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KEYSTROKE MONTHLY THE
MAY 2021 WHY I FIND REGULAR EXERCISE IMPORTANT
And How It Once Saved My Life
I’ve always been a pretty active person. I played sports all throughout high school and college and continued to stay active once I entered the working world. Even today, I still play tennis 3–4 times per week and try to log at least 10,000 steps every day. May might be National Physical Fitness and Sports month, but for me, it might as well be a year-round celebration! Exercising is incredibly important to me, not only because I find enjoyment in it, but also because regular exercise once saved my life. In a previous newsletter, I’ve talked a little bit about the triple bypass surgery I had 16 years ago. In the days before the surgery, I felt winded after playing tennis for just five minutes, and then again after going up a flight of stairs. I knew something was wrong, so I went to see a cardiologist at the hospital. After he did an arteriogram, he asked me one question: “Do you consider yourself lucky?” I told him yes, I did consider myself lucky. It seemed like the answer he was looking for. He confirmed that, and went on to explain how given the condition of my arteries, I should not have been able to walk through the door. The arteriogram results showed that three of my arteries, including the one known colloquially as “the widow maker” were completely blocked. The only thing keeping me alive at that point was the elasticity of my arteries. One of the most common reasons for elasticity in the arteries is regular exercise. So, in that regard, exercise had (barely) saved my life. I had to have a triple bypass surgery the very next morning. Now, I should say my condition never should have progressed that far to begin with. I figured that even though my family had a history of heart disease, I didn’t need to see a doctor as often as I should have if I continued to exercise regularly. So, while exercise did end up saving my life in the end, I could have prevented needing surgery if I had seen a doctor as often as I was supposed to. Still, that experience definitely convinced me that exercise should be an important part of my and anyone else’s life.
I’m a big advocate for working on your physical fitness and finding sports you enjoy at any age. Whether it’s tennis, cycling, jogging, walking, pickle ball, or swimming, if you like doing it and it gets you moving, you should find a way to do it regularly. According to a study I read last year (and referenced in another newsletter), certain types of exercise (especially racket sports) can help you age well. However, the study notes that physical exertion isn’t only what helps people stay healthier — friendly competition and socializing through exercise can help you stay healthy as well. So, in honor of National Physical Fitness and Sports month, I would say that if you’re looking for a way to become more active, start by finding something physical you like doing. Don’t try and do too much at once, though. Just ease into it, adding a little more exercise to your routine as you become more comfortable being active. Then, find people who are willing to share that activity with you. Regular exercise can keep you one step ahead of any health conditions or diseases that could affect you. It can also make day-to-day life so much more enjoyable. -Doug Barnes
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HOW TO LIVE TO 99 Betty White’s Secrets of Longevity
Beloved “Golden Girls” actress Betty White is still enjoying her golden years. The famed actress celebrated her 99th birthday this January. While she told People magazine that she’s “blessed with good health, so turning 99 is no different than turning 98,” she also had a few tips for folks looking to make it to their centennial birthday. KEEP LAUGHING “Don’t take yourself too seriously,” White says. “You can lie to others — not that I would — but you cannot lie to yourself.” White has undoubtedly provided many laughs to viewers over the years, but she’s not just playing it up for the camera. Laughter is part of what keeps her young. BE OPTIMISTIC White says a good sense of humor also helps her keep a good attitude and look for the positive rather than “dwelling on the downside.” Avoiding negativity also gives her energy. “It takes up too much energy being negative,” she told People magazine. STAY BUSY With nearly eight decades of acting under her belt, six Emmys on her shelf, and over 120 screen credits to her name, White is no stranger to hard work. As she told Parade in 2018, “I just love to work, so I’ll keep working until they stop asking.” Crafting the Perfect Site for Selling Handmade Wares
EXERCISE YOUR MIND In addition to her busy work schedule, what keeps Betty White sharp? Crossword puzzles! She told Katie Couric in an interview, “I’m addicted. An admitted addict. I just can’t put ’em down.” FIND A CAUSE White is a lifelong animal lover. She calls her golden retriever, Pontiac, “the star of the house.” While pet ownership itself comes with proven health benefits, White has channeled her love for animals in bigger causes. She’s been a trustee and board member of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association for over 40 years and has done work to help protect endangered species in the wild. Funds raised from White’s official fan club, Bet’s Pets, all go to support animal charities. EMBRACE YOUR VICES White told Parade she loves vodka and hot dogs “probably in that order,” which just goes to show that you don’t have to forgo your treats to live to 99.
How Etsy Continues to Find Success During the Pandemic
When the pandemic caused businesses across the country to close, many local producers and creators of jewelry, furniture, clothing, and other craft goods suffered. However, businesses online were fortunate as e-commerce continued to thrive. One site in particular continues to ride the e-commerce success train, giving small-time creators a place to sell their wares: Etsy. Etsy creators Rob Kalin, Chris Maguire, and Haim Schoppik first came up with the idea for Etsy when they realized how hard it was for makers to sell their products. That’s when Etsy, an online marketplace designed specifically for small-time creators of handmade, one-of-a- kind products, was born. Over the next few years, the site went through some changes. Chad Dickerson, formerly of Yahoo, replaced Maguire and Schoppik and eventually succeeded Kalin as Etsy’s CEO. He helped Etsy become what it is today: a site where people can buy handmade gifts alongside manufactured goods, too. As much as that move angered some sellers, it proved to be the push Etsy needed to go forward.
As the pandemic began, more and more people had to turn to e-commerce to get things not available at the supermarket or at local stores. Etsy also gave people a way to find handcrafted gifts without leaving their homes. The pandemic left a lot of creators with more time on their hands, so Etsy had even more products available for sale on the website. That combination created the perfect recipe for Etsy’s success this past year. Etsy’s leaders weren’t passive in bringing about that success, either. The site encouraged creators to make and sell custom masks, which contributed to a 93% jump in sales during the second quarter of 2020. Then, during the company’s fourth quarter of that same year, they reported $617 million in revenue — $100 million more than their projected earnings. While Amazon has tried to compete with Etsy’s primacy as an online handmade product store with its own version, Handmade, sellers haven’t had nearly as much success selling their products there. It’s too hard to compete with the manufactured goods also sold on Amazon. So, it looks like Etsy’s success will continue well into the future.
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FACIAL RECOGNITION: SECURITY SYSTEM OF THE FUTURE? The Benefits and Drawbacks of Using Your Face as a Key
Can you imagine a future where the only key you need throughout your day is your face?
however. For instance, it has yet to be 100% accurate in its recognition abilities, which means some sort of backup method is needed to get into your home. It also can’t be as easily changed as say, a password or a key. Those things can be replaced, but your face cannot. Finally, the means by which some companies have mined for facial recognition data, namely through social media sites without users’ consent, has raised ethical concerns about the further development of facial recognition technology. THE FUTURE Though applications for facial recognition will certainly exist in the years to come, it’s probably safe to assume we’ll continue to need other, more traditional security systems for our homes and businesses. If you ever need to rekey your home or install a security system at your place of business, you can always rely on the experts at Pop- A-Lock to keep you and yours safe. Call us today at (502) 895-6736 for our Louisville office, (859) 253-6736 for our Lexington office, or (812) 288-7576 for our Southern Indiana office.
That may seem like something out of a sci-fi movie, but over the past few years, facial recognition technology has evolved significantly — albeit with a few drawbacks. Could having our face as our password and key be the next step forward for residential and commercial security? THE BENEFITS While facial recognition is a common feature on many smartphones today, securing homes and offices with facial recognition isn’t quite as common. However, some facial recognition security systems are boasting some major features. The FL1000 from ZKTeco can recognize a face within just 0.2 seconds. The Corum Security CS-100 utilizes infrared technology to recognize faces even in dim and dark conditions. With these features, you can be in and out of the door quicker than you would be with any sort of key, at any time of day.
THE DRAWBACKS There are a few reasons why facial recognition technology hasn’t simply taken home and office security by storm,
TAKE A BREAK
THIS MONTH’S EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
JEREMY NOLTE
Car Door Unlocking Technicians meet customers during a very stressful time of their day, which means their customer service skills have to be top notch. That’s why Jeremy Nolte, who came to us with several years of management experience in the food service industry, has become such an asset to our company. When Jeremy was searching for a new job around 6–7 months ago, his brother Neil, who also works at Pop-A-Lock, told him about a CDU position that had recently opened. Jeremy got the job, and he’s been happy to learn all there is to know about unlocking car doors ever since. When he’s not unlocking car doors or helping around the office, Jeremy spends most of his time with his wife, three kids, and two high-energy dogs.
If he has any downtime besides that, though, he prefers to spend it doing things that help him relax, like drawing or playing video games.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE HOW REGULAR EXERCISE ONCE SAVED MY LIFE PAGE 1 HOW TO LIVE TO 99 ETSY: CRAFTING AN ONLINE MARKET FOR HANDMADE WARES PAGE 2 FACIAL RECOGNITION: THE BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS THIS MONTH’S EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: JEREMY NOLTE PAGE 3 THE BET THAT SPAWNED THE FILET-O-FISH SANDWICH PAGE 4
THE BET THAT SPAWNED THE FILET-O-FISH SANDWICH
Inside the McDonald’s History Books
Every day, 68 million people dine under the iconic golden arches of McDonald’s. If you’re one of them, then you’re probably intimately familiar with one of the most famous offerings on the menu after the McRib and the Big Mac: the Filet-O-Fish Sandwich. This bestselling entree looks simple enough. It features a fried square of wild-caught fish nestled under a slice of American cheese and a smear of tartar sauce. But it has a contentious history. In fact, Ray Kroc, the owner of McDonald’s who was immortalized in the 2016 movie “The Founder,” didn’t want the fishy offering on the menu. It ended up there anyway for one of the oldest reasons in the world: Kroc lost a bet. The story starts back in 1962 in Cincinnati, Ohio. That year, an enterprising McDonald’s franchisee named Lou Groen had a problem. His customer base was largely Catholic and abstained from eating meat on Fridays (not to mention during Lent!), and they weren’t buying enough burgers to keep his restaurant afloat. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, on Fridays, Groen pulled in just $75 per day. To combat that lack of sales, he masterminded a beef-free option, and the Filet-O-Fish Sandwich was born.
The problem came when Groen pitched the entree to Ray Kroc. The founder didn’t approve. In a 2006 interview with Business Courier, Groen recalled Kroc’s reaction: “You’re always coming up here with a bunch of crap!” he said. “I don’t want my stores stunk up with the smell of fish.” But at the end of the day, Kroc’s motivation was profit. So, the two men made a bet. On Good Friday in 1962, select McDonald’s would put both the Filet-O-Fish and a different meatless option, the pineapple-centric Hula Burger, on their menus. The entree that sold the best would stick around. Since you’ve probably dined on a Filet-O-Fish and never heard of Hula Burger, you can guess what happened. Groen sold 350 Filet- O-Fish sandwiches. And Kroc? Well, he moved just six Hula Burgers. Fishy smell or not, the filet was there to stay. Want to read up on more fast-food capers? Pick up the book “Drive- Thru Dreams: A Journey Through the Heart of America’s Fast-Food Kingdom” by Adam Chandler. His KFC stories will blow your mind.
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