Monday March 3, 2025
– Crescent Moon Phase – challenge, growth, struggle, expansion, gathering
– Moon in TAURUS –
– Retrogrades –
- Venus March 2 – April 13
– Best Days (from the Farmer’s Almanac) March 3rd – Advertise to Sell, Buy a Home, Cut Hair to Increase Growth, Cut Firewood, Dig Holes, Get Married, Mow to Increase Growth, Paint, Wax Floors
– Planting Calendar (from the Farmer’s Almanac) – March 3rd – 4th – Favorable for planting crops bearing yield above the ground.
– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Year: – 20 ARIES: a young girl feeding birds in winter
– Aspect of the Aeon Sophia: (Wisdom): – Kali – The Destroyer
– Aspect of the Aeon Thelete: (Will/Desire): Seth, God of the North, God of Enlightenment
– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Month – New Moon in Pisces SUN/MOON – – SUN – 10 PISCES: an aviator in the clouds (EARTH – 10 VIRGO: two heads looking out and beyond the shadows)
SUN – 14 PISCES: a lady wrapped in fox fur
EARTH – 14 VIRGO: a family tree
Happy Monday! True happiness is to enjoy the present and embrace the future.
Why We Choose The Best
Last week I placed a number of online purchases. I ordered 2 pairs of shoes, a specialized knee brace and some haircare products. Two of the 4 orders have arrived. And that fact (as well as many other thoughts – some from the Elon interview) has my mind wandering.
First, the 2 pairs of shoes were ordered from manufacturers websites. One was a pair of specialized shoes for my handicapped son. Another was a pair of shoes for myself, also somewhat specialized. I am supposed to receive my son’s shoes tomorrow. My shoes are “in transit” somewhere.
The other 2 orders were from Amazon. The knee brace arrived the same day I ordered it. The Hiar care products showed up within 48 hours in 2 different deliveries.
I draw attention to this for a specific purpose. And that is to point out a company that does it right when it comes to online orders and deliveries.
You can say whatever you want about Amazon. As an online retailer, they have figured out how to get the items on their websites into the hands of their customers.
In my previous work life, I was in charge of a company website. We sold products online. My first year I faced this problem. Our company could not get an online order out the door in under 2 weeks. And that was their best timeframe. As an outsider, I was shocked. And I told them over and over that it was unacceptable. When people order online, they expect to receive things in a timely manner. I cited Amazon specifically.
Within a year, we improved it. Still not good. But improved.
Personally, I will always go back to an online retailer that ships efficiently. And having some of the best prices helps.
I have been a fan of Amazon from early on. When they were known for selling books online. I liked them because they had a better selection that the bookstores in my area. And they delivered quickly.
They expanded and became the best retailer in just about everything. And made Jeff Bezos one of the richest men in the world.
Excellence is not exclusive to the United States. However, I would say that in America we have been more programmed for success. Given the idea that we can do anything. And that it is possible. Call it the American Dream.
Unfortunately, most of the rest of the world do not matriculate in life with this mindset.
Listening to the Elon interview that I really started thinking about this.
He was talking about SpaceX, his rocket company. And he pointed out a small fact that very few people are aware of. He said that about 90% of all spacecraft launches around the world are done by SpaceX. China is second place at 5%.
Think about what this means for Global dominance. An industry that was exclusively a government run process (dominated by NASA vs the rest of the world) is now 90% dominated by a privately owned company. That is run by Elon Musk. The richest man in the world.
To me that is a pretty damning statement about government run enterprises.
The point I wanted to make in this particular discussion was more in how we all gravitate to the best products on the market. Why would you not want the best? And I wanted to point out a few of them.
Amazon – presently controls 35-40% of online retail sales. Second place is Walmart at about 6.4%
SpaceX – 90%
Tesla About 45% of electric vehicles. Closest competitors are Hyundai and GM, both hovering around 11%
Apple Iphone – 50-60% of the market
Google – 90%
Facebook – 67%
I point these out so that you can ask yourselves why you may or may not do business with these organizations. Let’s face it. They all provide absolutely excellent products. And doing business with them involves choice.
Amazon – Are we choosing the death of a live retail experience? The cost of doing business online includes the 2 largest indoor malls closest to my home either closed or about to be.
Tesla – Do you want to buy a vehicle that costs considerably more than a comparable petroleum powered vehicle? Has a significantly shorter range? Will not last more than 7 years operating at the same level?
IPhone – It that product really worth $1500 requiring a higher connection rate than comparable non-apple phone?
Google – you do realize they are tracking everything you do. And feeding you what they want you to know.
Facebook – same as google
They didn’t become the best in a vacuum. The products they offer are better. But are they worth the price?