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How to make an extra $500 a month

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running through fountain happyAfter dealing with your daily grind, the last thing you want to do is more work.

We found an awesome Reddit thread with suggestions on how to make $500 more a month, beyond your salary.

Posters offered great tips on how to rake in the money without spending too much of your time. We'd never thought of some of these ideas, but we're definitely ready to try some of them out. See what you can do to earn more money!

SEE ALSO: Mark Cuban shares 2 unusual ways for any student to earn some cash on the side

1. Freelance audio transcribe

"It's very easy, the company sends you an audio file which you listen to, type out, and send back. There are heaps of different sites you can sign up with to get files sent to you and if you're good enough you can actually make a lot more than $500/month."—Reddit user Silicone Lube



2. Become a CPR or first-aid instructor

"Become a CPR/AED and First Aid instructor. You get to charge what you want for your classes. Most folks charge between $20 and $50 per person. A full blown CPR/AED and First Aid course usually runs about four hours, although most places only want CPR/AED which runs much shorter."—Reddit user HeresMyReason



3. Narrate audiobooks

"Personally, I narrate audiobooks. For anyone wondering how to get into this, go through acx.com. This is Amazon's audio book site that serves self publishers. Rates range wildly, from $50 to $300 dollars per finished audio hour. Usually takes 4 to 6 man hours for an audio hour. Pay rate will depend on experience, success, and backlist."—Reddit user JinDenver



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

11 of the best jazz clubs in the world

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1236180_531098003623698_1985800006_nWhat makes a jazz club? The music, of course. The atmosphere. The cultural significance.

As an art form born in African-American communities of the 19th century and expanded in the urban melting pots of the 20th, jazz is the soundtrack of the concrete jungle.

Which makes the jazz club an essential element in any modern city's ecosystem. Here are some of the best examples.

SEE ALSO: 15 things the modern gentleman needs for fall

DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider's Lifestyle page on Facebook!

Village Vanguard, New York City

In a city often hailed as the jazz mecca of the world, Village Vanguard is its black stone, the ultimate place of worship, the quintessential jazz club. From the moment you descend the steep stairway to the small basement venue, you find yourself steeped in the history of jazz. From Bill Evans to Brad Mehldau, and from Sonny Rollins to Joe Lovano and Jason Moran, most of the jazz greats have performed in the same dimly lit subterranean space, adding to the aura of this place that’s a point of reference for the global jazz community.

Unlike many other historical venues — Birdland, Blue Note, the Cotton Club, etc. — the Village Vanguard has not changed, nor has it ever stopped functioning. It’s been at the same address (178 Seventh Avenue South in Greenwich Village) for 80 years, since opening in 1935. What’s even more impressive is that it’s still run by the same people: Lorraine Gordon, the nonagenarian owner and widow of the club’s founder and original manager, Max Gordon, is herself a New York institution.



Preservation Hall, New Orleans

Yes, the birthplace of jazz is probably the home to hotter venues than this — such as Blue Nile, Spotted Cat, Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse or any place where Kermit Ruffins is playing. But there is no other place that can transport the audience through time to the very origins of jazz. Since its opening in 1961,  Preservation Hall has been so much more than a jazz club. Home of the eponymous jazz band, devoted to the music of Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet and the other heroes of New Orleans music, it is the perennial home of the original sound of jazz, a place where the Crescent City tradition is meant to pass on from one generation to another in the most exciting and delightful way. 



Bimhuis, Amsterdam

Perched on one side of Amsterdam’s almost transparent glass-and-iron riverside Muziekgebouw (“Music Building”), Bimhuis is arguably the best jazz club in Europe, offering the ideal live experience.

Its acoustics are almost perfect, and so is the amphitheater-style seating that allows each patron the best visual access to what’s happening on stage — and beyond: During a concert, the curtains behind the band are raised, revealing the glass wall that reveals the commanding, Renzo Piano-designed Nemo Museum. It’s a visual experience that reflects the thrilling sounds of the international jazz masters regularly performing at the Bimhuis. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's everything that comes with the new $100 LEGO Dimensions video game

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lego dimensions playset

Sunday, LEGO is coming out with its next video game, "LEGO Dimensions."

The game is LEGO and Warner Bros. Interactive's version of the popular toy to life game model. Similar to "Disney Infinity" and "Skylanders" before it, "LEGO Dimensions" requires physical toys which can be used as interactive pieces in a game. 

It's sure to be on many kid's holiday wish lists.

The game let's you play as a range of different characters from popular movies, TV shows, and more who can all interact with each other on screen.

Imagine Batman and Doctor Who interacting with Chris Pratt's "Jurassic World" character and Scooby Doo.

Parents may be deterred by the price point. The starter pack, which comes with the game, three characters, and a vehicle which you assemble, will sell for $99.99, higher than its competitors. (A typical video game costs $59.99. The latest "Infinity" starts at $64.99.)

The game will be released September 27. 

Tech Insider received a review copy of the game before it hits shelves. Keep scrolling to see what's inside.

Here's the "LEGO Dimensions" starter pack. The game is recommended for ages 7-14.



Our copy is for the PS4. But it will also be available on the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii U.



Here's the back of the box.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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The B-29 Superfortress debuted 73 years ago today — relive it's legacy in photos

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b 29 bombing

On September 21, 1942, 73 years ago, the maiden flight of the Boeing B-29 "Superfortress" took place.

The plane was the successor of Boeing's ultra-tough B-17 "Flying Fortress," and the predecessor to the B-52 "Stratofortress," which is still in use today.

The plane would become the long range, heavy bombing workhorse of the Pacific theater of World War II, where it achieved fame and infamy for dropping Atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Relive the legacy of this iconic bomber in the slides below.

SEE ALSO: Here's a walk-through of a B-29 Superfortress

The B-29 was very advanced for its time, featuring a pressurized cabin, tricycle dual-wheeled landing gear, and remote controlled gun turrets.

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Only the front and back compartments were pressurized, meaning that the crew had to crawl over the bomb bay via a narrow 35-foot tunnel.

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At the time, it was the heaviest production plane in the world, weighing in at 105,000 pounds with an optional 20,000 pounds of bombs.

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The 30 highest-paying jobs in America

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anesthesiologist

C-Suite executives are known for pulling in a pretty penny. But as it turns out, doctors make even more.

That's right: On average, those sporting scrubs and stethoscopes bring home fatter paychecks than those donning suits and ties, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates survey.

The survey, which reflects May 2014 salary and employment data gathered from more than one million businesses, found that 16 of the nation's top 30 highest-paying occupations are in the medical field.

The best-paying job of all: anesthesiologist. 

On average, anesthesiologists in the US earn an average annual salary of $246,320.

According to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), these medical doctors are responsible for the safety and well being of patients before, during, and after surgery. In the US, they're required to complete a four-year undergraduate college degree, four years of medical school, and a four-year anesthesiology residency program. Most anesthesiologists become board certified, and many complete an additional fellowship year of specialty training.

A 2014 physician compensation report by Medscape found that nearly 80% of anesthesiologists spend 40 hours or more per week with patients.

Here are the 30 highest-paying jobs in the US:

SEE ALSO: 27 jobs to avoid if you hate stress

30. Physicists

Mean annual pay: $117,300

Number of people who hold this job in the US: 16,790

Projected growth (2012 - 2022): 10%



29. Pharmacists

Mean annual pay: $118,470

Number of people who hold this job in the US: 290,780

Projected growth (2012 - 2022): 14%



28. Compensation and Benefits Managers

Mean annual pay: $118,670

Number of people who hold this job in the US: 16,380

Projected growth (2012 - 2022): 3%



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

9 crazy ways to get your caffeine fix without taking a single sip of coffee

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girl drinking coffee smiling

If you're like me, the occasional coffee is all it takes to get a boost of energy on a particularly drowsy morning.

But for those who need a little extra caffeine help, there are other ways to get that buzz.

According to the Mayo Clinic, most adults can safely consume about 400 milligrams, or four cups of coffee, in a day. More than that and you risk raising your heart rate, not to mention feeling jittery and irritable. 

Here are the crazy real ways you can get your coffee fix without ever taking a sip. 

RELATED: Surprising ways that caffeine affects your body and brain

CHECK OUT: I went to the source of the world's best coffee — and saw firsthand why the industry is in trouble

Pills: Usually available in 100 mg and 200 mg varieties, or the rough equivalent of 1-2 8-oz. cups of coffee.

N0-Doz caffeine pills, with 200 mg of caffeine per pill, cost $9.99 for a 60-pill bottle. Pill form versions of caffeine are the most heavily tested of all alternative caffeine options, but it's important to take them only at the suggested dosages. They can be dangerous if taken incorrectly.



Vape pens: Caffeine vaporizers contain 2 mg per puff; a typical serving adds up to 20-40 mg, or about the same as a can of cola.

If inhaling caffeine is more your speed, expect to get about two milligrams a puff out of a caffeine vaporizer. The typical serving will add up to 20-40 milligrams of caffeine — the equivalent of a can of cola — and those made by Eagle Energy Vapor will set you back about $24.99 for a set of 3. So far, the FDA hasn't made a ruling on whether inhaling caffeine is safe.



Patches: Most caffeine patches have about 60 mg of caffeine, or a little more than half a cup of strong coffee.

Caffeine patches such as Spot On, which cost $18.00 for 24 patches, can send the stimulant into your blood stream in a matter of minutes. Each patch contains 60 milligrams of caffeine — roughly the same as a little more than half a cup of coffee — so it's probably best not to overdo it, like the science fair judge from the 2007 Disney movie "Meet the Robinsons."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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NFL POWER RANKINGS: Where all 32 teams stand going into Week 3

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tom brady bills

After the first week of the new NFL season, a few things were already firmly set in stone: Peyton Manning's arm was made of spaghetti, the Bills were finally set to dethrone the Patriots atop the AFC East, and Jameis Winston was already a bona fide bust. 

What a difference a week makes!

If Week 1 is all about knee-jerk overreactions, Week 2 is about trying to find some patterns and decide if teams are actually any good or not. 

So what do we make of the 0-2 Seahawks, Colts, and Ravens? Is it still too early to tell, or are they all kind of ... mediocre? And how about the 2-0 Jets, Falcons, and Panthers? 

What is clear, at least through two weeks, is that the Patriots and Packers seem to be in a league of their own. The Cardinals, Broncos, and Bengals look solid, too, and the Texans and Bears look terrible.

Everyone else, well, we'll just have to wait and see. 

Here are our Week 3 power rankings.

1. New England Patriots

Record: 2-0

Week 3 opponent: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

What's good: Just about everything, really. Brady threw for 466 yards in Week 2 — the most by any quarterback against the Bills.

What's bad: Not much! This team is rolling, and have an insanely easy schedule. How long until we hear murmurings of another undefeated season?



2. Green Bay Packers

Record: 2-0

Week 3 opponent: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

What's good: It apparently doesn't matter who's on the field when you have Aaron Rodgers — he's completed nearly 77% of his passes with no interceptions this year for a 128 passer rating.

What's bad: The Packers took some hits in Week 2 — Eddie Lacy and Davante Adams both went down with ankle injuries against Seattle and are being evaluated as the week goes on.



3. Denver Broncos

Record: 2-0

Week 3 opponent: at Detroit Lions

What's good: Peyton Manning looked a lot like his old self in the second half of last week's win against the Chiefs, especially on the game-tying TD drive late in the 4th. 

What's bad: Peyton Manning's arm did look pretty worrisome in the first half. Which version of Manning — first or second half — will we see for the rest of the season?



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 25 most dominant college football programs

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Nick Saban

When it comes to college football, there are powerhouses and then there's everyone else.

Business Insider has compiled a list of the schools that run the most dominating football programs.

To create the ranking we used Niche's college rankings (50% of score), games and championships won in the last 15 years (25%), and athletic department revenue generated by the football team (25%; provided by the NCAA).

Niche's rankings are designed to give prospective students an idea of which schools have the best football atmosphere and are based on a number of factors that can be considered different ways to measure a program's dominance (e.g. attendance, BCS wins).

#25 Texas A&M University

2014 football revenue: $57.7 million

Average Home Football Attendance:  87,125

Football Championship Score*: 0

BCS Appearances: 1 (0 wins)

Total NFL Players: 271 (1 Hall of Famers)

Student Surveys on Athletics: 4.1 out of 5

Visit Niche for more on Texas A&M University

*Number of NCAA Championships won since 2000 across Division I, II, and III. Championships were weighted by division.



#24 Stanford University

2014 football revenue: $36.7 million

Average Home Football Attendance:  50,726

Football Championship Score*: 0

BCS Appearances: 4 (2 wins)

Total NFL Players: 232 (3 Hall of Famers)

Student Surveys on Athletics: 3.9 out of 5

Visit Niche for more on Stanford University



#23 Appalachian State University

Appalachian State spent most of the last 15 years playing in FCS (formerly Division I-AA). They moved up to FBS in 2014.

2014 football revenue: $4.3 million

Average Home Football Attendance:  24,894

Football Championship Score*: 6

BCS Appearances: 0 (0 wins)

Total NFL Players: 36 (0 Hall of Famers)

Student Surveys on Athletics: 3.7 out of 5

Visit Niche for more on Appalachian State University



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The story of Wojtek: The 440-pound bear that drank, smoked, and carried weapons for the Polish army during World War II

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wojtek

During World War II, the 22nd Artillery Supply Company of the 2nd Polish Corps had an unusual soldier among its ranks, a 440-pound Syrian bear named Wojtek.

Wojtek first came to the company as a cub, but over the course of the war he matured and was given the rank of corporal in the Polish army.

Here's Wojtek's amazing story below.

SEE ALSO: 10 shocking facts about World War II

After being released from a Siberian labor camp during the Nazi invasion of Russia in 1942, the 22nd Polish Supply Brigade began a long trek south toward Persia. Along the way, they bought an orphaned bear.

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"He was like a child, like a small dog. He was given milk from a bottle, like a baby. So therefore he felt that these soldiers are nearly his parents, and therefore he trusted in us and was very friendly," Wojciech Narebski, former Polish soldier, told the BBC.

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As he grew, his diet changed, but he remained friendly.

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See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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GOLDMAN: Here are the 16 best stocks to buy now (DIA, SPY, SPX, QQQ)

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sand digging treasure hunt

It's never easy to pick stocks in the stock market.

But in recent weeks, it's been particularly challenging with correlations, or the degree two stocks are moving in concert, surging to their highest levels in years.

In other words, it doesn't matter how good you are at picking stocks because the whole market is increasingly swinging in the same direction.

"Leaving few stocks unscathed, recent equity turbulence drove S&P 500 stock correlations from 30% to 56%, the highest levels since the 2011 European crisis," said Goldman Sachs' David Kostin. "As correlations spiked, return dispersion – measured as the cross-sectional standard deviation of stock returns – fell, leaving bottom-up stock pickers with a diminished opportunity set for generating alpha."

Kostin expects dispersion to remain low over the next few quarters, so selecting outperforming stocks will be tough.

However, Kostin and his team compiled a list of 35 stocks that have high "dispersion scores," which he describes as companies "much more likely to react to company-specific developments rather than the macro environment."

Below are the 16 companies with high dispersion scores with current prices offering over 25% upside relative to Goldman Sachs analysts' price targets.

CarMax Inc.

Ticker: KMX

Sector: Consumer Discretionary

Dispersion Score: 2.6

Upside to Price Target: 26%

Executive Comment: "So I'm really excited about the core business. In the last several months, I visited lots of ours stores that have been around for 15 and 20 years, some are hitting all-time highs in sales. And then I've been to some of our new grand openings, and it always gets me excited to see how engaged people are to come and work for CarMax and deliver a great consumer offer. So again, for me it's continuing to grow the existing stores and then being able to go after new markets as well," said CEO Thomas Folliard.



Valero Energy Corp.

Ticker: VLO

Sector: Energy

Dispersion Score: 2.5

Upside to Price Target: 27%

Executive Comment: "Try to demonstrate earnings potential for the company through excellent operations, and try to get our multiple to the point where we're not trading at a discount to the peer group, and that's the number one focus," said CEO Joseph Gorder.



Cerner Corp.

Ticker: CERN

Sector: Health Care

Dispersion Score: 4.6

Upside to Price Target: 27%

Executive Comment: "Looking forward, we believe we can build on this momentum, and we remain bullish on new footprint opportunities. Our positive outlook is based on a very large and active pipeline and all-time high levels of new business activity, such as demos, reference calls and visits, and vision center visits," said President Zane Burke.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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South Korea is the plastic surgery capital of the world

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Eye Surgery 2

Seoul, South Korea, is the global plastic surgery capital.

The high-status neighborhood of Gangnam reportedly has 500 aesthetic centers alone. 

Why the concentration? Because South Korea has the most plastic surgeries per capita on earth, with over 980,000 recorded operations in 2014. That's 20 procedures per 1,000 people, putting it ahead of the US's 13 procedures per 1,000. And Korea has had the most operations per capita since 2009.

Tech Insider visited JK Plastic Surgery, one of South Korea's leading cosmetic centers, to learn more about why plastic surgery is so central to the culture. 

JK is located in Apgujeong, a riverside area in Gangnam, Seoul.



It sees about 10,000 patients a year.



Half of them are international.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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These pickup lines have the highest success rates, according to the dating app Hinge

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millennials texting phones girls single partying

The hardest part of talking to someone you have finally matched with on dating apps like Hinge and Tinder is the dreaded opening line.

A lot of people talk about opening lines, whether by debating the best thing to say to get someone's attention or by taking screenshots of the most awkward ones.

But Hinge, a popular dating app that introduces users to friends of friends, says it has figured out the best lines to initiate conversation. The app, which raised a $12 million Series A round of funding last year, conducted a month-long study, analyzing data from its users.

"Every day, the Hinge team is asked if we know the secret to starting a great conversation that will actually lead somewhere," Karen Fein, Hinge's vice president of marketing, says. "Frankly, we didn't! Since it's our mission to help users move beyond the swipe, to connect over something interesting and to ultimately meet up — we decided to find out."

Here are some of Hinge's findings. If you take nothing else away from the company's results, just know that pretty much anything you say to a new match is better than a simple "hey."

SEE ALSO: Why women should give men a break about opening lines on Tinder

The same opening lines don't work on men and women.

To collect information on how Hinge's users respond (or don't respond) to opening lines, Hinge's data analysts and copywriters came up with 100 opening lines and then showed a selection of them to some of their users to see how they would respond.

Hinge says men are 98% more likely than women to respond to assertive, invitational messages, so ask him to get drinks or grab dinner. Women, on the other hand, are 40% more likely to respond to food-related opening lines.



Men have short attention spans.

Hinge says you should message men right away because their attention spans tend to be shorter. If you don't message a guy within six hours, the likelihood he will respond drops by 25%.

Women, Hinge finds, tend to be more patient. If you don't message her within six hours, the chance she'll respond drops by just 5%.



The best opening line to use depends on the age of the person you're talking to.

 If you're talking to someone who is 18 to 23, Hinge suggests a "novelty" or surprising opener.

If you're trying to chat up someone who is 24 to 28, Hinge says to start a conversation based around lifestyle or activities, so ask about brunch preferences or what the person likes to do on a Sunday.

Those aged 29 to 34 in Hinge's study tend to respond more to more personal conversation starters. Ask them something about themselves!

If you'd like to talk to someone who is 35 or older, Hinge suggests conversation starters with pop-culture references. 

 

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Americans think corporations are getting it wrong

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Corporate America is heading in the wrong direction. 

That's the conclusion of a huge survey of Americans conducted by Just Capital, a nonprofit set up by legendary hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones.

The survey, conducted between January and September and published Wednesday, collates responses from more than 40,000 people in an effort to identify measure corporate justness.

Respondents were told to focus on large listed corporations and to think of "just" as corporations "doing the right thing," whatever they thought that might represent. 

New ground

The results: Americans of all ages, incomes, and political leanings believe corporate America is headed in the wrong direction. They also want to buy from, invest in, and work for companies they consider to be just, and they consider employment issues to be the primary determinant of whether a company is just. 

Kimberly Gladman, who works on the research team at Just Capital, told Business Insider: "From a research perspective, I feel like we've broken new ground. The American public is very interested in these issues, it is enthusiastic, and it wants to talk about it."

Just Capital is going to now use the results as a foundation for further work, and plans to collaborate with corporate leaders, academics, researchers, and the public to measure corporate performance against the key determinants of justness. It plans to rank the country's largest firms on their performance by 2016. 

Here are the key results:

Americans of all political persuasions believe corporate behavior is headed in the wrong direction



Only among the highest-earning Americans do more people say it's headed in the right direction



"Golden Agers" are the ones most likely to think corporate behavior has changed for the worse in the past decade



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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THEN & NOW: The original 'Star Wars' cast 38 years later

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star wars luke leia han solo

The first movie installment of "Star Wars" premiered in 1977, and anticipation for each new sequel and prequel has snowballed ever since.

Now, a seventh movie, "The Force Awakens" is being released — and it'll include the beloved original main characters played by Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill, as well as other role reprisals from other fan favorites. It's kicking off a hot streak of six new "Star Wars" movies planned for release over the next five years.

So what's everybody from the original three "Star Wars" movies been up to in the past 38 years? Scroll through to find out.

SEE ALSO: 7 major movies Bill Murray turned down — or just didn't pick up the phone for

THEN: Harrison Ford was working as a carpenter to supplement his flailing acting career. But after "Star Wars: A New Hope" came out, he rocketed to stardom.

He knew director George Lucas because they worked together on "American Graffiti." Ford was helping stand in for screen tests while other actors auditioned. To his surprise, Lucas offered him the part without even telling him he was up for it.

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NOW: Ford is a bona fide A-list movie star.

The first three "Star Wars" films put Ford on the map. Since then, he starred in the "Indiana Jones" movie franchise and plenty of other films from the '80s until today. He recently returned to the action genre in "The Expendables" and its sequel.

Most importantly, though, he's reprising his role as Han Solo in December. Fans around the world lost it when he appeared at the end of an early "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" teaser to say to his Wookiee sidekick, "Chewie, we're home."



THEN: Carrie Fisher had had some small roles, but was predominantly known as the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds until being cast in "Star Wars: A New Hope."

In her feature film debut, she had a small but memorable role as a rambunctious teen in the Warren Beatty vehicle "Shampoo" in 1975. She landed "Star Wars" two years later.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The most influential leadership moments we've seen from Pope Francis so far

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On March 13, 2013, Jorge Bergoglio was named the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, becoming the the spiritual leader to one-sixth of the world's population.

After adopting the name Pope Francis, the pontiff immediately broke tradition upheld by popes for more than a century by choosing to live more simply and forgoing the luxurious papal accommodations in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace for a simple two-room apartment.

The Bishop of Rome continues to break the mold established by previous papal legacy and has been characterized as a humble man with diplomatic boldness and progressive views compared to his predecessors.

The pope's leadership style seems to resonate with people. In a Pew poll released earlier this year, nine out of ten American Catholics gave the Pope high marks, and 70% of Americans in general said they viewed him favorably.

Francis was named TIME's Person of the Year in 2013 "for pulling the papacy out of the palace and into the streets, for committing the world's largest church to confronting its deepest needs, and for balancing judgment with mercy."

Here we take a look at how Francis's career has shaped his role as an influential world leader:

 

He became known as 'Archbishop of the Slums.'

Jorge Bergoglio grew up in a lower-middle class area of Buenos Aires, Argentina, to an Italian-immigrant family. His childhood friends remember him as always having his head in a book, Austen Ivereigh, author of “The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope,” told CNN.

Once a Jesuit provincial, or regional superior, in Argentina, Bergoglio was deeply committed to the poor, and he’s said to have worked “furiously” behind the scenes to secure the release of two priests captured and tortured by military forces during Argentina’s “Dirty War.”

As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Bergoglio preferred to spend his downtime in the slums. “It nourished him, being with ordinary people,” one colleague told Ivereigh. During his tenure Bergoglio quadrupled the number of priests in the slums, lived in a small apartment, rode public transportation, and cooked his own meals. He became known to the people as the "Archbishop of the Slums.”

Once elected pope, Francis chose his name to honor Saint Francis of Assisi, an Italian Catholic friar who chose to live in poverty and had a special concern for the poor. “…Some priests grow dissatisfied, lose heart, and become in a sense collectors of antiquities or novelties — instead of being shepherds living with ‘the smell of the sheep.’ This is what I am asking you — be shepherds with the smell of sheep,” Francis said during the Chrism Mass two years ago.



He's eschewed extravagances and manages unchecked vanity.

Pope Francis is a man of modest taste.

He rejected the handmade red loafers that his predecessor was known for in favor of ordinary, black shoes. While Pope Benedict XVI most often used a Mercedes-Benz popemobile, Francis prefers to be driven in an old Ford Focus for trips within Vatican city. On the night of his election, he forwent the papal limousine and rode with some cardinals in a minibus back to their hotel.

In Francis' book, modesty shouldn't just apply to the pontiff.

During his Christmas greeting to the cardinals, bishops, and priests who served him two years ago Francis issued a blistering tongue-lashing of the Roman Curia, the papal court at the Vatican.

He attributed "15 ailments of the Curia" to the bureaucracy that runs the Vatican and expressed his desire to see the dysfunction rooted out by the new year.

Among other things, he accused the Curia of using their careers to grab power and wealth, of living "hypocritical" double lives, and suffering from "spiritual Alzheimer's" that made them forget that they're supposed to be joyful men of God.

Francis lamented how the "terrorism of gossip" can "kill the reputation of our colleagues and brothers in cold blood" and those living double lives are "typical of mediocre and progressive spiritual emptiness that no academic degree can fill."

 



He manages a cabinet of global advisors.

In a church that some consider to be more Italian than global, Pope Francis is the first pontiff not to hail from Europe. As the New Yorker reports, there was a pervasive anti-Italian mood at the conclave to elect Benedict's successor, and US and Latin American cardinals were adamant in their wish for a clear change of direction.

They got their wish in Pope Francis.

In 1870, Pope Pius IX declared papal infallibility, meaning whenever the pope defines church doctrine concerning faith or morals, definitions must be adhered to with "submission of faith."The New Yorker posits that Pope Francis, however, who prefers to be referred to as the Bishop of Rome, chooses to run the church in a more global and democratic fashion.

This is evidenced in Francis appointing nine cardinals, with one from every continent, to his advisory committee. His economic oversight committee consists of fifteen people, including eight cardinals and seven laypeople, who possess equal voting rights. His auditor general has the power to audit any Vatican entity and reports directly to Francis.

For the first time for any Vatican department, Pope Francis also approved making the Secretariat for the Economy — the department of the Roman Curia that Francis established early last year to oversee all economic activities — officially bilingual in Italian and English, and English is the preferred language.

As Danny Casey, a financial manager who handles the day-to-day operations of the Secretariat, told the New Yorker, "English is the international language of business, so we can hire people from all over the world."



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14 of the most over-the-top structures from Burning Man

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burning man structures

Now that all the burners have gone home and the dust has settled on the Playa, it's the perfect time to take in the massive art installations that dominated Burning Man this year.

Publisher Amy Chan of Just My Type shared photos of her experience, snapped by photographer Tomas Loewy, with Tech Insider.

"There are breathtaking art installations everywhere, and hundreds of workshops and programming are offered daily — from aerial silk yoga, to sound therapy, to foot massage 101, to the basics of S&M," she said. "There really is something for everyone."

Keep reading to see Loewy's coolest photos of Burning Man art installations.

The LOVE sculpture by Alexander Milov shows an arguing couple's inner children reaching toward each other.

Source



The Temple of Promise was created by Bay Area artists. Its archway is 97 feet high.

Here's a video about the temple.



Michael Garlington's Totem of Confessions was incredibly detailed with hints of Khmer and Vedic architecture.

Source



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Inside the compound where the missing wife of Scientology's leader might be living

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David Miscavige

David Miscavige, the leader of the Church of Scientology, is one of the best-known Scientologists in the world. But Miscavige's wife, Shelly Miscavige, hasn't been seen in public since 2006. 

The Church of Scientology says Shelly Miscavige isn't missing, and she hasn't been kidnapped. Instead, Scientology says she has been working inside the church.

The disappearance of Shelly Miscavige continues to be a high-profile mystery for Scientology critics and former members. A 2014 Vanity Fair article referred to Shelly Miscavige as "Scientology’s Vanished Queen."

Filmmaker Alex Gibney's 2015 Scientology documentary "Going Clear" passes over the disappearance of Shelly Miscavige, instead focusing on testimonies from former Scientology members and the history of the organisation's founder, L. Ron Hubbard.

Steve Hall, a former Scientologist who left the church in 2004 after spending the previous 17 years at its international management level as a senior writer of its marketing materials, spoke with Business Insider about where Shelly Miscavige might be. He thinks Shelly is at Scientology's little-known Church of Spiritual Technology, a remote forest compound with prison-like security in Twin Peaks, California, near San Bernardino.

It's important to note that Shelly Miscavige may not actually be held against her will. Instead, she may have been convinced that she must stay at the remote compound to make up for any alleged crimes she may have committed against the Church of Scientology. The 2014 Vanity Fair article says Miscavige was responsible for restructuring the upper levels of Scientology, but she told a former Scientology member at her father's funeral that she had "f----d up."

One person who has visited the compound is "Angry Gay Pope," the nom de guerre of an Anonymous activist who has staged protests against Scientology. In 2010, he took these pictures of the CST compound in Twin Peaks, documenting its spiked fences, razor wire, motion detectors, infrared spotlights, satellite dishes, fuel tanks, and mysterious semipermanent trailers. 

SEE ALSO: 13 celebrities who left Scientology

This is an aerial view of the Twin Peaks, California, property owned by Scientology.



This aerial view has notations by Angry Gay Pope. The official address of the compound is 25406 State Highway 189, Twin Peaks, CA 92391.



This is an entrance to the compound, showing a security gate.



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Devastating photos show how wildfires are changing parts of Calfornia into something out of an apocalyptic horror film

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wildfire

California's water-starved landscape gave way to a series of wildfires earlier this summer that continue to ravage the state. So far, the fires have scorched about 350 square miles, an area which is slightly larger than New York City.

Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes. Resorts and lodges that were once a burgeoning vacation escape are now a pile of debris. And an unknown number of farm animals have been left behind.

The following photos reveal how these wildfires are transforming California into what looks like something out of an apocalyptic horror film, and some of them are very disturbing.

LEARN MORE: An unstoppable force is making California's drought worse

DON'T MISS: Devastating photos of California's wildfires show just how bad it really is

The once elegant decor of the former Harbin Hot Springs Resort in Midtown, California is now covered in ashes after being attacked earlier this month by the Valley Fire.



So far, that conflagration has been the most destructive western wildfire of 2015. But it couldn't erase the eerie smiles on these stone statue's faces.



Deeper inside the resort, the inside of a bathhouse has been destroyed on the inside, but the "SILENCE" sign outside remains almost entirely untouched.



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25 quotes from Bill Gates that take you inside the mind of the world's richest man

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bill gatesBill Gates' personal net worth — an estimated $76 billion makes him the richest person in the world.

The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, which he and his wife set up in 1997, gives away nearly $4 billion a year. 

The Financial Times wrote that "through the stroke of pen on cheque book, Gates probably now has the power to affect the lives and well-being of a larger number of his fellow humans than any other private individual in history." 

How did the world's wealthiest man get to where he is today? Gathered from 20 years of interviews, these quotes show how Gates went from computer geek to software titan to history-shifting activist. 

This is an update of an article originally written by Drake Baer.

SEE ALSO: 25 quotes that take you inside Albert Einstein's revolutionary mind

On the journey thus far

"It's pretty amazing to go from a world where computers were unheard of and very complex to where they're a tool of everyday life. That was the dream that I wanted to make come true, and in a large part it's unfolded as I'd expected. You can argue about advertising business models or which networking protocol would catch on or which screen sizes would be used for which things. There are less robots now than I would have guessed."

Rolling Stone, March 13, 2014



On why Microsoft succeeded

"Most of our competitors were one-product wonders ... They would do their one product, but never get their engineering sorted out.

"They did not think about software in this broad way. They did not think about tools or efficiency. They would therefore do one product, but would not renew it to get it to the next generation."

BBC, June 19, 2008



On collaborating with Apple early on

"We had really bet our future on the Macintosh being successful, and then, hopefully, graphics interfaces in general being successful, but first and foremost, the thing that would popularize that being the Macintosh.

"So we were working together. The schedules were uncertain. The quality was uncertain. The price. When Steve first came up, it was going to be a lot cheaper computer than it ended up being, but that was fine."

AllThingsD, May 31, 2007



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8 classic pieces of investing advice from Yankees legend Yogi Berra (DIA, SPX, SPY, QQQ, TLT, IWM)

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yogi berra

New York Yankees legend Yogi Berra has died.

He was 90 years old.

The baseball Hall of Famer is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, but in the years since his retirement he has become perhaps even better known for his legendary quotes, used by almost anybody for almost any situation.

In 2014, Fran Kinniry at Vanguard used eightclassic Berra quotes and applied them as pieces of investing wisdom.

SEE ALSO: Yogi Berra dies at 90

"If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else."

The idea here is that if you don't stay focused on your investing goals and stick to a plan, you will end up with a bunch of investments you didn't mean to make and, most likely, a lot less money than you thought you'd have. 



"We made too many wrong mistakes."

Mistakes happen, but it's the ones you make over and over again that will get you. The point here is that not every investment will work, but a well-diversified portfolio will smooth out the bumps over time. 



"A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore."

The longer you invest, the more time you give your money to compound. Inflation will eat away at your purchasing power over a long time frame, but a consistent investing plan will help you stay ahead of the curve. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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