The Road Not Taken

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim

Because it was grassy and wanted wear,

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I marked the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

What does this poem mean for you? Everyone has to make decisions in their life regarding which road or which route to take. Have you ever came across such a road? What was the outcome and the reasons behind the road you took?

Monsanto Unethical Food Production...What Can We Do?

After watching the documentary The World According to Monsanto, I wondered what would be of our future and the impact Genetically Mutated Organism (GMO) food products will have on us as we age and our offsprings. What seems originally like a brilliant and innovative agenda for GMO seeds and food products, to grow better, get rid of weeds, and save money, is all but a deceitful and misleading agenda by Monsanto organization to gain control over the food industry of the world. I will let you watch the movie first before going into more detail and giving you my insight and reflection.

Wow, powerful and deep right? How can one organization have almost total control of the food people around the world grow and eat? How can governments be so irresponsible as to trust their findings about GMO side effects and not test it themselves? How can the FDA and other regulatory officials trust such a deceitful and manipulative organization?

Power and greed go a long way in the revolving door that Monsanto has created. They shuffle officials and appoint people as they wish into top ranking governmental positions to further their interests. Organizations like Monsanto have so much power and finances that they can alter the playing ground and coerce people into doing what they please. Small time farmers and planters have no knowledge of the bait and switch tactics that Monsanto might be using, or that Monsanto scientists have been misleading or falsifying their test results. However, government officials should not be so careless and irresponsible as to trust tests by such an unethical organization. It is the responsbility of our government and the people we appoint to make decisions regarding our future and they are liable for making wise and thought out decisions.

So what can we do to improve our future and to stop such an unethical organization like Monsanto? My opinion is that everyone has an option and a responsibility to be ethical. If you feel a company or a product that you purchase is supporting an unethical organization, than you should stop supporting them. I will tell you how I plan to start taking responsibility for my decisions and who I support, I will start by not drinking anymore sodas and beverages with high fructose corn syrup. Yes, to all who know me, they know how important CocaCola, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper are in my life and how much I drink sodas every day. After discovering that Monsanto is one of the biggest suppliers of high fructose corn syrup I decided that I will start by not drinking anymore sodas.

WHAT WILL YOU DO TO HELP STOP MONSANTO?

Print Source Advertising...Is It Really Worth It?

People claim print source advertisements are a must, but its actually picking the correct print sources to advertise in that are a must. Taking a look into the sources people use to find companies and services we begin to notice that print sources like Yellow Pages and their kind, are an outdated source for advertisement. Mostly all homes today have at least one computer and at least one capable user. The internet provides a much faster and streamlined method for searching things, and therefore most people use it as their first source. This in turn has created less and less users of print sources like Yellow Pages, White Pages, and any other colored Pages. To have an efficient advertising campaign you must find a balance of advertising through all sources and venues that brings in the most profit. Taking this into consideration, which print sources would it be profitable to advertise in?

The essence of print sources is to capture the customer during the exact time when they will be searching for your company or service. Knowing these dates is pivotal for your advertising campaign. If you want to get listed in print source directories then go ahead and do so, but time and an unprofitable advertising campaign would prove you wrong. The directory books have become an overpriced source of advertisement, one that wouldn't bring in as much ROI. An effective print source advertisement would consist of direct print advertisements, mass mails, and advertisement in print sources that are specifically designed for your industry and that target your market. Doing some research into your areas population will give you an idea of your target market. After you know your target market, along with the dates they start searching for your services, than you can start an efficient, and less costly, print source campaign that will bring in more revenue and more potential customers than the print directories ever will.

An alternative to print directories would be online directories, and more specifically directories that are affiliated with you industry. Online advertising gives you a more flexible alternative with more visibility and potential. A good example of an online directory would be Party Jump USA which is a moonwalk rental directory specifically targeting party rental and moonwalk rental companies. Having a good balance of online and print sources will set your company in the right direction towards a more efficient and less expensive advertising campaign.

Workplace Ethics

Through my courses in UCI I had learned of numerous cases of white collar criminals and corrupt business practices that led to thousands of people loosing everything they had. How do these people get away with this? Greed and the available resources to scam people who don't know any better, are the two prevalent characteristics in every occurance. A current case in the news is that of Bernard Madoff and his $50 billion Ponzi scheme. The Fed claims it as the worst scheme ever in looting people out of their money. So how are these guys able to do this and why don't investors know any better? Bernard Madoff and his like use all sorts of schemes and tricks to get around the system, or through it, to earn another billion dollars to their portfolio.

The lesson we can learn from these schemes is that false business practices and unethical motivations are a road to failure, both for the individual and for the company as a whole. A company's long term success and viability depends on its image and goals. A good intentioned company with mindful ethical standards will usually win over loyal customers, while a deceitful company will only win over peoples bank accounts. A deceitful company usually is one that drastically and unexpectedly gains a lot of money without a great invention or idea, but the profit only lasts for a short period of time until the regulatory officials can catch up to their tactics. A short term profit is never greater than a long term steady source of income. In short, a company or individual attempting to be successful should always base their motives on ethical standards and good business practices. Never being deceitful to customers will gain a lot of trust and respect for the company, which in turn will make the viability of the company even greater.

The Proper Way to Clean Inflatables

Cleaning the inflatable moonwalks is pivotal for your success and quality of customer service. No customer wants their kids to be playing in something that is dirty or has things inside from a previous party. Customers pay to receive a clean product and that is exactly what they expect. It is every company's responsibility to clean inflatable products and dry them if they have been used with water before using them for another party.

The best way to clean your inflatables is to do them at the location of a reservation during pickup time, which shows customers you do clean them, or re-inflate them at your business or storage location and clean them then. You do not want to leave cleaning for the delivery time because if a customer sees your products dirty before you start cleaning, then they are going to be left with the impression that it is a dirty product. For cleaning you should start off by vacuuming the inside to get all the small particles out, then using a cleaning formula such as Simple Green to clean the inside and outside of the inflatable. You should check with your inflatables manufacturer for their recommended cleaning formula to use on printed surfaces. For water units you want to leave them to fully dry before rolling them back up and storing them. Leaving an inflatable product rolled and stored while it is wet can cause it to smell and reek of mold and mildew.

The cleanliness and appearance of your inflatable moonwalks will reflect on your type of business. Onlookers look at how well kept your inflatables are and compare that to your quality of business. Therefore cleaning your inflatables thoroughly will not only improve the status of your services but will translate into more business and referrals.