What I Learned by Spending $650,000 on My Credit Card Last Month | Entrepreneur

January 12, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

That $659,635.62 charge may seem like a lot (and it is!), but there’s a reason I’m spending that much, which is what I want to explain here: That explanation begins with what American Express calls its Centurion Card but is more popularly known as the “Black Card.”

Over the years, I’ve spent so much with Amex that the company gave me one.

Now, the Black Card has an aura of exclusivity — it’s something that mostly celebrities and mega-rich people have. Because of its pros and cons, I’ve had one three separate times, weird as that may sound.

Quantum Computing Is Real, and D-Wave Just Open-Sourced It | WIRED

January 12, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

QUANTUM COMPUTING IS real. But it’s also hard. So hard that only a few developers, usually trained in quantum physics, advanced mathematics, or most likely both, can actually work with the few quantum computers that exist. Now D-Wave, the Canadian company behind the quantum computer that Google and NASA have been testing since 2013, wants to make quantum computing a bit easier through the power of open source software.

Traditional computers store information in “bits,” which can represent either a “1” or a “0.” Quantum computing takes advantage of quantum particles in a strange state called “superposition,” meaning that the particle is spinning in two directions at once. Researchers have learned to take advantage of these particles to create what they call “qubits,” which can represent both a 1 and a 0 at the same time. By stringing qubits together, companies like D-Wave hope to create computers that are exponentially faster than today’s machines.

Portable vision testing kit puts an eye doctor in your smartphone | Newatlas

January 11, 2017January 11, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Despite the fact that many of us spend a good portion of our day in front of a computer or pouring over documents, chances are we don’t get our eyes checked as often as we should. Whatever the reason for this, there’s now a solution that renders most of our excuses moot: the EyeQue Personal Vision Tracker, a smartphone-enabled vision testing kit that costs less than the average monthly cellphone bill. What sets it apart from other smartphone-based eye exam kits – such as the SVOne by New York-based Smart Vision Labs, and Peek – is that it is designed for frequent consumer use.

Finding the Line Between Frugality and Deprivation | The Simple Dollar

January 11, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Frugality is a spectacular tool for immediately seeing positive financial results in your life. Whenever you find ways to get most of the same value in your life for a lower price, or you find a different avenue completely to fulfill your needs and wants without the same sticker impact, you’re managing to still enjoy life while spending less than you have before.

There’s a catch, though. At some point, you’re going to cross a line where the frugal strategy is no longer enjoyable. You’re going to give up something you care deeply about and find yourself feeling miserable about it.

The reaction to that state is usually a bad one. People who dig deep into frugality and then find themselves miserable often respond by undoing most of the frugal changes, even many changes that have little or no life impact for them. When they cross that line where they feel a sense of deprivation, that’s it. They’re done with frugality for a while.

US Health Report: Exercising More, But Mental Health Suffers | Live Science

January 11, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

How healthy are people in the U.S.? A new federal report shows that although the country has made progress in some areas, such as increasing how much exercise people get and lowering the number of teens who smoke cigarettes, it’s fallen behind in others, particularly in taking care of mental health.

The new report, published today (Jan. 11) by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), detailed the country’s progress in meeting a set of 10-year national health goals that were set in 2010 as part of an initiative called Healthy People 2020.

The initiative called for improvements in 26 different measures of public health, covering a wide range of areas including access to health care services, mental health, quality of the environment, and rates of injuries and violence

How Campbell’s Dusted Off a Century-Old Recipe to Cook Up Its Latest Marketing Idea | Adweek

January 10, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

On the 350 acres they farm in Vineland, N.J., Richard Marolda Sr. and his son, Richard Jr., grow 30 different kinds of produce. They raise beets and bok choy, peppers and radishes, four varieties of lettuce and even dandelion greens. But when the Marolda’s phone rang last year, the customer on the other end wanted just one thing: beefsteak tomatoes.

“Lucky for us,” Richard Jr. said, “we had what they wanted, and they wanted what we had.”

The caller was the Campbell Soup Company, located 31 miles north in Camden, and Campbell’s didn’t just want beefsteak tomatoes; it wanted every single beefsteak tomato on the property. The Maroldas combed their fields and found a thousand pounds of tomatoes. Campbell’s bought it all.

Up in Camden, a secret project was in the offing. On a recent trip to the company vault, Campbell’s R&D team had come across the original 1915 recipe for Beefsteak Tomato Soup, and decided to cook up a batch.

Five Things The HR Department Won’t Tell You | Forbes

January 10, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

I became an HR person in 1984, the same year the Cubs got to the postseason for the first time since 1945.

I did not apply for an HR job. My boss John moved me into HR from my old department, Order Processing. He said “This will be good for you, and for our company” and he was right.

I moved into my new office over a weekend. The culture shock was immediate. My office had a window in it, and blinds for privacy. I would look out my office window at the employees doing their jobs.

Supervisors made appointments to come and see me and talk about their employees, and I always wondered “How come my time is available to the managers much more than to the employees, who need more help and support?”
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How to Radically Improve Your Writing in Under 2 Minutes | Inc.com

January 10, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ 1 Comment

We’re already more than a week into January, but I’m still slowly working my way through all the “best of” year-end lists out there (there are so many of them!). Combing through all these recommendations may be time-consuming, but it’s worth the commitment, I’ve found, as sometimes you turn up an absolute gem you missed earlier in the year.

Take a post titled “The Two Minutes It Takes To Read This Will Improve Your Writing Forever” by marketer Josh Spector, for example. As short as it is useful, the piece is one of the most recommended posts of 2016, Medium informs me. It’s not hard to see why.

Spector offers five dead simple changes you can make to basically any piece of writing in a matter of seconds that will make it much more forceful and compelling. We’d all enjoy reading a bit more if more of writers followed his tips:

Better Business Etiquette During Phone Calls | The Startup Magazine

January 9, 2017January 9, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Whether you are on your mobile phone, at home, or at work, the following are 8 helpful telephone etiquette tips that everybody should always use.

At the beginning of a call always identify yourself.

A) When you are at the office, always answer your phone by saying: “Good Morning/Hello, Accounting Department, Sandy Smith speaking.”

B) From your cell phone, either state your name or just say Hello. “Hello, Sandy Smith here.” Don’t answer your phone by saying something like “yes” or “yeah.”

C) Whenever you place a phone call, you should always say your name and the name of the individual you are calling to speak to. Example: “Hello this is Sandy Smith from ABC Incorporated. May I please speak with Mr. John Doe?”

Changing Your Business Name? Don’t Put Your Credit at Risk | AllBusiness.com

January 9, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Changing your business name can be a lot of work, and, quite frankly, a hassle. But can it also put your business’s credit history at risk?

Kimberly Wilson is about to find out. In 2006, she started First Step Therapy, a counseling and training business, and grew it into multiple locations. A few years ago she took a hiatus from that business to earn her doctorate degree, and now she’s ready to relaunch her business. She has chosen a new name that reflects her new vision for the company. It will be called First Step International Consulting & Counseling Services and will offer training for individuals, businesses, and professionals.