one of their first collaborations.

Myla took an orange marker and completely covered the woman. Hendricks said it sat around like that for a long time because she couldn't figure out how to make sense of it, until she thought about adding highlights and making it evident that the woman was a caterpillar waiting to turn into a butterfly.Mica Hendricks sad chrysalis"I keep thinking she'll get tired of them," Hendricks wrote of her daughter, "but she still asks me for heads to draw on."Mica Hendricks dinosaur girlHendricks has even turned their iconic big-headed drawings into temporary tattoos and shared the project on her blog, The Busy Mockingbird

SEE ALSO: A Dad Started Coloring In His Kids' Drawings — And Produced Some Amazing Art

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33 Reasons Why Pike Place Is The Best Market In America

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PikePlaceMarket 1

Seattle’s Pike Place Market may not be the oldest farmer’s market in America, but it is often rated as the best.

First opened in 1907, Pike Place sits on the Puget Sound waterfront, in the heart of downtown Seattle. Home to hundreds of vendors hawking fish, produce, meat, specialty goods, jewelry, and even art, the market is still a place where small businesses thrive.

We took a day trip over Christmas to see Pike Place in full swing. Even amongst the bustling crowds, there isn’t a better place to spend a day eating and shopping.

Pike Place Market is the longest, continuously operating farmer's market in the United States.



First And Pike News is a famous newsstand at the market's primary entrance. The feeling of an old world market starts here, with racks of international newspapers and obscure magazines unavailable elsewhere. It's been locally owned for its entire existence.



Pike Place Nuts features freshly roasted nuts with odd, delicious flavors like banana walnuts and caramel cashews. It's the kind of oddly specific thing you can only find at Pike Place.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

23 Times Women Made History On 'Saturday Night Live'

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gilda radner lorne michaels snlThis Saturday, the world will tune in to "Saturday Night Live" for an extra special reason.

Her name is Sasheer Zamata.

Following a public scandal surrounding the show's lack of diversity, Zamata is the show's first black female hire since 2007.

She falls into a long line of venerable comediennes who have graced the stage of Studio 8H over the show's 39-year history.

From trailblazers Gilda Radner and Jane Curtin, who paved the way for female comics in Season 1, to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who anchored the "Weekend Update" desk with confidence and flair — here are the 23 ground-breaking moments of women on "SNL."

1. When Lorne Michaels began putting the show together in 1975, he made Gilda Radner his first hire.

The year before, the pint-sized, squawky-voiced Radner came to New York to do "The National Lampoon Radio Hour" and "The National Lampoon Show."

Michaels had seen some of her work with Toronto's "Second City" comedy troupe, and was hooked. "I felt there was a remarkable quality to her," Michaels said, "a goodness which came through whatever she was doing."



2. Radner's quirky characterizations brought her an Emmy for outstanding performance as an actress in a variety series in 1978.

She created such characters as Roseanne Roseannadanna, the frizzy-haired, lisping broadcaster; Lisa Loopner, a nerdy teenager with "mosquito-size" breasts; and "Baba Wawa," a parody of Barbara Walters which made Radner the first person to lampoon a news anchor on TV.



3. Jane Curtin was the first female co-anchor on "Weekend Update."

Curtin's deadpan delivery made her the perfect foil for three different male co-anchors during her time at the desk.

Cerebral and restrained, she never backed down from a debate with conservative-playing Dan Aykroyd during their "Point/Counter-Point" segments. He regularly chastised her, "Jane, you ignorant slut!



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Happy 92nd Birthday Betty White! 15 Things You Didn't Know About The 'Golden Girl'

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betty white birthday

Before Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Ellen DeGeneres, Betty White was the Queen of Comedy — pioneering her way from the radio airwaves to quiz shows and sitcoms.

She made a name for herself on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Golden Girls." In the past few years, White has made a huge TV comeback with cameos on "Community" and "The Middle" before shattering ratings on "Saturday Night Live."

Today, our favorite "Golden Girl" turns 92, and she's still a powerhouse in Hollywood.

Her TV Land show "Hot in Cleveland" will start its fifth season in March. And despite her NBC comedy show "Off Their Rockers" getting axed last year, Lifetime will bring back the series this year for a 20-episode season.

However, how much do you really know about White?

We dug through LIFE's illustrated biography of Betty White to learn what you don't know about the funny woman.

She nearly left the biz before making it big, and almost wasn't on the "Mary Tyler Moore."

Betty's first work in Hollywood was in a Parkay margarine commercial.

White hung around in producer Fran Van Hartesveldt office until he decided to offer her a job in the commercial

This led to her appearance on radio show "The Great Gildersleeve," also headed by Hartesveldt.

(Betty White: The Illustrated Biography)



White has never had acting lessons.

The actress said they were never her thing.

"I just want to bring as much natural as I can," said White. "I'm not saying that people who take acting lessons are false. They're much better than I am, but it doesn't work for me."

(Betty White: The Illustrated Biography)



She originally wanted to be an opera singer.

White opened up to the Canadian Press while discussing her role in animated film "The Lorax" which had the actress sing a few bars. 

"When I was a youngster, I wanted to be an opera singer, so I took very serious singing lessons."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The First Jobs Of 17 Wall Street CEOs

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lloyd blankfein

Some of the biggest names in finance worked a variety of jobs before heading to Wall Street. 

We're talking about things from bagging walnuts to selling peanuts to delivering newspapers and attending parking lots. 

Some of these jobs were things they did as kids to earn some extra spending money, while others were to pay for college or make an actual living.

We've compiled a detailed list of these titan's gigs. 

Bill Ackman dug ditches and waxed cars as a kid.

First Job: Growing up, Ackman had a car waxing business and a ditch digging business. 

Wall Street Career: Ackman, an activist investor, runs Pershing Square Capital Management. He has an estimated networth of $1.2 billion.



Dan Loeb made skateboards.

First Job: When he was 12, he had a skateboard company where he would make boards for his friends. 

Wall Street Career: Loeb currently runs hedge fund Third Point LLC. He has an estimated networth of $1.5 billion.

Source: Vanity Fair

 

 



Lloyd Blankfein sold concessions at Yankee stadium and lifeguarded.

First Job(s): Blankfein grew up in a housing project in Brooklyn. To earn extra money, Blankfein sold concessions at Yankee stadium and worked as a lifeguard.

Wall Street Career:  He's the CEO and chairman of Goldman Sachs.  

Source: Money And Power



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

An Historic Dog Show Is Now Allowing Mutts To Compete

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English sheep dog running

NEW YORK (AP) — Long the province of the purebred, the Westminster Kennel Club dog show is opening a doggie door this year to mixed-breed competitors.

While Labradoodles, puggles and who-knows-whats won't be able to vie for the prestigious Best in Show award, they'll be included in its new agility trial.

It's a notable embrace for the nation's premier canine event, which also is adding three breeds at next month's show: the Chinook, the Portuguese podengo pequeno and the rat terrier. No mixed-breed dogs have appeared anywhere at Westminster since the 138-year-old event's early days, organizers said at a news conference Wednesday.

But this year, Alfie the apparently-part-poodle, part-terrier will be among the dogs weaving around poles, walking up a plank and springing over jumps on the agility course.

Alfie's background isn't rarefied. Owner Irene Palmerini spotted him in a mall pet store, marked down to $99. She wasn't planning to get a dog, but she felt for the curly-haired, black-and-white puppy and took him home to Toms River, N.J.

He proved to have more energy than even 4-mile daily walks could absorb, and agility training provided an outlet. About seven years later, Palmerini is thrilled that Alfie will be among the mixed breeds — or "all-American" dogs in Westminster parlance — going up against purebred competitors at the elite event.

"I didn't breed this dog to do agility. He's just my pet," Palmerini said. "(Agility) is just about performance. It doesn't matter what your dog looks like. It doesn't matter who their mother or father was."

The pros and cons of pedigreed and mixed-breed animals have long been a sensitive subject in dogdom; animal rights activists have protested Westminster itself. They see dog breeding as an unhealthy exercise in genetic engineering and say it's insensitive to breed dogs while others languish in shelters. Purebred enthusiasts, meanwhile, consider breeding a way to develop and preserve different traits and help people select a compatible pet.

Westminster leaders say the show is a celebration of all dogs, and they're pleased to make a place for mixed-breeds in a fast-growing canine pursuit.

"We're very excited about the fact that Westminster can play a leadership role in embracing, really, the sport of dogs," purebred or not, said Westminster President Sean McCarthy.

While mixed breeds may now have a nose under the tent, Westminster's main event will still be selecting the Best in Show dog Feb. 11 from more than 2,800 entrants in 187 American Kennel Club-recognized breeds and varieties. They include 76 Labrador retrievers, 58 golden retrievers and 52 French bulldogs, but also robust entries from some lesser-seen breeds — such as roughly 30 Tibetan mastiffs, show chairman Thomas Bradley III said.

As for the newcomers, the Portuguese podengo pequeno (pronounced poh-DEHN'-goh peh-KAYN'-yoh) is a compact rabbit hunter. The rat terrier is, well, just what it sounds like. Bred to rid farms of rodents, they're known as game, versatile and intelligent — "they can think for themselves," said breeder Robin Lutwinas of Enfield, Conn.

The Chinook, New Hampshire's official state dog, was developed there as a sled-puller with power, endurance and a companion-dog temperament, said breeder Perry Richards of West Haven, Vt.

"These guys work. And then lie on the couch and watch a football game," added his wife, Patti.

___

Reach Jennifer Peltz on Twitter @jennpeltz.

SEE ALSO: The 10 Best Photos From The Westminster Dog Show

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THE GLOBAL 20: Twenty Huge Trends That Will Define The World For Decades

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water packets

The world is rapidly changing, and investors would be well-advised to position their portfolios for key long-term themes.

We recently published The US 20, chronicling 20 trends that will shape America for decades.

Today, we present our global edition.

Among the main themes: the shifts in emerging markets, the ravages left on European society from the continent's catastrophic economic downturn, and new security challenges from stuff we're all used to taking for granted, like water and safe computer access.

Check it out. 

1. The BRIC Era Is Over



1. The BRIC Era Is Over



1. The BRIC Era Is Over



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Meet The Six '#RichKids Of Beverly Hills' In The Jaw-Dropping Premiere Episode

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rich kids of beverly hills

On Sunday, E! will premiere its "Rich Kids Of Instagram" Tumblr-inspired reality TV show "#RichKids of Beverly Hills."

The hour-long show features six friends from 90210 who drop thousands of dollars on clothes, shoes, cars, and partying like it's their job  because that's exactly what it is for some of these "funemployed" 20-somethings. 

Less than a minute into the first episode  now playing on Hulu  Instagram-obsessed cast member Morgan Stewart admits, “I’ve taken so many selfies on my cell phone today, it’s, like, embarrassing." In another scene, Morgan's friend picks up the $30,000 bill for a night out with friends.

Check out more of their ridiculous antics in the premiere episode. But don't worry, we watched it so you don't have to, and broke it down for you here.

Meet 25-year-old Dorothy Wang, who was born and raised in Beverly Hills — "The best city in the world."

 

 

 



Dorothy says "Growing up, my parents never talked about money. It wasn't until it was printed in Forbes that I knew how much money we had."



Dorothy is currently "funemployed and fabuluxe," but "when I grow up I want to be the Asian sensation of the world."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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