A place for interesting, amusing and buzz-worthy news, tech happenings, music insights and business tid-bits.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Coffee in the Morning? How About a Beer
Hold the espresso and give me a shot of tequila. It'll be a long day.
According to Forbes, Starbucks will begin selling alcoholic beverages in some of their locations. After initial trials were run in Seattle and Oregon, Atlanta, Southern California and Chicago will be the next cities to experience the Coffee chains drink upgrade.
Personally, I think its a great idea. This gives me a happy hour I can actually make it to, considering I'm too tired to drink after work. Furthermore, this provides good morning entertainment. Who wouldn't want to see people stumbling out of a Starbucks at 7 am after drinking a few too many? Maybe the drunk businessmen in the morning will scare away the homeless people that sit out in front of the Starbucks outside of my work. Then again, maybe the smell of booze in the morning will attract more of them.
To read more about another way to promote America's binge drinking problem, click here.
What Kind of Employee Are You?
We all want to be happy at our jobs. Some people are. They get paid well, enjoy the company of their co-workers and are fully aligned with their company's goals. However, there are those that are unhappy. It seems that people tend to fall into 4 catagories at their job: The Lazy, The Overachiever, The Overworked and The Unnoticed.
The Lazy
This is the person that comes to work and doesn't do anything. Facebook is always in the background of what they are doing (not that isn't for all of us). Sometimes they pretend to work, but most of the time they are not doing anything. They are either on their way out the door or are about to die of boredom.
The Overachiever
The person we love to hate. Sometimes this is because we wish we were them. They are successful, get praise from the boss and worst-of-all, they don't even seem like they are trying hard. Screw them.
The Overworked
The person that is the first one to arrive and the last one to leave. At your job there is never any coffee because this person has consumed every last drop. They don't even have time to go to the bathroom after so much coffee. Unfortunately, this person is also stuck at the job with little opportunity for growth and no desire to tell off their boss.
The Unnoticed
Depending on where you work and how many people are in your company, most people will fall into this category. They work decently hard. They fulfill their job description. Their boss is satisfied with their work. However, this is never enough. They are stuck.
So how do we break lazy habits and get noticed without overworking and being the hated overachiever? Here are Inc. Magazine's 8 qualities that remarkable workers possess.
1. They ignore job descriptions.
2. They’re eccentric...
3. But they know when to dial it back.
4. They publicly praise...
5. And they privately complain.
6. They speak when others won’t.
7. They like to prove others wrong.
8. They’re always fiddling.
To read more about how to become a remarkable employee read the original Inc. article here.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Looking for some Fun? Check this out.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Upgrade Alert: Use "Chirpify" to Buy Things Instantly on Twitter
A new start-up company called Chirpify is taking some innovative strides in the commerce industry. By teaming up with PayPal, Chirpify has introduced a new concept called "T-Commerce". Essentially, the company allows people to buy products from brands simply by tweeting to them. By tweeting "@favoritebrand buy" you can buy a product within seconds. By tweeting "@politician donate" you can donate money to a politician of your choice or "donate" to a friend if you owe them money. Chirpify and PayPal's partnership allows for simple money exchange as well as brand exposure for companies. Chris Teso, the CEO of Chirpify, says the benefit to brands is it becomes "a way to instantly monetize their followers.”
30 Most Influential Young Entrepreneurs of 2011
As the world continues to become more social and the economy recovers, more and more people are becoming entrepreneurs. Even as a 23 year old, I see this around me all the time. Nearly 1/2 my guy friends have their own start-up business and some are very successful with it. Under30CEO recently named their top 30 under 30 CEO's of 2011. People like Mark Zuckerburg obviously made the list, but there are also other young business owners who may see a lot of success in 2012.
Check out the full list here: 30 Most Influential Young Entrepreneurs of 2011
Friday, February 24, 2012
How to Use Technology to Inspire Good Habits
Two organizations are taking advantage of technology by blending charity and business in a way to inspire people to change the way they live.
The American Cancer Society’s Choose You Champaign is using online tools to urge woman to put their own health first as they support the fight against cancer. Participants set eight-week goals in categories such as healthy eating, staying active, quitting smoking, having regular checkups and protecting your skin. If they don’t hit their goals they make a commitment to donate money to ACS to help fight cancer.
Similarly, online company DailyFeats, offers gamelike incentives to people who are trying to change their habits. “Users are able to go online or use their smartphones to record their small ‘feats’ such as taking the stairs, flossing, or getting to bed early.” Reward points and discounts from companies supporting the imitative are awarded to users who achieve their goals.
To learn more about how Choose You and DailyFeats are combing technology and philanthropy to serve organizational mission read the Chronicle of Philanthropy story here.
10 Tricky Interview Questions and How to Respond to Them
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/02/23/watch-out-ten-interview-questions-designed-to-trick-you/
First Post!
For a first blog, check out this video of a fan who tries to fight Benny the Bull: