Michael Pollock's Personal Blog

Great List of High Yield Savings Accounts

Michael Pollock — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 11:08:59 +0000

If you’re looking for the best savings accounts, JD over at Get Rich Slowly has a great list.

I’ve heard a lot about online high-yield savings accounts, but I’ve never bothered to look into them. It occurred to me today that it’s ridiculous to keep my ‘web money’ in a no-yield checking account at Wells Fargo. As my blog revenue grows, I’m throwing away money by not having my savings someplace that pays.

Many of the banks on his list offer convenience features, such as:

No minimum balance.
Automatic savings plan.
No fees.
Web Interface.

I would add Paypal to JD’s list. Although they don’t offer an automatic savings plans, their current rate is just over 5%. I use Paypal for just about everything in my business, including sending invoices and processing credit cards, and I’ve been very happy with it.

I Need More Human Contact

Michael Pollock — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 23:34:39 +0000

Here’s my typical workday. I awaken at 7 or 8 am and work on my computer till about 5:00 p.m. Exciting, right? On occasion, I’ll speak to a client or potential client on the telephone, but other than that, it’s just me, my computer and my parakeets all day long (not that my parakeets are great company, mind you, but they are there).

Now, I’m no fool. I know that’s not healthy; at least not for me. Most people need belly-to-belly human contact. What I didn’t know, however, was that my hermit-like behavior is probably the reason I feel tired all the time.

Penelope Trunk shares this interesting tidbit in her post, Productivity tip: Face-to-face contact energizes your brain:

“The need to have regular human moments at work is similar to the need to stand up and stretch on an airplane: Your well-being depends on it. On top of that, a workday with regular face-to-face contact is more energizing than a day full of contacts exclusively via computer and phone.”

The real question is what to do about it. I suppose I need to set up some sort of system to have at least a little human contact each day. Hey, maybe I could get a cleaning lady to come over every day, hang out with me for a couple of hours and even clean my pad.

Super-Human

Michael Pollock — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 21:37:59 +0000

Joshua Davis, writing for Wired magazine, shares 12 secrets of The Perfect Human, Dean Karnazes. Dean is a runner. And not just any runner. An ultra-runner who ran 50 marathons in 50 days.

“The human body has limitations,” Karnazes says. “The human spirit is boundless.” Your mind, in other words, is your most important muscle. As a running buddy told him: “Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention to arrive safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow!! What a ride!”

At one point in my life, I was an avid runner. I was also in amazing physical condition. Now, several years, several pounds and several pants sizes later, I find myself smelling 40 years-old and very aware of the crummy condition of my body.

Joshua, you’ve inspired me with Dean’s story. I’ll probably never run even one marathon, but I’ll be out there tomorrow morning pounding the pavement once again.

Via Lifehacker.