AIETI

We should all be one, but in reality we are not. Maybe in philosophical and religious terms we are indeed all equal: we all die; we are all subject to the laws of nature or the will of God. We all share a common humanity despite differences of gender and skin color. Sadly, these superficial differences do have a real impact on our lives. One such difference is the inequality caused by the uneven distribution of money. I’m not going to debate the wrongs or rights of distributive taxes or even of revolution. Rather I’m going to write about how money effectively denies us equal access to beautiful places in the world.

I’ve traveled extensively in the developing world. Mostly I can go anywhere because the public transport, accommodation and food is cheap. Obviously, some places like the Angel Falls in Venezuela, the Okavango Delta in Botswana and Easter Island are expensive to get to or to stay in because of limitations in infrastructure. What I complain about is when hotels move into an area and buy up all the best real estate thus driving out the local businesses and making an area the exclusive reserve of the rich. In Thailand after the tsunami of 2004 many small businesses were bought up along the Andaman coast and turned into expensive resorts.

There was no tsunami damage in the Gulf of Thailand but still many beaches in this area are becoming rich enclaves. One example is Thong Nai Pan Noi on Koh Phangan. It now costs between $200 and $1,000 a night for 90% of the accommodation on the beach. All the hotels in Thong Nai Pan Noi are owned by outside interests.

The only solution to staying cheaply in Thong Nai Pan Noi is to rent a villa. Sunrise Villa in Thong Nai Pan Noi is now available for rent for $166 a night. Sunrise Villa has 3 double bedrooms which means per person the cost is only $27 a night. The villa comes with air-con, hot water, huge lounge and balcony as well as fully equipped kitchen. It is good to see that somebody is trying to keep access open to one of Thailand’s best beaches.

The Dolce Gusto Piccolo has both good and bad points. It is not a perfect coffee maker by any means, but it is well made and does provide near instant coffee in a convenient manner. Individuals who have a fast paced life are sure to appreciate using this coffee maker, as it is quick, easy to maintain and provides decent coffee. The Piccolo has gotten very good internet review ratings, which shows that it is a popular machine with many users. On the other hand, one should also be aware of the Piccolo’s disadvantages and weak areas before heading out to purchase one of these machines. Whether or not the Piccolo is a good buy depends on what sort of coffee machine one is looking for and what type of coffee one enjoys drinking. Read an indepth review of the Dolce Gusto Piccolo by clicking the link.

I can tell you for free that information on Cordyceps — a genus of sac fungi, that has about 400 described species, is one that is steeped in controversy. The Cordyceps mushroom is believed to be in the list of the most powerful and health boosting herd in the whole wide world. It is a sad fact though that modern science has very little or no knowledge about Cordyceps. A lot of informative studies are the ones carried out by the Chinese students. Both the traditional herbalists and the western scientists, in equal measure, revere Cordyceps potency.

Cordyceps belongs to the mushroom family that is in real sense parasitic in nature. Cordyceps grows in the wild but are commonly found in the high altitude areas like the plateaus of China, Nepal and Tibet. Cordyceps is also referred to as a winter worm because of its fruiting body resemblance of grass. Cordyceps has the so many different species but Cordyceps Sinensis is the well known for its curative prowess.

Chinese herbalists discovered Cordyceps power centuries back after they noticed sheep that grazed on Cordyceps grew stronger and healthier. They started the Cordyceps fungus for treating diseases in humans. Cordyceps was trusted to cure all and was able to strengthen and replenish all the systems in the body. Cordyceps also provided the Chinese herbalists with an anti-aging, immune boosting and strength giving effects.

Cordyceps was especially popular for its ability to kick up the male libido for it acted as an aphrodisiac with its influence on people often looked at or compared to that of ginseng.
Cordyceps’ fame has broken bounds until now the western world is well acquainted with it. This is attributed to works and research of physicians and professors from the University of Hong Kong and the author of numerous books on Cordyceps Dr. Georges Helpen. He confirmed among other things that Cordyceps can stimulate the immune system curing the sexual dysfunctionality in men in the process.

The product life cycle is a 4-stage process that most products will go through, from inception to its eventual retirement.  These 4 stages are Introduction, Growth, Maturity, and Decline.  Product Life Cycle Management is a tool to predict how sales will develop based on the age of the product category.  Marketers and strategists can use product life cycle management to predict sales growth, associated customer and competitor behaviors, and, in turn, devise the appropriate product marketing strategy.

The length of each period varies tremendously.  Some products have very short cycles, whereas others can take decades or even centuries to go through the cycle.  Each stage exhibits defining characteristics and unique insights into the product’s market performance and optimal marketing strategy.

Introduction Stage

The first stage is characterized by a slow growth rate.  There are heavy expenditures across the areas of advertising, selling, sampling, promotion, distribution to stimulate awareness of and demand for the product.  The initial market awareness is minimal, so therefore, the focus is on educating the customer to encourage a trial usage.

Growth Stage

In the second stage, Growth, there is a marked increase in sales growth and profitability.  Expenditures remain relatively high, but the focus shifts toward building and holding loyal customers.  The increase in volume sold more than compensates for the decrease in pricing (driven by competitive pressures and experience curve effects), causing cash flows and profitability to increase.

Maturity Stage

This stage is defined by the reduction in the rate of sales growth and a further reduction in unit costs. As the growth rate of the market slows, weaker competitors are forced out—we see larger players consolidating and acquiring smaller players, and excess capacity drives down prices.  Customer preferences and expectations begin to stabilize, driving up competitive rivalry as companies compete for customer loyalty and satisfaction.  By the end of the maturity stage, units sales, cash flows, and profitability all decline.

Decline Stage

Finally, in Decline, there is a continuation of declines in unit sales, cash flows, and profitability.  Customers switch to new and better products.  We also observe private labels taking an increasing market share, as differentiation becomes minimal.

More detail about the Product Life Cycle concept can be found at the LearnPPT link provided at the start of this article.

I admit it.

I like wine.

I hate grocery store wine.

I hate wine stores, they’re too stuffy and uptight for me to feel like I am having a good shopping experience. Plus, if you walk into the average wine store month after month, what changes?  The faces behind the register get a bit older and a bit less interested, but the wines are the same!

I joined a wine of the month club because of all of the above, it’s been a better experience overall.

I hate paying for shipping.

I hate having to receive phone calls when my credit card is declined or expired.

I wish I had an assistant to take care of that stuff for me.