One
I found this article about the L.L. Bean duckboots situation (if I may use that word for this) simply fascinating. I’m behind the times (as I usually am when it comes to fashion, something I care little about), because I only heard about the backorder problems a few years ago, but I hadn’t realized the complete reason. Knowing that they are trying to maintain quality (handmade), locality, and their commitment to U.S.-made and -sourced materials means more than artificially increasing demand.
Two
I heard about the woman who can smell Parkinson’s on the morning news blurb the other day, so I sought out more information about it. This article gives a great overview, and I’m excited about the possibilities that it portends. Neal’s grandfather dealt with Parkinson’s, and I’ve heard about the toll it took on family. Catching it earlier might be a key to keeping symptoms in check.
Three
I’ll admit it: as a reader, this article alone made me a bit happier. I’m happier reading hours each week, but to discover that just 30 minutes of pleasure reading per week can increase happiness and health. Reading can help widen world views and deepen understanding of the human condition, so why wouldn’t you take part?
Four
Companies forget that the simplest thing can increase consumer happiness with their products and/or brand. Why not take a minute to think about the little ways that your company annoys consumers and figure out a better way to deal with that problem? (I’m gonna say it: quit sending me mailers and other crap. I don’t mind email spam as much as I mind wasting paper and ink along with my time and effort to deal with getting rid of all of the junk mail that I see on a regular basis. If I want your products, I go online for them. I do not need and I do not want your magazines, mailers, postcards, and so on.)
User experience matters, and with a wider range of places to shop online, those that keep bothering users or refusing to update systems to make browsing and purchasing easier are going to keep losing out.
Five
I’ll be honest here. I sometimes draft angry responses to things I’ve read online. Sometimes the responses aren’t really angry, but they disagree with someone on the internet. The older I get, the more likely I am to just delete the comment without posting it, because I really don’t care what someone I’ve never met thinks about this particular thing when I really start to think about it. In other words, I’m more likely to be like this these days than I am to be like this. In general, that’s probably a good thing.
(What is Sunday Sharing? Find out here.)