The Decline Is Happening Now

There is always something to worry about looming on the horizon. Many disasters are easy to see the start and end points of. Natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes or man made disasters like wars, all have clear start and end points. These things are easily dealt with the predict, prepare, respond, repair/rebuild model of disaster management.

Not all disasters are so clear cut. Some disasters build up so slowly that we fail to notice them in time. It is human nature to become accustomed to a norm. If the norm changes slowly enough we won’t ever notice.

Bottled Water: Why I Rarely Drink It

Thirty years ago the idea of paying for bottled water was laughable. I personally laughed at the prospect. Today bottled water is HUGE business. Many people believe today it to be safer than municipally treated water. So what changed? First were a series of failures in the public water supply. Some caused by equipment, some caused by people and some caused by microorganisms evolving. Clever and opportunistic marketing kicked in and business grew. Like the title suggests, I rarely drink bottled water for the following reasons.

The Economics of Fear

Fear can be a powerful motivator. Marketers are well aware of this. Even flower shops around valentines day hint at what will happen if you forget to buy SOMETHING. People will do almost anything when afraid, this includes buying something. This is sometimes a very subtle form of manipulation that is hard spot. I don’t know about you, but I dislike being manipulated, especially if I have to be afraid at the same time.

I made a decision a long time ago to