Blog

I’m writing this from far northern Wisconsin where the summer days are long, the morning air is cool and the nights are so brisk that in the deep woods you hear no insects at night. Only silence, occasionally interrupted by the call of a loon on the lake.

I’m with my 10 year old son Cuyler and we’re doing the father son thing for a couple of days.

We’re sleeping in a tent and let’s just put it this way…. in the wee hours of the morning, if nature calls, a battle ensues.

A battle between the warmth of the sleeping bag and the discomfort of my bladder.

I have resigned myself to the reality that the bladder always wins in the end :^>

My morning commute – from bed to library, where I write – is about 18 feet. Beats 18 miles, believe me.

But there is one disadvantage (isn’t there always a potential disadvantage with everything?):

There’s a famous play called “Waiting for Godot” where two men wait for a guy named Godot to show up. While they’re waiting, they eat, sleep, converse, sing, play games, exercise, swap hats and argue.

Anything to avoid facing the fear that Godot might never show up.

Somewhere in their conversation they sort of admit to each other that neither of them really knows the guy and they might not even recognize him when he shows up.

China was my first “communist country.”

One typically associates the word “communist” with gloomy, despairing scenes in the former Soviet Union or East Germany – people standing in long lines holding ration cards, and workers laboring under cruel, despotic tyranny.

China is, in fact, a beautiful place, and I certainly did not leave with that dreary impression. Everyone was very polite and hospitable. The scenery was exotic and the food was delightful. It was an unforgettable experience, and I highly recommend China as a place to visit.

But make no mistake: China is not a democracy. There are “official views” on certain things, which shall be held by everyone:

When I was about 13 years old I was hot, hot, hot in pursuit of a good stereo system. I would go to all the different shops in town and salivate.

I was at this one store and the guy said, “Have you decided what speakers you want yet?”

I said, “There are some speakers by Boston Acoustics that I really like a lot.”

He said, “BUY THEM.”

A lady named Ruth asked:

“Isn’t this spamming, to automatically put someone on different lists, one they have not subscribed to themselves?”

My reply:

I have a true barn burner for you today. This one is WELL WORTH YOUR TIME.

I have a customer, Bill Bailey, who sent me one of the strangest emails I’ve ever gotten, just a month before my Autoresponder Seminar last September:

> I have never discussed this with you but March 30-June 28, 2007 I
> spent in the federal prison camp in Pensacola. Long story but
> basically I was a little too aggressive in some of my data collections
> methods and got the attention of the FBI (!) and next thing I know I’m
> being indicted and sent to prison (not to mention the $700K in legal fees
> and $150K in restitution.. ouch!).