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Are We Really Running Out of Brand Names?
There are many words in the English language and new words are being created all the time. That’s why I find it a little curious that it seems like, more and more, the marketing people are starting to...
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Photos From EPIC Vancouver Sustainable Living Expo
Going green and being eco-friendly have become important buzzwords in today’s marketplace, as more and more people are paying attention to the impact that their consumerism has on the environment. And...
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Method and Madness: This Is How I Shop
It probably wouldn’t be fair to say that I dislike shopping. It’s probably a little more accurate to say that I dislike shopping (and “browsing”) in the real world. Allow me to explain. There are many...
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The Future of the Physical Paper Book
As a professional writer, you could say that I have a vested interest in the future of the book publishing industry. After all, I’ve already co-authored a book that is available both in paper and...
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The Vancouver Home + Design Show 2011
When I went to the Vancouver Home and Interior Design Show last year, I wasn’t a homeowner. Sure, I was interested in home improvement products and services, but it was more from the perspective of...
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Why I Bought the Garmin nuvi 1390LMT GPS
While I was down in Portland, I did a little random shopping and somehow ended up buying the Garmin nüvi 1390LMT. It’s not that I really needed a new portable GPS navigator, but I convinced myself...
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My 2011 Christmas Wish List
This has inadvertently become an annual tradition here on Beyond the Rhetoric. Yes, many people say that Christmas has become far too commercial and it’s become far too much about “gimme this” and...
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Three Vancouver Area Night Markets This Year
It has become pretty obvious that the Vancouver area has a substantial Asian population, so it’s understandable that many people want to have some of the things they had back home. For much of Asia,...
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EPIC Vancouver: Sustaining the Eco Lifestyle
Green. Eco-friendly. Carbon neutral. Sustainable. Fair trade. Organic. Locally sourced. Yes, many of these have turned into marketing buzzwords in recent years as we have become more conscious of the...
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New Urbanists and LEED Certified Living
One thing I learned while visiting some Montreal condos last month was the value of LEED certified buildings and neighbourhoods. For those of you who may not be aware, LEED (Leadership in Energy and...
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A Review of Blogging with John Chow
When I tell people that I run my own business and I work from home, their reaction is typically two-fold. First, they tell me that it “must be nice to have all that free time” and then, befuddled,...
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My 2012 Christmas Wish List and Gift Guide
As I’m not entirely sure what I would do with ten lords-a-leaping or seven swans-a-swimming, I thought I’d share my current Christmas wish list with you. Some of the items here are carryovers from...
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Don’t Buy and Sell Your Business Like Old Furniture
The world of commerce is based on the relatively simple principle of buying and selling things. I want to buy an apple, for example. In order for that to happen, the orchard owner has to pick the...
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Great Products and Great Reviews Don’t Make Great Sales Figures
What does it take to have a successful product launch? The hope is that superior products will always trump out mediocre products in the long run, but sadly, this is not necessarily the case. You...
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The Vancouver Tea Festival (Photos)
Maybe it has something to do with being in such close proximity to the birthplace of Starbucks, but there is a definite coffee culture in Vancouver. And it extends far beyond Starbucks to include...
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Five Items on My Christmas Wish List
Believe it or not, Christmas is only a week and a half away. It feels like only yesterday that I was complaining about people putting up their holiday decorations too early, but now the malls are...
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On the Origin of Boxing Day
Boxing Day used to be a very big deal around these parts and I suppose that it still is, but nothing will ever compete against the legendary A&B Sound Boxing Day sales of yore. These days, we’re...
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On Wild and Wacky Amazon Pricing Schemes
Amazon certainly did not become the world’s largest online retailer by accident. Everything that they do is very carefully calculated to ensure maximum profits. That’s why the homepage, newsletters...
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On Capitalism, Corporations and the Illusion of Choice
Living in a capitalistic society, we like to think that we have a great deal of consumer choice. You walk down the cookie aisle at the local supermarket and you’re inundated with countless different...
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Do You Really Care Where Your Car Is Made?
We all have our reasons for buying one product over another. You might buy a particular pasta sauce, because you prefer the taste of Brand A over Brand B. That makes perfect sense. When choosing a new...
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