THE CHIVAS REGAL EFFECT

What is the difference between a luxury product and a utilitarian one? Is it a difference in quality, technological advancement, durability, reliability, design, craftsmanship, raw material or the cost of manufacture? Or is it a question of brand-name prestige; and if so, it may boil down to the simple fact of consumer perception. Naturally, such perceptions are the intended target of advertising which leads one to form a strong and favorable impression about the superiority and desirability of whatever product that is being advertised.

One of the most powerful psychological effects is the one that makes us equate price with quality. This is to implant the idea that if it is logical to assume that a higher quality product would cost more, it would be safe to assume high quality if the price is high. Apparently, the higher the price - the higher the quality. The added snob appeal that is bestowed by the exclusivity that high prices engender only reinforces the intangible value of prestige.

This is called the Chivas Regal Effect. This took the name of a particular brand of scotch whisky called Chivas Regal. Marketing legend says that Chivas Regal once solved their problems of low sales and struggling market share by counter-intuitively doubling the price of their scotch whisky without changing the whisky. Instead of scaring away consumers, it had the opposite effect of boosting sales greatly because consumers saw such high prices as evidence of quality.

One good way of appreciating the power of the Chivas Regal Effect is to look at the world of luxury watches. Watches can cost only $10 to $20 or they may fetch millions of dollars at auctions. Even a run-of-the mill popular model like the Rolex Submariner costs several thousand dollars.

The Rolex Submariner (left picture) costs about US$8,000 on Amazon, the Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGA029 (center picture) costs almost US$4,000 and the very humble Seiko Sea Urchin SNZF17 (right picture) only costs about US$164. All 3 look similar, feel similar and are all high quality, automatic, stainless steel, water resistant dive watches. It leads to a few questions: If the movement of the Grand Seiko is more sophisticated than the Rolex's, why is it selling at half the price?  If we talk about history, Seiko is an even older watch manufacturer than Rolex! And if both the Grand Seiko Spring Drive and the Seiko Sea Urchin have similar styles and are manufactured by the same company, why is the lovely and lovable Sea Urchin 24 times cheaper?

This is truly weird consumer psychology.

IS DONALD TRUMP A XENOPHOBE,  AN ISLAMOPHOBE, A RACIST OR A RELIGIOUS BIGOT?

Xenophobe, Islamophobe, racist, religious bigot ... More and more national and international name-calling and condemnation have been hurled at Mr Trump, yet his Republican voter approval has, in fact, risen further to 35% after his proposal to bar Muslims from entering his country.

Trump’s national policy adviser, Sam Clovis, had explained that the plan is a reasonable way for his country to “stop, take a break, have a look and make sure everything is cool”.

If we do not misunderstand him, his reasoning goes something like this: yes, the vast majority of Muslims are good and peaceful people and though a very small number of people are terrorists, the unfortunate thing is the majority of terrorists are Muslims or proclaim themselves to be Muslims. It is hard to understand why these terrorists are so full of hatred and violence towards Americans. We need to try to understand why and devise an appropriate long-term plan to counter them. Meanwhile, as a temporary measure, stopping Muslim entry will theoretically stop new entry of most terrorists. This should buy us some time to rethink our counter-terrorist strategy.

If seen in this light, what Mr Trump is proposing has nothing to do with xenophobia, Islamophobia, racism or religious bigotry; but a practical though unprecedented measure to ensure national security and the protection of innocent American lives. The question is: can our heads be cool enough to think this way?

I don't know whether Mr Trump is a xenophobe, a Islamophobe, a racist or a religious bigot; but I can empathize with his intentions.

Sacred Things

Sacred Things are so fully good,
Tell their faults, we never could.
Bestowing us instant sainthood,
They're our minds' staple food.

Since they have not a single flaw,
We have no need of scrutiny's claw.
Under the spell of their silent law,
Out icy hearts can never thaw.

Yet, the tiny dirt we failed to pick 
Leads to wide infection so quick.
Sacred things are now morally sick,
Suffering their own vengeful kick.

No longer just harmless folklore,
They're bringing us blood and gore.
So, their sacredness we must ignore,
Their falsity we must truly explore.

WANTS AND NEEDS 
A Life History

At birth ...

You need everything but you don't know about it.

As a toddler ...

You only want things to amuse you.

As a student ...

You are being told what you need.

As a young working adult ...

You want everything, but you can only afford what you need.

As you become a successful person ...

You want everything because you think you need them.

As you grow older ...

You want only what you need.

As you become demented and sick ...

You don't care about what you want and don't know what you need.

As you die ...

You have neither wants nor needs.

THE MOMENT OF CELESTIAL CALM

Drinking air, not water,
Now, it's a grave matter.
Breathing water, not air,
Sign of a terminal affair.

Mind starved of oxygen
Finds no shortcut to heaven.
Flaccid veins don't fill,
No use for the bitter pill.

Painful disorder all around,
Love and joy are nowhere found.
As you lay among the tubes,
Hope melts like ice-cubes.

In a moment of celestial calm,
You hold existence in your palm.
As it slips through your fingers,
Only the memory of love lingers.

WE ARE WITH YOU
Friday 13th November 2015

Bataclan Theatre
Stade de France
Rue de Charonne
Le Petit Cambodge
Les Halles
Casa Nostra Pizzeria
Boulevard Voltaire

 

-  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU -  WE ARE WITH YOU - - - -    

THE WILD THING

A thing; a wild, wild thing
Appears without warning.
Odd, shapeless and nameless,
It must be a beast of darkness.

Even though there is no bounty,
Killing it must be our key duty.
Using any weapon you can find,
We adopt methods of every kind.

Should you bash its ugly head,
Or jump on its belly instead?
Gouge its eyes, pull out its teeth,
Or kick it from way underneath?

With each stick and each stone,
Nothing is to be left alone.
Yet, every spear and arrow
Only brings out a strange sorrow.

From us, the thing is different,
Yet to destroy, it is incoherent.
If wildness brings such loathing,
We ought to re-think everything.

Actually, it means us no harm.
So, it should not cause alarm.
The wild thing is any new thing 
Just teaching us something!

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO WEIGHT LOSS

 

 

 

IS THERE A WAY?

Is there a way to your mind?
Common ground of some kind,
Is not something I could find;
Just words caught in a bind.

Is there a way to your heart?
Though keen to play the part,
It's hard to know where to start.
Cos' persuasion is no easy art.

Is there a way to your soul?
With eyes cold as the North Pole
And morals lost in a Black Hole,
You're a prisoner with no parole.

So, is there a way to you at all?
If every message and every call
Only meets a solid brick wall,
I'll just walk away feeling tall.

RIGHT AND/OR WRONG

Tell me what's right,
If there's no wrong.
Can't help being uptight,
My feelings so strong.

Virtues out of sight,
To whom they belong?
Angels have taken flight,
Indifferent all day long.

Moral questions made light,
Into dancing ping pong.
Nobody's ready to fight,
Just playing noisy mahjong.

When Hell's burning bright,
Let's sound the gong.
To save humanity's plight,
Sing our beautiful song.