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☆ Elon Musk's promise of an 'epic' leaderboard of 'dumb' government spending reveals his marketing savvy
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-13 | by ( Geoff Weiss | Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Elon Musk says a leaderboard of "dumb" government spending will expose waste — and he wants your two cents. The Tesla CEO said this week that he planned to post a public "leaderboard for the most insanely dumb spending of your tax dollars." While the effectiveness of Musk's leaderboard remains to be seen, experts told Business Insider it showed his marketing savvy — even if it could also encourage "gotcha" moments that need more context. Especially in a dry realm such as government spending, Musk's plans are bound to grab eyeballs — and perhaps make people feel more invested in the outcome. She said there was some precedent for Musk's leaderboard, noting that former Sen. William Proxmire, a Democrat from Wisconsin, issued the "Golden Fleece Award" for wasteful spending throughout the 1970s and '80s via monthly press releases.

Persons: Elon Musk, —, Musk, Donald Trump's, DOGE —, he's, Vivek Ramaswamy, Natalie Andreas, Austin who's, Ayelet, didn't, Musk's, Andreas, Karen North, Clinton, Sen, William Proxmire, It's, screwworms —, Amy Jo Kim, Kim Organizations: Service, Department of Government, University of Texas, Austin, University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication, Journalism, Stanford Locations: Wisconsin

☆ My basement was full of stuff. After 24 years of accumulating, I finally started decluttering and it was so satisfying.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-27 | by ( Ivy Eisenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I decided to finally declutter and say goodbye to things I didn't think I could part with. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementA sign on my home office door says, "Creative People Don't Have a Mess; They Have Ideas Lying Around Everywhere." I've created a three-step process to trick myself into saying goodbye to my junk without squashing my personality or memories. I am finally able to say goodbye to my belongings, knowing that they will be adopted.

Persons: —, I've, Gamify, she'd, Donna Summer, Ivy Eisenberg Organizations: Service, Facebook, Vietnam Veterans Locations: Ulta, France, America, White Plains , New York, Queens, New York City

☆ Ukraine's IT army is a 'world first' in cyberwarfare — but it's a major gamble for the government, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-27 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementIn Russia, however, "they have the expertise but not necessarily the service providers who sit in front of organisations to detect and deflect DDoS attacks," Woodward added. AdvertisementSuch attacks may also help "support defensive movements of the Ukrainian army," said Vasileios Karagiannopoulos, an associate professor in cybercrime and cybersecurity at the University of Portsmouth. Advertisement"The IT Army is managed by the SBU and the Ukrainian MoD," Soesanto said, adding that they receive support from Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation. Ted told BI that "the MoD does not run the IT army, but there is collaboration to ensure efforts are synchronized." Ukraine's Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment from BI on the nature of its relationship with the IT army.

Persons: —, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's, Eager, Ted, Ted said, Alan Woodward, Woodward, Ukraine's cyberdefense, Stefan Soesanto, Vasileios Karagiannopoulos, Karagiannopoulos, Soesanto Organizations: Service, Business, Transformation Ministry, IT Army, Surrey Centre, Cyber Security, University of Surrey, Visa, Mastercard, Center for Security Studies, ETH Zurich, Kommersant, University of Portsmouth, country's Ministry of Defense, Ukrainian MoD, Ukraine's Ministry of Digital, MoD, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukraine's, cybercrime, Ukrainian

☆ Americans Are Angry Because Prices Are Constantly Changing
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

A "good" price for something today may have seemed outlandish five years ago. A "good" price for something today may have seemed outlandish five years ago, and it's understandable to wonder whether today's price is just as fleeting. The whole idea of what's a good price for a 12-pack of carbonated soft drinks has changed dramatically over the past few years." Plenty of companies can move their prices, whether by using dynamic prices or downright raising prices, because they're the only game in town. The answer to getting accustomed to high prices is basically to forget what those numbers were in 2019.

Persons: Wendy's, they're, There's, Carly Fink, —, Fink, they'd, Jon Hauptman, Hauptman, Timothy Webb, University of Delaware who's, it's, Ravi Dhar, Taylor Swift, John Zhang, Webb, Dhar, Emily Stewart Organizations: Walmart, Price, University of Delaware, Center, Yale School of Management, Starbucks, Wharton, Business

☆ A woman who got serious about running in her 30s still does marathons aged 61. She shared 4 tips for staying fit and healthy throughout life.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Serafina Kenny | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementCarrier running a marathon in Antarctica for the World Marathon Challenge. World Marathon ChallengeNow 61, Carrier, who is based in North Carolina, is trying to run a marathon in all 50 states and has only eight left to go. In a regular week, Carrier runs 40 to 50 miles, rising to 125 miles a week when she's training for a specific race. AdvertisementFind a sport you loveOver the course of her life, Carrier tried many different sports, from roller skating and bowling to baseball, but she always went back to running. Make being active a habit"You have to make a habit of the important things in your life — eating, sleeping, being active," Carrier said.

Persons: —, Linda Carrier, Carrier, NYRR, that's Organizations: Service, Business, Carrier, New York, Research, National Institute, Aging Locations: Antarctica, North Carolina, New, Hell

☆ Instagram Is Giving People Meaningless Little Badges for Posting
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

But an Instagram posting streak is different from, say, exercising every week for a year or doing a language lesson daily, both of which have intrinsic value. You feel good about trying to get in shape or practicing Spanish no matter who sees; that's not the case for Instagram posting. "But to post on Instagram, I'm not like, 'Wow, I'm a great poster.'" Ultimately, the Instagram badges aren't the end of the world. AdvertisementThe Instagram badges aren't widely available for all users yet, and a spokesperson for Meta said they had nothing to share on whether they eventually would be.

Persons: I've, Instagram, Wordle, Meta, Instagram's, Scott Kessler, it's, Ali Grant, Grant, that's, Barasch, I'm, they'd, she'd, —, Emily Stewart Organizations: YouTube, Third, Meta, Facebook, Digital, University of Colorado Boulder's Leeds School of Business, Business

☆ 4 realistic steps to starting a passive income side hustle: What social media may not tell you
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Starting a passive income side hustle may look quick and easy on TikTok. Make It spoke with a group of experts who've built passive income businesses and scaled them into six-figure successes. JP Mancini II turned his boat chartering side hustle into mostly passive six-figure income. Ryan Hogue, 35, left his web development career in 2020 to focus on building passive income streams. DON'T MISS: The ultimate guide to earning passive income online After roughly a year, Torres left her engineering role.

Persons: Jannese Torres, D'Lites, Dinero, podcaster, JP Mancini, Florida —, JP Mancini II, Mancini, Ryan Hogue, Ryan Hogue Gamifying, Hogue, Rather, Torres, Jasmine McCall, McCall Organizations: CNBC, SXSW Locations: Hampton , Virginia, Key West, Florida, Puerto Rican

☆ 4 easy ways for introverts to show confidence: They'll help you reach a 'pinnacle level of success,' says workplace expert
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Knowing how to navigate those short, and slightly clumsy, conversations can actually help your career, says workplace expert Henna Pryor. A major reason people don't get promotions — or reach their "pinnacle level of success" — is because they avoid discomfort, she tells CNBC Make It. Starting small, even with seemingly inconsequential conversations with peers, can prepare you to broach more difficult conversations with your boss, she says. Make participating in conversations feel like a game: Every time you contribute to a meeting, draw a star in your notes. Don't worry if your conversations feel halting — practice will eventually grow your confidence.

Persons: Pryor, Zers who've, fixating Organizations: CNBC

☆ Renaissance Portraits That Played Hide and Seek
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Karen Rosenberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Met’s delightful show “Hidden Faces: Covered Portraits of the Renaissance” illuminates a curious trend in 15th- and 16th-century painting: the slow reveal. The works on view, originally concealed in special cases and behind sliding or reversible panels, gamify the experience of looking at portraiture; they have to be moved, before they can move us. But we can peer at them from double-sided glass cases and watch animations of faces emerging from sliding panels. The covers are marvelous works in their own right, with elaborate emblems and allegories that are themselves a form of representation. The interactions between the different components can be quite playful, with a literary and theatrical flair.

Persons: Ridolfo Ghirlandaio Organizations: Met, Courtauld Locations: London, Florence, Florentine

☆ Instacart wants to turn grocery shopping into 'Pokémon GO' to get you to buy more using smart carts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Instacart is trying to gamify grocery shopping with its Caper smart carts, an executive said. AdvertisementInstacart is trying to get you to buy more at the grocery store when you use one of its screen-equipped shopping carts — by turning shopping into a game. The company's Caper carts can show shoppers ads or discounts for products based on their buying habits, Instacart has said. McIntosh told Grocery Dive that customers spend around 30 minutes in front of the cart's screen during a visit. "We really believe that it's going to be the future of grocery shopping," CEO Fidji Simo told Bloomberg at the time.

Persons: Instacart, —, David McIntosh, McIntosh, financials Instacart, Fidji Simo Organizations: Service, Connected, Bloomberg

☆ Instacart shoppers are camping out in parking lots to compete for orders
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Instacart shoppers said that they are waiting around for hours in parking lots just to claim orders. Insider spoke with five Instacart shoppers across the country about their recent experiences picking and delivering orders on the app. "Overwhelmingly, shoppers say they choose to earn income through the Instacart platform because of the freedom and independence they get with a flexible schedule," Instacart told Insider. Insider sourceBundling orders helps Instacart, but shoppers say that they're a burdenBatch orders — when Instacart combines multiple shoppers' orders — are another source of frustration for workers. "Multi-order batches have been a part of our earnings structure for many years and represent only a small number of full-service batches," Instacart told Insider.

Persons: It's, —, Caroline, Instacart, Jim, Alex Bitter Organizations: Service, Instacart, Costco Locations: Utah, Caroline, Indiana, Maryland, Illinois

I asked a financial therapist and a financial behaviorist why the cash envelope system is making a comeback. Cash-stuffing is a new name for the old-school cash envelope system, which involves putting cash into envelopes labeled for specific budget categories like rent, groceries, gas, insurance, healthcare, and more. Most of the people who post cash-stuffing videos are women who are trying to curb compulsive spending and refuse to rack up any more credit card debt. For example, if going out to the bar and spending money on drinks with your friends makes you really happy, why not plan to spend money on it? Cash-stuffing videos are fun, but it's not the right strategy for everyoneI'll be the first to admit that even though I love watching these cash-stuffing videos, I probably will never try it.

☆ A 'vacation mindset' at work can make you happier, healthier, and avoid burnout. Here are 3 easy ways to adopt one.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Melody Wilding | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Business coach Melody Wilding says a "vacation mindset" at work can help you deal with stress. This sense of ease, engagement, and enjoyment is a vacation mindset at its finest. Mindfulness expert Leo Babuta describes vacation mindset this way:"Vacation mind is just [being] present in the current moment. So, what does it look like when you apply vacation mind to work? Vacation mindset is something that can be cultivated, and it can have a positive effect on both personal and workplace relationships.

☆ Bitcoin is about to change the definition of card rewards, and it's good news if you're 'crypto-curious' but afraid of risking your own money
▼ + stars: | 2020-12-29 | by ( David Mcmillin | Read More | Read Less | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

The two early entrants are a credit card from BlockFi and a prepaid card from Fold with different structures for earning. Prince is now focused on changing rewards with the company's new Bitcoin Rewards Credit Card. "Credit card rewards points are meant to be spent, ideally as quickly as possible," Prince says. That's a big shift, but Prince thinks it's only the beginning for transforming credit card rewards. Note that credit card lenders may use many different variations of credit score models when considering your application.

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