Jam-packed week from whiskey to science of snobbery to the lowly blobfish…
Tracy Bresina
As someone who can never seem to maintain control over my inbox, this headline caught my eye, Ten Email Commandments. I thought surely there is a tip here that will solve the email madness. There is and there isn’t. The bottom line is to take control and not be controlled by the nonsense. Some of it we all already know but reading this article is like a semi-stern talking to – don’t allow yourself to be distracted by the internet. It’s that simple but so such a hard habit to break.
Irish distillers order a triple as whiskey flows: This article contains interesting data regarding Irish whiskey sales over the past 100 years and the newly emerging popularity of this drink. I was not aware that Irish whiskey sales have declined significantly over the past 100 years but it’s something to think about even for non-whiskey drinkers as it dramatically impacts the economy of Ireland. This previously considered dark stuffy drink has become a spirit of choice by the likes of Rihanna and Lady Gaga and generally a younger, female consumer. Since 2008, this industry has seen double and triple digit growth with continued annual projected growth of 15-25% for the foreseeable future. The impact of finding a new target consumer and the global economic effects it can have are informative and a worthwhile read.
Doug Self
Why would anyone want to host the Olympics? I’ve always been curious if hosting large-scale international events is worth it for the host country or region. A heavier load of events has likely never fell on a country as that which Brazil is currently undertaking. Earlier this year they hosted the Confederations Cup, the 2014 World Cup is up next, then there is only a short reprieve before the 2016 Summer Olympics are held in the South American country. The Economist summarizes the risk and potential reward well in this quick read.
The Science of Snobbery: How We’re Duped Into Thinking Fancy Things Are Better: This long read is thankfully not another article rehashing some blind taste test in which people couldn’t tell the difference between a $5 bottle of wine and a $100 bottle. Instead, it is a scientific breakdown of how we train ourselves to perceive value and how our brains plays tricks on our perception of nearly everything we encounter.
Amanda Watson
Pirates of Colder Meridians: This chilling (no pun intended) article on Slate.com, curated from FutureTense, draws a line between the past and the present conservation issues we face, particularly the diminishing ice caps. The article points out that what was once unchanged and unexplored for so long has now been sought to claim for revenue. The author questions the ability to keep these areas both protected and profitable with a booming population and industries like oil and big fishing driving decisions.
Why Science and Running Don’t Always Mix: Everything you read when you train for a serious running race tells you what ideal body weight you should be, how many ounces of water you should intake per five miles, what your lactic threshold should be and the magical Vo2 max number. The author in this article pokes at the flaws of these tests, claiming they don’t measure desire, talent or drive. Given that as a “runner” I have never invested nor cared enough to listen or perform any of them, let’s just say I have a lot of “heart.”
The World’s Ugliest Animal Looks Like He’s Just Been Told He’s the World’s Ugliest Animal: For some comic relief, check out this really ugly fish. Poor guy.
Chad Biggs
NASA confirms Voyager 1 has left the solar system: First impression: wow. Second, what will we find or be able to confirm as it wanders into the unexplored with some failed monitoring equipment? (Apparently a lot, as they know it is 11.7 billion miles from Earth and can infer from events it is recording approximately where it is) Finally: why did it take a year for NASA to share this nugget?
Container shipping: the secretive industry crucial to our existence: Yeah, I know – the headline may not grab you as it did me since I may be one of the lucky few to have spent a winter break from college grinding rust off of these metal containers in a poor man’s version of a Breaking Bad outfit. Still, it is interesting to see how behind the scenes the shipping business is despite its role in moving almost every product imaginable. For example, there are 20 million containers crossing the world now filled with everything from Xmas decorations to beer. Maersk, a global leader in marine shipping, which also dabbles in oil drilling and Denmark supermarkets, has annual sales that equal around 20 per cent of Denmark’s GDP. It may be a read for the nerdy, but an interesting look at the business and processes involved in getting goods from here to there with zero fanfare.
Jenn Connor
Trader Joes To Drop Health Coverage For Part-Time Workers Under Obamacare: With all of the talk about health insurance exchanges and the relative uncertainty of what’s to come, this article caught my eye. Even though the ACA mandate that companies with 50 + employees offer coverage to full-time employees has been delayed for a year, some large employers are making changes now. Trader Joe’s, who has historically offered health, dental and vision plans to part-time employees, on August 30 a memo was issued informing employees working less than 30 hours a week they will no longer receive these benefits.
Trader Joe’s joins UPS. The New York Times recently reported that UPS will stop providing health coverage to spouses of employees who an obtain coverage through their own employers. In the world of healthcare reform and insurance exchanges, there are still a lot of unknowns, but one thing is certain; employers will be watching out for their bottom-line. While Trader Joe’s states that “schedules are solely focused on supporting the customer experience” and not created with an employees healthcare eligibility in mind, with this shift in policy, that seems unlikely. One has to wonder, in this new world, will we begin to see the new norm be that employees are working schedules that fall into the category of “very close to receiving benefits”?
This Esquire magazine mistake really happened: I don’t even have words for this.
Gloria Miller
This week I came across an article on Twitter: Why Generation Y Yuppies are Unhappy – it was the title alone that intrigued me to read and I had to find out – What’s a Gen Y Yuppie? I’m a Gen Y (born between the late 1970’s – mid 1990’s) I don’t consider myself a yuppie but according to this author I am. Here is a list of guidelines to see if you’re a yuppie:
- you went to sleep-away summer camp during your youth.
- you’ve won a number of meaningless awards.
- you studied abroad during college.
- you, after graduating college, considered (or will consider) big, famous cities like New York, San Francisco, LA, or DC, or small, fancy cities like Boulder or Santa Barbara as the only acceptable places to move (i.e. you feel like too special of a person to move to somewhere like Cleveland).
- foodie is a word you’ve ever called yourself or anyone else.
- you have disdain for a restaurant like The Olive Garden or Red Lobster
- you’ve been to a therapist without any severe mental illness.
- you have started your own business or have plans to do so.
- you regularly talk or think about your passions.
- You need to have an iPhone and wouldn’t consider an Android phone.
- you’ve ever had a blog. Shit.
In a nutshell according to the blogger, beginning at a very young age, Gen Y’s are constantly told how special they are, how they can be anything they want to be, how nobody can stop them, etc. Thus enabling a thinking pattern they’re “so much better” than fellow Gen Y’ers and are destined to be the HBIC (head b!tch in charge).
Here are photos describing the blogger’s thinking – comparing the Gen Y’s career path expectation and their parents:
The article goes into great depth about social media and its role shaping Gen Y’s unhappiness. In some instances, I can relate and see the correlation. Overall I think it’s a great article for both Gen Y and Gen X’s to read. I may not agree with every aspect but the overall theme of the article is a great one, definitely one to ponder. The blogger ends the article with a little advice for the Gen Y world:
1) Stay wildly ambitious. The current world is bubbling with opportunity for an ambitious person to find flowery, fulfilling success. The specific direction may be unclear, but it’ll work itself out—just dive in somewhere.
2) Stop thinking that you’re special. The fact is, right now, you’re not special. You’re another completely inexperienced young person who doesn’t have all that much to offer yet. You can become special by working really hard for a long time.
3) Ignore everyone else. Other people’s grass seeming greener is no new concept, but in today’s image crafting world, other people’s grass looks like a glorious meadow. The truth is that everyone else is just as indecisive, self-doubting, and frustrated as you are, and if you just do your thing, you’ll never have any reason to envy others.
Read the article and decide for yourself.
