Retail Strategies To Be Aware Of
Recently, I had an opportunity to work for a major, international “big box” retail store. To say it was an eye-opener for me was a huge understatement. As one of the department managers within the store, I was in my innocence as to why the store was set up a certain way, and the reasoning for the product placement and display methodology. This article helped me to gain some clarity as to why things were the way they were, and as a consumer, how I can avoid getting caught up in the strategy.
Enjoy!
To your prosperity,
Sue
Poor People’s Diseases
I picked up the latest ALIVE magazine at the local health food store, and as I was flipping through, I had something jump off the page at me. It’s an ad for a product (which will remain unnamed, as I will not promote something I have not looked into thoroughly) that is supposedly made to help circulation and your heart health.
What caught my attention was in a list of supposed benefits of the product, one of them being…helping with “economy class syndrome.” Hmmm…I thought. What does that mean? Are people who fly economy at risk for health issues? The little plug states…
“(product) has been shown to counteract swelling in the lower limbs and decreased platelet activity that can occur as a result of prolonged sitting and decreased air pressure prevalent in airplane cabins. This syndrome is known as “economy class syndrome” or Deep Vein Thrombosis.”
Gee, I didn’t know I was at risk of something if I didn’t fly first class? Did you?
But it got me thinking…are there “poor people’s diseases?” Well, yup…in doing a search on just that sequence of words, there ARE poor people’s diseases! I found a couple of links that shed a bit of light on the subject for me.
The first link is quite dated (2001), but informed me of the three specific “poor people’s diseases,” specifically sleeping sickness, Chagas disease and leishmaniasis. One profound statement from that site is:
“Drugs are not developed according to public health need, but according to profitability,” laments Dr Pecoul, who adds that a new paradigm is urgently needed to address this fatal imbalance.”
This article taught me that there is some good news – yup… “aids is NOT a poor people’s disease!” How lucky for us all! This paragraphs kind of sums it up…
“As fatal illnesses go, AIDS is the best one for a poor person to catch because rich people get it, too. The other diseases might as well hang out a sign: “Poor People Only.” They offer researchers no profitable market. They have little political constituency. There is no well-connected group of sufferers who stage protests and lobby pharmaceutical companies and Congress to develop better medicines or make existing ones more available. The response to disease is political: the illnesses of invisible people usually stay invisible.”
In both articles, it also added the diseases tuberculosis and malaria as well. Hmmm…
To your prosperity,
Sue
Don’t Shoot The Messenger
I’m staying at my sweetie’s parent’s place right now (will write about that story in another posting), and one of the gifts in staying here is that they don’t have a television. Instead, they read, and listen to the CBC radio, which remains on from morning til late night.
Upon arising this morning, I was greeted with an interview on the radio of two people — one who work(ed) for a food supply company, and one who works for a hospital (as a janitor) in BC. The story is around a rat infestation in both of those workplaces, and how it first came to light, how it progressed, what each of the interviewees roles was in that process (ie told their bosses right away, really cared about the workplace, etc). One of the fellows (in the food supply company) was let go for his role in caring about the problem, and the other fellow was given a very difficult time, but recently received a letter saying they would not pursue the issue any further, and his job was safe.
When asked what the real issue was, the fellow from the food supply company stated it was the money factor — that it was a dollars and cents issue, and instead of spending $200 to fix the problem in it’s infancy, they only felt like investing $50 dollars, and it escalated to the point of tons of food being infested. Hmmm….
And a lesson to all other staff from that management that if you “whistleblow” about a problem, you WILL lose your job. The interviewees discussed the fear in the workplace, and that employees were too afraid to say anything, despite the consequences to the workplace and the impact on the consumer, as well as putting their own health at risk.
Interesting…
To your prosperity,
Sue
The Drug Wars
When I think of crime, I often wonder (in relation to this topic, of course) how many crimes are committed with money as the reason or the excuse behind the motivation. In this article, it mentions the drug wars, and the US/Mexico border, and how lives get lost because of it.
How many countries, how many lives affected by drugs? Too many, and the motivation behind the pushing of drugs, the focus on having people become addicted, is to make somebody rich — ultimately. It’s playing on the needs of the “needy” and contributing to the need, not to the resolution of an issue.
The focus of this act is not heart-centred — it is money-centred.
To your prosperity,
Sue
The Cost of Culture
I must admit, I do love the arts…but not enough to spend $80.5 million on one painting! Monet is my favorite painter and yet I just don’t understand why all art masterpieces can’t be placed somewhere where we can all enjoy it (ie a museum), and have it “appreciate” only by those who stand in appreciation as they look upon it.
When we, as citizens of the world, can allow others to not have their needs met — basic needs, that we all have a right to — but can spend tens of millions on one piece of art, I think there is a “crack in the heart of humanity.”
I’m not writing this to pick on or put down the person who bought the painting — everyone has a right to spend their money any way they wish, and they may be very generous in sharing their money with charities. I’m just making a point about humanity in general, and how we sometimes place greater value on certain things than we do human life, or the planet’s health.
Interesting to go deeper into this, which will inevitably happen as I search my own soul for what I deem to be priorities for self, for others, for the planet. And, understanding that I absolutely do not have the power to change anyone, except I can choose to change myself.
I love art. I love to enjoy art. I love to be creative, and to express, and I encourage everyone to live their art, and share it with the world.
To your prosperity,
Sue