Posted by admin on October 31st, 2008 — Posted in Education Special
Passion was the main stuff of journalism long before the Civil War, the birthplace of modern American journalism. The Press of the American Revolution during the War and before it, was borne of it. Newspapers then were not as we know them today. Weekly advertising mediums they were, but they were primarily opinion pieces designed to protect interests or to provoke the readership. They were propaganda organs in the truest sense. They were virtual flagpoles of ideology from which the editor could wave his political flag. As tools of political activism they often published articles of principles treating of various freedoms or governmental responsibilities, as the editors saw them to be, mostly by pseudonymous authors sometimes using names taken from the Greek or Roman classics like Cato or Ovid.
What news did exist was usually a local crime graphically treated, a poem perhaps, or a reference to a literary work or some happening from Europe that occurred months previously and brought to the editor’s notice by people arriving in town. Newspapers shared news too, for as fever rose in the colonies and happenings became more frequent the need to know took place and the sharing of news from paper to paper became more commonplace.
But news gathering during the war coverage was not organized, newspapers relied almost wholly on the chance arrival of private letters and of official and semi-official documents. News sources were scarce, but opinion was abundant and it covered both sides. Tory and patriot presses would fire verbal broadsides at each other’s interests and any newspaper hoping to maintain a dispassionate objectivity examining both sides of the issues, found themselves in a “no-man’s land” and was considered “on the other side.” Often the news was engineered, perhaps none so well as the ‘reportage’ of the Boston Massacre by the Boston Gazette.
What led up to the shootings, deemed a ” Boston massacre”, was the business of quartering British troops in the public houses and private homes of residents in America when barracks space was not available. The additional insult to the public was that the colonial legislative body was to provide financing.
This was going on for four years after the British Parliament enacted a piece of legislation called the Quartering Act in 1765 and expanded it in 1766, ostensibly to economize on troop expense. When the soldiers first appeared in Boston in 1766 resplendent in redcoats and brandishing gleaming muskets and bayonets, they were held in awe but when it was learned that they were ordered never to use force and that in order to fire a musket they would first have to seek an order from a magistrate, bellicose crowds of youth began to taunt them. A mutual dislike developed between soldier and citizen, taunts epithets and curses the main discourse. Tempers began to flare as Boston tolerance dipped to increasingly low levels. One citizen’s distaste for things British turned extreme resulting in the shooting of his neighbor’s son, Christopher Seider, an eleven year old Boston youngster
Tension between soldier and citizen was stretched thin and snapped on March 2 after rumors were circulated through Boston that the soldiers were planning a massacre of Boston citizens following an incident in which one soldier with a broadsword, slightly injured one young man, who with three companions wished to pass in an alleyway.
Later a brawl between some troops and some rope makers erupted, the latter besting the former leaving emotions in a tattered state, then on March 5th, a group of youths taunted a British sentry who took exception by beating one of them with his musket. Fire alarms sounded bringing a crowd of about four hundred to the scene, surrounding the sentry and throwing snowballs, ice and sticks at him. Seven soldiers led by Captain Thomas Preston came to the sentry’s support but suffered the crowd’s taunts and physical assault with clubs. Daring the soldiers to fire on them, one soldier did after being hit with a club and the others followed suit. Three citizens died on the spot, another the next day and another one a few days later, five were dangerously wounded and a few slightly.
One can imagine the reaction of the citizens in the tavern as they heard, through sips of ale , the report in the Boston Gazette informing its readers that the man with a broadsword,who was described as having grown “to uncommon size” and who was now accompanied by ” a person of a mean countenance armed with a large cudgel,” attacked two of the youths wounding them with sword punctures then reenforced by two more soldiers armed with tongs and shovel, they continued beating the boys who valiantly defended themselves.
“The noise bro’t people together, and John Hicks, a young lad, coming up, knock’d the soldier down, but let him get up again; and more lads gathering drove them back to the barrack, where the boys stood some time as it were to keep them in. In less than a minute 10 or 12 of them came out with drawn cutlasses, clubs and bayonets, and set upon the unarmed boys and young folks, who stood them a little while, but finding the inequality of their equipment dispersed,- In hearing the noise, one Samuel Atwood, came up to see what was the matter, and entering the alley from Dock-square, heard the latter part of the combat, and when the boys had dispersed he met the 10 or 12 soldiers aforesaid rushing down the alley towards the square, and asked them if they intended to murder people? They answered ‘Yes by G-d, root and branch! With that one of them struck Mr, Atwood with a club, which was repeated by another, and being unarmed he turned to go off, and received a wound on the left shoulder which reached the bone and gave him much pain.
Retreating a few steps, Mr. Atwood met two officers and said, ‘Gentlemen, what is the matter?’ They answered, ‘you’ll see by and by.’ Immediately after those heroes appeared in the square, asking ‘where were the boogers? Where the cowards?’…Thirty or forty persons, mostly lads…gathered in Kingstreet, Capt. Preston, with a party of men with charged bayonets, came from the main guard to the Commissioners house, the soldiers pushing their bayonets, crying, ‘Make way!’ They took place by the custom-house, and continuing to push to drive the people off, pricked some in several places; on which they were clamorous, and ,it is said, threw snow-balls. On this, the Captain commanded them to fire, and more snowballs coming, he again said, ‘Damn you, Fire, be the consequence what it will.! One soldier then fired, and a townsman with a cudgel struck him over the hands with such force that he dropt his firelock; and rushing forward aimed a blow at the Captain’s head, which graz’d his hat and fell pretty heavy upon his arm; however, the soldiers continued the fire, successively, til 7 or 8, or as some say 11 guns were discharged.
By this fatal maneuvre, three men were laid dead on the spot, and two more struggling for life; but what shewed a degree of cruelty unknown to British troops, at least since the house of Hanover has directed their operation, was an attempt to fire upon or push with bayonets the persons who undertook to remove the slain or wounded.”
Following the imputation of unusual cruelty for this final bit of brutality the Gazette went on to describe the slain and to comment on the outrage felt by the Boston citizenry, the outrage, undoubtedly, now shared by the gentry in their drawing rooms and the lads in the taverns. The flames of passions that were kindled by the outrageous Stamp Act of 1765 and the infuriating Quartering Act of the same year, had been flickering but now found new fuel and burst into the blaze of revolution. A “massacre ‘ had now been committed. A “massacre!” Blood had been drawn.
The following week, the grand jury indicted the British soldiers for wilful murder but the court thought fit to hold trial when tempers had cooled in the following term. On October 24th, trial was held for Captain Preston and on November 12th, for the soldiers. John Adams, second U.S. President-to-be, was one of four defense lawyer for all. The captain was acquitted as were six of the eight soldiers. Two were found guilty not of murder but manslaughter. The jury was drawn from residents of towns surrounding Boston.
In the courtroom, reality replaced fiction, but the impression of a massacre had not been erased. The words of the Gazette in its best fictional form were truly the words of revolution.
John Adams in 1815, summarized: “What do we mean by Revolution? The war? That was no part of the revolution; it was only an effect and consequence of it. The Revolution was in the minds of the people, and this was effected, from 1760 to 1775, in the course of fifteen years before a drop of blood was shed at Lexington.”
Journalism had moved the minds of the people.
Don Bracken is the author of ‘Times of the Civil War’, a study of the American Civil War and the coverage of it by the New York Times and the Charleston Mercury. He is Senior Editor of History Publishing Conmpany,LLC.
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Posted by admin on October 30th, 2008 — Posted in Education Special
Around my twentieth birthday life became a series of incredible events. Perhaps in retrospect it has never ended. I was living on my own with other guys in houses where partying was the rule and bars were meant to be closed. I had started reading Eastern mysticism and was heavy into music after years of boredom in school. It seemed like the world was much more interesting in every aspect of life’s potentials. I wasn’t making much money as an apprentice accountant but I was getting lots of parking tickets. I had just met a woman seven years my senior by the name of Myrna, when I went to the Don Jail for my second visit that year. The policeman asked me if I’d like him to take me in Friday late, so they would have to let me out the same night.
“No, I loved it the last time. I learned more in two days in jail than a whole year in school. But thanks a lot; I do appreciate your kindness.”
“You are definitely different!”
“So are you!”
Myrna had gone to California to spend three weeks vacation with a Salvation Army Major friend of hers and their family. We had not really made love and her divorce was being finalized, so I had time on my hands. The week before I went to jail, a really freaky thing happened when I went to a party in Clarkson. It was a hundred miles from Myrna’s home in Bay Ridges. I had been at her Bay Ridges home with her before she moved. I walked into this bachelor pad and saw Myrna’s collage hanging on the wall. I pointed to it and told my friend Joe; “That looks just like Myrna’s.”
Under the picture was seated a man who gave me a glare and I suddenly realized it was her husband Jim. She had told me he was a violent man and that she had been afraid he might use his shotgun if he had caught us when we were at her house. It was such a co-incidence I couldn’t believe it. I went to Barry Cunningham who was living there and he started to tell me about it before I even asked.
“Does he know?” I asked before deciding to stay.
“Not yet. He is a bit of a hot head… This is pretty ‘far out’, eh Bob? He’ll never believe a kid like you is with Myrna. Frankly it is a little hard for the rest of us to figure out too.”
Barry enjoyed making fun of me, but never really believed anything I said, so I had learned to smile and shine him on.
My first time in jail had included frank discussions with some very diverse people. The prison was totally full and I was put in the hospital ward with 31 other people. One of them was on his way to the ‘big house’ for his second murder. Another was a professional thief in his early forties who had spent most of his life in prison, but enjoyed it. He was extremely fit and worked out all the time in prison. His philosophy was he could steal a lot of money when he was out, and take good care of his family who had a nice home. With no education and free food and board in jail every couple of years he thought he was doing better than most. He never hurt anyone and figured the people he stole from had insurance. Another man discussed how he had turned into a homosexual because he wasn’t able to handle the pressure of pleasing a woman. I told him that it sure would be good if sexual dynamics were taught to everyone. My own experience was close to non-existent but I knew I would be a good lover. However, Myrna had told me on the night she left when I tried to please her that I hadn’t succeeded. She was averse to cunnilingus and I was certain it would get better, but I couldn’t really help him out. Everyone loved to tell me their life stories and this perturbed a younger guy who was in for two months on a drug possession charge. He was the ward trusty and had a knife. He came at me brandishing the knife while the other guys were teaching me bridge.
The murderer stood up and glowered at the thin young man as he advanced towards me. “You! Stay in the corner or lose your life!”
It was amusing to see this man who was older than me cower and shiver in the corner until dinner. He never really recovered during the rest of the time I was there. Another man who no one ever talked to was kept drugged. He was a big black person with muscles like a football player. His case was something everyone else talked about though.
It had taken nine guards to subdue him one time when he was conscious. I was told he threw them off his back like they were little kids. His mind apparently operated in a high hormone state. He also was a sleepwalker. Late on the first day, a man was brought in to the ward who had just returned from Venezuela. He had loaned his car to a friend who had left him with about $400 worth of tickets. He was a professional man who feared everyone else there and stuck close to me. I was about six foot and two hundred and ten pounds with a good physique. His reasons were numerous, and fear would have been his companion regardless of where he was. He stayed on the bunk above me. As we went to sleep the black man got up and came directly to him. I think fear is something animals and people alike can sense. When I woke just before sun-up the man who had been in the bunk above me was gone. Everyone had a good laugh thinking about how he had rattled the bars and paid his way out, rather than deal with the sleepwalker who was reportedly gay.
The second time I was in the ‘Don’ turned out to be one of the most important events in my life. I was shown into a cell with about twelve single beds and no bunk beds. The prison pipes were alive with the news of my return. It is nice to be remembered but sad that so many people find it necessary to spend so much time in jail. The truth is that jail is safer than the shelters and more interesting than the group homes. Stealing something for throwing a brick through a store window and taking something you need often doesn’t result in jail. Sometimes it leads to having money to get drunk with your friends or better things. They don’t seek to put drugs down your throat or alienate you with religious dogma and/or analyze you to see if they can make you part of a drug program that removes your libido and zest for life either. Some prisoners and ’street people’ are actually smart enough to see that this benefits some rich drug pushers in the psychiatric and drug complex too.
I found that people in jail like to be treated with respect and know that their opinion is valued and they can teach smart young ‘yuppies’ too. If there is one key word in relationships, I was learning that might be RESPECT! No one tries to force someone to do something they don’t want to do when they share respect, I think. It made me learn a lot about sales and how to become close to new people as well. Fear was definitely the opposite ingredient. I don’t know how many people in the supposed real world have as high an ethical or ‘brotherhood’ component as these friends I made in jail. I even began to wonder if I was in the ‘big house’ whether I would be able to charm enough people to make it so that I wouldn’t have had to offer up my anal virginity or worse. Fortunately my life hasn’t made this point clear to me yet.
As I walked to the bed that was to be mine I noticed a book on the floor. It was a compendium of existentialist authors! Sometimes I would answer the often asked question ‘What religion are you?’ with the high sounding phrase ‘I’m a French Atheistical Existentialist.’ during this time in my life. I definitely wasn’t into some man-made or projected GOD! They call this anthropomorphing in some academic circles. I was surprised to see this book along with some other intellectual books on the floor of the bed next to the late twenties man who looked a lot like Cat Stevens.
“Are you reading this?” I asked after I settled on my bed.
“Just refreshing myself. I’ve read it two or three times before.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Fifteen days.”
“What for?” I asked with genuine interest.
“It doesn’t matter really. Let’s just say they called it assault.” I sensed it might have been a female/male conflict and knew he didn’t want to talk about it.
“So what is a clean cut looking military man like you doing in jail? I thought the cops liked to give their own a break.”
“I am an officer in the Militia and an accountant but I don’t do the army thing anymore. I kinda wish I could let my hair down like you. I’m a hippie at heart.”
“Followers and flower children in the most part. Just do what makes sense; it’ll stand you in good stead.” The late twenties or early thirties man that I was drawn to, said wisely.
“Yes, I certainly do that. I like Sartre’s saying ‘Love is absent space.” He didn’t respond and I really wanted him to talk with me. “So, you’ve led a very interesting life, haven’t you?”
“They want you at the bars. Who are you? I heard something on the pipes that sounded like ‘the guy who loves jail is back’; is that you?”
I went to the bars at the front of the cell and talked to an older guy who had been in the hospital ward a couple of months earlier. I barely remembered having talked to him, but he was the retired guy who would throw a brick through a store window and sometimes wait for the police to bring him to jail. He told me that about seven people I knew who were back in jail. They wanted me to know they remembered me. I thanked him heartily and shook his hand through the bars with both of mine. I told him to thank the other people for their having remembered me and that I could have avoided jail by doing what the cop had offered. He knew that the others would like the fact that I valued what I had learned and experienced that much. As I walked back to my bed I smiled a lot. I knew I had made the right decision to let life bring me whatever was waiting for me, it felt like another good thing was about to happen.
“So, my name is Bob Baird. I’m here for the weekend and yes, I am the guy who loves jail. I don’t believe in paying parking tickets for unmarked zones, and there is no other place to park near where I have lived. More illegal taxation without representation.”
“Maybe we should have another tea party?
“Are you from the States?”
“No. But I spend a lot of time there. I am an actor and writer.”
“What’s your name?”
“I use different names. Kyle Edwards or Ed Kyle - Whatever you like!”
“Kyle. I like that! So you are a writer. I’ve written some thoughts about the dimensions of energy that surround us and even a sort of journal/biography but I know I can do a lot better.”
“It is a real craft that requires a lot of dedication and a tough skin to handle all the rejection. I’m working on one right now, in my head.”
It was fifteen minutes later that I realized I had been working on his book with him. He said very little and listened with no particular sense of amazement that I was reading his mind. I had read all there was on ESP and parapsychology but still didn’t accept it was a fact without personal experience. It was a watershed event for me.
“Say Kyle why don’t you read my mind. I’ve almost finished your book. Can you do that too?”
“Sure, it just takes a little trust and willingness to make a mistake now and then.”
He waited for a minute then began to give me advice on sex and my relationship with Myrna. It was very specific and somewhat embarrassing for him to know how inexperienced I was. That would have been enough to say that my trip to jail had been better than the last time. Much more was to transpire as a result of Kyle and his influence. It is only recently that I have a better idea of the extent of it. That is thirty years of thought. I hope the reader takes a little less time to accept the possibility of these things. However, I expect some people will reject the possibility or be left saying the same things I had said before this ESP event. I need to experience it myself!
That kind of skepticism is fine, if the mind doesn’t seize up and deny its’ powers of observation and relationship with the soul. Before I say what it was that makes this such an important event in my whole life let me tell you some more about Kyle; who I stuck to like a leech the whole time I was there that weekend. He didn’t want to tell me how to get in touch with him after I left. I am sure he was a little worn out by my enthusiastic pursuit of his wisdom. Some of what he told me was too incredible to put my mind around. Don’t be afraid to admit you feel the same way, and yet don’t close the mind to the possibility. That is all I have asked the thousands of people I have shared this event with over the last thirty years. Kyle had been a paraplegic at the age of five. One day in his Quebec home with his nurse in attendance, a fire truck went by.
“Kyle look it’s a fire reel!”
He rose from his wheelchair to her absolute surprise. Later at the age of eight or nine years old he participated in the Canadian National Diving Championships. He won the junior and intermediate title and was allowed to compete with the seniors. In the process of this competition he banged his head on the platform. The X-rays showed that he was a paraplegic, the doctor ordered a new set and they maintained a close scrutiny to ensure no further foul up happened. The new X-rays were identical. Kyle never graduated from high school yet he became a teacher in the prairies. He was an animal trainer and his description of his ability to relate with animals was something I had read about and Crocodile Dundee did with animals in the movie which came out two or so decades later. This is the key ingredient in the rest of this story. I guess that sounds a little like the radio host Paul Harvey.
When I left the ‘Don’, I saw a cat near the sidewalk ahead of me. It was an orange and white tabby that didn’t move out of my way nor did it come for rubs from my outstretched hand. It winked at me with one eye and I received a flash of enlightenment. The knowledge of what exists in the lowest form of life is ruled by the same principles and rules that impact the more complex creatures. Knowledge is not comprised of words or logical constructs and when fully integrated it appears quite simple. That is the nature of principles. Seeing or feeling the white light in Yoga has an element of this, as does the Near Death Experience. This was more than that!
In a mere fifteen seconds my head was filled. I may only have been able to incorporate a small portion of what it offered yet it seemed almost to be the kind of divine illumination that many ecstatic religions report. It was something I pondered upon for many years. My current attitude about it is that it was not the level of knowledge that I would have gotten at the most complex level of life, but rather one or more steps beneath that. James Redfield’s book the Celestine Prophecy told a nice story that incorporates the knowledge of the Enneagrams. Around the early 1920’s Jesuit priests brought this knowledge out of Persia. It is probably related to the Magi of Zoroaster and the three wise men of the Bible.
Author of Diverse Druids
Columnist for The ES Press Magazine
Guest ‘expert’ at World-Mysteries.com
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Posted by admin on October 28th, 2008 — Posted in Education Special
Let us examine the three purposes of writing: to inform, entertain, and enlighten. To me, the second one is bottom of the list, though it is instrumental in the achievement of the two others. Every great teacher knows this intimately and readily laces his teachings with relevant and interesting stories, and humor.
The first purpose, to inform, comes second in my mind, whereas the last, to enlighten, comes first. To explain my attitude, I think it appropriate to draw your attention to my book A REASON FOR LIVING, where both of these purposes are pursued.
Part of my book relays factual or theoretical information about things like human physiology, nutrition, and universal evolution. This information relates to the current perception of reality in scientific circles. I am just a vehicle for it. Now, for two reasons, my role as a writer who informs his readers about scientific facts and theories comes second in my mind to my role as a philosopher who strives to enlighten his readers.
My main reason is that I regard wisdom as paramount, whereas the knowledge of the material world (i.e., the constituents, structure, and workings thereof) is not equally important, however useful it is on a practical level. Conscience comes before science, which in itself is incapable of providing humans with a sense of what is good, right, or sacred - in a word, with moral principles. An example of science without conscience is the destruction of nature and the violation of human rights by rogue companies who are efficient in their use, or rather abuse, of their environment and their workers to satisfy their greed.
My other reason is that my role as a writer who informs his readers about scientific facts and theories is indeed that of a mere vehicle. It is very much secondary to the role of researcher, which drives the scientific enterprise thanks to advanced instrumentation plus skillful, scholarly, and clever observations and rationalizations.
By contrast, my role as a philosopher who strives to enlighten his readers is in the driver’s seat, so to speak. Not only is it concerned with everything that makes life worth living and gives humans a sense of purpose, but also it does more than mirror the light of wisdom; it generates it by force of thinking on the basis of experience and study.
Truth to tell, my readers can likewise think for themselves. They themselves can be philosophers and create their own wisdom while discovering and evaluating mine. Therefore, the light shining through in my book is there to help my readers see a range of weighty matters on which they can meditate to form their own thoughtful opinions about them. And since they can do so, I venture to argue that they should.
Laurent Grenier’s career as a writer and philosopher spans over twenty years. During this time he has broadened and deepened his worldview, through much reflection and study, and in the end has crafted A REASON FOR LIVING, his best work to date.
Official web site: laurentgrenier.com/ARFL.html
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Posted by admin on October 28th, 2008 — Posted in Branding
Is your company brand literally saturating your target markets? Is your company literally everywhere and on the lips of your customers, competition and vendors? Does your competitor sales teams compare themselves to you in sales calls? Well having been a Founder of a Franchise Company, we had saturated our target markets and yes our competitors always compared themselves to us and that actually helped us even more.
I call saturating your target market with your brand name; “The Power of Presence” and when you have that you will know it and so will everyone else for 100-miles in all directions. How do you get to such a saturation point, as the marketing experts often call it? They even write books about this stuff.
Well, you get there by carefully leveraging your marketing and advertising, promotion and public relations around a simple message and a consistent theme. Guess what? It does not cost as much as you might think and in fact you might be very surprised just how inexpensive it really is when you have developed the proper plan of attack in the ready room before launch of the mission.
Once you reach this saturation point, the customers and future customers will love you and the competition will despise and hate you? But that means you are doing it all right. You may even find your competitions best employees and team members try to cross over and come work for you. But hey that is a whole other subject. Patience Grasshopper. Consider this in 2006.
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Posted by admin on October 27th, 2008 — Posted in Branding
Are Product Margins Merely Margins of Error?
Packaged goods companies continue to fight for every drop of margin they can
squeeze out of a crowded category. Traditionally, the brand was powered forward
through product innovation, research and development. New advertising campaigns
rolled out when product improvements warranted them.
Preference and margins cannot be found in product enhancements and efficacy
these two improvements are simply the cost of doing business. In today’s crowded
market space your preference and margins stem directly from your brand. In reality
most brand marketers and managers are actually product managers and are hard
pressed to describe their own brand in any terms other than banal category
benefits.
This pit-fall is not to be unexpected. Universities and colleges fail to understand the
intricacies of a brand and thus do not prepare future brand executives accordingly.
Furthermore, it is nearly impossible to mend a brand from the inside out due to the
Herculean task of dispassionate brand evaluation and analysis.
It is important to note that your brand is not the identity of your product. For
example, Pampers is not the brand, it is the name by which consumers know the
brand. Pampers is not about dryness and efficacy as it once was some years ago in
a time when the brand was new and the category was immature and uncrowded.
Those were the days when brand marketers looked for the unique selling
proposition (USP) that identified a differentiating product benefit. “How the product
is different and better” became the marketing mantra and R&D became the means to
an improvement. As a result, the “brand” became product development driven, and
the brand strategy fell out of those attributes.
Inevitably, the market changes over time. The “brand” is now the supermarket or
retailer where the product is sold. The consumer sensibly believes that everything
within the retail category will deliver product performance. There is no mystification
among consumers that all brands of disposable diapers keep their baby dry and
comfortable. Most diapers fit well, stay in place and eventually end up in landfills.
Therefore, when the diaper shopper goes to her local retailer, she believes that
there is little difference between Pampers, Huggies, Luvs or “store brand.”
Sometimes she will choose based on the experience of “right fit” because different
brands of diapers will fit her child better as her loved one grows and changes.
Frequently she will decide based on price or an emotional connection that she
neither examines nor understands. Marketers think she will be influenced by the
latest cartoon character or color scheme because they are still caught in the times of
the stale USP paradigm.
If it is so difficult to justify the margins based on product efficacy, what is left? The
essence of brand, the value the consumer invests in the brand itself, remains potent
regardless of category or product. Brand preference is not an investment in product
benefits but rather an investment in self-description and often hidden precepts.
What consumers buy today, beyond commodity category benefits, is a reflection of
themselves and their lives. When they choose a brand a REAL brand what they
are in fact reinforcing is their identity, who they believe they are at that very
moment in time. This extension of identity is called a brandface and your consumer
shows many.
Due to the ample excavation required to bring the customer’s perceptive personality
to the surface, brand development is more akin to anthropology than marketing. If
the customer sees their reflection within a brand and affirms, “yes, I want to be
that,” you will keep them for life. Any brand that understands that clearly will win
easily in the crowded market place of similar products, similar claims and similar
price points.
Recognizing and evoking the most acute and important brandface with regard to
your brand is a difficult process, but in that germinal seed of self-description you
will find preference, margins and loyalty.
Tom Dougherty
CEO, Senior Strategist at Stealing Share, Inc. Tom began his strategic marketing and
branding career in Saudi Arabia working for the internationally acclaimed Saatchi &
Saatchi. His brand manager at the time referred to Tom as a “marketing genius,”
and Tom demonstrated his talents to clients such as Ariel detergent, Pampers and
many other brands throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa. After his time
overseas, Tom returned to the US where he worked for brand
agencies in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. He continued to prove
himself as a unique and strategic brand builder for global companies. Tom has led
efforts for brands such as Procter & Gamble, Kimberly Clark, Fairmont Hotels,
Coldwell Banker, Homewood Suites (of Hilton), Tetley Tea, Lexus, Sovereign Bank,
and McCormick to name a few.
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Posted by admin on October 27th, 2008 — Posted in Branding
The marking of glass for industrial use has been done for hundreds of years. In the past the methods used have included ink stamp marking, sand blasting, air grit, acid etching, scribing etc.
Industrial applications of glass marking include:
1. Marking of safety information on safety glass used in commercial and residential construction. This includes glass areas around doors and/or entrance and exit locations.
2. Marking of glass for commercial and residential construction to identify the glass or door manufacturer [for product identification and marketing/sales activity]
3. Marking of headlamp or tail light lens in automotive applications for manufactures name, year of manufacture and/or part number. Also used in the manufacture of televisions for marking mirrors and lens.
4. Marking of serial number, product identification, or other manufacturing information for the prevention of theft and validation of warranty claims
5. Marking serial numbers, part numbers, text, or bar codes allowing for parts to be tracked though the production process until final assembly and shipment
The traditional methods of glass marking all involve contact with the surface of the glass product which exposes the product to stress and potential damage. Co2 lasers offer significant advantages for marking glass products. The RF excited sealed beam Co2 laser coupled with a galvo head and software offers the fastest, cleanest, most reliable method for marking and etching glass.
A Co2 laser can laser mark glass with bar codes, especially 2-D or data matrix bar codes, which can easily be coupled with vision systems for reading the data contained in the bar code. The use of bar codes on glass allows for the product to be tracked all the way through the production process until final assembly. This helps assure a continuous uninterrupted supply of product. The laser marked or laser etched bar code can also be used after the sale of the product for identification purposes and validation. This helps to eliminate warranty costs related to counterfeit or unauthorized products.
A Co2 laser marked or laser etched bar code can also be read by vision systems in the manufacturing process to determine the identity of the part. Examples include prescription strength of eye glass lens, or the type of front headlamp lens used in a Honda Civic. This ensures that the part is sorted and used properly throughout the manufacturing process and that the correct number of parts is produced based on anticipated sales for final assembled components.
The advances of Co2 laser marking of glass over traditional methods are extensive. These include:
• No contact with the part as in scribing methods thereby reducing the possibility of breakage to and damage of the part, as well as elimination of the maintenance required for the scribe unit
• No solvents, thinning, or cleaning agents to purchase and keep in stock as in the case of ink marking or ink printing systems, thereby significantly reducing costs of operation and eliminating the need for continuous maintenance associated with these various ink printing technologies
• No pads for ink printing to maintain as they can fall to an angle or become turned sideways causing the printed image on the glass to appear sideways or not square
• No need to stop the glass in place and make sure a secure fit with the rubber mask is formed as in the case of Airgrit marking
• With Co2 laser marking for industrial glass applications the product can be marked on the fly [while moving]. If stopped or ’squared’ for marking, five to eight lines of text plus logo’s can be laser etched in less than 0.5 of a second
• With Co2 laser marking no supplies are necessary and no secondary process exists for cleaning or maintenance
• With Co2 laser marking changes to the mark [different text, different logo, difference shape, etc] can be accomplished with a simple click and drag command of the mouse
Co2 laser marking for glass in industrial applications is the fastest, most effective, least costly method in which to mark the product.
Jim Morin writes for Worldwide Laser Service Corporation a company that specializes in T.E.A. Co2 lasers. For more information visit http://www.wlsc.com
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Posted by admin on October 27th, 2008 — Posted in Internet Recreation Resources, Travel Resources
Chamonix Haute Savoie France is a unique destination with the awe inspiring Monte Bianco, jagged peaks and majestic tumbling glaciers. The group love to go parapenting, climbing, canyoning, rafting, golf or from time to time eating out in the evenings in a local eatery. I sometimes fly from Auburn and stay at a Chamonix guesthouse for the duration of my holiday.
My friends and I previously stayed in DiamondHead Beach Resort but it never lived up to its description: DiamondHead Beach Resort is the only full-service, beachfront all-suite resort located on Fort Myers Beach, at the northern end of Estero Island. Resort features include spacious suites, private balconies, a pool, Jacuzzi, beach bar, restaurant and lounge, family activity programs and watersports!
In comparison in Chamonix Haute Savoie the self catered chalet is always fine. As well dining in my families’ number one hotel restaurant, Deemarias Pizza & Pasta, enjoying jell-o sugar cookies is a pleasure. Chamonix is a big enough village to make sure that there is lots for the holiday maker to do. With a sports and swimming complex and a plethora of night-clubs, Chamonix offers a choice of walking, French charm and sightseeing which barely any French ski resorts can beat.
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Posted by admin on October 25th, 2008 — Posted in Branding
You can hardly influence the development of your child by selecting whatever name. That is one of the conclusion of Steven Levitt published in the book “Freakonomics.” Most influence is given to a child before it is even born. You can do wrong however - according to an example in the same book of a parent that named a first son “Winner” and the latest born “Loser.” Imagine what happened to both of them…
Whether you agree with Levitt and favor a nature viewpoint or you disagree and you favor a nurture argument, when talking about business there is only one option; The name you choose will — as a cultural element — influence your business.
Recently a Dutch company TPG Post announced the change of their name into TNT Post. The company is the product of a split that took place in 1996 when the Post and communication divisions became separate companies; KPN — the holding company before that time — continued with the telecommunication division. The post division including the recent acquisition of the Australian TNT logistics company continued under the new name TNT Post Group or TPG. And now the company continues under the name: TNT Post.
On the same stock exchange — the AEX — there are more companies with a similar background. To start with the “A”, ABN AMRO is a bank that is the result of a merger of two companies ABN and AMRO that kept their name in the new combination. The name “ING”, which represents a bank-insurer, is a nice name invention of Inter-Nationale Nederlanden Group, where the “Nationale Nederlanden” was and continues to be the insurance part of the group.
Reed Elsevier is another example where two companies have merged and the names of the original entities continue to exist. In this case “Reed” is of British origin, and Elsevier the Dutch counterpart. This is not different for Wolters (and) Kluwer - as the previous mentioned company, also in the information exchange and publishing sector, although these parts are both Dutch.
Numico is a company that also merged with others and that choose to preserve previous company names in the new combination. In this case Nutricia (Nu) merged with the German Milupa (Mi) and the British Cow & Gate (Co). Giving Nu-Mi-co. This example is different in the case that all the three companies continue to exist under the previous labels, Nutricia in the Netherlands, Milupa in Germany and Cow & Gate in the UK.
The image and identity of a company is linked to the name it carries. Companies that grow internationally and become multinationals are better of with an international name than with a local name.
A company name also represents an internal culture. In case of ABN and AMRO, the culture could be expressed as the best of both worlds: ABN and AMRO, or together we are more. For NuMiCo, the cultural direction is less visible; the company name after the merger seems to express a new culture.
Back to TNT Post. In this case the new name inherits most of the Australian name TNT (Thomas Nationwide Transport). A logical choice, because of the international build up brand value of TNT.
For the situation in the Netherlands there is a small compensation; the main company color (Red) will be replaced by orange - a Royal (Dutch) color; TNT Post has given itself a new cultural start offering the best of both worlds.
© 2006 Hans Bool
Hans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management advice. Astor Online solves issues in hours what normally would take days.
You can apply for a free demo account
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Posted by admin on October 24th, 2008 — Posted in Regional Portal, Travel Resources
Hotel Palma is a recently refurbished property situated in the historic centre of Pompeii, a stone’s throw away from the city’s most important Sanctuary and close to the entrance of Pompeii’s archaeological site.
The hotel, run by a highly professional and experienced team, features a fully air-conditioned environment with elegant interiors and very comfortable and spacious guestrooms.
Facilities include a well-equipped meeting room and Internet point, a cosy bar and TV lounge as well as a delightful citrus garden and splendid sun terrace.
A buffet breakfast is served in the breakfast room each morning between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m.
Facilities
Access for disabled
Credit card accepted
Dogs allowed
Entire property is air conditioned
Garden
Groups welcome
Historic building
Laundry service
Lift/elevator
Pets accepted
Recently renovated
Room service - 24 hour
Room service - full menu
Shoe polishing service
City guide
City maps
City tour
Front desk - 24 hour
Front desk - fax service
Front desk - safety box
Luggage room
Multilingual staff
Newspapers
Tourist information
Banqueting service
Congress facilities
Meals for groups
Meeting room
Hydromassage Jacuzzi
Solarium
UV sunbeds
Free parking
Garage
Guarded car park
Rent a car in the hotel
Internet/Email services
TV Room
Bar
Restaurant
Snack bar
If you think that Hotel Palma is not exactly what you are looking for, click here to visit our catalogue for Hotels in Italy, and make a search for another hotel in Pompeii: we are pretty sure that you can easy find the Pompeii accommodation that can best fit your need for a perfect stay in Italy.
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Posted by admin on October 24th, 2008 — Posted in Internet Recreation Resources, Online Games, Web Of Fun
Celebrate this Christmas with gifts, exciting parties, decorations, Christmas trees, wreaths, Christmas movies and Christmas drinks, eggnog and hot chocolate. Kick back with friends with Christmas party games on family night or at a party or gathering with the kids. Everyone can get involved and join in the fun.
Anyone wild about Christmas will do well on this one because it will test your expertise and memory of Christmas characters. But no game is game without a little challenge so keep in mind the less famous characters like Jack Frost. For this game challenge at the party, think of any Christmas character you can. Write down all the character names and movies (to help people really understand the character) on index cards. Then, attach the names on the backs of the guests of the party, gathering, etc. Your guests will chat with one another, looking at the character names and will ask questions to try and figure out “Who am I?” The important thing is the questions people ask each other must be answered with “yes” or “no.” The first guest to properly guess their own character will get a prize! Keep playing until all the guests correctly guess their Christmas character. It’s a gas to see how long it will take for all to guess their character.
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