Saturday, August 16, 2014

Axiom 53: Success in Numbers


Our universe is filled with numbers. They impact our lives and our very existence. Below are a few of my favorite "numbers" based observations that relate to success.


  1. The 10,000 Hour Rule - I have written about this rule previously. It takes 10,000 hours of study to truly master a skill.
  2. The 80/20 Principle (Pareto Principle) - 80% of effects come from 20% of the causes. For Example: 80% of sales come from 20% of your product offerings.
  3. Your IQ will determine your future - A person with an IQ of 116 or more can do almost any job. See Table 1 here
  4. Your education will determine your future salary - $31,539/year for high school graduates, $56,078/year for college graduates, $100,000/year for professional degrees. See the full chart here.
  5. Edison's 10,000 Failures - Edison went through many failures while trying to invent the light bulb. Sometimes you have to endure multiple failures in the pursuit of success.
  6. The average millionaire goes bankrupt 3.5 times - read more here.
  7. 52% of Americans believe that rich people gained their wealth through hard work - read more here.
  8. 86% of millionaires are self-made - read more here.

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Who's Got the Best Philly Cheese Steak? Pat's, Geno's, Tony Luke's, or Jim's?


For years I've wanted to go to Philadelphia and put their famous cheese steak places to the test. Finally I was able to fly in for a few days and settle my curiosities once and for all.

  
My first stop was Pat's King of Steaks. I ordered the cheesesteak with cheese whiz and onions (whiz wit). The sandwich was amazingly good. The bread and onions were especially good.



After Pat's I walked across the street to the flashy Geno's Steaks for a whiz wit. The steak was thinly sliced, instead of chopped like Pat's. I did not care for that as much. The bread and onions were not as good as Pat's, but the cheese whiz was better than Pat's.



The next day I ate a whiz wit at Tony Luke's. The meat and cheese whiz were better than Pat's and Geno's. Pat's bread and onions were better than Tony Luke's.



My last stop was Jim's Steaks for another whiz wit. The line was incredibly long and it took about 45 minutes to finally sit down and eat. I had the highest hope for Jim's since the locals highly praised it.



And they were right. Jim's had everyone else beat in every category (bread, steak, whiz, onions). The steak at Jim's was truly crave worthy. If I could only have one cheese steak in Philly I would choose Jim's.

So here is how I would rate everyone:
1. Jim's Steaks - 9.5 / 10
2. Pat's / Tony Luke's (tie) - 8.5 / 10
3. Geno's - 7.5 / 10

On a side note: I did cheese whiz on all of my sandwiches but from what I gathered from the locals provolone and ketchup seems to be the more "local" way to have a cheese steak.

Enjoy!