Why Uber and Lyft rallied last week | TechCrunch

May 11, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Heading into earnings season, you might have expected Uber and Lyft to suffer.

After all, global travel slowed toward the end of Q1, so how could these companies have done well? Continuing the same line of thinking, given that they are both unprofitable and are valued more on growth than trailing earnings, with growth slowing would there be much to celebrate?

The answer was a resounding “yes.” Uber and Lyft both rallied toward the end of last week following their successive earnings reports.

Today, let’s go back and remind ourselves how Uber and Lyft performed against Q1 expectations and what they said about the hits they took in March (Q1) and early April (Q2). Then we’ll ask ourselves why their shares rallied despite telling investors that their businesses had begun to fall sharply in the COVID-19 world.

Is There a Constitutional Right to Make Robocalls? | WIRED

May 11, 2020May 11, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

THE SUPREME COURT has produced many memorable moments in its 231-year history, but today was surely the first time a toilet audibly flushed in the background during oral arguments.

Such is the reality of conducting Supreme Court business during the coronavirus pandemic. This week, for the first time ever, the Supreme Court began holding oral arguments over the phone. So it’s fitting that one of the cases argued this morning was itself about phone calls.

Robocalls, to be precise. Federal law has banned automated calls to cell phones since the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, though with limited effectiveness. (At the time the ban was passed, cell phones were a novelty and seemed to merit special protections. In the years since, of course, they have become the default for most American households.) In 2015, however, Congress added an exception for cell phone robocalls seeking to collect on debts owed to the federal government.

Gravel-capable electric scooter rocks a set of tubby tires | New Atlas

May 8, 2020May 7, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Electric scooters may be a simpler alternative to full-on ebikes, but those tiny wheels don’t do well on gravel paths, snow, or pothole-filled roads. That’s where the Vinghen Ti1 comes in, as it has big ol’ fatbike-style tires.

Designed by Bulgarian engineer Tsvetan Iliev, the scooter features a galvanized steel frame (despite the titanium-suggesting “Ti” in its name), a longboard-like impregnated plywood deck, and a 250-watt rear hub motor. A 13-Ah/36V lithium-ion battery pack, located in a polycarbonate box beneath the deck, provides power to that motor via a handlebar-mounted throttle.

Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick fight over ice cream in hilariously relatable sketch | Mashable

May 8, 2020May 7, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Social distancing has kept increasingly cabin-fevered couples trapped together for months now, giving rise to all manner of petty squabbles. Among them: heated arguments over frozen desserts.

Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick joined Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday to reenact an actual, embarrassingly relatable fight another couple had. The dispute? Exactly who should be allowed to eat the cookies and cream ice cream.

Breakfast was a bright spot for America’s biggest restaurant chains. Now it’s a problem | CNN

May 7, 2020May 6, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Last year, America’s biggest chain restaurants went all in on breakfast.

Companies ranging from Wendy’s to McDonald’s to Dunkin’ invested heavily in the meal, testing out everything from new chicken sandwiches to plant-based options.

Now, with people stuck at home because of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s one of the industry’s worst-performing segments. McDonald’s (MCD) CEO Chris Kempczinski said during the company’s first-quarter analyst call last week that “breakfast is down” compared to other meals.

Similarly, Jose Cil, CEO of Restaurant Brands International (QSR), which owns Burger King, Popeyes and Tim Hortons, said during an earnings call last week that breakfast and snacking “have seen a disproportionate decrease, while lunch and dinner have shown more strength.”

How to see the last supermoon of 2020 | Live Science

May 7, 2020May 6, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Even if you’re stuck indoors during the pandemic, you can still catch May’s full moon, the last supermoon of 2020, which will appear full from Tuesday evening through Friday morning (May 5-8).

Technically, the full moon, which will be in the constellation Libra, will last only a moment. That will happen at 6:45 a.m. EDT (1145 GMT) on Thursday, May 7, when the side of the moon that faces Earth is fully illuminated by the sun, according to NASA. Skywatchers may also notice the “evening star” planet Venus, which was shining at its brightest of the year just last week, according to Space.com, a Live Science sister site.

Entry Interviews Are Changing the Onboarding Process | Business News Daily

May 6, 2020May 5, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Although many people are familiar with the concept of an exit interview, entry interviews can allow employers to better understand their employees and find the best ways to retain them over time.

Some reasons to conduct entry interviews with all employees is because they help to prevent burnout, can improve company culture, and also help improve the company overall.

During entry interviews, you should be asking questions about the employees’ values, interests, preferences, skills, and aspirations.

4 Steps of Cognitive Restructuring to Help You Think Clearly | Life Hack

May 6, 2020May 5, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Humans are guilty of having less than rational thoughts. We do it all the time. We might assume the worst is going to happen or jump to conclusions before we have all the information. Cognitive restructuring helps people become aware of their irrational thoughts so that they can correct them and replace them with more rational ways of thinking. This can help to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress, anger, and trauma.

Cognitive restructuring is a major part of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which was developed by Aaron Beck in the 1960s. Beck linked his patients’ symptoms with their distorted thinking and hypothesized that if he could help his patients recognize their distorted thinking, he could help them alleviate their mental health symptoms. David Burns then popularized Beck’s ideas in the 1980s with his book Feeling Good.

Cognitive restructuring is at the heart of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It is the four-step process that helps people recognize their distorted thoughts in order to change them.

Halley’s comet meteor shower: Watch live or stream online | Fast Company

May 5, 2020May 4, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If you need a break from the relentless tide of data visualizations detailing unemployment rates, coronavirus cases, and deaths of people and businesses, we feel you. And so does the universe.

Monday night into the wee hours of Tuesday morning (May 4-5) will be peak viewing time for a celestial display, when the Earth will be making its way through the Eta Aquariids, one of the meteor showers from Halley’s comet. This is especially true if you live in the Southern Hemisphere.

Best Office Chairs | Forbes

May 5, 2020May 4, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, more and more people are working from home — and many of those people may be working from home for the first time. If that’s you, you probably don’t have a very comprehensive work-from-home setup — and if not, one of the first things you should buy is a decent office chair.

There are a few reasons you should get a good office chair. Not only are office chairs more comfortable than other chairs you might be using in your home, but they’re also much easier on your back, ensuring that you minimize the risk of back problems later in life. Good office chairs will also offer armrests and adjustments to ensure that you’re as comfortable as possible while you’re working.