I’m not implying that the New York Post is a trusty news source, but I did read a story they recently wrote about restaurants that might impact you. The newspaper believes that “restaurants are discriminating against old people.”
Just to clarify, New York Post refers to old people as baby boomers. The story points out that more and more restaurants are eliminating phone reservations. Some restaurants are even eliminating phone numbers for patrons.
The reason why I zeroed in on this story was because I, too, noticed a change in recent months when I call to make dinner reservations. The hours to make a reservation have been shrinking and the hosts leave me on hold way too long.
The New York Post revealed that restaurants need to save money and one way they are doing that is cutting back on employees. This is also a maneuver to discourage older customers from going to certain restaurants that are aimed at younger hipper crowds. Baby boomers are supposedly not comfortable making reservations online.
I’m don’t really think this story has much validity to it, but I do encourage seniors to use OpenTable, the website for online restaurant reservations, as much as possible. Let’s show them that we have what it takes in today’s society. Don’t fret. OpenTable is very user friendly.
There is a new app called Thrive Market that will allow you to buy natural and organic products right from your smartphone.
I guess there are a lot of major personalities who think this is a good idea because they funded it.
Investors include John Legend, Zoe Saldana, Sofia Vergara, Dr. Mark Hyman, Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra, Mark Sisson, Jillian Michaels, Brian Lee (of Honest.com), Blake Mycoskie (of TOMS Shoes), Gary Hirshberg (of Stonyfield Farm), Mark Rampolla (of Zico Coconut Water) and David Barber (of Blue Hill Farm).
That’s a pretty impressive list. With that many notables, Thrive Market is sure to get a lot of publicity. Tech Crunch did a nice piece on this app.
The company claims to have more than 200,000 paying members. Thrive Market charges $60 a year and has two fulfillment centers: Commerce, California and Batesville, Indiana. It is based in Los Angeles. Thrive Market is exceeding all sales expectations, even though it’s not profitable yet. There’s no rush. It was funded by $58 million to date.
The next time you see someone glaring into his or her cell phone it may not be for a selfie. We all will be using our eyes for digital security reasons. Samsung just introduced the Galaxy Note7 smartphone that features the new iris scanning technology. No more touching your phone to verify your identity. Now you simply look at the screen.
Samsung explains that iris scanning is “an automated method of biometric identification that uses mathematical pattern recognition of images of an individual’s iris, either from one or both eyes.
“An authentication device scans the iris—which is the thin, colored ring of the eye that opens and shuts the pupil like a camera shutter, thus regulating the amount of light that reaches the retina.
“Each individual has a uniquely different and highly intricate iris pattern in each eye, which is completely developed at a very young age and remains unchanged throughout one’s lifetime. This, combined with the fact that iris patterns are almost impossible to replicate, makes iris scanning one of the most secure and reliable biometric techniques available.”
Iris scanning technology is in its infancy. For more information, visit Samsung’s website.
If you live in an apartment building, you know the problem most doormen and concierge personnel are facing these days. They need larger storage areas. Ever since e-commerce has become the popular way to shop, apartment lobbies are getting inundated with delivery packages.
You have never seen anything like it. Building staffs can’t log in the packages fast enough before another new shipment comes in. Now that Amazon wants to expand its delivery service by leasing its own fleet of airplanes called Prime Air to speed up shipments, watch out. Packages are going to pile up even faster. The new airplanes are meant to supplement partners such as United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) and FedEx Corp.(FDX).
Amazon also revealed that shipping costs have been increasing more quickly than sales. Using their own airplanes could help control costs. The Wall Street Journal said Amazon’s second-quarter shipping expenses rose 44% to $3.36 billion, while sales rose 31%.
After 40 years of living at 301 East 62nd St., we decided we needed a different view when we are in New York. We’re opting for hotels in different parts of the city for the next year or two. Call us crazy. We are giving up a 2,000 sq. ft. co-op, three bedrooms, three baths, that costs us less than most studio rentals, for the unknown. All we know is that it’s time to shake it up.
A wall filled with Eliot’s collections
Eliot’s car collection ready to be packed
What’s in the boxes?
If the walls could talk.
It looks bigger now that it’s empty.
Joe Koch, Comic Book Warehouse, Brooklyn, checking out Eliot’s collections.
Meet Al Kahn. He is the American businessman who brought Pokemon to the United States. Al has been a client of ours, on and off, for over 30 years. He recently wanted to talk to the press about the early days of Pokemon. I pitched the story to several members of the press and the Washington Post did a major feature on Al and his wife Jillian.
I bet that 2017 becomes the year of life saving devices. I keep hearing about more products that are going to watch over us like a mother hen. I guess that’s a good thing.
The one I like the best is iBeat. It’s still being developed in San Francisco, but it should be available next year. No retail price yet. It’s a smartwatch that monitors your heart all the time. If something bad happens, like cardiac arrest, emergency responders plus love ones get notified immediately. Time is of the essence.
iBeat is meant to be worn night and day. It measures your heart twice a second, including pulse oximetry, heart-rate intervals and other variables. It functions without a smartphone.
The iBeat will store all of your health data in case anyone needs to access the information. The person wearing an iBeat will be able to swipe the screen if he or she needs help. I like that feature a lot. You never feel alone.
In a surprise attack, Associated Press issued a press release yesterday that said there is little proof that string flossing is effective. Our client at HWH PR is Waterpik so, we had to spring into action to let eveyone know that water flossing (not string) is cliinically proven to be much more effective.
This is the press release we wrote and issued.
Ft Collins, CO — Waterpik®, a leader in innovative personal oral health care products for over 50 years, wants Americans to understand that the AP’s announcement earlier today that there is very little scientific evidence that flossing daily prevents gum disease and cavities, only applies to string flossing, not water flossing.
Deborah M. Lyle, RDH, BS, MS, Director of Professional & Clinical Affairs Waterpik®, said, “The Associated Press just confirmed what I have known for years — the unequivocal recommendation of string floss is not scientifically based. However, the announcement did not say you do not have to clean between your teeth. As a clinician and researcher, I have found that a water flosser was better for my patients than string floss and they have been proven more effective in several clinical studies.”
Lyle said she has been frustrated for years that dental professional associations continue to tout the benefits of string flossing when the science does not support its general use. “It’s clear that people need an easier and more effective alternative to clean between their teeth. There is science to support the use of a Waterpik® Water Flosser and it has been proven more effective than string floss.”
“Unlike string floss, the Waterpik® Water Flosser has been clinically shown to remove plaque and reduce bleeding gums. The first study was conducted at the University of Nebraska in 2004 and showed up to 52% better improvement in gum health. To date there are a total of five clinical studies that compare the water flosser to string floss, consistently demonstrating that water flossing is more effective than string flossing for better oral health. Water flossing has also been shown to be up to 3 times as effective for removing plaque around braces and twice as effective for improving gum health around implants, compared to string floss.”
“The important thing that people have to realize is that cleaning between your teeth and below the gumline is critical. That is where bacteria can hide undisturbed, continue to grow and cause gum disease. The good news is that if you dislike using string floss, you have other alternatives that work.”
Carol A Jahn, RDH, MS, Director of Professional Relations & Education, Waterpik®, added, “What’s really important is that people shouldn’t feel guilty about not using string floss. As a dental hygienist, I have seen first-hand that most people struggle to use string floss correctly. When you are not able to master the technique, you are not going to get results. What I would like people to know is that you still need to clean between your teeth and there is better way. Water flossing is easy to do, only takes a minute a day, and in clinical studies has consistently been shown to provide significantly better improvements in gum health over string floss.”
“I’m a hygienist and water flossing is the way I choose to clean between my teeth.”
About Water Pik, Inc.
Water Pik, Inc. is a leading developer, manufacturer, and marketer of innovative personal healthcare products sold under the Waterpik® name. The company has developed and introduced many products that are considered the first of their kind and have led to the formation of new markets, including the Water Flosser, and the pulsating shower massage. The Waterpik® brand is one of the most trusted oral health brands of dental professionals throughout the world. The company’s products are sold through a variety of channels, including mass merchandisers, drug store chains, and specialty retailers. Headquartered in Fort Collins, CO, the company operates facilities in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
For more information, visit the Water Pik, Inc. website at waterpik.com. Water Pik can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.
When I grow up, I want to be like Iris Apfel. At 95, she is still a fashion icon and creative businesswoman. You have seen her picture everywhere. She admits she gets a little tired of running around, but once she is out, she feels renewed.
The reason I am writing about Iris, is that she was the subject of a documentary by Albert Maysles, that aired on PBS Monday night.
I’m sure you can catch it again. The video above is a trailer for the documentary that first premiered at the New York Film Festival in October 2014.
It’s really worth watching, because there are a number of life lessons to be learned. Iris often says, “I don’t make rules, because I would be the first to break them.” Iris was born August 29, 1921.
Her husband of 67 years, Carl Apfel, used to say.”A woman is as old as she looks, and a man is never old until he stops looking.” He died on August 1, 2015, three days before his 101st birthday.
Iris is the first to tell you that she was never pretty. “But, I had style. That style gave me a beautiful life.”
DigiDame 