Monday, December 30, 2013
Low cost anti-stress machine
Friday, December 27, 2013
The Mask You Live In
Good trailer -- worth the 3 minutes. Bet this will spark a lot of discussion. Read more in UpWorthy.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
The Problem With Celebrity Coverage? They Never Show This Kind Of Video.
"The fact that most people are unaware that Paul Walker was even doing this kind of stuff shows his real intentions behind it. Thankfully, the group is dedicated to continue fulfilling his vision." Read more in UpWorthy.
How McDonald's and Wal-Mart Became Welfare Queens
Pretty incredible:
According to one study, American fast food workers receive more than $7 billion dollars in public assistance. As it turns out, McDonald's has a “McResource” line that helps employees and their families enroll in various state and local assistance programs. It exploded into the public when a recording of the McResource line advocated that full-time employees sign up for food stamps and welfare.
Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest private sector employer, is also the biggest consumer of taxpayer supported aid. According to Florida Congressman Alan Grayson, in many states, Wal-Mart employees are the largest group of Medicaid recipients. They are also the single biggest group of food stamp recipients. Wal-mart’s "associates" are paid so little, according to Grayson, that they receive $1,000 on average in public assistance. These amount to massive taxpayer subsidies for private companies...Read more at Bloomberg. (Thanks, +Alessia Bhargava)
This Family’s Viral Christmas Card Makes Your Family Look Lame
#xmasjammies. (Thanks, +Stephanie Gaufin)
The Thought Leader
What Makes Us Happy?
Read more in the Atlantic. (Thanks, Joe)
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Give Your Significant Other a Performance Review
A Formula for Happiness
About half of happiness is genetically determined. Up to an additional 40 percent comes from the things that have occurred in our recent past — but that won’t last very long.
That leaves just about 12 percent. That might not sound like much, but the good news is that we can bring that 12 percent under our control....Read more in the NYT. (Thanks, Joe)
The Power of Empathy, animated short explains the difference between empathy and sympathy
Narrated by Brene Brown. (Excellent find, +Alessia Bhargava)
Monday, December 16, 2013
The Selling of Attention Deficit Disorder
Perhaps surprisingly, one of the states leading an innovative method to address this problem is Arkansas.
Negative Emotions Are Key to Well-Being
Read more in Scientific American.
Who Goes to Work to Have Fun?
Thought this section was fascinating:
The problem here is an organizational version of the “paradox of hedonism,” best expressed by John Stuart Mill: “Ask yourself whether you are happy, and you cease to be so.” The attempt to impose happiness is self-sabotaging. Psychologists have shown that positive-thinking affirmations make people with low self-esteem feel worse; that patients with panic disorders can become more anxious when they try to relax; and that an ability to experience negative emotions, rather than struggling to exclude them, is crucial for mental health.
Read more in NYT Opt-Ed. (Thanks, +Katherine Stiner)
Affluenza: When Bad Parenting Excuses Murder
Your Commute Is Killing You
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Which Private Equity Firms Are ESG Leaders?
- "Pitchbook's 2013 Private Equity Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) Survey Report identified KKR and Doughty Hanson as industry leaders in ESG practices.
- "The report, published on December 11, 2013, analyzes survey responses from dozens of private equity firms and limited partners on the environmental, social and governance issues at both the firm and portfolio company levels, and reveals what is driving the push toward ESG initiatives, identifies a set of best practices and offers a host of resources for investors looking to bolster their ESG program.
- "KKR topped the survey in ESG practices in both this and last year’s survey. Its stellar performance in ESG practices is largely credited to its Green Portfolio Program in 2008 and its ongoing partnership with the Environmental Defense Fund."
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
The Waiting Room Official Trailer #1 (2012) - Documentary
"Highland Hospital, a vital part of the city of Oakland, California, is stretched to the breaking point, with 250 patients crowding its emergency room every day. This film is a cinema verité portrait of one city's public safety-net hospital as it struggles to handle patient overload in a swooning economy and the constantly shifting landscape of health care policy."
Check out the full trailer at PBS. (Thanks, Tom)
5 Email Tips for Intense People
Be a #boss. These aren’t your average email tricks. Read more in Medium. (Thanks, Erik)
Wall Street Mothers, Stay-Home Fathers
Ex-Cons Relaunching Lives as Entrepreneurs
A Natural Remedy For Private Equity's Women Woes
(SM, congrats on getting published!)
Stealing time
"In late August, I got an extra day — just an average day — with my father." Read more in the Opinionator. (Thanks, Claire)
Monday, December 9, 2013
2-year Old Trick Shot Titus Takes On Bradley Cooper And Channing Tatum
Oh man, too cute. I could body slam you right now. (Thanks, Claire)
Thursday, December 5, 2013
The happiest penguin ever
"This baby penguin is the only one who really enjoys the snow. He is so happy that he could not stop dancing around with the soothing sounds of the holidays while all the others just stand still." Read more in My Amazing Earth. (Thanks, Claire)
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
HBR Daily Stat: Factory Workers Are More Productive When Managers Can’t See Them
In a factory where mobile data cards were being made, hanging a curtain to conceal workers from managers’ view increased production by 10% to 15%, according to an experiment by Ethan S. Bernstein of Harvard Business School. The curtain prevented distractions and allowed workers to test productivity-boosting ideas before explaining them to managers. Managers need to consider not only their individual workers’ privacy on the job but also group privacy, Bernstein says.
Read more in HBR.
Read more in HBR.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
WISER's Inaugural Graduation of the Class of 2014 in Kenya
WISER - Empowering Girls from Hollie Harrington on Vimeo.
WISER's Inaugural class graduates this March in Kenya! Big congrats to Andy Cunningham and all the Dukies who helped make this happen. If you'd like to donate to WISER, you can do that here.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
HBR Daily Sat: An Oddity: Ex-Smokers Earn More than Those Who Have Never Smoked
Hmmm:
It has been well documented that smokers make less money than nonsmokers, but it’s less widely known that former smokers earn a 7% wage premium over people who have never smoked, according to an analysis of nearly two decades of U.S. data by Julie L. Hotchkiss of Georgia State University and M. Melinda Pitts of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. The reasons for the ex-smokers’ higher wages are unclear; the authors cite past research suggesting, somewhat cryptically, that people who are able to stop smoking tend to have individual characteristics that are associated with higher productivity.Read more in HBR.
Tourist draw Antigua suffers crime, political mess
Cat Heaven
The Ultimate Guide to Hosting Family and Friends in SF
Why I love flying through my home airport
The Wag BrigadeIn December, the airport will bring in trained dogs to all terminals for your petting enjoyment. Courtesy of the SPCA and their Animal Assisted Therapy Program, the pups were carefully selected for their chill temperament and willingness to be pet by half a million people. The dogs represent all breeds and will wear red vests that say "Pet Me!"Read more events SFO is putting on this holiday in 7x7.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Is your next great CEO a management consultant?
Takeaways:
Read more in HBR. (Thanks, John)
- 28 out of 541 CEO transitions between 2004 & 2010 were former mgmt consultants
- Companies run by former mgmt consultants outperformed the rest
- Even strong “people leadership” in a consulting context may not necessarily translate — leading teams of highly educated, motivated MBAs in the “up or out” environment of most management consulting firms is quite different from leading an employee population with a mixed set of skills and backgrounds
Read more in HBR. (Thanks, John)
Monday, November 25, 2013
HBR: The Bonus Employees Really Want
"Does giving employees extra money to spend on whatever they choose make for a happy workplace? Surprisingly, individual financial rewards can be detrimental to morale; jealousy and competition can arise, damaging team dynamics. Consider switching to a more altruistic program, in which you provide employees the same bonuses with one caveat: A portion must be spent on "prosocial" contributions that benefit others, like charities.
"At a company which gave employees charity vouchers, and encouraged them to contribute to a cause of their choice, people reported being more satisfied with their jobs and happier overall. Another organization asked employees to spend on each other: Some teams indulged in chocolate or wine; one team bought a piñata, which they gladly bashed together. Prosocial bonuses resulted in gifts that increased shared experiences—and teams that received them performed better than teams that received money to spend only on themselves."
Read more in HBR.
"At a company which gave employees charity vouchers, and encouraged them to contribute to a cause of their choice, people reported being more satisfied with their jobs and happier overall. Another organization asked employees to spend on each other: Some teams indulged in chocolate or wine; one team bought a piñata, which they gladly bashed together. Prosocial bonuses resulted in gifts that increased shared experiences—and teams that received them performed better than teams that received money to spend only on themselves."
Read more in HBR.
Fuck yes or no.
Question: Why would you ever choose to be with someone who is not excited to be with you?
It's a good mantra. Read more in Mark Manson. (Thanks to Lucy for this find!)
It's a good mantra. Read more in Mark Manson. (Thanks to Lucy for this find!)
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
If 3 Little Girls Did This To My House, I'd Do Everything I Could To Get Them Full Rides To Stanford
Read more in UpWorthy. Also vote to have the commercial at the Super Bowl. (Thanks, Sam, Priya, and Alessia)
Kid Recites Bible - Then Busts Out George Strait During Pre-School Graduation
How would you react if your kid did this? Texas pride. (Thanks, Claire)
Monday, November 18, 2013
The Faces of the Moneythink Movement
The Faces of the Moneythink Movement from Moneythink on Vimeo.
Recognized by President Obama, Moneythink is the only movement of young people working to restore the economic health of the United States through financial education. By placing trained college volunteers in urban high schools as near-peer role models and financial mentors for teenagers, Moneythink equips students with the support and skills to succeed in the real world. It's a high impact organization.
The Most Important Question You Can Ask Yourself Today
Here's a new frame on a familiar question:
If I ask you, "What do you want out of life?" and you say something like, "I want to be happy and have a great family and a job I like," it's so ubiquitous that it doesn't even mean anything.
Everyone wants that. So what's the point?
What's more interesting to me is what pain do you want? What are you willing to struggle for? Because that seems to be a greater determinant of how our lives end up.
Everybody wants to have an amazing job and financial independence -- but not everyone is willing to suffer through 60-hour work weeks, long commutes, obnoxious paperwork, to navigate arbitrary corporate hierarchies and the blasé confines of an infinite cubicle hell. People want to be rich without the risk, with the delayed gratification necessary to accumulate wealth...Read more in HuffPo. (Thanks, Claire and Emily)
‘Great Expectations for Female Lawyers’
Twelve years after being interviewed by The New York Times Magazine, five women, who all started their law careers at Debevoise & Plimpton, reflect on ambition, leadership and success.
Having trouble linking the video to this post. Check out the NYT article. (Thanks, Lucy)
Having trouble linking the video to this post. Check out the NYT article. (Thanks, Lucy)
Colin Powell's 13 Life Rules For Any Future Leader
These were two of my favorites:
- "Things will get better. You will make them get better."
- "You can't make someone else's decisions. You shouldn't let someone else make yours."
- "Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier."
- "Have a vision. Be demanding."
The stories that follow the quotes are good, too. Read more at PolicyMic. (Thanks, Becky)
Healthsherpa Helps Thousands Get Insurance Quotes
The computer coders who made healthcare.gov may not have had the best of e-commerce in mind. The site looks like something melded together by a dozen government bureaucracies, and is so bad, it's driven away online shoppers.
But a group of coders in Silicon Valley says it doesn't have to be this way. They've created healthsherpa.com in about 3 days (!).
Read more in NPR. (Thanks, Tom)
But a group of coders in Silicon Valley says it doesn't have to be this way. They've created healthsherpa.com in about 3 days (!).
Read more in NPR. (Thanks, Tom)
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Delta turned one viral video into another
The original:
The Delta remake -- announcing the new FAA phone policy.
This Woman Was About To Go In For Surgery. What She Did Moments Before Was Awesome.
What do you do moments before a life-changing surgery? Read the HuffPo article here.
On the Road: Middle school football players execute life-changing play
Best heartwarming story this week. This is the best of the human spirit. (Thanks, Jules)
Friday, November 15, 2013
Aziz Ansari thinks texting ruined dating
Aziz compares dating now to being the secretary of a crappy company filled with flaky jerks. Hilarious. See more on CNN. (Thanks, Claire)
HBR Daily Stat: Yes, It’s Worth It to Work Those Long Hours
"For young, highly educated workers who usually put in long hours, working 5 extra hours per week is linked to a 1% increase in annual wage growth, according to a study of thousands of U.S. workers by Dora Gicheva of the University of North Carolina. The finding holds only for those who work at least 48 hours per week; when hours are lower than that, there’s no correlation between additional work and wage growth. Males’ willingness or ability to work long hours accounts for some, but not all, of the gender difference in wage growth, Gicheva says."
Read more in HBR.
Read more in HBR.
Big sister drops to her knees to show affection to newborn
Monday, November 11, 2013
20-Year-Old Hunter S. Thompson’s Superb Advice on How to Find Your Purpose and Live a Meaningful Life
To give advice to a man who asks what to do with his life implies something very close to egomania. To presume to point a man to the right and ultimate goal — to point with a trembling finger in the RIGHT direction is something only a fool would take upon himself...
...Every man is the sum total of his reactions to experience. As your experiences differ and multiply, you become a different man, and hence your perspective changes. This goes on and on. Every reaction is a learning process; every significant experience alters your perspective...Read more in Brain Pickings. (Thanks, Lucy)
Sunday, November 10, 2013
HBR Tip of the Day: Develop Your Emotional Agility
"Everyone has felt critical, doubtful, or scared, even at work—and attempting to minimize or ignore such emotions can amplify them. Effective leaders neither buy into nor try to suppress their inner experiences—instead, they develop “emotional agility,” a skill which enables them to approach their inner experiences in a mindful and productive way. These practices can help you do the same:
- Recognize your patterns. In what instances does your thinking become rigid and repetitive, playing like a broken record you’ve heard time and time again? That’s a telltale sign that you’ve been hooked by a thought or feeling.
- Label your thoughts and emotions. This allows you to see them as they are: transient sources of data that may or may not prove helpful. Taking this “helicopter view” of your emotions simplifies them; it turns the thought “My coworker is wrong—he makes me so angry,” into “I’m having the thought that my coworker is wrong, and I’m feeling anger.”
- Accept feelings with an open attitude. They may be signaling that something important is at stake, like your values. This gives you the chance to act on them."
Finally.
The FDA is moving to ban all trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils) citing health concerns. Read more in the NYT.
HBR Daily Stat: The Threat of Dismissal Shakes Up Chicago Public Schools
"After the Chicago teachers’ union signed a 2004 contract allowing principals to bypass a cumbersome dismissal process and fire recently hired teachers for any reason, faculty absences fell by about 10% and the prevalence of educators with 15 or more annual absences declined by 25%, according to a study by Brian A. Jacob of the University of Michigan. The effect was driven by the voluntary departure of certain teachers after the new policy was announced, he says. Nevertheless, principals were reluctant to enforce the policy: 40% of schools, including many that were low-performing, didn’t dismiss any teachers."
Read more at HBR.
Read more at HBR.
How the Amazon Warehouse Works
For all the fellow operations geeks out there, read more in Chronday. (Thanks, Claire)
Monday, November 4, 2013
Make-A-Wish Foundation Turns San Francisco Into Gotham City For Batman-Loving Kid
"On November 15, the Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation is turning San Francisco into Gotham City, and when trouble strikes that morning, the city’s police chief will call upon Miles -- aka Batkid -- to leap into action for a day of noble crime-fighting around town."
Read more at HuffPo and at the Make A Wish Foundation. (Thanks, Jerrod and Claire)
When marriage isn't about you
... The nearer Kim and I approached the decision to marry, the more I was filled with a paralyzing fear. Was I ready? Was I making the right choice? Was Kim the right person to marry? Would she make me happy?
Then, one fateful night, I shared these thoughts and concerns with my dad.
Perhaps each of us have moments in our lives when it feels like time slows down or the air becomes still and everything around us seems to draw in, marking that moment as one we will never forget.
My dad giving his response to my concerns was such a moment for me. With a knowing smile he said, “Seth, you’re being totally selfish. So I’m going to make this really simple: marriage isn’t for you. You don’t marry to make yourself happy, you marry to make someone else happy. More than that, your marriage isn’t for yourself, you’re marrying for a family. Not just for the in-laws and all of that nonsense, but for your future children. Who do you want to help you raise them? Who do you want to influence them? Marriage isn’t for you. It’s not about you. Marriage is about the person you married.”Read Seth Adam Smith's blog. (Thanks, Brandon)
10 simple, science-backed ways to be happier today
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Mystery Man, Painting the Town
Banksy makes NYC his gallery for a month. Check out the NYT article. See the interactive map at NY Mag. (Thanks, Jules)
Big week for MoneyThink
They won the top prize at the MassChallenge start-up accelerator, and the Hitachi Foundation honored them as one of five enterprises that address some of society’s most persistent challenges.
A Man Stole This Woman’s Wallet, and You Won’t Believe What Happened Next
Jessica Eaves from Guthrie, Oklahoma recently had her wallet stolen by a man while she was grocery shopping. Most people in that situation would immediately get the authorities involved, but she found a way to resolve her problem herself.
"I saw this gentleman down the aisle from me," Jessica tells us. "He walked behind me, and when I got a couple of aisles over, I realized my wallet was gone."
"I spotted him in a crowded aisle and approached him," she continues. "I'm a pretty out-there personality, but I was quiet and calm."
"I said to him, 'I think you have something of mine. I'm gonna give you a choice. You can either give me my wallet and I'll forgive you right now, and I'll even take you to the front and pay for your groceries."
The alternative? Jessica reporting him to the police.
"He reached into his hoodie pocket and gave me my wallet," she recalls, adding that the man was extremely grateful for her help and forgiveness.
"He started crying when we walked up to the front," she says. "He said he was sorry about 20 times by the time we went from the pickle aisle to the front. He told me he was desperate."
She spent $27 on his groceries, which included milk, bread, bologna, crackers, soup and cheese. "The last thing he said was, 'I'll never forget tonight. I'm broke, I have kids, I'm embarrassed and I'm sorry.'"
"Some people are critical because I didn't turn him in, but sometimes all you need is a second chance," she adds...
Read more in Yahoo! (Thanks, Lucy)
Thursday, October 31, 2013
HRB Daily Stat: Chatting with the Cashier Will Improve Your Mood
"If you buy your coffee quickly at Starbucks without saying much of anything, you’ll probably arrive at the office sooner, but if you stop to chat with the cashier, you might get to work in a better mood. Research participants who smiled, made eye contact, and briefly conversed with the cashier subsequently reported greater satisfaction with the visit and were in better moods (4.31 versus 3.80 and 4.22 versus 3.60, respectively, on 1-to-5 scales) than those who avoided unnecessary conversation, say Gillian M. Sandstrom and Elizabeth W. Dunn of the University of British Columbia. Seemingly trivial interactions can confer a sense of belonging, an effect that people tend to overlook in their quest for efficiency, the researchers say."
See more at the Daily Stat.
See more at the Daily Stat.
Photographer Puts Two Strangers Together For Intimate Photographs, And The Results Are Surprising
There is something magical in humanity. See more at TruthSeekersDaily. (Thanks, Jules)
Monday, October 28, 2013
How To Make Your Life Better By Sending Five Simple Emails
Reminds me of this inbox fortune.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Choosing Your World - Benjamin Zander at European Zeitgeist 2011
Check out this video from arguably one of the most contagiously positive people of our time – Ben Zander. Since 1979, Ben has been the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and is known around the world as both a guest conductor and a speaker on leadership.
In this clip Ben describes two worlds you can live in: the world of the downward spiral or the world of possibility. What does this mean, you may ask? Ben describes these worlds with rich color and fun stories, for example: the story of two sales men that were sent to Africa in the 1900s to explore the market for shoes – each wrote a telegram back:
- Salesman 1 wrote back: “Situation hopeless, they don’t wear shoes”
- Salesman 2 wrote back: “Glorious opportunity here – they don’t have any shoes yet”
Ben reminds us that we get to choose, at every moment of every day, which world we want to live in – what world do you want to live in?
TED Talk - Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action
My favorite line: "There are leaders and those who lead. Leaders hold a position of authority and we have to follow them. Those who lead, inspire us; we follow those who lead not because we have to but because we want to. Those who start why with have the ability to inspire."
Ylvis - What Does The Fox Say? (LIVE Music Video with Jimmy Fallon)
Can't wait for Halloween. (Thanks, Sam)
America Loses When VC Money Ignores Women
Read more in Inc. (Thanks, Sam)
Thursday, October 24, 2013
How Prisons Change the Balance of Power in America
Read more in the Atlantic. (Thanks, Alessia)
Creative Mom Turns Her Baby’s Naptime Into Dream Adventures
Could not be more sweet! Read more in BoredPanda. (Thanks, Mel)
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
New UN Women Ad Campaign Uses Google To Make A Point
Monday, October 21, 2013
Nailed it.
This took some confidence to do this! And she nailed it. Read more in UpWorthy. (Amazing find, Lucy)
Senate Women Lead in Effort to Find Accord
Read more in the NYT. (Thanks, Kassie)
In the convenience store of the future, you can get a mortgage along with your toothpaste
Friday, October 18, 2013
Enneagram Test
Fascinating -- think this test hit some parts of me spot on. You can take the test here. (Thanks, Lucy)
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Why Women Aren’t C.E.O.s, According to Women Who Almost Were
"It’s not a pipeline problem. It’s about loneliness, competition and deeply rooted barriers." Read more in the NYT .
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"Why I don’t talk about race with White people." Read more in Medium .
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Even women who earn overwhelmingly positive performance reviews are told that they have ‘personality flaws,’ a new study finds. The double...
