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Spending more and enjoying it less?

Article Abstract:

Payment schemes can make spending either easy or painful. Although the guilt or anxiety one feels in spending can check against overspending, it can also take the pleasure out of consuming. The psychological cost of paying for a purchase, or the 'moral tax,' should encourage marketers to create pricing and payment systems that will let people enjoy their purchases without thinking about paying. Such payment systems include prepayment schemes, the flat rate and packaged purchases, which avoid giving consumers the feeling of being in debt. The imminent development of 'smart cards' and some prepaid are other pricing systems that rightly consider the moral tax embedded in consumers' psyche.

Consumer Behavior, Psychological aspects, Consumption (Economics), Consumers, Payment

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Waiting for Uncle Bill

Article Abstract:

Microsoft president Bill Gates' philanthropic record in not impressive, considering that he has only given away a total of $258 million or 1% of his net worth of $23.9 billion. He reasons that he has too much money to give away and it is going to take time before it is accomplished. He also uses the excuse that most of his assets are in Microsoft stock. It is believed that Gates is using the time to devise creative ways of performing philanthropic works.

Donations, Gates, Bill, Philanthropists

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Sooey generis

Article Abstract:

A fictional pig who was supposedly cloned from a man criticized Pres Bill Clinton's decision to ban human cloning. It stressed that Clinton's decision was based on metaphysical concerns and not on reason. Clinton was also attacked for his belief that the creation of human life is a miracle that is beyond the capabilities of laboratory science and that animal cloning does not merit government intervention.

Laws, regulations and rules, Clinton, Bill, Science and technology policy, Cloning

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