Mystery deposit from your credit union? It’s your share of the profits
If you bank with a credit union, you may notice a deposit appear once a year labeled something like “descriptive deposit rebate.” It is not a mistake. It…
Author: Rick Good
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader's money, real estate, and business coverage.
Doing business by sail: when an order took a year
Imagine placing an order with a supplier and waiting a year for delivery, then paying with a piece of paper backed by tobacco. That was business in…
Ice down the hall: a peculiarly American demand
Step off an elevator in almost any American hotel and you’ll find it: a humming ice machine, free for the taking. Step off an elevator at a hotel in…
How a Texas metal shop became Igloo
Nearly three out of four American households own an Igloo cooler. The brand is so woven into American summer that it’s hard to remember anyone had to…
A gardener’s guide to surviving your pets
You planted it carefully. You watered it faithfully. Then the dog found it. If you share your yard with dogs or cats, you already know that certain plants…
Is a smart home a smart investment?
Programmable thermostats, video doorbells, keyless locks, automated lighting, smart home technology has moved from novelty to neighborhood norm. But does…
What not to say in your first weeks on the job
A new job is an audition. The role has been offered, yes, but whether it becomes a career depends largely on what happens in the first ninety days. A few…
The art of taking initiative
Taking initiative is one of the most valued qualities in any workplace. It is also one of the easiest to get wrong. Done well, it looks like this: you…
Your first job is a classroom
You spent years in school learning how to think, write, analyze, and perform. Then you landed a job, and discovered that none of that fully prepared you…
The CIA’S 35-year-old puzzle was cracked by accident
In the courtyard of CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, there’s a 12-foot-tall, S-shaped copper sculpture covered in 1,800 hand-cut characters of…