Jupiter at opposition: See the ‘king of the planets’ outshine every star in the sky this weekend | Live Science

January 13, 2026January 11, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

This weekend brings a prime opportunity to see the biggest planet in the solar system shining at its brightest all year.

After dominating the night sky for more than a month, Jupiter will reach opposition this Saturday (Jan. 10). This marks the point when Earth lies directly between Jupiter and the sun, putting the gas giant opposite our star in Earth’s sky. The result is a brilliant, unmissable light in the eastern evening sky that shines all night long. At magnitude -2.7, Jupiter will outshine every star for many weeks.

(In astronomy, a lower magnitude corresponds to a brighter object. Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, has an apparent magnitude of about -1.4.)

What’s the oldest river in the world? | Live Science

January 13, 2026January 11, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Rivers may seem as old as the hills, but they have life cycles just like other natural features do. Many grow and make their meandering mark on the landscape, before ultimately drying up. Some rivers last longer than others, however. So which river is the oldest in the world today?

The winner is older than the dinosaurs: The Finke River in Australia, or Larapinta in the Indigenous Arrernte language, is between 300 million and 400 million years old.

4 Steps for Creating a Payroll Budget | Business News Daily

January 12, 2026January 11, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Creating a payroll budget is tricky. It involves breaking down your company’s payroll and calculating the total cost for each person in each role — including their wages, taxes and employee benefits. Creating a payroll budget is critical for businesses to track their overall human resources costs and run their business efficiently.

Below, we’ll explain what’s included in a payroll budget. We’ll also outline four steps for creating and implementing this essential financial forecasting tool.

What does a payroll budget include?

A company’s payroll budget includes all costs directly related to individual employees, including wages, commissions and taxes. It also includes the employer’s employee benefits package costs. When considering different approaches to managing payroll expenses, the size of the company can significantly influence its focus.

“For smaller companies like mine we often focus more on wages, taxes and simpler benefit packages, while larger businesses typically deal with more complex benefits packages and incentive programs,” said Brian Kroeker, president of Little Rock Printing, an e-commerce-based printing solution.

21 of America’s Oldest Companies – businessnewsdaily.com

January 12, 2026January 11, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Some companies seem to weather any storm, including a few that may surprise you. The oldest American company has existed since 1752, before the United States was even founded. Despite wars, depressions, recessions, and slumps, some companies have positioned themselves in the market to stand the test of time.

21 of the oldest companies in America

Here’s a look at some of the oldest businesses still operating in the U.S. today.

1. Caswell-Massey (1752)

Dr. William Hunter started this perfume and soap company as an apothecary shop in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1752, as detailed on the Caswell-Massey official history. Serving distinguished clientele, Hunter supplied medicinals, perfumes, and personal care products. George Washington gave a bottle of Number Six Cologne to the Marquis de Lafayette, and Lewis and Clark took Caswell-Massey products on their cross-country trek. Today, Caswell-Massey is owned by a private investment group and based in New Jersey, selling products exclusively online and through select retailers.

Cognitive Overload Symptoms: 15 Warning Signs & Solutions | Life Hack

January 8, 2026January 6, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Picture this: You’re on a video call, nodding along while secretly checking emails, mentally calculating if you have enough pasta for dinner, and half-listening to your kids arguing about whose turn it is on the iPad. Sound familiar? You’re not alone and you’re not imagining that life feels more overwhelming than ever. These are classic cognitive overload symptoms that millions experience daily.

Here’s why: Back in 2008, researchers found Americans were already processing 34GB of information daily. Today? We’re swimming in an estimated 75-100GB of data every single day. That’s like downloading your entire brain’s storage capacity, twice. Our digital interactions have exploded from 298 daily touches in 2010 to a mind-boggling 4,909 expected by 2025. We’re consuming 105,000 words daily, roughly 23 words per second during every waking hour.

Why Do I Keep Failing My Goals? The Real Reasons + How to Actually Achieve Them | LifeHack

January 8, 2026January 6, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

You set the goal with genuine excitement. This time would be different. You downloaded the app, bought the planner, told everyone about your intentions. Two months later, the app sends notifications you ignore, the planner collects dust, and you avoid conversations about your “progress.”

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Over 90% of people fail to achieve their goals, and most give up within the first month. The frustrating part? You’ve probably read the productivity books, tried the goal-setting frameworks, and genuinely wanted to succeed. Yet here you are, wondering what’s fundamentally wrong with you.

Here’s the truth that might surprise you: nothing is wrong with you. Goal failure isn’t a character flaw or a willpower problem. It’s a systems problem. The conventional advice about setting SMART goals and staying motivated addresses symptoms while ignoring the real causes of chronic goal failure.

The first-ever cultivated-meat fish just got FDA approval. Its CEO talks about how Wildtype got there. | Fast Company

January 7, 2026January 6, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

For the first time ever, you can eat a real fish that was never alive.

In early June, Wildtype, a San Francisco-based lab-grown meat company, received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell its cultivated sushi-grade salmon saku after a years-long waiting game. The company is only the fourth to receive FDA approval for cultivated meat in the U.S., joining Upside Foods and Good Meat, which both sell laboratory-grown chicken, and Mission Barns, which focuses on pork fat. Wildtype, meanwhile, is the only company of its ilk focusing on replicating seafood.

Trump’s anti-EV rules aren’t stopping California’s electric truck boom—yet | Fast Company

January 7, 2026January 6, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Wes Lowe uses so much Claritin that he started an Amazon subscription to avoid running out. His kids take two asthma medications. This reflects the normalcy of pollution in California’s San Joaquin Valley, where residents breathe some of the dirtiest air in the nation.

Lowe lives about 20 miles outside of Fresno, in the valley’s heart. More than a dozen highways, including Interstate 5, run through the region, carrying almost half of the state’s truck traffic. The sky is usually hazy, the air is often deemed hazardous, and 1 in 6 children live with asthma. “You don’t realize how bad it is until you leave,” Lowe said.

How to Talk to Potential Investors: 10 Things You Shouldn’t Say | AllBusiness.com

January 6, 2026January 5, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Many startups seeking investment capital make common mistakes when pitching their business to potential investors. These easily avoidable errors can be statements made in their elevator pitch, in an email introduction, or even in the formal pitch deck they use to present. Here are 10 statements from startup entrepreneurs that are likely to turn off potential investors:

1. “We have no competition.”

Of course, your startup has competition, and to think otherwise shows an investor that you are naive. A simple Google search will often surface any number of potential competitors. Your job is to identify your top potential competitors and explain why your company is better.

2. “We want you to sign an NDA before we give you information about our business.”

Investors are busy and get inundated with business pitches. The great majority of investors will not sign a non-disclosure agreement, and you are just putting up a roadblock in even asking for one. If you have extremely confidential information, don’t include it in your pitch deck.

Starting a Mobile IV Therapy Business: Lessons From Top Providers Across the USA | AllBusiness.com

January 6, 2026January 5, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

How to Start an IV Drip Business

A mobile IV therapy business requires a licensed physician to serve as a medical director, providing clinical leadership and administrative oversight over the healthcare organization. This senior leader develops protocols to ensure proper staffing, employee training, compliance, and risk management.

Moreover, you’ll need capital to obtain equipment, medical supplies, and software systems to handle booking, nurture customer relationships, and manage financials. Investing in marketing is also vital.

Below we describe the business models of three of the leading mobile IV therapy service providers across the U.S.

Lessons Gleaned From a Top-Rated Mobile IV Therapy Service Provider in Utah

Mobile IV Nurses Mobile IV Nurses offers IV treatments administered by licensed health care providers to alleviate different conditions and promote wellness. This highly rated provider of mobile IV therapy services in Utah offers custom packages, where patients select add-ins under the guidance of qualified medical professionals.