Dangerous Grounds

Where would we be if it wasn’t for bad coffee? I tell you where we wouldn’t be – Banff, Canada, that’s where.

I’ve never been to Banff, but I worked with a bunch of guys from there. They made the worst coffee on the planet. They never changed the coffee grounds in the coffee pot. Never. It just piled up layer after layer like some sort of coffee ground sedimentary deposits.

I tried to change the grounds once, but it upset them so much I didn’t have the heart to do it. That, and they threatened to terminate my existence if I did. Dying, I didn’t mind. It was drinking their coffee that kept me up nights with dread.

The Banff formula made coffee that was black – not a deep, rich brown, but black. It tasted like what I imagine the bottom of chicken coop would taste like if you boiled it and never changed the grounds. The only good thing about the Banff brew is it woke you up in the morning. Problem was, it kept you awake for the rest of the week, too.

It is hard to imagine a stronger coffee. If you ever want to take up jogging, forget what the running experts tell you. Drink a few slugs of Banff brew and, believe me, you’ll be off and running for miles in no time. You can’t help yourself. Most likely, you will eventually run in the direction of a toilette. Banff brew tends to grease your innards.

I am somewhat of a bad coffee aficionado thanks to my dad’s family. They lived way, way back in the hills of Kentucky. The men worked the coal mines. They needed strong coffee to get them going in the morning.

Coffee was brewed in tin coffee pots on stoves that used butane gas. There was always an open can of Maxwell House near the stove. You filled the tin coffee pot with water, scooped out a palm full of Maxwell House with your hand and dropped the grounds in the pot. There was no filter. The grounds sunk to the bottom of the pot – most of them, at least.

Sometimes my grandmother let me help make the coffee. I turned the gas knob on the front of the stove to the right until I heard the gas hissing . I touched a long kitchen match that she struck for me to the burner. There’d be a sort of Wop! sound then a circle of blue flames flared out around the metal eye of the stove. It always kind of scared me, but I always wanted to do it.

In no time the pot was gurgling and the kitchen filled with the smell of coffee. In a few minutes you had hot coffee and by “hot” I mean McDonald’s lawsuit hot coffee. You had to let it cool off in your cup for a while before you drank it, unless you were my grandfather who sometimes drank scalding coffee right out of the tin coffee pot when he didn’t have time to wait or he just wanted to show off.

Women could mix in sugar and milk. If you were a man, you drank your coffee black.

The first two thirds of the pot was good coffee. The closer you got to the bottom, the more grounds you had to filter through your teeth and the more bitter things got. The last cup of coffee separated the men from the boys. It was the worst tasting substance I ever drank, but it couldn’t be the worst tasting coffee in the world.

That distinction has to go to a type of coffee called Kopi luwak. It is also the most expensive coffee in the world at 1,300 dollars a kilogram. I have never tried it. I can only assume it tastes like manure, because that’s what it is made of. Seriously. They feed berries to a squirrel-like critter called a civit, harvest its poop and make coffee from it.

Kind of puts that Banff brew in perspective, don’t it?

Coffee made from manure has to be the worst tasting coffee ever even if you change the grounds between pots. There’s another thing about Kopi luwak, too. Some experts in the field say drinking it could be the cause of the next pandemic.

Keys for success in the Big Pharma field

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for the safety and effectiveness of drugs sold in the United States. The process to get the FDA’s approval for a pharmaceutical product is usually very long and complicated.

The FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) conducts research to test the drugs’ quality, but the pharmaceutical companies that aim at introducing a new product on the US market are responsible for extensive testing of the drugs to prove they’re safe and effective. The CDER then reviews the data included in the new drug application (NDA). After the development phase, the FDA goes though preclinical and clinical research, review, and post-market safety monitoring.

Experts in this field rarely share their advice on how to deal with the FDA in the most effective way and how to be successful in the pharmaceutical business. “Mastering the art of communication and being proficient in marketing techniques can be helpful,” told us Alessandro Ricci, president of the US branch of the Chinese big pharma company Aurisco. “You have to discover a product’s potential, develop a plan, and clearly describe the assets and advantages a drug can bring to the American market and the world in general,” explained the Italian CEO, product developer and expert of the life-cycle management associated with the supply chain. Having a nice dose of charm, being personable, and able to put people at ease are other important qualities to develop.

Mr. Ricci is responsible for the success of very popular drugs and active substances, such as the extremely popular steroid medicine Fluticasone Propionate, generic of Advair. Sold today under the brand names Flovent and Flonase among others, this product works by decreasing inflammation and is used for the long-term management of asthma, but also to treat hay fever, nasal polyps, and mouth ulcers. With over 24 million prescriptions, Fluticasone was the 23rd most prescribed medication in the United States in 2020. “I make the technical aspects very simple for clients and supervise the document filing for drugs to be successful with the FDA’s approval,” the 43-year-old entrepreneur added.

Mr. Ricci is also the mind behind the development of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Fulvestrant, used in the generic oncologic drug Faslodex and of Abiraterone acetate, a medication used to treat prostate cancer, sold under the brand name Zytiga.

Mr. Ricci’s knowledge of the US marketing and business world has been a crucial asset for many international companies in America. Probably his most important piece of advice is inspired to professional sports and the athlete’s mentality, which he gets from his passion for marathon running: “Be persistent. Just like athletes must train every day in order to be able to finish a marathon, you should fight every day to get to your short-term goals,” he explained. “Working in this field is just like a long-distance race: You need to fight every mile to get to the finish line.”

4 Reasons The Study Of Organizational Behavior Is Imperative

The managers or entrepreneurs are the leaders who can shape the success of their organization. For a successful run, a leader needs to ensure that the business carries out its internal and core operations Organizational Behavior plays a vital role in any enterprise’s success. It outlines the system in which the company will run, where it’ll fit in the industry and it also decides the future of the company. It defines the vision, mission, and goals of the company and outlines a way in which the members of the company will interact with each other. Thus, every manager or entrepreneur should learn the core principles of Organizational Behavior for the success of the business. Here are a few more reasons that exemplify the significance of the study of organizational behavior:

1. It helps in understanding the mission of the enterprise
Every organization has its quintessence or its purpose of carrying out the intended operations. Organizational behavior aids the entrepreneurs in defining the task of the organization- what a company will do and how it’ll do it. It defines an infrastructure that will be followed by the company throughout its run. It also emphasizes on establishing a mission statement that the company wants to achieve through its operations. The mission is not only monetary but it speaks of the company’s culture and aims at bringing a change in the lives of the customers, stakeholders and all the people involved with the company. The mission statement tells everyone about the goals of the organization and can be used to gauge the effectiveness of its operations.

2. It aids in establishing clear expectations
The organizational behavior not only helps in establishing a mission, but it also helps the managers or entrepreneurs in setting expectations for the employees, stakeholders as well as the customers. It helps in formulating the chain of command performed by each employee and also decides the kinds of vendors and customers the company should expect.

3. It helps in better decision making
The organizational behavior paves way for uniformity in the company and its core values. The establishment of the uniform mission, actions and messages facilitate the managers to make better decisions that are fruitful for the company. Organizational Behavior entails an identity to the organization so the managers can make their decision aligning with the nature of operations of the organization.

4. It ensures that managers hire the right person
The employees are the main pillars of organizational behavior. The people that bring new ideas and passion to the organization are considered as the perfect employees for the organization. If the organizational behavior is clearly defined, the newly employed candidates can easily understand their duties and it also makes easy for the managers to hire the right people and communicate with them effectively.

Would You Benefit From Making Early Payments on Your Auto Loan?

Monthly payments make up an important element of the auto loan. The amount of money that you will pay each month depends on a number of things; such as the money you put down, the value of the car, loan term, your current income and credit score, etc. Many a times people wish to repay their auto loan earlier than their term or wish to get the loan refinanced. Understanding the effect of paying your loan early vis-à-vis making timely payments can help you in making a well-informed decision.

Pay Early or Pay on Time: The Auto Loan Question

· Are you interested in making Early Payments?

You know you are a financially adept individual when you think about paying your auto loan early rather than spending the money on frivolous things. The following pros and cons of prepayment will take you one step closer in making the right decision.

Pros: The reduction in the interest amount can help you save a great deal of money. Paying off your auto loan early gives you the financial freedom to use that money elsewhere. Secondly, if you are going to receive a large sum of money in the near future, it is wise to prepay your loan instead of spending it elsewhere. It will make your debt-free early and allow you to live a tension-free life.

Cons: Timely auto loan payments mean that you have planned your finances in an efficient way. If you repay your loan all at once, it may project that you are unable to manage your credit. Remember prepayment of your auto loan will not hurt your credit score, however, it will not improve the score either.

· Do you believe Timely Payments are a Good Choice in the Long Run?

Small payments made every month can surely have a positive impact on your credit rating. The following pros and cons will help you clarify the advantages and disadvantages of timely payments.

Pros: Timely payments made every month are certain to keep your credit score in check. Many a times people may forget to make the payments on time. However, automatic bank payments can help you to keep your payments regular. A shorter loan term with timely payments will help you in obtaining lower interest rates and an overall cheaper auto loan deal in the future.

Cons: An automatic timely payment means that you will have to maintain a certain balance in your bank account, which may temporarily block your finances. A certain amount of your income gets allocated to the monthly payment. Compared to a prepayment strategy, timely monthly payments carry less financial freedom.

Your Auto Loan Payment Schedule: What is Best for you?

Income is an important element that decides which option you should choose between paying your auto loan early and making timely payments. If your monthly payment is manageable and your income supports the loan, you should opt for timely payments. However, if your income source is unstable and you require a car on an immediate basis, you should opt to make a prepayment of your entire loan. On the basis of your financial situation and circumstances, make the wiser choice.