Or even better....a protected lunar lava tube :)
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/space/01/01/moon.lava.hole/index.html
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Monday, December 28, 2009
Guilty Pleasures
Lately, one of my guilty pleasures has been watching Jersey Shore. It's like real world only everyone is striving to be a "guido" or "guidette".
Last week the show became political. A New Jersey lawmaker is asking MTV to stop the show!
http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=448791
But when you watch the show, the kids on it seem very proud of these attributes that the legislator is calling derogatory ethnic stereotypes. So are they derogatory stereotypes or is it simply a generational difference? I don't know the answer, I"ve never even been to Jersey.
Here is what wikipedia has to say http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guido_(slang)
Last week the show became political. A New Jersey lawmaker is asking MTV to stop the show!
http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=448791
The latest criticism comes from the New Jersey Italian American Legislative Caucus, which says the show promotes derogatory ethnic stereotypes and is "wildly offensive."
But when you watch the show, the kids on it seem very proud of these attributes that the legislator is calling derogatory ethnic stereotypes. So are they derogatory stereotypes or is it simply a generational difference? I don't know the answer, I"ve never even been to Jersey.
Here is what wikipedia has to say http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guido_(slang)
An appeal from Wikipedia founder, Jimmy Wales
An appeal from Wikipedia founder, Jimmy Wales
Today, I am asking you to make a donation to support Wikipedia.
I started Wikipedia in 2001, and over the past eight years, I've been amazed and humbled to see hundreds of thousands of volunteers join with me to build the largest encyclopedia in human history.
Wikipedia isn't a commercial website. It's a community creation, entirely written and funded by people like you. More than 340 million people use Wikipedia every month - almost a third of the Internet-connected world. You are part of our community.
I believe in us. I believe that Wikipedia keeps getting better. That's the whole idea. One person writes something, somebody improves it a little, and it keeps getting better, over time. If you find it useful today, imagine how much we can achieve together in 5, 10, 20 years.
Wikipedia is about the power of people like us to do extraordinary things. People like us write Wikipedia, one word at a time. People like us fund it. It's proof of our collective potential to change the world.
We need to protect the space where this important work happens. We need to protect Wikipedia. We want to keep it free of charge and free of advertising. We want to keep it open – you can use the information in Wikipedia any way you want. We want to keep it growing – spreading knowledge everywhere, and inviting participation from everyone.
The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization I created in 2003 to operate, grow, nurture, and protect Wikipedia. For ten million US dollars a year and with a staff of fewer than 35 people, it runs the fifth most-read website in the entire world. I'm asking for your help so we can continue our work.
Imagine a world in which every single person on the planet has free access to the sum of all human knowledge. That’s where we’re headed. And with your help, we will get there.
Thank you for using Wikipedia. You're part of this story: please make a donation today.
Jimmy Wales
Founder, Wikipedia
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Toyota-Lexus Recall...Or Not
The controversy over the Toyota and Lexus floor mats continues.
We happen to own one of the models that is under investigation, a 2006 IS-250. Several things about this are bothering me.
The only thing we have received in the mail, is a letter asking us to remove the driver's side floor mat. No offer to replace the floor mat......
Click here for a copy of the notice
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has called their floor mat statement "Inaccurate and Misleading" Why? Because the NHTSA believes that there is a defect in the cars, after an incident that killed a family of four that could not stop an accelerating Lexus.
This past Monday Toyota released a statement denying any finding of fault on Toyota's part or any defect in its cars in relation to the deadly floor mat safety advisory issued in late September. Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is saying that Toyota's information is "inaccurate and misleading" and that there is in fact a defect in the 3.8 million cars affected.
Click here for full story
Still nothing from Toyota/Lexus in response to this...... So are we safe or not????
We happen to own one of the models that is under investigation, a 2006 IS-250. Several things about this are bothering me.
The only thing we have received in the mail, is a letter asking us to remove the driver's side floor mat. No offer to replace the floor mat......
Click here for a copy of the notice
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has called their floor mat statement "Inaccurate and Misleading" Why? Because the NHTSA believes that there is a defect in the cars, after an incident that killed a family of four that could not stop an accelerating Lexus.
This past Monday Toyota released a statement denying any finding of fault on Toyota's part or any defect in its cars in relation to the deadly floor mat safety advisory issued in late September. Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is saying that Toyota's information is "inaccurate and misleading" and that there is in fact a defect in the 3.8 million cars affected.
Click here for full story
Still nothing from Toyota/Lexus in response to this...... So are we safe or not????
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Quilted Northern, Economics, Psychology and Marketing
Any business with a product to market should understand the intertwining of economics, psychology and marketing.
This is where Quilted Northern missed the target. With the case of the smaller toilet paper roll, it's a quite simple example.
If you raise the price of each roll of toilet paper 2 cents, it is unlikely that your consumer will even notice the 10 to 25 cent raise in their toilet paper package, especially if you raise it slowly over time. The consumers that do notice will either stop buying the product or they will decide they don't care and continue to buy. The ones who stop will be a small percentage and may have stopped buying anyway.
On the other hand a consumer that pays the price they have been paying for their toilet paper but opens it and finds a smaller roll feels cheated and ripped off. The actual visual of a smaller product has a major impact on buying decisions, especially when there is a somewhat standard size for toilet paper.
This also effects any loyalty the consumer may have with the brand. They think "this brand cheated me" and will most likely never come back to it.
This intense feeling of being cheated by a company turns viral and you have rip off reports and blogs like mine reporting this feeling.
You never see rip off reports or blogs reporting their toilet paper now costs 15 cents more per package.
The way I see it, Georgia Pacific and Quilted Northern could use a good refresher in the importance of the psychology behind consumer purchases and marketing.
This is where Quilted Northern missed the target. With the case of the smaller toilet paper roll, it's a quite simple example.
If you raise the price of each roll of toilet paper 2 cents, it is unlikely that your consumer will even notice the 10 to 25 cent raise in their toilet paper package, especially if you raise it slowly over time. The consumers that do notice will either stop buying the product or they will decide they don't care and continue to buy. The ones who stop will be a small percentage and may have stopped buying anyway.
On the other hand a consumer that pays the price they have been paying for their toilet paper but opens it and finds a smaller roll feels cheated and ripped off. The actual visual of a smaller product has a major impact on buying decisions, especially when there is a somewhat standard size for toilet paper.
This also effects any loyalty the consumer may have with the brand. They think "this brand cheated me" and will most likely never come back to it.
This intense feeling of being cheated by a company turns viral and you have rip off reports and blogs like mine reporting this feeling.
You never see rip off reports or blogs reporting their toilet paper now costs 15 cents more per package.
The way I see it, Georgia Pacific and Quilted Northern could use a good refresher in the importance of the psychology behind consumer purchases and marketing.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Quilted Northern - the tiny roll
I have long been a buyer of Quilted Northern toilet paper, you know you have your favorites....
Last week I opened a package and did a double take. It looked smaller. Alot smaller. I put it away and didn't think about it for a couple of days. Then when I got it out to put on the holder I could really tell it was smaller. A 1/2 inch shorter and and smaller in girth. But.....the price was the same.....what's happening here??
When I first researched this I found a press release from Georgia Pacific that I can no longer find, however someone posted a "ripoff report" , which made me laugh a little, but the reply from Georgia Pacific was the same as the press release I had found earlier.
We understand you may have some concerns about the roll width and/or sheet count of Quilted Northern Soft & Strong(r). As noted at the bottom of the package, Quilted Northern Soft & Strong(r) is about 1/2 inch narrower than before, and we have slightly reduced the sheetcount.
Because of today's economy, cost is a factor. We made the decision to slightly reduce the roll to bring you the bathroom tissue you trust and not raise our price to retailers. Quilted Northern Soft & Strong continues to provide the cleanliness and comfort you have come to expect, making it a great value in today's economy. As always, Quilted Northern Soft & Strong(r) is thick, absorbent, and gentle on your skin. The bathroom tissue features strength and durability for cleanliness, with softness and thickness for comfort. With Quilted Northern Soft & Strong(r), you do not have to compromise comfort for clean."
So no more purchasing the Quilted Northern, any suggestions?
Last week I opened a package and did a double take. It looked smaller. Alot smaller. I put it away and didn't think about it for a couple of days. Then when I got it out to put on the holder I could really tell it was smaller. A 1/2 inch shorter and and smaller in girth. But.....the price was the same.....what's happening here??
When I first researched this I found a press release from Georgia Pacific that I can no longer find, however someone posted a "ripoff report" , which made me laugh a little, but the reply from Georgia Pacific was the same as the press release I had found earlier.
We understand you may have some concerns about the roll width and/or sheet count of Quilted Northern Soft & Strong(r). As noted at the bottom of the package, Quilted Northern Soft & Strong(r) is about 1/2 inch narrower than before, and we have slightly reduced the sheetcount.
Because of today's economy, cost is a factor. We made the decision to slightly reduce the roll to bring you the bathroom tissue you trust and not raise our price to retailers. Quilted Northern Soft & Strong continues to provide the cleanliness and comfort you have come to expect, making it a great value in today's economy. As always, Quilted Northern Soft & Strong(r) is thick, absorbent, and gentle on your skin. The bathroom tissue features strength and durability for cleanliness, with softness and thickness for comfort. With Quilted Northern Soft & Strong(r), you do not have to compromise comfort for clean."
http://www.ripoffreport.com/Miscellaneous-Companies/Georgia-Pacific-CRC/georgia-pacific-crc-toilet-pa-e2647.htm
So no more purchasing the Quilted Northern, any suggestions?
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