JerseySmarts.com

Start the Weekend Right Link Series – Volume #4, Edition #2

Joe — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 11:30:25 +0000

Last week’s Start the Weekend Right Link Series featured many articles that I bookmarked way back in 2011. This week, I am posting some links to some more recent articles. In fact, most of these articles are from the last month or two. I hope that you enjoy reading them!

As always, though, before we get to this week’s links I again want to strongly recommend signing up for a free Feedly account. I get absolutely no kickback for promoting Feedly, but I am so appreciative of their product being the best RSS reader on the internet and I encourage everyone to use it. If you are using another RSS aggregator, please consider following JerseySmarts.com at http://www.jerseysmarts.com/feed/. If you are already on Feedly, then you can follow us by clicking here. Thanks!

Hulk Hogan v. Gawker (Marc Randazza Legal Analysis), Danger & Play
One of the biggest stories in media right now is Hulk Hogan’s victory in court against Gawker Media. Gawker has several websites – none of which have a shred of journalistic integrity. These websites do all that they can to destroy and damage people just for the sake of clicks and pageviews. They epitomize everything that is wrong with what people think the media is today. Gawker should not be categorized as a media source – they are barely worth mentioning as a tabloid. This link will take you to a great, quick set of bullet points outlining how badly Hogan beat Gawker in court. In addition, there is a video of the author speaking with a free speech lawyer about the verdict.

Is Rice Healthy For Me? Does White vs Brown Rice Matter?, Nerd Fitness
While the end result of this very astute investigation is, “it depends,” I strongly encourage you to read this article if you are a rice eating person like me. For my part, I have always been one of those people who does not automatically default to the brown version of everything (e.g. selecting whole wheat over white versions of products). This article made me realize that given the frequency with which I eat rice, I really should be eating brown rice instead of white rice. There is a lot of great information in this piece and I think you will enjoy reading it.

When You Find Out a Coworker Makes More Money than You Do, Harvard Business Review
There are some realities that most people have to recognize, face, and accept. One of those realities is that if you work for someone else, then you are not the highest paid person in the company. Period. And while my short example accentuates the differences between bosses and employees, this article provides some strategies on how to approach a different situation. Namely, the situation that occurs when you find out that a coworker (someone who you might consider an equal or even a subordinate) is making more money that you at your company. I am a big believer in not worrying about what other people are making and, instead, focusing on achieving your own success. I am also a believer in working outside jobs and starting your own company (or companies, if you have the time and inclination) to augment your salary. Ideally, that outside work will eventually supersede your salary and allow you to break free from working for someone else.

Coleco Pulls Out Of Faltering Chameleon Console (RetroVGS) Project, Retro Collect
I have always been fascinated at the moving and changing of the video game industry. Watching the ebbs and flows of video game companies, their gambles, and their successes has not only been a fun observation for me, but it also helped me make a few bucks off of those companies when I was more actively involved in the stock market. One of the most intriguing observations that I have about the industry today is the influence that retro gaming is having on the current market. There are a lot of people who are actively seeking a way to reject the big gaming companies and return to a time of cartridge-based gaming. To that end, RetroVGS started a crowd-funding campaign to start such a system. That campaign ultimately failed, but then legacy video game company Coleco came in to take up the mantle of the project… until they pulled out of the entire thing earlier this month.

The Beginner’s Guide to Meditation and Why You Need It, Live Limitless
This is not a short article by any means, but it is packed with information that you might find interesting if you are seeking more knowledge about meditation. Learning more about meditation is a non-priority goal that I have for myself. Specifically, I have been looking for a way to marry the peace that I encounter from my religious beliefs with a full body relaxation technique.

Obesity Changes How People View World: Study, Newsmax
According to the research presented in this article, if you are overweight, then you see the world differently. No, the research does not suggest that you only feel different about the way the world views you, but that you literally see objects as farther away. Interesting stuff.

City’s 1st CO-OP Coming to Asbury Fresh Summer Market, Asbury Park Sun
And in some local news – it looks like there will be a co-op option at the Asbury Park Summer Market this year. Several years ago I joined a community supported agriculture (CSA) farm that was about 15 minutes from my home. The promise of the CSA farm was that if you purchased a share (or, in my case, half a share), then you would be able to go to the farm and pick a certain amount of produce each week. That particular CSA farm worked well during the first year that I was a member, but the next two years were abysmal. Since then, I have been looking for a similar, local option.

The Collapse of Oil IS the Economic Boom, Reason
Another very interesting article about how the pending economic boom that everyone is waiting for is actually here. How is it here, you ask? Well, the precipitous drop in oil prices is something that impacts nearly every American adult. Further, while there have been some layoffs because of the price dropping, there are a lot more people who are experiencing more money in their accounts because they are not paying as much for gas as they were just a few months ago.

How To Make Your Own Rain Barrel Watering System, The Good Human
If I owned the type of home that had a big backyard that I could plant a substantial garden in, I would definitely be into putting something like a rain barrel watering system together. There is no question that I would have several of these barrels in my yard specifically for watering my plants and my garden (which would be packed with tomatoes and basil). Unfortunately, I do not think it is feasible to have something like this on my current backyard patio. Oh well!

Shrinking the White Male—and His Culture, Minding the Campus
As I often mention in these and other posts, young white men are being intellectually attacked on college campuses on a daily basis. This very short article is in that vein, but at a different level of the college campus. In this article, the author looks at language that many of you have seen in job postings about your potential employer embracing diversity and not holding any characteristic against you during the hiring process. The author then applies that language to the reality of the individuals that make up the department to which the job posting refers. The result is interesting, but what really stuck with me was the near-aside that ends the article. That is, that college students are new 60% women and 40% male. Where is the outrage about that inequality?

Have you come across any great articles lately? If so, please share those links in the comments below! And one more time before you go – for those of you who love reading online articles, I strongly recommend considering a free Feedly account. You can follow JerseySmarts.com on Feedly or you can add us to your existing RSS aggregator. Enjoy!

Start the Weekend Right Link Series – Volume #2, Edition #2

Joe — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 12:30:07 +0000

Here’s hoping that you enjoyed last week’s return of the Start the Weekend Right Link Series. And just like last week I’ve got a bunch of great links for you to consider to begin this weekend with all of the knowledge that you need to know and, of course, to spread around to your friends. Just think, you’ll be the most impressive person at this weekend’s BBQ or football game because your mind will be packed full of the great content that I have to share with you today!

Granted, you’ll have to read these links in order to be the one with all of the knowledge. But today is Friday and you’ve worked hard all week – so kick back, relax, and fill your mind with some good reading.

Before we get to the links this week I again recommend signing up for a free Feedly account. I get absolutely no kickback for promoting Feedly, but I’m so appreciative of their product being the best RSS reader on the market that I encourage everyone to use it. If you’re using another RSS aggregator, please consider following JerseySmarts.com at http://www.jerseysmarts.com/feed/. If you’re already on Feedly, then you can follow us by clicking here. And away we go!

The Downfall of Being A Cool Kid, Be Great Daily
Back in January 2003, I was a college senior who just rolled off of two straight years of being the President of my fraternity. During those two years we did a lot of really great, transformational things to help improve the chapter and all of that experience was floating around my head needing an outlet. Our volunteer regional director decided to host a regional development workshop for the undergraduates from around New Jersey right at my home chapter and he asked me to speak. One of the major points in my presentation during that workshop was the concept that is covered in this article. My spin on it was that members of our fraternity shouldn’t try to be the “cool” kid in the chapter; they should strive to be the most active, productive member of the chapter! Give this article a read – I love the message!

The “Perfect” Salary for Happiness, by State, Lifehacker
You may remember a long while ago when I wrote about the Princeton University study suggesting that an income of $75,000 was all that was needed to be happy. The study suggested that after you earn $75,000 per year, earning more money doesn’t necessarily add more happiness. Well, that study has now been adjusted on a state-by-state level and, as the rest of my fellow New Jerseyans already know, everything is more expensive in New Jersey. In the great Garden State, our “happiness” number is $95,700 per year… so get to work, everyone!

Cash, Wall Street Playboys
In keeping with the theme of money, the guys over at Wall Street Playboys put together a great article about how you should view cash. There’s even a short guest appearance by the Oracle himself, Warren Buffet. In particular, I like their perspective on cash flow being king and time equaling money.

How Do We Fix the Ivy League?, The American Conservative
Those of you who are not involved in education may not be aware that grade school, high school, and college classes all started this week. In recognition of the college classes starting this week I’m posting this link which I found incredibly thought-provoking. The American Conservative looks at what the problem is with the Ivy League admissions process and proposes some suggestions to improve the system. If you have an interest in higher education and truly finding ways to improve the system for coming generations, then I think you want to read this article.

Journalists Misunderstanding What “Literally” Means, Patriactionary
This one is short and sweet. The writer of Patriactionary points out a journalistic mistake that makes this English major shake his head in exasperation.

A Morning in the Life of Victor Pride (Video), Bold & Determined
I read a small group of optimistic, empowering websites that focus on giving young men the type of inspiration that they need to become their best selves. One of my favorite sites in this group is Bold & Determined and I think that this short video and the accompanying commentary are a great example why I rank this site so highly on my list. I encourage everyone, especially the younger guys who might be reading this series, to check out Bold & Determined.

Four Ways to Spot a Great Teacher, The Wall Street Journal
This is a great article. With school back in session this week I’ve noticed some of the New Jersey-centric online newspapers publishing their all-too-common anti-education reform bashing articles. In fact, one of them posted an op-ed from a far left professor who bashed all of the reform movements that are popular in New Jersey (popular because they work) and the guy didn’t give a single fact to back his perspective. Not one fact. Talking about good, high quality education in New Jersey can be very frustrating, but this article attempts to get to the core of the issue. What makes a good teacher great? This article gives four great indicators of a great teacher.

The Healing: Victim of Brutal Beating Meets Attacker 25 Years Later, The Saturday Evening Post
This article starts out with a guy recounting how he was tossed out of his home as a kid for coming out as gay. He then talks about being homeless before he tells a story about nearly being beaten to death. Of course, this wouldn’t be something for The Saturday Evening Post to publish unless there was a newsworthy twist. And that twist is that the guy who was nearly killed coincidentally wound up meeting – and working with – the guy who perpetrated the attack. While I wasn’t as moved by this article as I’m sure some folks were when they read it, I was interested enough in the story and the weird way that coincidences tend to work out to share the link here for your consideration.

Before you go, I want to recommend one more time that you consider opening a free Feedly account. You can follow JerseySmarts.com on Feedly or you can add us to your existing RSS aggregator. Enjoy!

How Much Does It Cost To Buy Happiness? Does $75,000 Per Year Work?

Joe — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:29:39 +0000

For those of you who have been reading my student loan updates, you may remember the entry linked above with its tired, exhausted tone throughout the update. My aggressive student loan repayment was – and continues to be – the right path to financial freedom. The truth, though, is that this repayment schedule is tiring and taxing on my wallet. But does it impact my overall happiness and well-being? I don’t think so, but let’s see what the folks at Princeton University have to say about it!

The folks at Princeton have an interesting study about money and perceived happiness.

An August 2010 study by Princeton University suggests that the more money you make, the happier you are… until you make $75,000 per year. According to the study, $75,000 is the magic number where a person’s annual salary maximizes personal happiness. Any money earned over $75,000 doesn’t significantly add to a person’s evaluation of their life. The study also suggests that when you make less money, then issues like poor health, divorce, and loneliness are amplified. In other words, if you can make $75,000 per year, then you just might be able to buy yourself into being satisfied with your life.

From my personal experience with sinking so much money into repaying my student loans, I don’t know if I’m a good example of the results from the Princeton study. Sure, my income is at or above the $75,000 mark (forgive me for trying to express some modesty with my income here, folks), but I wonder if the Princeton group analyzed what the impact is of significant levels of debt on the happiness or perceived happiness of individuals. On the one hand, I’m a happy guy with not many complaints so I think I already fit well into any happiness measures. On the other hand, though, even with my current income I’m constantly trying to find ways to earn more money so I can retire more debt.

In light of my own experiences, I would suggest that there might be an addendum that we can include with the Princeton study. That addendum would say that while making $75,000 per year is the apex of integrating money earned with impressions of happiness, there is a correlation between exhaustion and high levels of debt – regardless of how much money one makes.

All of this really begs the question, though, on what you think of the results of the Princeton study. Do you think $75,000 is enough of an annual salary to buy happiness? Or, as the Princeton folks write it, is $75,000 in annual income enough for you to feel satisfied with where your life is right now?

I don’t know – I wonder what other people think about this conclusion. It seems to me that $75,000 might be a lot of money in some parts of this country, but not necessarily so in other parts. Also, if you have extreme amounts of debt, then how much of that $75,000 is actually being used to enhance those factors in your life that would leave to an improved self-image? Or improved happiness? And is there a level of debt where the money you owe is small enough that it doesn’t necessarily impact your happiness any more? Interesting questions…

Second Snow Day in a Row

Joe — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:30:41 +0000

Call it being extra conservative, but I’ve taken a second snow day in a row. I’m not sure about all of Monmouth County, but in the development where I live the main roads are still not drivable. Oh sure, our cul-de-sac is fine and I could drive circles around it all day. However, the main road of our development which the cul-de-sac feeds in to is abysmal. I don’t understand why the maintenance team would be sure that the cul-de-sacs are okay to drive on, but the main roads are not. Isn’t that some type of useless?

As if this wasn’t bad enough, last night’s deep freeze has rendered those snow covered roads to be ice covered. Great…

When you put all of this together with the fact that I’m now driving a Honda Civic instead of a Chevrolet Blazer, you can see why I’m more restrained about making the hour long trek across New Jersey from Tinton Falls to Trenton. Ain’t happening today.

And let’s be real – I definitely do not get paid enough to put my safety on the line to get to an office where my work is more “appreciated” than valued. Seriously. If I had a dollar for every time someone said thank you or that they appreciated my work, I’d double my salary! I don’t want to start down that path right now, though…

So I’ll be working from home again today while the folks in this development try to dislodge their heads from their asses and figure out how to make the main road drivable!

Urban Bias in Community Development

Joe — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:45:05 +0000

The financial field that I work in is part of the larger “community development” industry. This is an industry that prides itself on helping those in need in anyway possible. I’ve been part of this industry as a member of one company or another for the last five years. It is an extremely rewarding industry in that you can make a decent salary (not comparable to market rate salaries) and you can help people at the same time.

However, one of the big problems that I’ve been finding in the community development field is that there is a bias against the unknown when it comes to defining “community.” Many of the industry leaders in this part of the nation (who, by the way, should let their younger staff have a larger role in strategic planning) have a biased view against using their scarce resources to help communities in the rural and suburban parts of the state. The idea is that since there is some private money in those areas, then the development projects in those areas can be financed by the local banks which are holding those private dollars. The problem is that this doesn’t happen and since it doesn’t happen, there is a drought of development to provide services to underserved communities in these types of areas.

In other words, if you’re not working on a project that is a multi-unit low-income housing development in extremely urbanized areas like Essex or Camden counties, then your projects probably aren’t going to get favorable rates or terms – if they get any at all. I saw this happen first hand today. My company puts its dollars into projects where underserved communities are provided with vital services. One of these services is education and the school choice movement. A project to provide a substantial loan to a school in northwest New Jersey (think near the Poconos in Pennsylvania) was shot down because one of the decision makers said, “This isn’t in Newark or Irvington or any type of urban market that we know something about. It’s off in a part of the state where we don’t know what’s going on.”

I’m sorry, folks, but that’s crap and it’s not good enough for the community development field. The scarce resources that are allocated to this industry either through private investment or through public funds cannot ALL be funneled to the Newarks and Camdens of the world. There are a variety of underserved communities around this state and this country and not all of them are concrete jungles.

It’s time that the urban bias in community development was addressed head on and eliminated from the industry.

Unnecessary Complications: Urbanizing Northwest New Jersey

Joe — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:24:29 +0000

Today’s Daily Record ran a story entitled, “Builders in Highlands must add affordable units.” The increased production of affordable or workforce housing units in northwest New Jersey (also known as the Highlands) should be a priority – there’s no doubt about it. There are many people like me who are making a decent salary that just cannot afford to live in New Jersey because the asking prices for homes are completely outlandish. God bless my fellow New Jerseyans for wanting top dollar for their homes, but unlike the national housing bubble – the local housing bubble hasn’t totally burst yet in New Jersey.

That said, let me make it clear that the latest COAH rules are infringing on what makes the Highlands one of the most beautiful parts of the state. For those non-New Jersey folks out there, you wouldn’t know that you were still in this state if you were driving around portions of Morris, Sussex, Warren, and Hunterdon counties. We have large forests and some gorgeous wildlife areas that are being preserved by the Highlands Commission. But we also have Governor Money Bags (you non-New Jerseyans may know him as Jon Corzine). This man knows nothing of New Jersey outside of Newark, Trenton, and Camden and – frankly – the way that the masses in Essex, Mercer, and Camden counties constantly vote Democratic, he has no reason to know anything else.

From the article in the Daily Record:

COAH issued a “scarce resource restraint” on all Highlands towns under its control — 72 of the 88 towns in the region, including 24 of Morris County’s 32 municipalities — that appears to stop all construction that does not include affordable units. The order applies even to those towns in the Highlands region’s planning area, where compliance with a regional master plan is voluntary. Still allowed would be any building exempted from the 2004 Highlands law, including a single home on an existing lot.

Stopping construction may not be the best news for those of us looking for a home in that part of the state, but given the economy construction may have stopped anyway. Forcing affordable units into larger developments, though, is not the proper way to move forward. In fact, I talk to many housing developers on a daily basis and restrictions like these almost always lead to an increase in the total number of units being built – though the amount of land to build on is not increased. What does this mean? It means more bodies in less space. It’s unnecessary urbanization. More from the article:

COAH’s action was in response to Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s September executive order that affordable housing not be built at the expense of protecting water resources in the 860,000-acre environmentally sensitive region and that COAH and the New Jersey Highlands Council work together to reconcile their competing mandates.

Highlands Executive Director Eileen Swan said that COAH’s order won’t stop all development. Any subdivision in which 20 percent of the homes will be affordable — for instance, 10 units in a 50-unit development — and those meeting one of the 17 exemptions written into the Highlands law will be permitted. So will development in any town that proves to COAH it has ample water, sewer and land for building.

In other words, if you’ve already figured out how to build affordable units in one of the areas of the nation where real estate is still overvalued, then you can go ahead and build. But the interesting part of this blocked quote is Governor Money Bags’ order that affordable housing come second to protecting our natural resources. With one hand, he’s forcing higher density units and with the other he says to keep water resources at the forefront. Double talk at its best…or worst.

New Jersey should leave the Highlands area alone. There are more than enough brownfields (former industrial sites that are no longer in use) in this state that can be demolished, cleaned, and redeveloped. Let’s work on those areas first and then think about manifest destiny to the Pennsylvania border.

Just About Done With Howard Stern

Joe — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:04:19 +0000

Today begins the second straight week of vacation for Howard Stern and his Sirius XM crew. I’m just about done with this guy and his completely ridiculous schedule. I’ve said on this blog before that Howard used to be the voice of the working man and now he works a 4-day per week, 4-hour per day work schedule where he pretty much gets an additional week off each month. The voice of the working man? I think not.

One of my friends made the comment the other day that you can tell in Howard’s voice how he doesn’t even want to be there any more and I couldn’t agree more. The shows have been lacking lately, though I will give him credit because every once in a long while he hits a home run (usually something that has to do with Artie and his disastrous health). There are a few issues that confuse me about Howard and his current deal, though…

For example, Sirius XM ran a promotion to get new subscribers this spring leading into the summer months where their announcer clearly said, “And you won’t want to miss Howard Stern this summer!” Really? We won’t want to miss Howard this summer? Because I’m pretty sure that he’s only worked like two or three, 4-day work weeks this summer (that’s 8 to 12 days).

Also, how can the higher-ups at Sirius XM justify the $100 million per year expense on this guy when he works such a reduced schedule? I understand that the $100 million is to be used for his channels in addition to his salary, but when the company is on the verge of losing a talent like Bubba the Love Sponge, you have to wonder why so much money is funneled into The Howard Stern Show when it clearly is not using the money correctly (why don’t their microphones ever work right the first time).

Speaking of money, don’t tell me that Stern isn’t bringing in a ton of excess income on his channels. Subscribers to this commercial-free service are treated to frequent 10 – 15 minute non-live content breaks during the show. In other words, we get propaganda from the Howard 100 News team, commercials, and full-length songs (which is incredibly insulting considering the dozens upon dozens of music channels that are truly commercial free). Some of that money can be spread around, you know.

Anyway, it’s ridiculous that Stern is floating by on a contract that is designed for someone to NOT float by. I hope Mel Karmazin reigns this guy in because with his current attitude, the ridiculous amount of commercials, and his current schedule, Stern may actually be hurting the satellite radio movement more than helping it.