how stuff works / Cliffside Malibu Potential Buzzkill Alert: Many States Banning Powdered Alcohol May 9, 2016

Cliffside Malibu

Your next “cocktail” could be just a coffee stirrer, glass of water and a pouch of powdered alcohol away, provided your state isn’t one of the 31 (and counting) that have already banned the substance. Palcohol, a new take on powdered booze, isn’t even available for sale in the U.S., yet legislation is popping up all over the place to prevent its distribution.

Palcohol was the brainchild of a guy named Mark Phillips, an avid outdoorsman who longed to enjoy a cocktail at the end of a day spent in nature, without the burden of toting vodka bottles and mixers in his small pack. This incarnation of powdered alcohol has taken years to get off the ground, and offers selections like vodka, rum and a few mixed cocktails, all of which feature similar alcohol content to their liquid equivalents. (more…)

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oracle / Alter Agents Extreme Customization May 9, 2016

How technology is shaping modern marketing

Extreme Customization
Marketing has never been an easy discipline. But marketers in today’s world face a particular set of challenges their counterparts in earlier times could not have imagined. First, there’s the pace of technological change, which seems to offer a new way to engage with customers on a
weekly basis. (Facebook Live launched the day this story went to print.) Fewer and fewer people watch broadcast television in favor of streaming shows via the web, marginalizing one of the most reliable ways to reach a mass audience. The use of ad blockers and email filters can narrow a consumer’s internet experience into an inaccessible niche. As a result, reaching consumers with a message is more complicated than it has ever been. (more…)

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WNY Family Magazine / Dr. Gail Gross Issues Families Face: Link Between Stability & Success May 5, 2016

Arlene Howard | Gail Gross

The bonding process begins in the womb. Once born, infants thrive on the voice and touch of a consistent caregiver. So, from the start, stability and security provide an anchor for human growth and development.

As a child, I instinctively knew if something bad happened — anything from catching chicken pox to navigating a personality clash with a classroom teacher — my parents would always be there to support me. I always had family to lean on and a home to escape to when the going got rough. At the time, I had no clue that this stable and loving environment would help shape me into a confident and grounded adult. However, I realize now that I subconsciously paid it forward when it came to raising my own children, providing a cushion when they stumbled and a safe haven filled with unconditional acceptance.

A stable environment provides nurturing caregivers, unconditional love, consistent discipline, and a dependable and safe living space. This secure and protective environment shapes a child’s perspective of himself and the world around him. It is the springboard that sets in motion a path to happiness and overall well-being. It is the bedrock to a child’s future success. (more…)

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Digiday / Alter Agents As PC era wanes, Intel moves away from ‘Intel Inside’ May 5, 2016

Alter Agents

Wearables and Internet of Things are logical outgrowths of the Intel brand as long as it still retains the concept that “Intel Inside” promoted: Electronics power by Intel are superior. If Intel wants to distance itself entirely from the idea of “Intel Inside” and pivot to another message, however, it will take a long time and lots of work for the brand to re-educate the consumer, said Rebecca Brooks, co-founder of market research firm Alter Agents.

(more…)

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Healthline / Dr. Gail Gross 9 Ways to Avoid Parenting Mistakes Your Parents Made May 4, 2016

9 Ways to Avoid Parenting Mistakes Your Parents Made

Parenting is hard work.

It’s probably the hardest job you’ll ever have, and there are no vacations or sick days. You’re trying to help another human become a functional member of society, which sounds like a pretty intimidating task. But it’s also incredibly rewarding when you do it well. (more…)

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