September 26th, 2007
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A few months ago, I was given a bar of soap from a very well know high-end chain store. The person who gave me the soap knew I worked with this type of product and wanted to give something she thought Id like.
I looked at product, liked color and fragrance, put it on a shelf, and honestly forgot about it. The other day, needing a new bar of soap, I found the bar and decided to use it.
Reading the back, it gave the name of the company with their motto, From the Heartland of America. The very next line read, made in Guatemala.
So when, may I ask, did Guatemala become a State?
And, on top of that, once I took the clear wrap off, I was disappointed in the soap itself.
To anyone who has used M&P, you will understand. To all others M&P means Melt & Pour. You go to your local craft store, buy a base, heat it up and pour into molds of choice. Nice way to have decorative soap without the hassle and having lye around the house.
So, this soap looked like someone had used M&P, added color and fragrance. Because it came from this well know chain, I was curious about what the cost was and decided to go to my local mall to check out the price for myself. $8.00 a bar, only one word for that, RIP-Off! OK, so thats two, but whos counting.
Now, please dont get me wrong, Im all for fair trade, but to say the product is from the heartland of America, than have the very next line read Made in., sounds a little false advertising to me.
Company headquarters, yep, in the heartland of America, but Guatemala? Maybe my sense of geography is playing tricks on me. Last time I looked at my map of the world Guatemala was in Central America, or have we annexed it, so that it is a protectorate like Puerto Rico and Guam? If so, then yes, it can then say, Made in America, or for that matter from any region of this great country.
But, maybe Ive read it wrong, they were on two separate lines. Just maybe in my old age, Im beginning to run words together. But to read From the Heartland of American, then to read Made in Guatemala, simply does not ring true.
Producing products outside of the USA, may save companies money by paying less for wages, but why not pass that savings to the consumer. If they can give retiring executives retirement packages worth millions, why not give a little back to the average buyer.
High-end products are nice, but when money is running low, guess I will not be going to the mall for my soap. The best soap Ive used has been made by a friend, the old fashioned way. In fact, my son swears by her Goats Milk Soap.
Since made in .. has become our 53rd state, wonder if I can save money but shopping there?
Copyrighted 2006
Michele Winslow
Owner: Gaias Breowan, Inc.
Find us at http://www.ladyoftheherbs.com
When word gets around about your command of Ethical facts, others who need to know about Ethics will start to actively seek you out.
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on September 26th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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Corporate Espionage is so great in America that competitors will go to lengths to find out what your company has that makes it so much better than everyone elses. Often they will even go so far as to set up a dummy corporation or LLC and actually go thru the sales process to buy a franchise, sometimes even go thru the purchase process, just to get all the information they need to compete with you, using your proprietary methods.
This is why I came up with a clause in our franchise agreements which helped us in knowing who we are dealing with up front and what their interests really are. Below is one of the clauses we use;
7.16 Other Parties
If Franchisee is a partnership, joint venture, association, corporation, limited liability company or other legal entity, then all persons who have any beneficial interest in the Franchisee must execute this Franchise Agreement where indicated below and be bound jointly and severally by all the terms and provision hereof, and each such execution shall be a condition precedent to the grant by Franchisee of the Franchised Business.
- - - - - - - - - - -
This made it very tough for a competitor to risk giving themselves away or opening them up for unfair business practice criminal investigations or civil lawsuits from us. It is unfortunate that the weaker, underwelming competitors have to cheat and lie just to keep up, but they are sub human and simply unworthy of mention on the evolutionary food chain. I use to feel sorry for them, but then that 15-second period ended, now we play tough, check six and steamroller these losers. Consider this in 2006.
“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; www.WorldThinkTank.net/
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on September 26th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on ethics.
Spare times.Paper and Pen.Losing by a careless button push.Sharing by full openness,the more so the merrier.The greedy dreams will be fulfilled.
Trying to make it,pushes results further away.Being Chinese, success seems unbalanced.Actually once it seemed like the West had all the answers.There is a fear of loss to cheap workers.Yet with the success of a few services that promise that you can kick out the boss, I think most are probably overpaid anyway.
What about visiting your internal self?Much is said of internet Gurus.I wonder whether the word Guru can be applied? I guess apart from seemingly being dishevelled much of the time, they would not spend much time trying to impress anyone.Believe it or not, a (Real?) Guru did chastise my group for charging way too little for our lovely food that we prepared as part of a University Festival.Man what a lovely girl that was whom was the University Student President, and she is now a doctor in some small town somewhere.Peace, and prosperity.This was the Guru’s lesson.I think She gave her life to this and it is paying dividends.No greed fear,nor excessive greed should be the aim.
More creativity is no threat, to be a Guru is to be a teacher, and a Yoga Guru understands and should transcend the whole scene, whether or not it is to prepare food, or discuss things, or what price you might charge for your services.
The Art of War,a book that is from China,recommends looking after possible spies.Looking after means treating them well with openness.Why?
Well you can eat yourself up.I heard one internet Guru advising people to do his course otherwise the Yellow Peril will get you.He points out the lack of jobs ,and this and that.
In Ancient China, even in Old England, you can have lovely loyal people’s heads cut off.Advisors are often leader’s links to reality it seems, and they would not like their position to be at threat.So those whom make a bit of noise because you basically are a loser and barrelling down the wrong road could seem through words or a hesitant face, seem like that Spy.Off with their head.Oh bugger, when you find they were an absolute Gem.Bugger bugger.
In one E book, the advice is given in sometimes colourful language,but the results are profound.Some people are out and out nasty, but how do you sort out the truth?A Guru?Certainly this one does seem to show a outwards display of wealth,and many have utilised his services.Some have even become very rich.
How do you do things when the TV is on,and or your kids want to play video games all the time?
Maybe you do not have to worry what other races are doing or fight them at their own game,and do some of what the Internet Gurus are selling you to do.Get out from under your easy chair, learn to be creative and write things down.Write write write, and when you have been motivated by some Jerk to get things happening then you can lay back and rest, knowing that you have provided some extra culture to the world.Just dont do it for truly negative reasons, bad language is sometimes just a persona.A Way to get you off your lazy so and so Butt.( We call it Arse in our country?)
The Luna New Year has just passed, and times should have been tough in The Year of The Dog.It was more for helping or protesting.But now, it is the Year of the Pig.Chinese say it will lead to much money for everyone.
Barry Wah Lee.Has interest in money making on the internet, and has a shop. Is a Yoga Guru and has done Qi Gong and studied Chinese Culture and history.
http://www.hopeyoudowell.com
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on September 26th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on ethics.