I saw a TV piece on the pet food contamination scandal in the US recently which affected many dogs and cats. It was interesting to note the initial confusion amongst consumers as the contamination affect many different brands across different price points and market positions. This is because like many other mass manufacture-based industries, the pet food sector sources its base products from relatively few manufacturers …

Spotted in Chinatown - this sticky plaster you put on your navel that will help you loose weight. “Immediate results”! This is of course assuming the slimming tea, slimming mud, or the slimming electrode therapy did not work for you.

Funny and amusing on one hand, but also sad and maddening at the same time. Where do these people get off? Sure we all know obesity …

Here’re some pie charts I drew up from figures presented in Jessica Irvine’s article No work choices - we’re toiling round the clock on the Sydney Morning Herald’s website.

While on a walk to get dinner last night, it occurred to be that many of the problems we face as a society today are a result of us redefining what used to be luxuries, as necessities.

Cars used to be a luxury (for short distance travel especially). Now they are a necessity. I certainly used to believe I could not live without a car. Similarly a TV in …

The word “lifestyle” really gives me the shits. Apart from the fact that it is yet another meaningless gumpf word endemic in advertising, it belittles Life itself.

Someone said to me last week that when they bought an Apple computer, they were not just buying a computer, but rather buying the Apple “lifestyle”.

All well and good for Apple, but isn’t the idea of buying …

“Shopping is what you do when you have stopped living.”
What a great line!

Then onto the more thought-provoking stuff:
“Capitalism has never benefited the poor, and it aint going to start now. Raised standards of living – so called, are a deception… I have said before that what you put on your plate and in your mouth is a political act. How you eat makes you an activist – or …

I’ve been noticing the finance reports on the news more so lately.

It is amazing how a rumour here and there can immediately affect stock prices or oil prices. This cannot be healthy for the future of humanity and this planet, considering how these few simple numbers have such an impact on business activity.

How weird and absurd is this situation? Mere speculation, hear-say, or deliberate gossip lead directly to …

Are we really this gullible? Or apathetic?

This image from ChickenCrap is a joke of course (or is it truth in advertising?) It does raise a very good point about the relationship between marketing and consumers.

I just have to get this out of my system, so bear with me.

I have been aware of global warming and climate change since my teens – which is is quite a while ago. Anyone who vaguely reads anything of substance surely can’t help but be aware of the climate issue. Anyone who even remotely thinks surely realise that in a closed system that …

Kmart, Bi-Lo, Coles, Woolworths (supermarket, departmental)
JB Hi-Fi, Dick Smith, Harvey Norman, Bing Lee, Good Guys (electrical, whitegoods, computers)
Dymocks, Angus and Robertson (books)
JB Hi-Fi, Dick Smith, Sanity, HMV (music, movies)

Their common characteristics appear to be:

Huge open space full of racks and racks of stuff to buy. And often with actual stock stored on the floor.
Often uses “screaming at you” TV commercials and brightly coloured sales flyers printed on thin …