great trail for a lazy day

I tried this trail today for the first time. It's super easy -- it follows the Cherry Creek bike trail but with some opportunities to opt for dirt / patchy grass, which I prefer. Overall though, it's a great run on a day when you aren't looking for challenging terrain or any distance marking. Total calculated was 7.61 miles, but definitely could add some on the end.

CONGRATULATIONS!
Brad and Marilyn

My middle brother, Bradley Thomas, is officially engaged, as well as the proud owner of their first and amazingly gorgeous home in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Congrats guys!

brilliant marketing effort.

I love this ad [not the beverage].

I suppose it will do well as far as brand recognition, but that doesn't help the cough syrup-like taste.

How much would you pay for water?

I think flavored, vitamin-enhanced water is fundamentally flawed. The Activate brand takes it a step further -- their marketing effort is based solely on the recognition that vitamins deteriorate while sitting in water. Their solution: the twist-cap releases a powder when opened, which dissolves into the water. I find it hard to justify $2.30 per bottle of flavored water just because it has the vitamins I could either (A) get from a vitamin in capsule form for about $.75 per day, or (B) consume merely by eating a balanced diet and planned, nutrient-rich meals, which is far easier for my body to absorb than the supplement form anyway.

Perhaps if you're a sucker for pretty packaging you can look past the price tag, but I'm guessing the manufacturer's packaging cost is the cause for the $2.30 water, since you won't be getting much more than a thirst-quencher and artificial satisfaction, entirely over-priced.

it's funny, the things that change.

I've only had the Blackberry Pearl 8130 for a few months. Upon purchasing it, I seriously wondered exactly how the conversation played out when the first engineer proposed the QWERTY keyboard on a mobile phone. How many people in the world could accurately recall the originally designated number for each letter on the standard telephone keypad and how would that affect businesses that advertise their telephone number as text?

Photo: Tech2

If I operate 1-800-FLOWERS, at what point do I begin to redirect my marketing to Blackberry [and all smartphone/alternative keyboard] users? It seems, at least to me, that it would be a major concern of mine if the name by which my company is known is no longer a contact, as it was [very clearly] designed to be. Granted, anyone who uses a Blackberry or any other internet-capable phone is certainly knowledgeable enough to point their browser to a page that features the contact number, or even order online, but the roadblock still exits -- or maybe 'detour' is more accurate.
It's pretty fascinating though to sit and watch such a long-standing business practice become instantly obsolete. I'm certain I wouldn't feel that way if I had invested millions of dollars to market my telephone number and name as one, but I haven't, so I do.

just thinking...

be critical -- not OF others, but TO others, while keeping in mind that there is someone else capable of doing your job better than you do. that, i think, is what makes you humbly effective.

[not the door on your office, per se]

personalization or convenience, in my opinion

Personalization became a hugely successful business practice about mid-way through my high school career. I remember this because Nike convinced me that having my name and softball number embroidered into my cleats that already featured a non-typical color combination in order to reflect my school colors - was worth the small $30-$40 fee, plus the cost of the shoes and shipping. It was new and unique and totally played into my inclination to be the first to try something, anything.
Six years later, it seems the tables have turned, though in a gradual, slow manner. McDonald's will take your coffee order AND "fix" it the way you like it -- one cream, one sugar and so on. Dell boasts its ability to literally build your computer the way you want it, but their catalogs overwhelmingly advertise packages that are pre-determined. And Einstein's Bagels, the example I personally very strongly dislike, puts the peanut butter on your toasted bagel for you; they charge $1.25 for the peanut butter and apply enough of the spread to satisfy a small army. Although I'm sure the thought is in line with a full-service mentality -- a convenience factor when many things are no longer convenient -- I would rather prepare my own coffee, choose elements for my computer that actually apply to me, and decide for myself how much peanut butter I really want on my bagel.
Starbucks has personalization down to a science, and it works. There is a definite trend in having a longer, more demanding order paralleled with being a serious Starbucks connoisseur. This is an interesting factor since, logically, a serious coffee drinker should order the daily extra bold brew and drink it black, end of story. But they've created a lifestyle, and it suits the typical Starbucks drinker because they're privileged and accustomed to being catered to.
I don't think there is a right or wrong in choosing convenience or personalization, rather it's circumstantial and more importantly audience-specific. If the product allows, the best solution is to give an option: let the customer decide whether they're in a hurry or would like to spend the extra time being catered to.