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The economic woes that were hurting the sales that Starbucks had recently have been  turning around.  Part of the reason for the turn is due to the marketing methods McDonald’s have employed.  Since McDonald’s has come out with its own brand of coffee that it has been aggressively marketing through sales training and other resources at its disposal, it has improved the recognition of coffee in food industry for customers .  Starbucks as a result has felt some improvement in sales because of the recognition coffee has been getting overall in this business quarter.  Sales were down by about six percent this quarter but that was better than the eight percent of the previous quarter.  Analysts are hoping the upward trend continues.  

Though the advertising campaign McDonald’s used will of course benfit the company itself more than it will Starbucks, the improvement is still appreciated by Starbucks business executives.   The McCafe advertisement campaign cost about $100 million dollars.  Starbucks in the meantime this year, spent only $28 million in comparison.  Other competitors still in the advertising race include Dunkin Donuts.  However, Starbucks remains the main competitor.

Starbucks knows it’s time for a refurbishment in how they do sales.  In their new advertising campaign they have begun work that promises to aid in sales process improvement.  They will continue their spectacular use of social media in addition to more common media.  Because of company loyalty that Starbucks has grown through making a trusted coffee brand, executives plan to exploit that strong point.  It will more than excuse any large costs the fresh marketing campaign might bring.  Factors that show the loyalty customers have given Starbucks comes in the form of the three and a half million people that have friended the company Facebook, and a growing account on Twitter.

The campaign will most likely look to associating with their customers in a more straightforward way.  Social sites like Facebook look to be a part of the new way Starbucks sets trends in social media.  Many companies have taken their cues from the Starbucks and the way the company interacts with its customers.

I signed up for a weekend course for a training course for the projection technology. I managed to book a room at one of the top Barcelona hotels which wasn’t too far from the training center. My energy teacher told me about this projection technique and said I might find it’s technology more suited towards my understanding and practice of hands on healing modalities.

During the weekend, I learned that this particular technique has made remarkable strides and becoming more well known and acceptable with all hands on healers. Projection technology touches most parts of our lives. The art of projection was developed with diverse applications, like cinema, retail, theater, art installations and exhibitions, advertising and marketing, places of worship, concerts, theme parks, corporate presentations, scientific visualisations and medical, education, training simulations and even political and sports events.

I can use slides, film and digital formats by using fixed positions or being mobile. The projections can be highly complex, indoor or outdoor and on a massive scale. The potential surfaces to be projected upon are diverse, like natural formations such as rock faces, clouds, fountains, buildings, water fountains, hot air balloons, monuments, boat sails, inflatables, power stations, conference venues, stadiums, drive-in movie screens, etc.

I gained more knowledge with the training I received over the weekend about the aesthetic and practical aspects of this projection technology. My trainers were professional and had years of experience. I’m not a lighting or projection design, audio-visual person, but what I learned here gave me wonderful ways to project my healing artwork creatively and professionally. The class really had nothing to do with learning a new modality of healing. The wisdom of my teacher sending me to this technical weekend workshop in Barcelona, was a true insight on her part, because now I have a way to project my healing artwork anywhere I want, on any form I want, like the human body or into a forest needing healing. I can do this anytime I want. I will be able to project my healing artwork up on a cloud for all to see. What an amazing way to created healing on a massive scale. I have a wise teacher.

In Cape Town, South Africa, hotels are plentiful, and it’s sometimes difficult to determine which one might suit one’s needs.  Our hotels are exquisite, carefully chosen for the excellence in style and detail, as well as their personal charm.  A stay here means an experience in comfort and hospitality, with plenty of room left for elegance.  With design that meets both contemporary standards and classical taste, there is a splendid ambience here that will be felt in every room.  Our meals are prepared by world-class chefs, trained in preparing international cuisine for refined palates.  The rooms are marvelously furnished, with amenities that meet the highest standards of the industry, with an array of excellent, charming touches.  Restful nights here will leave one ready to enjoy the city.

Cape Town is one of South Africa’s largest cities, and has an extremely lively social and cultural scene.  With an incredible array of diverse peoples, it is a constant conversation that manifests itself in the arts and letters.  Visually, Cape Town is absolutely stunning, with natural landscapes, architectural styles, and art works that speak of a vibrant population with a long and complicated history.  In letters, it has given birth to some of the finest writings in the world.  One of Cape Town’s favorite sons is J.M. Coetzee, whose novels, teaching, and activism have inspired generations of young people not only in South Africa, but all over the world.

Born in Cape Town in 1940 to English-speaking parents, his mother a teacher and father a sometime lawyer, he spoke both English and Afrikaner while growing up.  He earned a B.A. and M.A. in Cape Town, and his doctorate from UT Austin in the U.S.  He has lectured widely, and held the post as Distinguished Professor of Literature at the University of Cape Town, until he moved to Australia with his partner.  His novels are compelling and often bleak portraits of isolation and deep moral questions, reflecting his own lifelong commitment to great ethical questions that are most relevant to South Africa.  He has won the Booker Prize twice for The Life and Times of Michael K. and Disgrace.  In 2003, Coetzee won the Nobel Prize for Literature.