Jon Stewart strikes deal with HBO to comment on current events | CNN Money

November 4, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Jon Stewart’s next act will be on HBO.

The former host of “The Daily Show” has struck a four-year production deal with the company just in time for the 2016 election cycle.

“The partnership marks the next phase of Stewart’s groundbreaking career, beginning with short-form digital content, which will be showcased on HBO NOW, HBO GO and other platforms,” HBO said in statement on Tuesday.

In other words, whatever new work he creates will be streaming on the Internet.

Stewart will start by producing “timely short-form digital content,” allowing him to comment on current events, HBO said.

9 Common Words and Phrases You Might Be Getting Wrong | Inc.com

November 3, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When it comes to language, all of us have our pet peeves. (It’s supposedly, not supposably!) But we’re also imperfect and prone to mistakes.

Of course, no one wants to use language improperly. That’s why I’ve collected a list of nine words and phrases that are commonly misused. In the past, I’ve gotten a few of these wrong myself, so I hope you find it helpful. (Note: All definitions are courtesy of Oxford Dicitionaries.)

Made: Bloodroot Blades | Bloomberg Business

November 3, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When was the last time you were cooking in your kitchen and you looked at the knife in your hand and wondered, “Where did this come from?”

Probably never. Right?

For David Van Wyk and Luke Snyder, the science-minded duo behind the knife company Bloodroot Blades, the source is half the point. They make gorgeous, custom blades for a global clientele at a lakeside shop in Arnoldsville, Ga. For them, the first step in the process is finding materials.

10 Things I Learned from ‘We Are Anonymous’ | Peter Mehit

November 2, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

I read Parmy Olsen’s ‘We Are Anonymous’ over the weekend. It is the story of the infamous hacker collective that brought down the Church of Scientology, Pay Pal, Master Card, Visa, Sony, the FBI and CIA among their numerous conquests. It’s a fascinating read about a culture based on a contradiction: A few very talented, capable, creative people performed truly heinous acts because of their belief that their lives were pointless. Their nihilistic perspective drove them until they were caught.

The participants were young. The oldest was 28, the youngest 16. Uniformly, they were the socially awkward. They were bullied and marginalized for most of their lives. Most left the education system in middle school because they were bored or mistreated. All of them lived with parents or relatives, reeking havoc on some of the largest organizations in the world from their bedrooms.

Continue reading “10 Things I Learned from ‘We Are Anonymous’ | Peter Mehit” →

Retailers join REI in closing for business on Black Friday | King 5

November 2, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

SEATTLE — More retailers are joining R.E.I., deciding to close their doors on Black Friday.

The outdoor retailer made headlines earlier this week when they announced they would close their stores the day after Thanksgiving, and encouraged people to go outside instead, coining the hashtag #OptOutside.

Sewing machine operator Le Ping is helping her employer, Outdoor Research, fill a big order for the U.S. Marines.

“I sew here a long time,” she said. “I like it.”

US prisoner release: Nearly 6,000 drug inmates to go free | BBC News

October 30, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The US will release nearly 6,000 people jailed for drug crimes in the coming days, an effort to reform policies that led to mass incarceration.

About 3,400 inmates were already confined in places like halfway houses.

Another 1,700 of the inmates are not US citizens and will possibly face deportation.

The changes come as part of an effort to reverse long jail terms for non-violent offenders, who make up about half of the federal prison population.

Many of these prisoners were released from federal custody on Friday. The rest will be released by Tuesday.

How Well are You Managing Your Cash Flow? | Small Biz Trends

October 30, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

We’ve all heard the saying, “Cash is King.”

While the words may be cliché, they’re also true — particularly for the small business. Without a cushy safety net or direct line to a big bank’s lending department, survival often hinges on your ability to effectively manage the delicate balance of cash in and cash out.

When there’s no cash on hand, everything is tough. Paying salaries, paying bills, buying supplies, not to mention making the investments needed to grow to the next level. If you’re looking for tips on managing your business cash flow, below are seven to think about.

Angel investor: don’t drop out of school | Business Insider

October 30, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Quitting school to operate a startup is all the rage these days. Billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel even has a special fellowship that encourages young people to do that.

Most startup-minded students quit college, not high school, following in the footsteps of Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg.

But teenagers are getting into tech at earlier and earlier ages. Writing apps and participating in hackathons are standard ways of getting internships at hot employers like Google and Facebook.

China to End One-Child Policy, Allowing Families Two Children | The New York Times

October 29, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

BEIJING — China’s Communist Party brought to an end the decades-old “one child” policy on Thursday, when leaders announced that all married couples would be allowed to have two children in a bid to reverse the rapid aging of the labor force.

The announcement came after the party’s Central Committee concluded a four-day meeting in a heavily guarded hotel in western Beijing where the committee approved proposals for China’s next five-year development plan, which starts next year.

“Improve the demographic development strategy,” said the official communiqué, or summary, of the meeting issued through the Xinhua news agency. “Comprehensively implement a policy that couples can have two children, actively taking steps to counter the aging of the population.”