Mainspring Mindshares

2007-08-13T14:59:00.000-05:00

How should I say this?

==> I'm taking a sabbatical.
==> I'll be away on a quasi-vacation.
==> It's summertime, and I need some sun.
==> I'm bored with this blog format, and, besides, I need a break.
==> I've developed other interests... other than internet marketing.
==> I'm selfishly devoted to my own amusement.
==> I'll check back in when I'm ready.
==> See you soon!

I want to archive these posts and recover the comments in Word Press. The plug-ins I want to utilize are easier to install and implement than what I've found can be made useful in Blogger.

So there you have it.

BTW... I'm still somewhat active at Dallas For Ron Paul

Lark

Mainspring Mindshares

2007-07-03T00:31:00.000-05:00

http://trustedadvisor.com/blog/171/#comment590

2007-07-02T23:14:00.000-05:00

Health Care Reform | Governance | Law | The Golden Rule

Charlie Green, in his web log, Trusted Advisor, has invited comments concerning health care and trust. As I like Charlie, and respect the insights he shares - not to mention, the good work he puts into the topic of trust in general - I've become a faithful reader of late.

Here's where you'll find Lark's latest comment - a rant really - which I posted in response to all the chatter related to our sick health care system and its need for reform.

I suspect Charlie likes my sometimes off-the-wall remarks, and I'm grateful he puts up with me. Likewise, I appreciate his digging deep into matters of trust, since I consider it one of the most worthwhile topics in the blogosphere.

And all of us have a voice in this debate regarding health care reform - beginning with that inner voice inside.

What follows is my response to Charlie's response to my rant - that I strike him as "a walking anti-ideologue" - one label I'll proudly wear as a badge of honor.

~~~~~|~~~~~|~~~~~|~~~~~|~~~~~|~~~~~|~~~~~|~~~~~|~~~~~|~~~~~|~~~~~|~~~~~|~~~~~|~~~~~

As it concerns governance and the rule of law we must be mindful of our individual concepts of free will and the needs of society as a whole.

This is, of course, quite a deft balancing act for mere mortals to achieve - in one lifetime, or from one generation to the next.

In law we have only universal, scientific and man-made laws to consider... followed by moral and ethical codes of behavior.

Reason dictates we employ critical thinking and basic logic to the best of our abilities, and strive to get along.

When any of these conflict with one another we must logically infer we have a problem demanding a more proper solution.

I grew up believing, rightly or wrongly, in The Golden Rule. In fact it's the only thing, in my view, worth remembering about the whole discussion surrounding religion.

We were born into this world naked and without language. Thus, most all knowledge defined in language is borne from false beliefs - lies and factual distortions - or via indoctrination, otherwise informed by authoritarian constructs, which are often little more than lies and distortions built upon other lies and distortions.

And since our knowledge about law is generally derived from empirical evidence, based upon the facts on the ground before us, and our common consensus of learned opinion, we enact man-made rules-of-the-road for all of us to follow.

The framers of our Constitution were painfully aware that men were not created equal - though they bravely deemed it so - and our fortunes as free men were tied to an economic order which presumably rewarded hard work and fair play.

This is precisely where everything begins to unravel. Our assumptions about "the way it is" should always be logically subject to change - as change, for all intents and purposes, is a constant condition within man, nature and the universe.

One wrong turn which discounts natural, universal or scientific law - or ignores The Golden Rule - and man-made law becomes suspect... as just another authoritarian construct... which, sooner or later, will only compel us to enact forcible change... for the benefit of the larger society.

What must also be given a voice in the halls of government... is the air we breathe, the nourishment we take, the water we drink, and the ground we walk on. These things, after all, are as basic to our survival as they are to all other living things.

Healthcare, medicine and law, and those we entrust to administer it, is just as important to our survival as any of these.

Tyranny, as brought about by cognitive dissonance, our common attention deficit trait – even a kind of tyranny-of-words – is anathema to social order, our supposed right to happiness, and our very survival as free-thinking human beings living in a healthful environment.

As social beings cognizant that certain inviolate laws do exist which supersede others... we Americans assume man-made laws will sustain a social and economic order… envisioned by those who crafted the words... in our Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, the Constitution itself, and the Bill of Rights.

Therefore, I grew up believing - again, rightly or wrongly - in the Hippocratic Oath; and the vision of our nation's founders; and my right to agree or disagree with whomever or whatever I encounter… which seeks to enslave me or force me against my will… or seeks my cooperation in a collaborative scheme or arrangement.

I'm not so hard to fathom really. I simply hate tyranny and injustice. And I love pleasure... and the plain and simple truth... wherever and whenever I'm privileged to marvel at its beauty.

Like you and everybody else… my everyday wish is to experience life on reasoned practical terms... which doesn’t harm others.

And God help those who’d refuse to help themselves – as the old saying goes – and anyone who would deign it in their power to rule over me.

I stand for truth and justice – and not much of anything else – which is why I enjoy listening to what you have to say, man!

Though none of us can claim to own the truth entirely, we can at least trust that good common sense and wiser heads seeking of justice will prevail in the end.

As for tolerance... one can only be guided accordingly...

... Because sometimes, without speaking truth to power, we risk leaving it to others to decide our fates.

2007-06-21T13:39:00.000-05:00

Teacher's Pet Monkeys

TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America.

MARIA: Here it is.

TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America?

CLASS: Maria!

~~~|~~~

TEACHER: John, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor?

JOHN: You told me to do it without using tables.

~~~|~~~

TEACHER: Glenn, how do you spell "crocodile?"

GLENN: K-R-O-K-O-D-I-A-L

TEACHER: No, that's wrong

GLENN: Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it.

~~~|~~~

TEACHER: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?

DONALD: H I J K L M N O

TEACHER: What are you talking about?

DONALD: Yesterday you said it's H to O.

~~~|~~~

TEACHER: Winnie, name one important thing we have
today that we didn't have 10 years ago.

WINNIE: Me!

~~~|~~~

TEACHER: Glen, why do you always get so dirty?

GLEN: Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you are.

~~~|~~~

TEACHER: George Washington not only chopped down
his father's cherry tree, but also admitted it. Now, Louie, do you
know why his father didn't punish him?

LOUIE: Because George still had the ax in his hand?

~~~|~~~

TEACHER: Now, Simon, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating?

SIMON: No sir, I don't have to, my Mom is a good cook.

~~~|~~~

TEACHER: Clyde, your composition on "My Dog" is
exactly the same as your brother's. Did you copy his?

CLYDE: No, teacher, it's the same dog.

~~~|~~~

TEACHER: Harold, what do you call a person who keeps
on talking when people are no longer interested?

HAROLD: A teacher?

2007-04-18T21:32:00.000-05:00

Resplendent Noise

Dave Lakhani has received a link to an interesting article over at The Washington Post from Ben Mack, and he's generously shared it in his blog at Bold Approach.

Entitled Pearls Before Breakfast, Gene Weingarten, in the April 8th issue, says

"Can one of the nation's great musicians cut through the fog of a D.C. rush hour? Let's find out."

In the article the Post writer documents a social experiment in well-written detail, which was a marvel to behold.

His conclusions are powerful... and instructive. And the article... was a joy to read.

Dave suggested it is a "direct reflection of your audience and the reaction to your performance" - meaning, at least partly, a reference to its lesson for furthering our marketing efforts, I took it.

So, as a marketing noob, of course, I checked it out.

Then I felt compelled to weigh in, to expand the dialog, so to speak - so as to release my inner chatter!

And in case you don't already know, we wannabe writers like to kick this stuff out a lotta times anyway - which is why we live like hermits. :)

************************************************************************************

Dear Dave,

My hat's off to you and Ben for sharing this article.

I thoroughly enjoyed receiving the vibe - that's New Age-speak for telling me about the noise!

It's no wonder we tend to tune out noise - even the so-called good noise - as we have so much noise going on inside our own heads... we must necessarily filter out... the competition from outside... to be heard.

The article you and Ben cite is a perfect illustration of this phenomenon.

It seems much of what we employ as influence and persuasion tactics today must be focused on how it is we can appeal to people's finely-tuned sense of self-centeredness and conscious greed - as most of us are hell-bent on getting heard...

... By that selfish inner chatter... which resides within... all of us.

[Bottom line: Hey, it's still only about survival, baby!]

And so people wrapped up in themselves... with their problems... their seeking of everyday pleasure and fulfillment at every turn... is where we often begin.

Especially if our aim is to target them... to illustrate an object lesson... as is the case in the Post article.

However, another way might be to start by realizing this kind of epidemic behavior is actually a good thing... and the way to penetrate this mindset... is to reverse engineer our thoughts... of constantly thinking... in order to make a more valuable and calculating appeal... to this, our common affliction.

Though we instinctively know we must start with emotion and sensory perception, it's not always from a commonality of meaning or purpose.

Then we start to question whether appealing, objectifying, and targeting is really the best strategy in the first place.

So let's consider this beforehand.

"Children accumulate virtually no memory until they have language."

"Consciousness is self-awareness... characterized by language... which facilitates inner narration."

"Consciousness IS language. Like with certain words, images, feelings and perceptions... good music is thought to be useful good noise - as it supposedly emanates from the same natural vibratory impulse as sensory stimulation + conjured immediate thought = emotional desire, followed by the desperate want, then the perceived need to control."

History is replete with examples, ad infinitum, of all the ways we've put into place... and attempted to implement... control over others.

[And I wonder: Will this forever be so critical to our economic survival?]

When communication professionals become accomplished, then sullied by these many infectious words - marketers... admen, public relation, media and brand specialists... propaganda experts - are they put on this earth to zero in on those certain flaws in our human character, so all the others now become our targets?

And these many more others - likely referred to as informed consumers - really do eat up all this attention... because all of us, it turns out, really pine for these... same dirty words!

But we all have our crosses to bear, and someone has to dish out these dirty words we love so much... because burning desire, like for more money, or certain pleasures, has crept up on us all, hasn't it?

Earth + Air + Water + Fire = LIFE

It's part-and-parcel of our capitalist system... and T-I-N-A... THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE (Margaret Thatcher)... still stands as our universally accepted credo.

[Though nothing has fundamentally changed... maybe we can at least be awakened to new possibilities... if it's true our survival hangs in the balance.]

So for the sake of our own amusement, disregarding for a moment all other motivating factors, let's assume we really are brainwashed.

Submitting ourselves... to conscious-driven... incessant... dissonant... inner chatter - right from the get-go!

Have we come to accept this observation to be a part of our basic instinct for survival and self-preservation - as evidenced by our common behavior patterns - to blithely be seen walking around... talking to ourselves?

Isn't this what is characteristic of hapless patients in insane asylums?

[Just wondering... if it's not okay... just say so. But can we be completely honest with ourselves?]

Anyway, without digressing further, let's make a determination.

Do we want to approach this issue as one of war, like what is studied at war colleges, or from what we learned in The Art of War (Sun Tzu)?

Or do we want to try a less aggressive, maybe more feminine, non-judgmental method instead?

Wherein might lie the clue... in our determination... for fresh and bold approach?

Should we tally up all our common emotional and sensory attributes... and begin redeployment? In preparation for another more all-encompassing assault on the senses?

Rather than... just one... of resplendent noise... shown, by example, in the Post's experiment?

Must we also consider bringing on some assorted jugglers, mimes, slapstick comedians, carnival barkers, town criers, unclothed bodies, compelling objets d'art, even free food and drink to add to the mix - just for teasers - in order to gain this promise of requisite attention?

Then tweak and test the mix for desired effect?

[Why the hell not? Sounds like a party to me! Can I come? Can I? Can I?]

Could it be if we stop to unthink... then re-create the conditions for a “stiller” serenity – uncluttered by foolish inner chatter... the falsely-perceived ravages of time... not spent in the here-and-now... and disparate stupid pursuits... always running to-and-fro – we might more easily cause the violinist gainful notice... to get the worthy gentleman... some damn attention please?

Or perhaps we should search for the single common thread of least resistance - at the very least - first?

Mind
Mind-blowing
Mind-boggling
Mind-expanding
Mindful
Mindfulness
Minding
Mindless
Mind reading
Mindset
Mind’s-Eye
Mindshare

For what useful purpose does it serve if we ill-consider empowerment and enrichment, the same energy which allows us all to be present... and so motivated to go on about our busy-ness?

And where might these conditions best be perfected – or exploited?

The public square (in the case of the author’s article you shared, L'Enfant Plaza, near the Metro, in Washington D.C.) – or in individual hearts and minds?

Where does critical thinking, preconceived notions about acculturative value equations, or propaganda fit into this scenario?

Are we not fighting a losing battle?

Have we thoroughly examined our assumptions – or questioned our motives for self-aggrandizement?

And what is the highest, most noble good we can derive from all this, our amusement and our chatter... our exquisite enrichment... and longing for ecstatic experience - even if the meaning of meaning is held over... for another day?

Finally, shouldn't we reconsider... an examination... of thoughtforms... egregores... s'more memes... to further explore?

Then determine if, by their alignment, we can be made to feel more useful... by virtue of our newfound purpose... after that?

Some innocent things... always beggar us for answers...

... Which is why... I'm glad to be... on your mailing list.

I know... like Ben... you entertain these foolish questions too!

All the best,

Lark

[Notes: Perhaps the social experiment described in the Post article would have drawn different conclusions from the author if the musician selected was a viola (more masculine tonality) player instead of a violinist (the violin being higher-pitched, with a more feminine tonality).

A lone youngish professional woman, Stacy Furukawa, was Joshua Bell’s most-attuned and active audience participant - and his best customer. (Is this what the author meant by "... cute elides into hott", an added impetus for Ms. Furukawa to notice his playing?) Near the end of his performance she cheerfully laid down a twenty... into his violin case... amazed by the scene around her!

Previously, John Picarello, "a smallish and baldish man" - and a true classical music fan - took no note of Joshua Bell's celebrity. After watching and listening appreciatively - for nearly ten whole minutes - he tossed a fiver in the case.

This is but one example of how we can learn more about ourselves by performing similar exercises.

See the plot details in Shakespeare’s comedy, Twelfth Night, or What You Will - particularly the antics of Feste, the resident fool! :)]

2007-04-15T00:59:00.000-05:00

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Niquette,

What monumental works the two of you have gifted this world!

I’m happy I discovered your site yesterday at Niquette.com – particularly your A Certain Bicyclist: An Off-Beat Guide to the Post-Petroleum Age e-book!

To commemorate this fortuitous day – April 14, 2007 – the day of Step it Up 2007, I found it in me… to want to thank you… for letting this stranger take a peek into both of your lives. StepItUp07.org

Paul, please tell Brigitte I’m anxious to share recipes with her sometime. Tell her I once worked with a great chef from Brittany, and would appreciate her divulging something from her secret files to me!

Brigitte, don’t forget to tell Paul, what a great writer he has become!

One day, perhaps, we can trade war stories… or recipes... maybe both.

But anyway, just for sharing your special gifts, here’s a little story... not entirely my own.

Consider it incomplete... and unedited... if you like.

I know you’ll understand...

... That I’m only writing to say, “Thanks for inspiring me to write The Unicyclists.”

Kindest regards,

Lark

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

The Unicyclists

I once had a childhood hero in Okinawa, Japan, about 1962, named Simon Simon, who was an accomplished unicyclist.

I was eight and Simon was around eleven or twelve.

Not only did he have an unusual name and an unusual way of getting around, he was famous for having… his own secret fort.

And all the little kids… like me… were obsessed… with finding Simon’s secret fort.

Every day I would see Simon going to school – or places unknown – on his unicycle. And I wondered what was in the mind of this carefree figure… that he just couldn’t care less… of what other kids thought… or that other people were talking… and saying things… behind his back.

He was a person nobody seemed to know – somewhat eccentric… and aloof.

Not only the other neighborhood kids, but their parents, were in awe of Simon… and wondering of his parents too.

Who would name their boy… the same first and last name… only Simon?

The Simons didn’t have a mailbox we could see, or they kept their comings-and-goings to themselves. And they didn’t know their neighbors… and their neighbors didn’t seem to know them either.

And their boy was, like them, the same.

The rest of us had two names… or more… at most. And we rode around in ordinary things… with two wheels… three or four wheels… at least.

But Simon had two names too… just the same… and a funny bike… with only just one wheel!

Some of the older neighborhood kids liked to tease Simon, and they would taunt him with lines that contained the words “simple Simon” or “Simon says”, and the like…

… But all to no avail. For all these taunts would fail… because Simon was deaf… and mute.

Anyway, as kids are wont to do, we liked to go exploring. Near the boondocks… near our home on Kadena Air Force Base… all of us – our parents and us kids alike – went about our busy lives.

In those days one could still find WWII artifacts – like helmets, uniform insignia, and parts of rifles – in the many caves which dotted the island. Many of these caves had the cremated remains of fallen soldiers… in cool-looking urns. And piles of bones… behind piles of rocks… near the cave walls.

Our parents were all in the military. And on this sixty-mile-long island, not more than three miles wide at any one point, was at least five military bases – one for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines… and one, for what, I don’t remember.

So it was only natural… that for us kids… our play was like combat. And we played war games… much like our parents.

A lot of times, Bob, my little brother, and my sister Lori, would go off playing, exploring or fighting with me. But more often than not, I was alone… just like my hero Simon… seemed always… to be.

I pretended to be undercover – and secretive – like a spy… or a government operative of sorts… with the FBI!

And you better believe I was determined to find Simon’s fort… so I could blackmail him… to teach me… then let me ride his unicycle. And I would not be denied… for I was going to capture the secret… that was the mystery… of this “Simple Simon” guy.

I would threaten him if I had to… by telling all the other kids… or triumphantly leading them myself… to his secret spot… if he didn’t.

Now you must understand that Simon didn’t want to have anything to do with little kids like us; after all, he was practically a teenager – chronologically, a few steps closer to being a real man… than were we… just mere kids!

And his unicycle was off-limits – to everyone – as he guarded it with his life, and no-one was allowed on it… but Simon.

To find his fort would take me much effort and many months, almost a year. Rumors were rife that marauding neighborhood kids several blocks over were also trying to find the mystery fort.

As you can imagine, this was definitely a hot topic… and I had no idea how far it had spread… for all the whispering and scheming… never ceased to end!

I had found my own secret spot in the boondocks – like it was actually mine – and it was way too special to be trampled on… by intruders… who might spoil its magic for me. It was about a mile and a half down… from a tiny little stream – never more than four or five feet… or less than six inches wide in places – that all the other kids would often play around… and the brave amongst us… would even drink from… when we got thirsty… running races.

Its banks were wet and muddy, shaded by thick stands of tall bamboo. And so most of the kids were wary… to slip and fall in… or follow its trajectory… to that secret spot I’d found.

As the stream winded its way… deeper into the forest… it got darker… and quieter… save for the sound of locusts and birds… and the occasional stirring of varmints.

I really wanted to know where the beginning of this stream was… and how it could be, for instance… that its water tasted so much better… more alive… than the water from our tap… at home.

My secret was marked… by a kind of rocky spot… which contained a tiny pool – a rushing eddy and a three-foot tall… waterfall – so perfect for a boy – so cool!

And I loved how I felt majestic… so grateful that this spot… was itself just so majestic... like me.

Or, besides the fact it was little… and hidden… it was mine… to protect… and defend… from intruders.

Anyway, around about this time… I’m happy to report… the great day finally came – when I discovered Simon’s fort!

A magnificent tree house it was – far from our neighborhood. As far away as anyone… would care to venture… or want to see.

It was only… maybe ten minutes away… from my own secret spot… near the end of the stream… far from wondering eyes it seemed.

While I stood in awe of its design… of camouflaged straw and scraps of wood… its hidden rope… and the ingenious ladder he’d nailed… right to the side of the tree…

… It appeared as a Japanese sniper’s nest… but it was Simon’s… and he might be inside that tree!

So I was afraid… and when I was not… I was proud. For me… my adventure… had brought about a feeling… of great personal triumph. And my secret… of a magnificent discovery… was truly hard to keep… for me…and me alone.

But then too, I felt sad … for it was like this was sacred territory… a whole lot like my own.

This fort would have to stay a secret – and I never told a soul!

In that moment of conscience… it couldn’t be allowed… no matter what, I had vowed… but I’d go to my grave… with this secret I would save… in silence.

A few months later, I was terribly involved with other adventures – of combat and war games and such – and I’d almost forgotten the secrets I held. I saw Simon doing some maintenance on his unicycle – and I somehow found the courage… to do… and say… the unthinkable.

I rode my bike over… and simply said hi to the guy.

Whereas I normally kept my distance, as I was too fearful and respectful of him, I forgot he might lump me in… with those others… who had taunted him. Or he might decide to fight me… shoo me away… or ignore me.

For in that one split-second of a moment… like in the blinking of an eye… I had dared NOT to think.

I’d forgotten… the consequences… of what could happen… if Simon knew... I knew the whereabouts… of his not-so-secret fort.

Did he understand... I wanted him to show me… how to ride his one-wheeled bike?

But he looked over at me and smiled… and was suddenly talking to me – in his way, a bit peculiar.

He was no longer a distant hero. Nor was I anymore insignificant… just another neighborhood kid.

We became friends in an instant… when the courage was mustered… to hazard a brief hello.

Over the course of an awkward hour… I was riding that one-wheeled bike… and Simon rode mine alongside me.

Can you hear the good laughter… the two of us shared?

In spite of our difficulties… the differences… and uncertainty sometimes, these moments almost missed… still do exist… in our tale of the unicyclists.

Lark

2007-04-11T15:25:00.000-05:00

Head Docs Live!

Judith & Jim | Alex Giorgio

These online surveys and Ask-style marketing campaigns are sometimes irresistible to me - after all, why wouldn't a know-it-all like me not relish the idea of providing my stupid opinion, or possibly helping somebody out with some dumb answer I might could provide?

But then I also make it a rule to participate only with those who more-than-likely won't get bent-out-of-shape by my responses either!

Cases in point are husband-and-wife psychologist team Judith Sherven and Jim Sniechowski; and Alex Giorgio - all three more than up-to-the-task of entertaining someone as lazy and stupid as me.

Tomorrow night they'll be holding forth in a 2-hour online tele-course entitled, "How Do You Know Your Soul's Calling?"

Check it out! You'll find these head docs are not so much into psycho-babble so much as they're genuinely motivated to inspire others to greatness.

And this is something I can get behind - especially since I want everyone I know to be great, including Mark!

Now Mark doesn't know this yet, but I'm gonna let Mark foot the bill on this one too... just you wait and see... as they're asking for a wee bit of funny money for this... and it'd be my guess to be a bargain at that!

[P.S. - Oh yea, I had already responded to an earlier Judith and Jim campaign before this one, included below. Naturally, for amusement purposes only. <<{{:>)]

***********************************************************************************

"If you had just one question to ask about your soul’s calling, what would that question be?"

I submit laziness and stupidity - framed properly - can sell... since these attributes have been maligned for too long in our capitalistic society.

These are appellations which hardly apply to anyone I know or have ever known, mind you. It’s difficult to be slothful and idiotic, even to barely get by in this world.

But, hey, I’m living proof it works for me!

Would you agree? Given the disaster many have made of their lives - with all the wrong turns, false starts-and-stops, emptiness, and resultant stress, etcetera - this news may come as welcome comic relief for many others.

I like being lazy and stupid because I feel I live life more playfully and joyfully and experience just as much, if not more, than when I was industrious, in a hurry, and always felt compelled to be "smart" about every action I chose to take.

This, for me, was a startling revelation, one which has allowed me to be quite productive in realizing my ambitions nevertheless... and, all this, despite the naysayer inside me who finds this notion preposterous.

Nowadays, this naysayer (Mr. Chatterbox) exists in my mind to keep me amused – much like the court jester (“talking head”) entertains the kings and queens of commerce and polity to this day!

I find my connections with everything and everyone contained in my daily experiences to be more vivid and exponentially more real.

If I never sell this idea it will have all been in good fun; and I will leave it as my legacy...

... As I insist it's good for the soul to slow down enough to enjoy life and save my focus for a more meaningful contribution... true to my “soul’s calling”.

Lark

Mark and Lark.com

***********************************************************************************

Judith and Jim

"What would you like to have known when you first started marketing on the internet that would have made everything less frustrating and more profitable right from the start?"

Statement of clearly-defined, self-directed principles - grounded in unimpeachable evidence for the personal values of faith and self-reliance - meant to pave the way ahead for purposeful action.

After this is accomplished successfully, because it was created by me, with guidance from a participatory group effort, I'd want to be self-directed to synthesize what I’d learned into as few words as possible, and write them down into a personal guide - or outline - of sorts.

The same exercise format would inform me as to the path I would take as a beginning internet marketer.

And what I'd be left with is a series of step-by-step action plans... within a formal step-by-step business plan... to include sales projections and an exit strategy for each step along the way.

Utilitarian principles - with a solid understanding of authoritarian constructs - would inform every action... and passion would serve as my inspiration.

At this point I’d study persuasion strategies.

I'd be reminded of the futility of swallowing an elephant whole; but this would be balanced by identifying what my life's purpose is, and what stories I want told about me and/or my products and services.

Before creating the business plan I'd want to know if my intention is for my work to live on in others after my life's journey is done.

Lark

2007-04-05T22:22:00.000-05:00

Masters of the Secret

I borrowed or practically stole these words - from the masters of the secret - for your titillation... and personal pleasure.

Please feel free to take 'em or leave 'em... as you wish.

Wanna know another secret? (I wrote 'em down for my own foolish pleasure before yours!)

These are words you will find no where else... so keep it a secret - okay? ;)

Notions about the nature of "You" and "I"... are manufactured from overactive imaginations... resulting in consumer products battling it out for shelf space in the public bazaar... with other notions and consumer products.

To understand this phenomenon is to see that false assumptions about who... or what we think... or pretend we are... cause conflict... often leading to wars.

And this conflict leads to wars being fought inside ourselves just the same way.

So you see how it is? Now ask yourself, "Who or what started this argument... which led to conflict... suffering... and war - you or me - or those other people over yonder?"

Could this have started because you allowed yourself to be packaged - like a consumable product... to be bought and sold... on the auction block... of the public square?

Our busy-ness in life is our economy; and value in a capitalistic economy is measured by stuff and things or wealth and power.

And many times... perception is reality.

Natural economy recognizes man is nothing without his own resources (stuff) and those of his environment (things).

Wealth is stuff and things we collect so we can be perceived to have power.

Energy is everything – nothing exists without it - including power.

Law Of Attraction: Like Energy = Like Energy

Wealth and power, stuff and things – including money – are valuable, but do not equate to goodness or happiness or richness.

Nothing lasts; everything else doesn't matter so much – except in this instance.

Pleasure tells us easily what is good and what is bad - everything in between is either not-so-good or not-so-bad... if not both.

What you consume is what you become. This, in turn, informs who you believe you are... and what you want others to believe you are. You attach yourself to what you would want others to see you attached to... because it's been group-tested... and approved by those you've permitted to have this power over you - especially this notion (idea) of yourself.

Attachment = Desire = Suffering

Gratitude = Love = Serenity

Words which divide us weaken us - words which unite us, empower us.

But then, never forget: Words become names. And names become name games. Like before you were born when you were... assigned, tagged, stamped, labeled, packaged as... named... a proper name.

When you were a child... remember "sticks and stones can break my bones but words (names) can never hurt me?"

At the time, was this a question, or an exuberant rhyme put to memory - all in the spirit of childish fun and games?

How easily we forget!

Utilitarian ethical principles which inform our actions, and authoritarian constructs which inform our beliefs, must be reconciled in order to begin to live free from guilt.

Commonality of Purpose = Acceptance of Shared Responsibility

Faith is not belief; nor is it borne from an authoritarian construct.

Belief is borne from fear of survival; but faith knows nothing about fear.

Mindfulness = Creation (breathe in) + Desire (breathe out)

Be here now - all else before and after is illusory and deceptive.

Words - and their meanings - are attachments. Without these signs and symbols what have we left?

Care to comment?

Is something missing?

Agree... or... disagree?

Got any questions... or answers?

Change to taste. What good is this stuff without you at least substituting or using your own stupid words?

Now... the secret's out... and it's no longer a secret - it's all yours!

Consider yourself anointed.

Lark

[Note: These words may be subject to editing or revision... whenever... for whatever reason. So go ahead and blink... turn away... and poof - they'll be gone!]

2007-03-31T18:41:00.000-05:00

Stupidity Sells!

I like people who like talking words, and from the looks of things it appears that's the whole wide world, isn't it?

And I guess you could say... you and I could be included in this bunch too!

But Matthew Stibbe - over at Bad Language and Articulate Marketing - passed this tidbit of information on to me the other day... which got me thinking... and I rather enjoyed it.

According to an Oxford University Press expert, 90% of the top 100 most popular words used in internet copy online was one syllable.

Top Ten Words for Copy

1 Time
2. Person
3. Year
4. Way
5. Day
6. Thing
7. Man
8. World
9. Life
10. Hand

Mark would like this piece of good news too, because as you may or may not have noticed, he's usually only conversant in chat rooms or on the telephone... and reading and writing puts him seriously at a loss for words - or at a loss for time - one or the other.

Hell, just the idea of completing a sentence - usually delivered in a staccato, rapid-fire, either-you-get-it-or-you-don't manner - doesn't sit too well with him... so why would forming a complete thought... with little more than one or two sentences... cause him to lose any sleep?

So the news of this one-syllable word business only validates what he's been trying to tell me from day one - namely, that stupidity sells!

Which of course caused me to Google it today - once again.

Now, innocently enough, I had originally started this search yesterday... since stupidity turns out to be a synonym for foolishness (see the previous post)... and I'm prone to engage in foolish behavior a LOT... but here I was led to a whole treasure trove of useful links, like these...

The Encyclopedia of Stupidity, by Dutch library historian, Matthijs van Boxsel
Understanding Stupidity
Definitive Supidity
What is Man? - By our friend Mark Twain
The Darwin Awards
Stupidity.com
Digital Philosophy - Think Mark would dig this?
Annals of Improbable Research - Read this and tell me, "Is this guy not stupid?"
Stupidity Tracker
Grupthink
Ignorance
Stupidity Awards

... And all I've finally got to say is, yes, after reading most of this stuff, "Man, I am damn proud to be stupid! I never knew I'd find such good company with so many stupid-asses in my whole life! Talk about liberating - and fun!"

Albert Einstein said...

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."

... But then I wonder if old Albert considered he just might be stupid too. (At least I learned he had a sense of humor.)

Goodness knows, a hundred years from now, we might all consider it a good thing to be stupid. After all, how many of us wouldn't admit that we're a whole lot more stupid about most things compared to how smart we were about just a few things?

Figuratively speaking, that is.

Does the use of big words, even ordinary words, make us collectors of such nonsense, or what?

And for what unspoken ulterior motive does our collecting of words serve for us anyway?

Are we smarter if we're richer? Happier if we're richer? Or stupider if we're not either one?

For which I mean to say... in words... and the size of our vocabulary... as it relates to these attributes.

Hell, does anyone think we're maybe poorly served... by even knowing so many words?

And can stupidity sell?

What compels poor stupid people like me to look up English language words like balderdash and piffle for instance?

Mark would laughingly say, "Because you're sick in the head, Lark... probably!"

To which I'd add, "Why don't you just say it, Marko, you think I'm stupid, right?"

And he'd, more than likely, keep on keepin' on... laughing himself silly!

Because words - and constantly collecting a bunch of 'em - really does seem stupid to Mark.

Take a look at what someone said to me recently about what drives a person to want to write:

"Several different regions of the brain govern the act of writing. The physical movement of the hand is controlled by the cerebral cortex which comprises part of the outer layer of the brain. The drive to write, on the other hand, is controlled by the limbic system, a ring-shaped cluster of cells deeply buried in the cortex which governs emotion, affiliated instincts and inspiration and is said to regulate the human being's need for communication. Words and ideas are cognized and understood by the temporal lobes behind the ears, and these temporal lobes are connected to the limbic system. Ideas are organized and edited in the frontal lobe of the brain. Temporal lobe lesions cause temporal lobe epilepsy; however it is also known to run in families. Hypergraphia is not a frequent manifestation of temporal lobe epilepsy."

"As of current, hypergraphia is understood to be triggered by changes in brainwave activity in the temporal lobe."

"It is also associated with manic and bipolar disorder. Manic and depressive episodes have been reported to intensify hypergraphia symptoms. Additionally schizophrenics and people with frontotemporal dementia also experience a compulsive drive to write."

So I guess this proves it - not only am I stupid, but I'm deranged as well!

God knows Mark wouldn't bother to even read this drivel - he'd all-of-a-sudden be too busy... or something - and he'd probably get mad if I forced him...

... Which leads me to what I really wanted to write about.

Patricia Ritsema van Eck...

... At Thin Electrons has been soliciting thoughts from her members about the reformatting of her site to something with a little more interaction using Web 2.0 standards; and, in particular, she asked her members for their favorite resources to be included on the new site too.

So... I'd already gotten cold feet about posting in her forum about the availability of a free download of our little comic strip... thinking... "What a stupid thing for somebody to want to download in the first place"... which of course it is.

But she seems so nice - I know for a fact she ain't dumb either - and I wanted to comment in her blog about a favorite niche she wants to target more in the future, generally identified as happiness.

Now you know how I am - more than a little bit wordy - and as I'd never had the courage to come right out and say hello in her blog, I felt more-than-a-little creepy about being the first to comment on this... her latest post.

So Patricia... forgive me... if I just post the wordiness right here...

Hi Patricia!

Thought you'd enjoy hearing about this Dutch guy, Matthijs van Boxsel, as I guess he's a library historian who's written and compiled a thing called... get this... "The Encyclopedia of Stupidity".

And it's received rave reviews too!

Anyway, I had some thoughts about Thin Electrons, and some great resource ideas for you too. But I'm embarrassed to place such a long comment in your blog... especially since this is my first time.

So would you mind looking at it over at my blog first?

Just click on "See the Blog" at our site, Mark and Lark dot com, and scroll down.

Thanks for allowing me this space to comment!

Lark

[P.S. - That's a great viral marketing tip you gifted us with the other day. Mark and I consider it one of the best actionable ideas we've seen yet!]

... And to continue... directly from her blog...

May I suggest laughter (jokesters & merry pranksters), like in a "Just Kidding!" section, as a nice way to point towards happiness?

And "Yummy Eye Candy" (featured artists, etc.)?

How about "Show-and-Tell" ("how to", "what for", etc.), organized with sub-categories?

Remember, like in grade school?

And did you ever have to present - or share - a "Current Event" (political/human affairs) in front of a "Civics" class?

How about an "Angels" (help-mates, heroes) and "Demons" (anti-heroes) section... or a "Controllers" and "De-Controllers" section for those wanting to pitch something?

Or sections called "The Road Less Traveled", "On the Bandwagon!"... "Life in The Slow Lane" and "Life in the Fast Lane"?

And different word cloud sections organized by groups suggested by the members, like "Interesting Fluff - The Stuff of Us"... or "Great Big Cloudbursts" and "Little Puffs of Smoke?"

Your instincts are indeed correct about the Web 2.0 format... but I don't see you as writing solely in the "Happy Warriors" section... divided up maybe as...

... Rich Bitches | Sons-of-Bitches | Rags-to-Riches | Let's Talk About Me-Me-Me... only talking about making money. Instead, I see you as a person who genuinely wants to promote all kinds of happiness!

Since you're already a very good marketer - and others can certainly learn from you - your members will be more than glad to promote the site... especially if it also helps promote themselves!

The new interactive format will allow others, besides yourself, to share ways making money can contribute to happiness... and what's not to make one happy seeing others so happy at your reformatted Thin Electrons site?

Heck, let the members vote on their favorite stuff that makes them the happiest!

Personally, my own site would have me as a features page editor of sorts... and my column might be called "My Stupid Opinions".

And naturally, other commentators would be allowed to post under "So what's Your Stupid Opinion?"

I really think happiness can sell - as well you should too. In fact, if I could bottle it right now, I would... just for you!

Best regards,

Lark

[P.S. - Oh yea, here's some of my favorite resources:

Power 150: Top Marketing Blogs

The One-Sentence Persuasion Course: 27 Words to Make the World Do Your Bidding... and... The No-Nonsense Guide to Enlightenment

Zag: The #1 Discipline for High Performance Brands

Creating Pleasurable Interfaces: Getting From Tasks to Experiences.

Hope you and your members find them useful!]

2007-03-29T13:40:00.000-05:00

Foolish Words | Thoughts Become Things | Piece of Mind

Universal Law is the type of law we mean when we refer to the Law of Attraction.

It derives from the world of primitive human psychology, and, as such, is immutable with the law of nature – itself, in harmony with all other universal laws.

First, despite the fact that modern man has misinterpreted the extant definitions for these words; and, second, because he too-often equates the contemporary meaning with mere self-gratification or conscious greed, the words themselves have become synonymous with divisiveness and crass consumerism.

I look with askance... at all that I see around me... and find myself amused by this witches' brew of wonderment.

What could possibly be the mainspring - the motivating force - of our many discussions... thinking and speaking these words?

Unfortunately for some, and happily for others, these are buzzwords marketers love to exposit and turn to their own delight - so intent are they to spread the love... so as to help their desperate customers... finally get it too.

But for a pittance of a price... hey... we can all learn to be foolish!

Today's brainwashed consumers, hardly recognizable as human anymore... since taking on the characteristics... of mythical zombies, desperately want to believe this must be the elusive magic formula - the secret - granting them endless time to go shopping... whenever and wherever they want.

Standing apart from you and me, those so possessed of it already live in separate realities. In the conspicuous indulgence of their worldly pleasures - like shooting stars blazing past our dreamscape - they leave those who pretend to adore them basking in the afterglow.

And their lessers - those unfortunates who haven't yet acquired this attractiveness - are fated to pay the enlightened ones' American Express card bills... and service their vanities... and fight their wars.

I submit that resistance to understanding universal laws - like of attraction - can be instructive.

So foolish are we when we do get a grasp of these words... that I wonder if it is at all worth it - these thoughts becoming things, I mean.

Which leads me to want to break it down a bit... to see if we can learn to profit... otherwise... just for fun!

Thoughts become things
Like attracts like

And the joker in me says, "Thoughts become actions - all a part of everyday busy-ness."

Or, he laughingly inquires, "Guess who's laughing all the way to the bank?"

The greater the focus and intention the more likely a positive outcome can be affected – assuming, of course, we include desire, and have clearly articulated the result expected as being a positive one.

It is not a law – or a code – which derives from an authoritarian construct.

It can be said to manifest, however, a utilitarian principle... though not always in universal application.

For this type of law to serve a beneficent purpose... requires faith – in principle and deliberate action – naturally not pointing to the religious kind, which is authoritarian.

Faith becomes manifest when one understands it is not beholden to reason. We take the leap of it... and we can be blinded by it... but for our exuberant enjoyment of its experience... we cannot tell its truth...

... Because truth is scientific, and it is entirely beholden to logic and reason.

As a belief can be said to be held... faith cannot be held. We hold to a belief, like when we see the sky we hold it to be real; and when we hold fast to the water in the ocean, grasping at its fluidity to prevent us from drowning, we can still drown clinging to the belief our incessant kicking and dog paddling will save us. But by simply floating... we have faith that the natural inherent properties of water will sustain us without undue dread – all this irrespective of other factors, quotients and variables, etcetera.

And faith is not contingent upon belief... or, in and of itself, is it an authoritarian construct. But nor is it founded – or grounded – in science or principle.

The law of attraction, however, because it’s a universal law, has existed before the time man constructed symbols – or words – for it.

Man is funny in his ways; and with his creation of language, he selfishly has insisted on naming this phenomenon – because it’s in his foolish nature to want to talk about everything... as this brings him social unity and pleasure from watching Oprah on TV, for example.

How we do enjoy our entertainment - and our attachment to foolish words! For us it’s a shared reality we choose to believe will provide us with pleasure – though truth has little to do with it in the main. Truth we attempt to realize from such activities is impossible to obtain... but for all the damn noise!

Because ultimately truth is not contingent upon belief either, or anything derived thereof, since belief is borne from fear.

Now a law itself does not depend upon scientific principle, which we understand is subject to strict scrutiny by way of the scientific method.

But principle itself is scientific – though science, admittedly, does not always demand strict proof.

So what is a principle? And what is a universal law?

Theoretically, principle, because it’s derived from the study of physics (scientific, based on mostly a priori knowledge), or the study of ethical and moral considerations (branches of philosophy and psychology, based mostly on empirical knowledge), is, for all intents and purposes, the most vexing to define.

And naming things is always entertaining to man, though not always pleasurable either. To name things causes man to selfishly demand of his knowledge some reason – a purpose... with clarity... and a communicable definition of things - so his self-directed use of logic... can make him feel satisfied... and his consternation will be assuaged.

But because principle is foundational in nature... founded on observable phenomena... subject to scrutiny grounded in logic and reason... and supported by a preponderance of evidence... or we can say it serves its greatest purpose for the largest number of agents (or people) served by it...

... For these reasons... a principle really is scientific... supported as it is by our scrutiny of the evidence... and by use of the scientific method, no less!

A universal law is one which does not require belief to be reality-based, it is true; nor does it demand scientific scrutiny to be provable. Only by faith can its truth be realized, to effect change by constructive action... for the purpose of achieving an intentional outcome.

And it’s true in our world... and throughout the cosmos too – that by aligning focused thought... from the conscious mind... with purposeful action... we experience it... then know the truth of it – especially if we gain noticeable pleasure and/or things to prove it.

All this causes movement or change... as it activates our economy... dependent upon events to happen or come about.

Focused Thought + Purposeful Action = Attraction is theoretically, though not a law, the most powerful force to be found in the universe!

And, paradoxically, not mystically or in fact, we call this the law of attraction. Mysticism has little to do with it... and factual evidence does not support its truth... except that our conscious intention... faithfully harnesses its power... to action... and result.

And, for reasons of economy – let conscience be your guide – you are right to explain it... in your own inestimable way!

Never ever buy into it – unless you really intend to use it; otherwise, you’ll go broke or remain unhappy... probably both... just thinking about such things - like still another collection... of more foolish words.

It’s akin to making a bad investment... made worse because one simply chooses not to ethically capitalize on it in a timely manner.

And, as some of us know, this is just not good for our piece of mind - or your economy!

Lark

2007-03-27T09:19:00.000-05:00

After Words: Retracing the Patterns of Language

After reading Language Garden, by Susanne Antonetta, in a past issue of Orion Magazine, I was reminded of one of my early heroes... whose books and articles I had read intensely before I became an adult, in those years from about 1968 to 1975.

Language Garden posits this: An orangutan with attitude meets a writer with a weakness for Shakespeare. And a writer wonders, if we give animals language, do we free them, or imprison them?

The same magazine features archived articles by Jane Goodall, famous for her work with primates, and I knew much research had been done over many years exploring their capacities and abilities to think and communicate like human beings, so I had become transfixed by this question put forth by Ms. Antonetta.

So what if one were to put forth this same question about human beings? How can children be taught ways to adopt language in ways which might improve our species, by their parents improving the methodologies by which they better communicate its meaning to them?

Furthermore, to address the central issue raised in the article, does language actually harm us more than it helps us, or does it follow that perhaps we might need to rethink how it is we indoctrinate our children - with language - to this world?

Adults themselves are already fearful, for instance, of putting their foots in their mouths; and cognitive dissonance - the uncomfortable tension that arises from holding two conflicting thoughts at the same time - in and of itself creates a type of fear.

So fear emanating from unscripted emotion... can only be perpetuated by scary thoughts - themselves borne from our words for them... in language.

An interesting article in Live Science suggests we may already possess the ability to read minds, much like clairvoyants. But what language symbols would we ascribe to whatever it is we read, if indeed this faculty actually exists?

Man had created language in order to attach signs and symbols to bits and scraps of observable phenomena commonly experienced by us the living - presumably so we could communicate in coherent ways - as signs and symbols had seemingly become necessary to his survival... and with them he'd hoped their usefulness might cause him to better adapt - or conform - within the environment he'd found himself.

Heck, our ancestors only wanted the ability to talk to each other! What could be harmful in that?

Our defenseless children needed protection and guidance. And we adults needed protection from fear - the reassurance that by our relative safety in numbers we could ensure our survival... in such a harsh bewildering environment... so full of life's mystery and wonder.

And people today are not so different from people in the Stone Age. We still need to draw from our natural world the same resources other living things need to survive - be it air, water, food or shelter, etcetera. And competition forced all living things into certain collaborative arrangements within this environment, so we could feel safe from our would-be protectors - or our predators - much like today.

[Oh how I love games of irony and wordplay! :)]

Alan Watts understood this conundrum better than most. Which is why I'd decided to select him as one of my mentors. His words resonated more truth than I could read or hear about elsewhere at that time - and I had a voracious appetite...

... For words... and their truthfulness. And for my selfish pursuit of pleasure.

Even after revisiting recently much of what I'd come to appreciate about his teachings - and learning anew so much more about the man in the process - I'm empathetic still.

Which just means I can still relate to his takes on the significance of what he taught me - about language arts - even after learning more about his heroic journey to discover meaning in this life... knowing full well what he'd learned and shared with many others beforehand.

The man was not this scholarly old gentleman - a real life guru, as I had supposed, after all; he was youthful in his spirit. In fact, he was just as flawed as I am. As you are... as we all are.

He was an iconoclast, to be sure. And an autodidactic personality. But he was also a hedonist with an extraordinarily inventive passion for breaking the bonds of conformity... within society's self-imposed boundaries.

It was said he could suck all the oxygen out of any room he entered, and he could go through a bottle of vodka, by himself, in a day. And I imagined he could command attention alright, almost at will, simply by virtue of his presence.

But he also enjoyed casual walks outside his rural compound in northern California, or cavorting in a converted old ferry tethered beside San Francisco Bay... and his time spent in quiet contemplation - contentedly alone with himself. He loved good food... gardens... and nature... women... and architecture... the finer things of what we call living.

And he made me laugh, because he just didn't buy into any convention - especially with his repetitive allusions to boxes and wigglies!

In 1973 he was found dead at his beloved nature retreat, at the commandeered round house called Mandala, having apparently died in his stupor - or his sleep - ravaged from exhaustion... by all his pleasurable [sic] pursuits... at the ripe old age of 58.

Off the top of my head, the books I remember having read by Watts were, if I remember correctly, in this order...

"The Way of Zen" (1957)

"The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing who You Are" (1966)

"Behold the Spirit: A Study in the Necessity of Mystical Religion" (1948)

... But I'm sure I read a whole lot more. What I really remember is I had to read each of these more than once - to make sure I would absorb and hold onto the words they contained.

But then this was a violation of what I'd learned to be true, so I let it all go, just as he had schooled me... like in this essay from The New Alchemy.

In the end though I was mindful that - like these words - they were still... only words.

I but retained what he had learned from D.T.Suzuki, something called the "science of 'no-mind'" - the essence of which is "of no matter" anyway.

Watts was not so judgmental about himself or the world that he needed to subjugate his animal desire for pleasure - wherever it could be found. On the contrary, his intrepid investigation into many of life's curiosities proved he was possessed of a playful spirit... endowed with a noble and towering intellect. A notorious womanizer, the notion that he had to be or act in a certain way - at any given time - would have been to deprive himself of nothing but his freedom... for the cosmic wanderlust... he so craved.

In the mid-60s a term was coined called a "self-destruct trip" - for me, one of those memes which informs undesirable behavior. It'd be a pity today if we were to discard Watts' lessons because of his own obvious self-destruct trip through life...

... Because the example of his personal journey - and what he left behind - can still serve as a wake-up call for us all.

This is the ultimate value I place before the altar of Alan Watts - the theory of everything... can be reconciled... to all that is provable... to be good... in the end.

After words you read and hear are done, here's some more to soak in - before surrendering to their wisdom... as we trust you will.

"I have realized that the past and future are real illusions, that they exist in the present, which is what there is and all there is."

"I find it a little difficult to say what the subject matter of this seminar is going to be, because it's too fundamental to give it a title. I'm going to talk about what there is. Now the first thing that we have to do is to get our perspectives with some background about the basic ideas that, as Westerners living today in the United States, influence our everyday common sense, our fundamental notions about what life is about. And there are historical origins for this which influence us more strongly than most people realize. Ideas of the world which are built into the very nature of the language we use, and of our ideas of logic, and of what makes sense altogether."

"Some believe all that parents, tutors, and kindred believe. They take their principles by inheritance, and defend them as they would their estates, because they are born heirs to them."

"We are all basically scams and if you haven’t found that — you are very unconscious. I know all sorts of people who are full of outward love, but of course it always turns up that they need money. And where it comes to money, the virtue flies out of a window."

"It is said that playing-cards were devised by the ancients to hide a secret where those not "in the know" would never think of looking for it. For heresy-hunters are serious-minded people who would never think of looking for religion in a game. It is curious to think how men have gambled, fought and slain one another over these unknown symbols, and it is interesting to wonder whether the most accomplished 'poker face' would fall a little on discovering that he was playing for lucre with emblems just as holy as the cross, the chalice and the crown of thorns. Probably not, for men have done things just as terrible in the name of symbols whose holiness they recognized. However, it is no less strange that the puritanic mind should see in diamonds, spades, hearts and clubs the signs of vice, to be avoided at all times and more especially on Sundays."

"The subject of this seminar is "Self and Other," and this is therefore to be an exploration into the subject that interests me most, which is the problem of personal identity, man's relationship to the universe, and all the things that are connected with that. It is for our culture at this time in history an extremely urgent problem, because of our technological power. In known history, nobody has had such capacity for altering the universe than the people of the United States of America, and nobody has gone about it in such an aggressive way."

"The most strongly enforced of all known taboos is the taboo against knowing who or what you really are behind the mask of your apparently separate, independent, and isolated ego."

"Faith is a state of openness or trust. To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float. And the attitude of faith is the very opposite of clinging to belief, of holding on. In other words, a person who is fanatic in matters of religion, and clings to certain ideas about the nature of God and the universe, becomes a person who has no faith at all. Instead they are holding tight. But the attitude of faith is to let go, and become open to truth, whatever it might turn out to be."

"Inability to accept the mystic experience is more than an intellectual handicap. Lack of awareness of the basic unity of organism and environment is a serious and dangerous hallucination. For in a civilization equipped with immense technological power, the sense of alienation between man and nature leads to the use of technology in a hostile spirit---to the "conquest" of nature instead of intelligent co-operation with nature."

"I find that the sensation of myself as an ego inside a bag of skin is really a hallucination. What we really are is, first of all, the whole of our body. And although our bodies are bounded with skin, and we can differentiate between outside and inside, they cannot exist except in a certain kind of natural environment. Obviously a body requires air, and the air must be within a certain temperature range. The body also requires certain kinds of nutrition. So in order to occur the body must be on a mild and nutritive planet with just enough oxygen in the atmosphere spinning regularly around in a harmonious and rhythmical way near a certain kind of warm star."

"That arrangement is just as essential to the existence of my body as my heart, my lungs, and my brain. So to describe myself in a scientific way, I must also describe my surroundings, which is a clumsy way [of] getting around to the realization that you are the entire universe. However we do not normally feel that way because we have constructed in thought an abstract idea of our self."

"Can any melting or burning imaginable get rid of these ever-rising mountains of ruin – especially when the things we make and build are beginning to look more and more like rubbish even before they are thrown away?"

"It would be, of course, much better, if this occasion were celebrated with no talk at all, and if I addressed you in the manner of the ancient teachers of Zen, I should hit the microphone with my fan and leave. But I somehow have the feeling that since you have contributed to the support of the Zen Center, in expectation of learning something, a few words should be said, even though I warn you, that by explaining these things to you, I shall subject you to a very serious hoax."

It's time to retreat! To pleasure or to wanderlust...

... But let's do talk soon!

2007-03-23T05:23:00.000-05:00

Trackbacks are Useful

This morning I'm reading about a new blog post from James D. Brausch, entitled Words that Sell, so being a new subscriber I clicked right on over from the email message to his blog.

Here again I read about a piece of copywriting software called Glyphius 2007 - which purportedly is one of the most powerful tools available for online publishers out there.

James tells me there's even a physical book out about this thing Glyphius; and, in it, is some test results for sentences and paragraphs which have produced the best results for business copywriters and marketers.

So this is the deal: James will send the first person who leaves a trackback link to his blog from their own a copy of this book.

But first I have to find out what the heck this trackback is - and is supposed to do!

And Mark is still out of town and I'm on my own. Guess what? I just Googled it as "what is a trackback?"... and I arrived here.

Pretty cool for a confirmed technophobe, huh?

I'll keep you posted about this little experiment - and let you know more about Glyphius 2007 - or if doing business with this whiz-bang gadget is really worth it.

Words That Sell

2007-03-22T11:55:00.000-05:00

Word Matters | Economy Matters

So the other day I was in Richard Dawkins' forum - after-words of being in Amazon to check out the reviews for his latest book, The God Delusion.

Personally, I suffer through enough delusions to buy into another authoritarian construct which only keeps me chained to more illusions; but, nevertheless, I thought it might be fun to investigate what all the fuss was about (currently the #13 NY Times best seller).

Not long ago I'd finished reading The Guru Papers: Masks of Authoritarian Power, by Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad, which recalled some of Dave Lakhani's experiences growing up as a member of a cult known as the Bible Believers - or the Branhamites.

In The Guru Papers I found some compelling words to describe the experiences of its authors... forever seeking fulfillment... or following the teachings of one New Age guru or Eastern thought leader after another.

As has been noted previously in this web log, authoritarianism speaks to any and all kinds of mind control and manipulation, and contemporary versions of it persist in our society in all sorts of disguises and permutations - much of the time when you don't even realize it.

A construct (think of it like a social construction) is anything which you yourself didn't invent - and if you did invent it - or build it - more than likely you borrowed heavily from others.

And a utility can be described as a useful article or device, or something useful. It forms the root for another ism known as utilitarianism, which postulates an ethical theory that says all moral, political or social actions should be be directed toward achieving the greatest good for the greatest number of people - something I grew up believing was also supposed to be true in a democracy nowadays... in conflict, as it often is, with capitalism too.

utility = the necessary criterion of action

useful = that which is good, or worthwhile

Whether they be delusions or illusions... all beliefs... we hold to be true... can be examined under the bright light... of an illuminated mind... for accuracy.

And the stuff of our examinations is often just a compendium of silly old words!

So... while in Richard Dawkins' forum I noticed a recommended article by A.C. Grayling called Pursue pleasure: it's the natural way to do good in the world, and, naturally, since I definitely want to believe this to be true, I decided I would comment.

But then my comment got too wordy - much too writerly and not readerly enough - and I didn't want to step beyond the bounds of good taste, or of etiquette, since this was a forum of philosophers, for Chrissakes; nor did I want to be identified as a troll either.

So I decided, rather than throw it out, I'd duplicate it here and change it into an imaginary conversation between Mark and me.

And I say imaginary, not only because Mark and his family are on Spring Break down in Galveston, because, if you don't know Mark yet, he'd simply just refuse to join me in such far out talk in the first place!

So here it is - strictly for your amusement, of course!

**************************************************************************************

Read the article, beforehand, here

Between Mark and Lark, Who Leaves Whom... Dumbstruck?

I will try to stay on topic within this worthy discussion but I’ve got some problems I need you to help me address, okay Mark?

“You’re kidding me... but... well okay, sure. Go for it!”

You see a box full of people and gadgetry (one of my banks) has allowed me to live in my very own toybox (a home).

Other boxes full of people and gadgetry (utility and media providers) have me connected to more toyboxes (whiz-bang devices and appliances) inside.

And still another toybox, this one on wheels (my car), tethers me to suburbia (a whole slew of toyboxes), where I’m surrounded by an embarrassment of still more riches.

My goodness, but I’m surrounded by lots of pleasure – and all manner of stuff.

It could be said I’ve got toys and stuff running out both ears!

Same with you, right Mark?

“Hey, man, everything’s cool here!” he tosses off, as he checks in with a chat room client.

But herewith are my rhetorical questions – as I need a few answers to my problems.

Why can’t we reconcile...

... The good life...
... With living a life of goodness...
... And a life of principle too...

... If we support the view of Aristotle who “praised friendship, the quest for knowledge, and the appreciation of beauty...”

... And the Renaissance thinkers, who “argued that man is a part of nature, and that it is natural to please the five senses – colours and tastes, scents and sensations, music, and the lover’s touch...”

... Or in the view of A.C. Grayling (author of “Against All Gods” and “What is Good?”), “why there is nothing wrong with the pleasures and possessions of the good life; they are what people naturally seek and even need (provided they are not enjoyed at the expense of someone else, and so long as the business of acquiring them does not become an obsessive end in itself)?"

“I could use a bite to eat,” reports Mark, unaware I’ve just posed a question.

Principle does not need to be attached to religion - or even morals, does it? If it be a part of an authoritarian construct, then yes, it can be very harmful, but neither does principle have to be so rigidly burdensome to remain pleasurable.

And ethical considerations should never be so easily dismissed in our story – for it 's the story of all of us.

All this stuff we pleasure ourselves with has a price, which seen strictly from an ethical viewpoint, by all rights, should be called into question too.

By stuff, I mean to say, resources – whether it's knowledge-based or material-based - what is derived from human capital, especially as it pertains to the emergence of our knowledge-based economy; or what is derived from material taken from the environment, what can be called our natural capital.

The Knowledge Economy

Natural Capitalism

All this junk is just stuff!

If we subscribe to just a few utilitarian examples, it would seem all this stuff must be harmful to someone – or something – somewhere along the supply line...

... Wouldn’t you admit – at least, guess – this is true?

“I’m sorry, did you need a real answer – or just my opinion?” replies the Markster, as he continues to surf the net.

And does this accumulation of pleasure and other worldly stuff finally conflict with what is of the greatest value in our basic economy?

“I’m ready for a beer. Need one?” And he cheerfully heads over to the fridge...

... While Lark keeps prattling on.

By this I mean an economy which is the “careful and thrifty management of our households”, to include the management of our less-than-exhaustible resources, “as of income, materials or labor.”

If we choose to stay the course with purely principled scientific analyzes of these questions we must admit all other questions must derive from merely unprincipled – or unscientific – thoughts... then actions... as these things can only be principled if they are also scientifically deduced.

When what can be deemed scientific is kept apart from what is not scientific... only then can we begin to know what is meant by real principle... alongside universal law... and a new kind of more enlightened thinking – which guides our changed behavior – can emerge.

Science does not pretend to show strict proof; nor does principle aspire to be law which is necessarily authoritarian, even though it can be said to be universal. But as they both relate to the collection of empirical evidence based on the experiences of many it’s safe to say we are capable to decide if our conclusions will serve a universal utilitarian purpose supported by scientific methodology.

If this non-authoritarian construct serves the greater utilitarian good of us – and of our collective resources – it can be measured by how best it suits our overall economy.

And laws written for us should reflect on all these things – otherwise they will do more harm than good in their enactment and application. Then should a law be written as the authoritarian instrument it becomes... so it can have the principled effect of being good.

I submit that only by doing all these things can we finally differentiate between what is good and what is bad.

By taking introspective note of my emotional responses to each of my individual thoughts – and before my actions will lead me where I need not to be going – I can learn to disregard, or discard, what makes me feel bad – and replace these things with only what makes me feel good.

Maybe we can call this a gut check! You might just call it simply, and naturally, “pleasure is good.”

Wouldn't you?

“Uh... say what? Oh yea... I’m down with this stuff, go ahead on!”

But is our perception and value of this pleasure all that good if it upsets the balance of nature, is less-than-utilitarian, inconsiderate of our economy, or randomly applied – ill-suited for our best harmonious purposes?

“Do you mean to say we shouldn’t drink another beer?”

No one can stop Lark when he gets on a roll... and he doesn’t realize he’s wasting his breath.

To my way of thinking this is inconsistent with what is pleasurable or good!

So I’ll take my leave from you now... and leave you with even more rhetorical questions.

What about this stuff of my dreams – which never seems to jibe with the economic reality of all this damn stuff I see when I’m awake?

“Dude, you’ve got to get your mind out of the gutter!”

So much STUFF is always in my head – to ignore it or to meditate it away does not make it really go away – and, if I choose to manage it well enough to suit my own pleasurable purposes, I fear I’m just not being altogether good anymore.

And I’m afraid if I didn’t think I loved it so, it should make me go stark raving mad!

“Love what – madness?”

Why do I feel sometimes boxed in by pent-up emotions – in an intolerant or ignore-ant world – outside my toybox?

“Well, you know, you might need to go party in the sandbox with the kids – and step outside your own skin sometimes, Lark.”

And Lark does step out of himself, answering with another question. “Mark, have you followed a single word I’ve been saying?”

“Hey, Lark, I need to take a piss. Be right back.” He'd already walked away.

Why am I such a bad person – after all I’ve accomplished – trying to be so good? I feel this every time I eat most food, for instance, or even when I walk past a panhandler. And I feel it even when playing with my toys.

“You’re not so bad. A little weird, but not bad. Would you go with funny?”

Surely this exercise cannot be said to be considerate of your own utilitarian principles, in defiance of some of my own authoritarian constructs, or even in the best interests of all our economies!

“Huh?”

Man... I’m such an insufferable fool... and so out of touch with the time!

Why should anyone care about my problems... about...?

... Oh, I am sorry... forgive me for my afflictions, and now your word fatigue, okay?

“Sure – no prob! But I’m okay with 'em... or whatever it is you're worn out about... aren't you?"

Of course, I...

"Lark, let’s go score some tacos, alright? And pick us up some more beer! Ya comin'?"

2007-03-22T01:10:00.000-05:00

The Secret Teleseminar

Last night I had the pleasure of listening in on a teleseminar discussion of what is no longer, nor ever really was, the real secret.

Needless to say, it could have gone on for two more hours - perhaps I would have personally gotten more out of it.

However much I applaud the speakers who sponsored this event I do hope this can be turned into a serial, because much benefit can be derived from many more people participating and contributing to its final construction.

Here are a few words I supplied in advance.

*********************************************************************************

Kevin Hogan | Dave Lakhani | Blair Warren | Pastor Bob Beverley

I believe the real secret to living a more enlightened, purposeful and meaningful life can be easily learned... first, by fashioning the simplest actual words... we choose to co-opt as our own... and, secondly, by constructing our slightly-more-complex conscious thoughts with these words.

To construct proper true thoughts requires clarity and definition for these words; and personally I've found that having a dictionary and an encyclopedia at hand is really helpful – even for those simple words of which “I only thought I knew” their specific, contextual meanings for my purpose.

Only once this foundation has been properly built from ordinary words and simple sentences can we begin to re-introduce new distinctions and subtleties with more sophisticated words back into our conscious thoughts - without causing undue harm or by leading us astray from our more principled, and simpler, original grounding.

And, by principled, I mean scientific – because what is universally true can be understood only by use of the scientific method.

It's not good to have a “miasma of words” in, or a “word cloud” hanging over, our heads... to cloud our judgments... if we're not instantly and consciously aware of each word component’s relevant meaning in organized sentence structures; since it’s these “language pieces”...

symbols-words-sounds-thoughts-images-feelings-perceptions

...which constantly and directly impact our “conjuring” of relevant thoughts... hence informing our daily actions.

This “healing” can take place only when we learn to separate opinion from fact – using our own clearly understood words – then ingesting these words into transformed thoughts... as unthinkingly... as we are wont... to breathe the air.

In a culture conditioned by sound bytes, convenience, and instant gratification - against the drumbeat of competing thoughts at cross-purposes with one another - it’s easy to see why many of us seek comfort from those who can plausibly explain away our miseries.

Through their confident, smiling deliveries, sounding of a cacophony of nonsensical psycho-babble, I’m often less-than-charmed.

So I'm not a fan of these charlatans who've been crawling out of the woodwork all my life who really do nothing to advance the discussion in these areas – whose claptrap includes talk about the Law Of Attraction and other forms of regurgitated New Age gobbledygook!

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-cla1.htm

http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-gob1.htm

Aside from buying in to most authoritarian constructs, which is harmful, it is the ignoring of utilitarian principles which is even more disturbing.

And the mere fact these success-mongers are usually just selling the same old hot air doesn’t necessarily endear them to me either.

When I listen to mimicry from one not advancing new substance from his/her perspective into the dialog - which is inconsistent with even the Golden Rule - I tend to smell burnt toast, and temporarily go deaf, all over again!

Because motivation and reward, at least as far as I’m concerned, always takes center stage of my attention, I’m likely to dismiss those motives which bring less than co-equal reward to all parties... as risk is only good if it’s borne from a complete absence of suspicion, fear or doubt. Belief can be believed if one wants – but only if it is principled – that is, if it is scientifically established as a universal truth as well.

And I also don’t believe one must “get over on someone” or conquer the world in order to achieve mastery or success in this life.

Chinese Proverbs:

"If you believe everything you read in books, don't read books; and if you rely completely on teachers, then don't have a teacher."

“Harming others means you first harm yourself.”

Here's an example from the founder of the New Thought movement which better illustrates my points regarding consistent everyday word usage in bringing about more successful thought exchanges.

http://masonc.home.netcom.com/quimby/quimby.html
http://www.ppquimby.com/concord/concord.htm
http://www.websyte.com/alan/qtech.htm
http://website.lineone.net/~cornerstone/quimby1.htm

The first link takes you to a PDF compiled from his many notes after his death. The last link above takes you directly to P.P. Quimby's own words which drive these points home best for me.

An early devotee of Anton Mesmer, one can detect his training as an early practitioner of mesmerism. But also as one who eventually rejected its teachings, you can plainly see this man's devotion to the betterment of the human condition... by his explorations in helping to define and clarify the meanings of common words used by everyday 19th century people.

This was the basis of his healing technique – he simply sought to guide his patients with a methodology by which they themselves could undo... what would simply be regarded as error.

Tell us if you don’t agree if the simpler language used in this instructional dialog – from more than 150 years ago – might not be helpful to us today... if we were but to define each word employed beforehand... so all can easily understand their particular usages and meanings.

As the dialog is more easily processed... it’s being framed and presented via genuine interactive conversation... between healer and patient.

By these examples, if we can learn to act as facilitators or collaborators – and less like teachers or experts – we will eliminate many of the communication barriers which tend to inhibit meaningful dialog.

Though I don't profess to be a church-goer, or even a New Thought convert, I've always been cognizant of the fact that most doctrinaire religions begin as cults, and then become mass movements, before splintering into several subgroups over time.

I believe that by employing economic values to words and actions we can learn to preserve our powers to leverage our economic activities better – so we can focus our energies on those things which do us the most good in the world.

Finally, if this be the case, tell this appreciative listener if the four of you can agree with this statement:

"Words which unite us empower us; and words which divide us, weaken us."

These words are meant strictly for your amusement...

... So... thanks – I hope they help contribute to our discussion!

Best regards,

Lark

http://www.MarkandLark.com

[P.S. – Quimby had a useful take on what is scientific, and what is not, which you may find illuminating - all this before we knew about such a thing as a string-net liquid, or even a string theory!:)]

2007-03-18T17:32:00.000-05:00

The Nocebo Effect

This is the title for one of Mark Joyner's posts in Atomic Mind Bombs... and where I enjoyed writing a comment.

In it, Mark asks his readers to choose between the intention and the action - then tidy it all up by considering the Law of Unintended Outcomes - if one must really choose to make a considered choice at all... in light of The Nocebo Effect: Placebo's Evil Twin.

For you own amusement... why not check out the entire thread?

Here's just one comment inside...

Hi Mark!

Perhaps you intended for the question left the reader to point his answer to some response devoid of relevant meaning - at least insofar as it might pertain to the substance of this question's preceding sentences.

Or some relevant information was unintentionally omitted.

Either way, scientific experiments employing placebos or nocebos are too often used by medical researchers to help skew data results which have been deliberately massaged to reach their intended conclusions - all the while, simultaneously obfuscating the fact that the research results of other pertinent data has been purposefully withheld.

When the complete test results are finally revealed by a disgruntled former employee's call-in to a whistleblower hotline - after-the-fact of a harmful drug's release to 1000s of unsuspecting victims - criminal charges are likely to be filed, and if found guilty, the conspirators and their paymasters will all be rounded up like rabid dogs and sent to an Abu Ghraib-style prison in a southern red state.

Here they will be handed a rag and a mop for latrine duty and be forced to listen to very loud rap or head-banger music day-in-and-day-out.

Since these convicted felons will no doubt be seen as well-connected to the drug trade by the prison insiders they will soon become welcome companions to those who control the prison media. Their financial assets should then be confiscated, and the funds funneled to hire multitudes of broke, out-of-work detectives, working on a per diem and commission-only basis, to shake down the assorted lawyers and politicos who defended them - not to unintentionally forget the "untouchable" big shot drug dealers who initially funded the bogus scientific research in the first place.

These respected members of elite society, should they be convicted for their crimes in a kangaroo-style military court - as they most certainly will - may then cry foul and demand appeals of their harsh sentences. But, alas, after being denied bail, they too will be remanded to the custody of their jailers - themselves high on prescription drugs for clinical depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, or some other new disease.

Forced to wallow in their own delusional thoughts while awaiting their individual trials, their "hail-fellow-well-met" former colleagues will proceed to scrupulously bleed them dry.

When these scumbags are successfully separated from their ill-gotten gains, like the others before them, their dirty money will in turn be funneled to pay psy-op crazies - like those trained to perform lawful assassinations, steal elections, and who know their way around poison pills, truth serums, shock treatments, and other fun stuff.

Their mission: Surreptitiously administer nocebos to the highest-ranking government operatives inside the White House and members of the press corps - wherever they dine together or can be found lurking in the hallways with newspaper editors, marauding television moguls and their Congressional cronies.

The really dirty work can be subcontracted out to internet marketers, publicists, admen and other assorted grifters and con artists - those specially trained to make these criminals and their cohorts feel self-satisfied as they blissfully run around on their daily shopping sprees.

These actions are necessary to cover up the fact that, deep down, these bastards, sick as they are, have actually been sickened further by their dastardly doctors and psychoanalysts with - you guessed it - the nocebo effect!

After they've been totally fleeced of most or all their ill-gotten gains too, the psy-op guys will then move in and successfully implicate them in various Enron-style sting operations for which they purport to know nothing. After being bankrupted, they will be forced to throw themselves on the mercy of other sick lawyers - the ones with poor language skills, worn leisure suits and less-than-perfect smiles.

The blowback one may find apparent here is that this comment will probably be seen as subversive and otherwise nonsensical - thus totally ignored.

This will have unfortunate consequences for those who don't take action at once to stop these crimes of ignore-ance.

To do nothing is to rot in hell - unless of course this entire exercise is meant for amusement purposes only - mired though we may still be in our paralyzing groupthink.

If this be the case, then your post has served quite a useful purpose – we can call it...

Mission: Accomplished!

Best regards,

Lark

2007-03-18T12:24:00.000-05:00

The ATTENTION Economy

Okay, I know it's been said enough, that we work and play in a so-called attention economy.

Like you maybe, I can buy into this.

We also live in a reputation economy as well - since, presumably, it's said we get more attention according to our reputation.

And I can buy into that too - especially since most of us never seem to get enough!

Given that those engaged in eCommerce - like more than a few of us bloggers, for instance - are part of this new media revolution we've heard so much chatter about - and we've heard it said...

... "You are the media"...

... I was naturally led to a desire to step back and examine where we've been... so I could better understand...

"Where do we go from here?"

This series of documentaries is from Adam Curtis, in conjunction with the BBC, and if you haven't taken the time to check them out, I recommend them wholeheartedly.

Block off an hour at a sitting so you can savor each episode - they're that good!

You might want to turn to this BBC overview first.

"The Century of the Self"

Part I: Happiness Machines

Part II: The Engineering of Consent

Part III: There is a Policeman Inside All our Heads - He Must be Destroyed

Part IV: Eight People Sipping Wine in Keppering

But, in order to capture the full flavor of the messages contained in this series, perhaps you may want to fast forward a little more, to another three-part co-production, by the same creators, called...

"The Power of Nightmares"

Your homework now nearly complete, herewith is a video, by Austin's own Alex Jones, called...

"Terrorstorm"

If these don't get your attention, then what does this say about our reputation - or our economy?

What does all this chatter say about you and me?

2007-03-08T13:18:00.000-06:00

Law of Attraction Guru and Big-Time Marketer Ask:

“If you had 30 seconds to ask me any question about the Law of Attraction or my Success Principles, what would your single, most important question be?”

Dear Law of Attraction Guru and Big-Time Marketer,

I’ve got more than 30 seconds, if you do - and I won't charge you one thin dime for my time!

What do you have to say about the blowback I've witnessed on the internet lately concerning the unconscionable and blatant selling of secrets by certain of those so willing to prey on the confused and miserable amongst us?

Does this kind of predation really spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S in your book?

No disrespect is intended here - I earnestly just want your answer!

What I'd really like to hear is a simple response to what I maintain is the egregious misuse of simple words by so-called experts out to make a buck.

Is this at all ethical? Or is it ethical in a capitalist system to continue to fleece the flock so long as the sheeple keep allowing it?

When you and your peers get together do you do a happy dance, or high five each other, in the same way that airport pickpockets or cabals of oligarchs with politicians safely in the bag often do... before doing lunch at some swanky restaurant to compare notes on your ongoing respective marketing campaigns?

Do you ever wonder... when these lurid dishonest practices will ever end?

As for me, I've had direct experience from birth with success-driven family members, including myself; and I can tell you emphatically that authoritarianism is run amok and utilitarianism too often ignored in America for any semblance of the meaning behind The Golden Rule* to have any lasting real impact on these success mongers of today.

Change is indeed the order of the day, gentlemen – just not the kind some of us insist on peddling!

If you’re at all interested in co-opting some or all of my words in your revised message, I can help separate you from the wolf pack, and assist your heartfelt efforts to truly change hearts and minds for the betterment of humanity.

After all, a LIFE – and an opportunity to influence lasting remedial changes for a sustainable bright future – is a terrible thing to waste!

Contact me in confidence - I'm the attractor factor you just may need to save you from yourself.

Lark

Mark and Lark

[P.S. – *This simple admonition may be the only lasting contribution worth remembering from our Judeo-Christian heritage. If this be important why not ask ourselves if what we say and do strictly abides by this golden rule – and rebuild our personal and societal foundations from there – while there’s still time?]

2007-03-06T10:46:00.001-06:00

My Favorite Guru was a Yogi

"If you don't know where you're going, you'll end up someplace else."

Timeless words of wisdom from my favorite guru, former NY Yankee and Hall of Fame catcher, Yogi Berra.

2007-03-01T21:15:00.000-06:00

The Secret

Mark gets viscerally bent out of shape when he even sees or hears these words - usually an adjective followed by secret. He's got young kids at home so I can't get him to cuss; but he sure as hell doesn't mind laughing or throwing out some viciously sarcastic comment, or impatiently pining for an immediate change of direction... whenever he's in the presence... of this discouraging and revolting word... whether within earshot... but especially at the sight of it... especially online!

Last night's teleseminar with Stu McLaren, the super (I'm sick of this overused 70s word too!) affiliate marketing manager, and Ray Edwards, the big time copywriter, revealed this filthy word to be right down there with the worst of them - particularly amongst those words which have been thoroughly tested with copy used in the vulturous internet marketing niche - all this according to the Ray Man himself, who represents he's also a fanatical tester.

First, here's the 5 best tested words (converted best, and made more money) employed by copywriters in this niche:

proprietary
discover
guaranteed
statistical
validated

Next, he revealed the 5 worst tested words (converted worst, and made less money) employed by copywriters in this niche:

you A big - but pleasant - surprise
proven
secret
explode
learn

I found myself cheering these revelations! So happy was I to hear this information that I was moved to actually chime in at the end of the call, during a Q & A session.

Both of these guys, it needs to be said, are people for whom I have an enormous regard - probably because both come across as so damn transparent and, well... just likable.

They present themselves as experienced professionals with integrity - and unafraid of new ideas.

Stu was promoting an upcoming seminar here in Dallas on this teleseminar; and Ray had just released a high-value-quotient copywriting course for which I had seriously held an interest - and he would be one of its speakers too.

So I asked Ray to comment on these 3 words...

I
expert
teach

... which I suggested might be included in an expanded worst words list... because I thought these words to ultimately be divisive words, as opposed to being unifying words... and I was researching ways to put in place a structure for my persuasion (sales) efforts ahead.

I also intimated that beyond mere words which turned me off - and I couldn't agree more with his findings - words and perceptions which turned me on in a sales letter, for instance, were those which (who?) at least hinted...

... we actually are all just perennial students... and one might best connect to others simply because one demonstrates an extraordinary knowledge of a particular subject... and one exudes a certain genuine enthusiasm to engage others... who, in turn, might wish to share in this same enthusiasm for similar knowledge too.

Ray answered, in effect, that certain framing issues (my words, not his) were rather standardized (my words again) but that generally context (Ray's word) and circumstance (mine) were the guiding lights for what better would serve one's purposes in the end (you guessed it - my words again!).

For which I, naturally, thanked him for his plausible answers.

So can this discussion provide us a clue for what is meant by the attractor factor - since I always seem to be drawn to other writers and marketers - like you maybe?

And could this portend a possible meaning of the secret too?

Ya know... I can't truthfully tell ya.

What I DO know is we're all gluttons for knowledge about how to make more money...

... some of us ethically...

... but just don't **** with me and try to sell me your latest-and-greatest version of the secret either, okay?

You don't wanna get on my worst side... as I'm wont to be a little irrational sometimes - and just might ****in' explode!

There... that'll learn ya!

It's one law of attraction principle proven - and guaranteed - to teach you a damn lesson...

... lest your filthy ill-gotten gains come right back to haunt ya... my secret friend!

:)

For more rants along these familiar lines check out Blair Warren's blog... or just scroll down for something else that'll keep your juices flowin'!

2007-02-27T13:08:00.000-06:00

Questions Anyone?

In all my years as a chef and restaurateur I was little concerned about issues of motivation and reward. I cooked food, I sold food or I consumed it... and nothing was disguised about anyone's motivation OR reward - because the truth is always in the tasting, isn't it?

Such was my grounded thinking before my explorations into the netherworld of internet publishing and marketing.

The world I once thrived in... automatically assumed everyone is an expert... and I would never deign it within my power to think just because I might be rather more expert preparing your food... that I was really more or less of an expert than other folks - who certainly were experts about foods they liked or didn't like!

Thus framing the way I approached everyone was simple. Always in the spirit of utmost hospitality... like that of an enthusiastic host... I was sensitive about ensuring everyone had a good time. I wanted that no one ever be hurt or insulted... so nothing was left to chance. For me to sense that one single someone... might somehow not feel included in the merriment... of just feeling the sheer pleasure of the moment... I had worked (played) so hard to make happen... was anathema to all that mattered to me.

I find I enjoy amusing myself sometimes when asked to respond to questionnaires from marketers, writers and copywriters - most anyone I come across, and respect, online. Along the way I've learned to not expect any real feedback, as my questions relate less and less to any serious intent on my part to engage as a real customer. Since more and more of the messages I receive are merely about selling me more of the same old recycled information... or more of the same new-and-improved whiz-bang gadgets or insider tips... or another exclusive membership to a club, a mastermind group or one more inner circle... I wonder if I'm not being set up for a practical joke... and I shouldn't just have my chuckle and move on to the next one... so as to not feel I'm being rude by simply ignoring them.

Words which really turn me off include...

I will show you or I will teach you - even if I'm convinced the vendor truly is capable, if not extraordinarily well-qualified.

Must said vendor be so damn convinced of his first-person self worth? Why is so much information I need to make an informed decision simply not stated - whether accidentally or intentionally omitted... or not?

I have the secrets is another. I've often been inspired to ask if they might want to barter with me, as I've got a lot of secrets too I'd like to trade.

Next time you wanna sell me $197 worth of secrets how 'bout I sell you $497 worth of my very own proprietary trade secrets in exchange?

Deal?

I DO like to over-deliver, ya know!

I'm rich and successful so, by its own implication, this means you must not be if you're reading this sales letter right now.

Take a look at my toys if you don't believe me!

This is always from some twenty-or-thirty-something young hot shot who just hasn't realized yet a million dollars or two ain't what it used to be - given that s/he's probably only a year or two removed from some hell-hole of a cheap suburban box and a ten-year-old car... which only yesterday repaired this person back and forth from his dead end ivory tower job downtown.

Here's a screen shot - it's proof of my earnings, AND of how smart I am!

Boy, it's like hitting the jackpot, ain't it? Hey, what you do in Vegas stays in Vegas, okay?

... Then I've got the ideal training course - or coaching program - just for you!

Man I hate these words program, coach, or course because they sound so, you know, canned. Sounding a little bit fishy for me, it's like imagining the fates of a few dozen sardines in a crowded tin - each one programmed or coached, of course - for a fantastic career as a success merchant or widget dealer. In a tried-and-true mogul-in-training, climb-the-corporate-ladder language I can only describe as corporate-speak... delivered in a streamlined fish factory sorta way, I hate knowing how easy it is that our own fates can be sealed by someone else's idea of an afternoon snack.

So it's good to remind yourself: To be spoon-fed someone else's idea of a good time is to invite them to chew you up and spit out your bones!

It calls up that achingly sad scene with our old friend Willy Loman... near the ending of Death of a Salesman... when for one brief heart-wrenching moment... he's brought to the sudden realization... he'd been living a lie all along... and his world crashes down upon him... hurting all those he'd held dearest.

Remember him? Had it all figured out, didn't he? All Willy needed in life was the right kind of program to fit you into... plus a shoe shine and a smile!

This is the fear I personally fear the most, the fear that living my life will have been predicated on one big fat lie, one on top of another, and I ultimately hurt all those around me - myself included.

No wonder it calls to mind this startling truth: "Man is one of the few species left on Earth who still preys on its own."

Then I'm presented the terms guru, as in I am your guru, and newbie, put to me like You are my newbie, which are meant to be taken, I'm given to understand, in all sorts of new and interesting ways.

How they are perceived - and acted upon - by either party, though, is how big lies often get started.

As I've come to understand their meanings I've compiled a few synonyms for each of these insider terms.

The Guru is... a spiritual advisor; the seller; the teacher; an expert; your instructor, maven or guide; the rich one; smarter-than-thou; holier-than-thou; the better one; a smart-ass; the controller; the lister; the targeter.

And the Newbie is... a babe-in-the woods; the customer; a neophyte; a pigeon; the client; a noob, a mark, a victim or the prey; a sycophant; a sucker; the lesser one; a dumb-ass; the broke one; the controlled; listless; the target.

Now don't get me wrong. I enjoy a good laugh like most folks. And, yes, I've bought a lot of this stuff too. Perhaps I felt like I must tip these jokesters from time to time so they'd continue to entertain me!

It seemed the ethical thing to do at the time, I guess. And after all, they were just trying to earn a living, weren't they?

Besides, I learn a lot from these folks, so it's the least I can do - to throw 'em a bone when they're deserving. And I might want to actually engage them seriously one day in a more genuine dialogue or something, so why wouldn't I want to develop a relationship with them - as one-sided and preposterous as it often is now?

((((((((((((()))))))))))))))(((((((((((())))))))))))(((((((((((((()))))))))))(((((((((

Perry Marshall Asks...

What is your most pressing Business Challenge?

... And Lark replies...

My most pressing business challenge is to reconcile my idealism with the demands of an online entrepreneur.

In such a competitive environment I'm convinced our approach - the ways we frame our messages - must be without any hype whatsoever; not to mention, it must be above reproach if we are to expect the mutual respect we hope to engender among our clients and customers.

Fortunately, the things which interest me most go to the heart of persuasion techniques I'm studying - along with concepts of motivation and reward.

Less inclination towards business and more towards busy-ness is at the heart of our message... because there really need be no separation, ideally, between our personal and our professional lives... if work is allowed to feel more like play.

I believe these are some very basic universal principles ordinary people might better relate to with less apparent effort and little or no skepticism - about our motivations... and the rewards to be expected by all of us.

Insights can be found in our brand blueprint - called a Legend Platform - on our blog, which you can access from our first information product...

... at Mark and Lark.com

Thanks for reading... and "thank you" for the audio!

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And I'm a sucker for contests too! Here the questions asked are...

Why do you need to learn copywriting?

... and...

What will you do with the lessons you learn about copywriting?

... in 250 words or less...

... though I must tell you I was really thinking about the scene in Scarface when Tony Montana is being asked at the fancy car dealership, "Are you chure you actually ARE a Porcha customer?"

Or words to the same effect anyway.

Laurence Says:
February 10th, 2007 at 12:50 am

Thanks, Ray, for giving voice to the teachings of Ray Edwards via your videos. I enjoy listening to folks... as much as I like seeing their words and pictures on a web page.

It heightens the overall look and feel of the relationship-building process; and it enhances the feelings and perceptions the words and images do not always supply... sufficient enough to make a virtual connection, that is.

A human voice such as yours, once heard, is as magical as the siren song of the Muse in literature... and the impetus for me heeding your call to action today!

*************************************************************************************

We form relationships in life because one is a lonely number - and it often takes two to tango.

It’s why we form personal and business relationships in the first place - our species demands its propagation and alliances lend themselves to our better social adjustment and survivability skills.

For economy of scale and a surfeit of abundance to coexist in nature requires an artful collaboration, doesn’t it?

All’s well... when the music stops, the dance is adjourned, and we’re invigorated by the experience... that ends so well.

Thus begins... our common emotional journey... for nourishment of the soul... and the hunting and gathering of sustenance... anew.

A copywriter’s study ought to begin in grade school and continue over a lifetime.

In today’s increasingly interconnected world all human beings should be learning to eliminate barriers... by overcoming obstacles... and building a happier society... for a healthier sustainable future... simply by applying its lessons.

One lesson learned from the biblical Tower of Babel story is that our once common human language was supplanted by a confusion of tongues...

The confusion many of us have with everyday language is at the heart of all our other difficulties. Irregardless of which language is spoken though, language arts - by way of spoken and written words - are critical of mastery if we are to enjoy any measure of true success in life.

... and in the Information Age it is still but one emergent lesson from this ancient story we would be foolish to set aside and forget.

*************************************************************************************

Mark and Lark, the serial comic adventures of two suburbanites learning to master the intricacies of internet marketing and the skills of the copywriter, was borne from our desire to combine Mark’s love of technology and my love for words.

Let the music – and the dancing – of the acolytes begin!

Lark

2007-02-24T12:55:00.000-06:00

A Recipe for Piracy

Buffalo Pot Roast, Old Creole Style

Daube de Bison a la Creole Vieux

INGREDIENTS
_______________________________________________________________________________

• American Natural Bison (from the Round, Loin or other suitable cut from the butcher) – or substitute Natural Beef (Daube de Boeuf a la Creole Vieux)
• Fruity Olive Oil
• Garlic
• Sweet Onions
• Ripe Tomatoes
• Orange Peel (reserve fruit for later use)
• Tomato Paste, canned (for color)
• Fresh Thyme
• Fresh Bay Leaf
• Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley Stems (reserve leaves for garnish)
• Fresh Chives (strictly for garnish)
• Saffron Pinch
• Natural Sea or Kosher Salt
• Cracked White & Black Peppercorns
• Cayenne or Creole Seasoning (recommended, but optional, to taste)

PREPARATION
_________________________________________________________________________________

• Remove silverskin and superfluous fat from Bison
• Rough Chop Onions & Tomatos (use plenty – the amount is determined by the amount of gravy you want)
• Smash a few cloves of Garlic
• Remove the Orange Peel from its fruit (think about the amount of orange flavor a la Basquaise you want)
• Season the Bison & brown in brazier with Olive Oil
• Combine all other ingredients in brazier until sautéed lightly
• Season to taste
• Braise in 350 degree oven until done – about 1 hour
• Remove Bison from brazier to rest on the carving board
• Remove Bay Leaf, Thyme, Parsley Stems and Orange Peel
• Puree vegetables and juices to light, airy gravy consistency (wavy gravy?)
• Adjust seasonings and color to taste
• Serve it up with Garlic Riced Potatos, and Mom’s Creole Succotash seasoned with Ham Bone Marrow & Secret Spice Mixture (or substitute commercial ham paste/base)

SERVICE
______________________________________________

Select big ol’ low slung but wide-mouthed salad or soup bowls. Spoon the spuds and smear all around the bottom of the bowls, higher in the very center. Slice 3 fat slices of Pot Roast & arrange in center on top. Slap ¾ cup of gravy over the meat. Arrange the Succotash in a ring between the edge of the bowls and the meat and gravy in the center. Garnish with fresh Thyme, Parsley, Chive, Bay Leaf and reserved Orange fruit sections. Serve with a gravy boat of hot gravy, a starched white linen napkin, and a trencherman’s dinner fork.

Heat up a crusty ol' peasant loaf, and bring it forth with soft butter or gussied-up olive oil in little ramekins set in front of the bowls. A butter lettuce salad with bell peppers, tomatos and green onions a la vinaigrette should do nicely – afterwards of the Pot Roast.

Now whip it on ‘em with a few glasses of cold Beer or Pinot Noir. Play some saloon music from Old New Orleans or have an old Jean Lafitte pirate movie showing on the big screen… like The Buccaneer... and finish ‘em off with some Lady Finger cookies and Blancmange puddin’ with shots of Absinthe for dessert.

Card-playing would seem to be in order – gamble if you must – you know Lafitte sure as hell did!

Bring on some dancin’ girls for a little more flavor, unless you’re with the little lady. If this be the case, consider headin’ on in to town, and drop her off at home.

Better still; don’t bring her along in the first place – unless she likes to get a little silly, that is!

Lafitte himself was the product of a Spanish mother and a French father, and as such, was not really that bad a guy.

The Louisiana Territory was claimed by the Spaniards, the French and the Americans at different times in its history; but Lafitte himself leveraged so-called Letters of Marque on the high seas to legitimate his activities as a privateer – not a lowly pirate!

He is said to have aided the Americans in their War of 1812 against the British. As a citizen of the world he merely acted in his own interest, by leveraging a little paperwork received from nations’ governments – all with similar interests to his own.

While some viewed him as a pirate, others viewed him as a private citizen authorized to do some necessary dirty work. And if conflicts of interest arose, or if he ever stepped on anybody’s toes... well, let’s just say he was never available to receive a court summons anyway!

He actually founded two of his own nation-states during his lifetime – unencumbered and beholden only to himself.

My recipe was created in honor of this colorful character, and you’ll delight in fixin’ this easy-to-prepare sup for your own family or guests.

For our special occasion, why not read up on the guy – and now you can be Lafitte for the day – okay?

Best served in the late summer-early fall... when it’s cold, muggy or rainy outside. Change up the veggies for somethin’ more in season... and it works in the dead of winter too.

Lark

2007-02-12T08:40:00.000-06:00

Good morning... hold on to your coffee cup. Someone's got something really important to say!

Mark and I have only known each other for less than 8 months now... and we have a new internet marketing business together.

So... think back... to that boss, significant other, or partner-from-hell you so fondly remember... just for a moment.

Now consider this person-from-hell is in a full court press trying to persuade, inform, or convince you of something or another... and you're not able to politely interrupt, interject, or get one word in edgewise... as there's just no stopping this person - once they're in full stride... on a roll.

The following chat discussion between Mark and me one morning - a few months back - started out as a humorous attempt by me to demonstrate to Mark that I was up-and-at-'em before he was... and was ready to seize the day!

Previously, we'd had some pretty funny discussions about the one-sidedness of a typical sales letter online... in which our only choice was to buy into a marketer's or a copywriter's message or not - with no other option available to us.

Mark, especially, found all this particularly hysterical... and some of our best belly laughs together have been at the expense of some sales letter writer's all-out effort to get us to whip out a credit card... in effect, to steamroll us into making a buying decision where incomplete information was being provided... and there didn't seem to be any room for negotiation either.

Here we are being sold a horse - and no horse-tradin's being allowed!

My friends... in Texas, this type of behavior, is really frowned upon... let me tell ya.

Anyway, just pity poor Mark, because, you must know, he really does have the partner from hell!

He's often mystified by poor Lark. And he'll wonder why I ever saved this chat in the first place.

Maybe he'll laugh just remembering it!

So, with this being said... please do... enjoy our little chat... :)

Laurence says:

Ohayou gozaimasu... is formal Japanese for Good Morning... and millions of people on our planet know this language well enough to understand its meaning. However...

Laurence says:

... in the U.S. and in Europe, in Africa and Central and South America, many millions more do not fathom the meaning for good morning in the Japanese brain... except to, perhaps, grunt... smile... or nod an acknowledgment of a Japanese person's presence in the A.M. hours...

Laurence says:

... much in the way we imagine members of different human tribes once did millions of years ago. We are here together in a virtual community where we cannot assume ANY of us even... speak the same language... much less fully comprehend and fully connect to common symbols (words, sentences, phrases, etc.) used in the language we call "English".

Laurence says:

Therefore, even as you may be able to read this collection of organized symbols, it would be presumptuous for any of us to automatically assume actual communication is really occurring...

Laurence says:

... because much is implied and inferred, though little - so far - has been written or read which we can identify as being substantative or even a propos to this occasion.

Laurence says:

To think about what has just been communicated, comprehend, if we are allowed or are able, this tiny bit of information.

Laurence says:

Before this sentence, count up the number of letter, word and punctuation symbols used to create the words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs.

Laurence says:

To quantify these is to invite a closer examination into the minds reflecting on these pieces of, presumably, a larger symbolic picture.

Laurence says:

For what purpose, to what end, might this exercise serve us? Are we to assume something - or anything - of value might be gained in this moment of our time together?

Laurence says:

How might the language - the instrument of our communication - be miscommunicated, or misconstrued, even now, while it is we have read this much so far?

Laurence says:

How many of us have been prompted to move away from this exercise in communication already?

Laurence says:

Can any inferences or assumptions, any claims of beneficence, be implied or stated thus far in our narration? Do these words illustrate for us anything which might enjoin us in a commonality of meaning and purpose?

Laurence says:

How might each of us still here proceed with this incomplete narrative in ways which will unite us and empower us - individually, and as a group?

Laurence says:

Shall we write and read more - at this very moment in time we have together? Engaged, as we are, in an exercise of disjointed communication with each other?

Laurence says:

Let's consider more. Notice how each of us is being drawn deeper into our narrative? So long as these symbols are being created these same symbols are bringing us closer. We cannot say we are being united, nor can we imply we are being divided, though it might be fair to say we might never be brought closer than we are right now.

Laurence says:

Language - or other symbols of communication - does not always accomplish our aims, does it?

"The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple." - Oscar Wilde

Laurence says:

"First get your facts; then you can distort them at your leisure." - Mark Twain

Laurence says:

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics." - Benjamin Disraeli

Laurence says:

"Then there was the man who drowned crossing a stream with an average depth of six inches." - W.I.E. Gates

Laurence says:

As a shared experience let's suppose we extract some value from this exercise... understanding, of course, from the outset, that each of us will ascribe a different value, or a nuance of value, to the symbols - or words - presented here.

Laurence says:

Let's examine the central idea expressed in this equation:

Creation of Order = Initiation of Chaos

Laurence says:

"A life not examined is not worth living." - Socrates

Laurence says:

"Let's put that which we might call our busy-ness aside for awhile. Instead, let's make some history today!" - Lark

Laurence says:

Good morning, Mark!

Mark says:

morning

[End of chat]

Phone's ringing

The wife's speaking.

The dog's barking.

I forgot what I was saying...

... or thinking.

And Mark never even saw this conversation piece... until I pointed it out to him that afternoon... as it had been much too tall a tale to fit all at once onto his chat screen... for him to ever really notice! :)

2007-02-07T10:17:00.000-06:00

What is value?

Now here's a loaded question! Another one of which begets as many questions as answers...

...and I pose this particular question because the use of this word is included in the American Marketing Association's response to this question:

What is marketing?

And its latest definition is...

Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders.

So, disregarding for a moment the myriad questions which might arise from the first question demanding of a rational answer, let's presuppose we understand value to simply mean something worthwhile.

As students of internet marketing, Mark and I are very interested in exercising sound judgment - to the best of our abilities - as we chart our course in this new business.

We like to believe our principal reason for beginning this new business is so we can gain more freedom to live our lives in a purpose-driven, more playful and joyful manner.

In previous posts I briefly discussed plausible definitions for the words freedom and reason as they were also component parts of questions preceded by the words What is ______ - similarly to the question we have before us now.

It's true that these rhetorical questions examined here can lead only to even more questions - if we are to expect logical answers. Not the least of which, of course, are:

What is rhetoric...or rhetorical?...

...and...

What is logic...or logical?

Right?

But let's not go there right now, okay?

Forgive me if I interrupt this discussion with a little story...

When I was a boy my younger brother, sister and I were coerced, then forced, to eat liver...when my mother prepared it for the family sit-down - and, boy, we hated the taste of it!

It started out harmlessly enough...because chickens then, as now, typically come with the paper-wrapped heart, kidneys, gizzard, and liver inside the cavities of said birds...meant to cook separately from the chicken itself.

And we ate a lot of chicken at our house - prepared in all the usual ways home cooks dealt with this popular food staple.

In my parents' salad days - during the time before WWII...as the Great Depression was drawing to a close - there was a slogan, "A chicken in every pot, and a Ford in every garage."

This was one of the prevailing mantras for all those aspiring to a comfortable middle-class lifestyle in those days; and the measure of a family's having attained these only-average material needs was the mean common denominator for what was understood to be the basis for achieving The American Dream.

Their own parents raised them with the experience of scarcity informing their families' value system - so much so, that wanton disregard and waste of important necessities of everyday living was considered a real sacrilege.

Thus, to turn one's nose up at food - any food - was, for Mom and Dad, not only repugnant, but downright immoral too!

And loving their spoiled, unreasonable children meant imposing some discipline on them - even if it meant corporal punishment was their response to our supposed transgressions of their authority.

Because another dictum of the times was, Spare the rod, and spoil the child, and, like their parents before them, they wanted to do right by their kids, didn't they?

Well...my siblings and me got a helluva lot of whuppins growing up, let me tell ya. But those beatings we endured for detesting the taste of liver - for over several of our tenderest years - are the ones which still stick in my mind to this day.

Under threat of more of the same, we tried faking it...secretly spitting it out... holding our noses while swallowing the vile stuff...chasing it with the strongest beverage within our immediate grasp...before throwing it up...even direct insubordination - all manner of protestations were met with the same expectation of one more traumatic and hurtful family drama lesson....

...to which Mom or Dad would often remind us, "This is gonna hurt me - more than it's gonna hurt you!"

Dad had an old-fashioned GI belt, and the rule was, if you moved your target butt away from where he was aiming, your beating was just gonna be worse.

And this action wasn't based on any fair rule at all!

A lot depended on our tolerance for pain...and Dad's presumed responsibility not to permanently disfigure us...or leave any noticeable welts the neighbors or our teachers at school might see...not to forget, Dad's mood...or predisposition to sadistic violence...if he'd had a bad day at work...or if he was really angry at Mom, etcetera.

After a very long while we got used to choking chicken liver down - even if none of us dared to sample the giblets. By then Mom was taken with the idea of cooking calves' liver, always with a bunch of oily browned onions and brown pan gravy...

No wonder the French and the Italians - most of the world - considered that American dining pleasures were just beyond barbaric...in the years before and after WWII.

I know I seriously considered I might really be a closet vegetarian growing up - and actually was...off-and-on...after I left home.

Here's one moral of this story which might be inferred...

One person's idea of what is something worthwhile is not necessarily and easily transferable to another. In our capitalist society money is only assigned a value as it is merely a convenient representation of its perceived value in an exchange of some sort.

We neglect to scrutinize it...beyond what it represents...at our own risk - or reward, for that matter...as it's but a medium for the exchange of equivalent values which drives all capitalist enterprise.

Because money - like value - is always seen, kinda like beauty, in the eye of the beholder, isn't it?

One man's junk is another man's treasure...and so on and so forth.

But here's the rub...

As internet marketers, when our businesses are dependent upon closing the deal, in the face of tremendous competitive forces swirling all around us, we must also dance the dance of the high wire artist - at least in our minds - teetering between the back-and-forth use of ethical persuasion tactics and our purported aims and desires.

So...it's not so much that we don't want to deliver - even over deliver - on our promises...and deliberately take advantage of, or mistreat, those with which we exchange values...goods or services, in exchange for money, for instance. It's that we're also dealing with issues of qualitative value measurement as well.

In other words, we naturally lean toward pathways of least resistance at all times - so focused are we on gaining that qualitative edge as measured by our quantitative desire to come out of any deal with the continuous wherewithal to grow and prosper in our businesses.

Don't we?

Therefore, in this socio-economic climate, we make bad deals, so-so deals, and good deals for ourselves all the time - even outside the context of our businesses - even exclusive of situations involving money.

With exchanges of value - or trade-offs - our charts are examined, and our ships of state are set on course - often to uncharted waters far from shore.

So it is with our lives - we must sink or swim...often with sharks...or remain afloat...onto our merry ways.

Mom or Dad would've advised...Be a good boy now...and...Eat up, son - or go stand in the corner! as the rules by which to govern our actions in the world.

To this day, like you maybe, I wanna value you precisely as much as you value me, if not more so. In a perfect world, I want to do good by you; and you want to do good by me.

Right?

I know I value the memories of my childhood - even forgive all those trespasses on my freedom. And all the mistakes I've made allowing myself to get ripped-off...or ripping myself off...all of my own volition...on my own accord.

I retain a healthy respect for authoritarian power structures as they exist - even if, to me, they often seem unreasonable for me to wanna buy into from the get-go.

Being naturally skeptical, I never forget a betrayal of trust - by anyone, including myself!

But then skepticism is really not enough, is it?

The answers for what might seem valuable to us are sometimes elusive, if always, at least, illusory - even with the clearest of thinking and the best of outcomes for all exchanges we want to see happen.

And knowledge of good and evil, alas, reveals only more of the same, wouldn't you say?

Thus it is, we tend to value what we esteem to be good - somewhat or more than worthwhile upon first glance - when it can be, in fact, like for our three storybook children who despised the taste of liver, really very bad.

Or so it seems...and it usually goes.

2007-02-05T17:17:00.000-06:00

Follow Up Correspondence from Stu

Laurence,

Thanks for your email.

I appreciate you sharing the details of your idea. I can sense your passion behind it.

One thing you must consider is the management of everything. If it’s not managed properly then it will drive people away but if it’s managed well then over time it will attract the right kind of people you want participating.

Good luck!

Take care.

Stu McLaren
MyIdeaGuy
"Taking Ideas From Concept to Cash"
www.MyIdeaGuy.com
www.IdeaSeminar.com

***********************************************************************************

Stu,

Thanks for validating my initial perception of the kind of person you might be - and how you might respond to my message.

I will continue to speak to issues of transparency in the marketing process, especially how it relates to workplace issues of motivation and reward, affiliate programs and JV partnerships, etcetera - not to mention, our relationships with our clients and customers.

How people relate to others is co-dependent on transparent communication being made self-evident to all parties as the relationship is developed and strengthened over time. And you're absolutely right - how this is managed is key to its workability.

Given that 90%-98% of most marketers' persuasion tactics are not acted upon, and only 10%-20% of most affiliate sign-ups actually make a real financial impact for affiliate managers who strive to motivate them is at the heart of what I wish to address.

By turning a blind eye to these issues marketing becomes nothing more than a numbers game...somehow dehumanizing the entire process.

And those with mature businesses - those who have accumulated large customer lists and other marketers to their sales process - are in the best position to invest intellectual capital addressing the essence of this continuing problem...in an honest effort to improve the process...so that its effectiveness can be markedly improved and sustained.

The "right" kind of people we might attract to this overhauled process - if correctly initiated and managed properly - will no longer remain an issue, as it is rendered moot...much in the same way ongoing natural selection...works biologically in nature.

Upon closer examination we understand that these core values of belief inherent within human nature are not so separated from the natural world itself...because, as observed with viruses or butterfly effects, we know certain these characteristics must exist.

The net results can be revolutionary...if we choose to diligently concern ourselves with this underlying core value of belief - and believability - as seen from all sides.

Good luck to you too, Stu!

I'm very grateful to you for reading this at all...

Laurence
Mainspring Mindshares
Http://msms2.blogspot.com

[P.S. - I know you must be very caught up in your busy-ness, so please do not feel the need to respond again. :) Laurence]

2007-02-02T09:56:00.000-06:00

Hands Reaching Across the Cyberwaves...

Last night we had the opportunity to listen in on an exclusive teleseminar with Tellman Knudsen and Ben Mack.

And this morning Stu McLaren asked for some feedback from his mailing list subscribers about his newsletter.

With these marketers words dancing in my head, herewith, is my reply to Stu...

Dear Stu,

This April...I will have been studying internet marketing for one year! So you can see I approach this subject as a relative neophyte.

However, I must tell you, I find myself much more discriminating the further on down the road I travel.

I am not a fan of becoming a geek so that I can be a slave to a machine. I have spent over $10K to date for mostly worthless junk. And I firmly believe ideas are like a**holes - everybody has one!

So...no offense intended here...but...it seems to me what experienced marketers should be considering is this:

===>Form marketing co-ops of 100 to 500 partners, each involved in decision-making for the group at-large.

===>Allow fluid interaction via chat and a forum hosted by moderators chosen by the group through periodic voting.

===>Provide state-of-the-art marketing tools to the members - including metrics tracking and other software so that individual actions of each member can be definitely tracked in real-time online observation by everyone involved.

===>Lay out a step-by-step action plan for the group members to cooperatively follow - changeable according to day-to-day conditions - while staying open to actionable ideas of all other members.

===>Provide a running P&L statement in the private membership area showing the day-by-day account of how all money is to be divided according to individual participatory efforts...as agreed upon by each member in advance of joining the group.

This proposal, in a nutshell, is the type of program I myself would want to put together if I had the proven skills to form such a group and pull it off...

...because, like myself, I believe others will see that trust and confidence in the process itself is paramount - and a few helping hands never hurts either!

One day I will do precisely this...

It is an interesting way to win over battle-tested allies to a cause - a cause which can only succeed because its members become loyal to the group as their accumulation of revenue shares increases over time.

Experienced marketers will see this as a no-brainer...and a way to make quick & easy bucks...assuming they do not have to sacrifice their alpha male or guru image of themselves...because they are not called upon to subvert their brand positioning strategies in any demeaning way...and they can get behind the product(s) and/or service(s) being promoted to their followers in the first place.

Seen from this perspective...even newbies can contribute to the viral marketing promotional efforts of some highly-scrutinized, very useful information products... made better because of the mastermind group brainstorming and directly promoting them.

People want to learn to succeed online, but without real-time interaction, in an environment in which their success is practically guaranteed...simply with measurable guided participation...they will mostly flounder and eventually fail.

Who can trust the sales process when the possibility of getting ripped-off is so high? When real transparency is our guiding principle more participation can be assured. Safeguards and guidelines can be constructed...and procedures can be implemented...to prevent commission theft or counter-productive efforts from having a negative impact.

If you believe learning is so key to success online, why not consider that confidence and trust must be earned - and actions always speak louder than words?

Make it a two-way street for the participants...by bringing together under (y)our umbrella...the mavens, salespeople and connectors (as described by Gladwell in The Tipping Point)...necessary to the task of reaching that vaunted tipping point...and thereby bring about a true win-win situation for everyone concerned.

The continuum of learning, actively participating and growing - in a cooperative group effort - is not socialism, Stu. It is a sure-fire way to develop a cadre of affiliates, network marketers, and JV partners - all rolled into one dynamic system of interactive growth.

Selling online doesn't have to be such a dastardly enterprise - with so few winners compared with many more losers.

In bringing together - by open invitation - divergent thinkers (ideators) to identify problems and solutions in a process of elimination or trial-and-error (clarifiers) so that products can finally be created and put together (developers) ALL active participants (implementers) will finally feel a true sense of co-ownership, and so will more enthusiastically promote more profitable products brought to market.

Individuals will freely participate according to "how the spoils of war" are to be divided...and various leaders will rise like cream to the top...allowing for standouts within the group to be recognized and separately rewarded by the others... if the group so chooses.

Each participant must be able to perceive and appreciate from the get-go that their fifteen minutes of fame within the group will be a given once they realize actionable results are accurately measured and structured participation all-but-guarantees a successful collaboration.

I want to learn from heroes who understand that my efforts are equally as heroic - and prove it by their actions, not their words.

Smoke-and-mirrors, secrets, insights, hucksterism and magic are separate from the real opportunities real people deserve and want to respect.

Let's get behind a cooperative work effort in an atmosphere of work-as-entertainment - which brings in real dollars to our wallets!

At the end of the day...I want to believe in a concept of motivation and reward which seeks my enthusiastic and undying support...because it is open-ended and transparent for all concerned...and because I don't want to participate in or promote...suffering or struggle...for anyone.

Best regards,

Laurence

Mainspring Mindshares

[P.S. - Here is another sometime marketer worth checking out. Kinda like you have also earned earned our respect and admiration! His name is Blair Warren. And he was introduced to us by a fellow named Ben Mack]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

----Original Message----

From: Stu McLaren [MyIdeaGuy]
Date: 02/02/07 02:55:43
To: Laurence
Subject: Laurence...from Stu McLaren

Hey Laurence,

I noticed that you signed up for my "Insider Ideas"
newsletter a couple days ago - thanks a lot for signing up :)

Did you read the first issue?

I'd love to know what you thought.

Drop me a line when you get a chance. Just reply to this
email.

Thanks again!!

Take care,

Stu McLaren
Your Idea Guy

2007-01-28T23:41:00.000-06:00

Read the serial comic adventures of Mark and Lark - two internet marketing noobs with no products for sale and no customer lists...yet!

This is a free downloadable comic strip series which tells the story of two new business owners just starting out... trying to make their first $1M online.

Will they succeed? Against some pretty strong odds?

Maybe they will - maybe they won't! Maybe...just maybe...they have an arsenal of secret weapons you may want to know about! ~lol~

Mark is a wannabe graphics artist; and Lark is a wannabe book author. We hate sales, and, in fact, we really don't like business, either!

We're never gonna be your coach, your mentor, your teacher or your savior. And we ain't know-it-alls - or experts about nuthin'!

Instead, we might become valuable allies for you - as you may well be for us.

Like you, maybe, we just wanna work from home, escape the traffic jams in the big city, and earn a great living online - without compromising one damn thing!

And we don't ever want to do anything we view as shady, sleazy, or even downright uncomfortable!

"What's that, you say?"

"You hate sales...and you hate business too!"

"How're you guys ever gonna make any money?"

Okay...we hear ya...loud and clear!

But there's a method to our madness...you won't wanna miss.

To find out what we're up to...just stay tuned. Enter your email address in the Feedblitz box to your right...comment as often as you wish to our blog posts...and we'll see to it you find out - as it happens in real-time! :)

How easy is it to download (y)our first comic episode - with the source code - to freely place on your own website? It's as easy as clicking on this link...at Mark and Lark.com!

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Think Two Products Ahead, by Ben Mack, besides being a great new book you really need to read, is a state-of-the-art book marketing campaign worth watching too! And today is launch day - with participation by many of the internet's top-drawer online marketers - so get ready to learn!

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Today is the coming out party for our brand doctor friend, Ben Mack!

Last October, in Atlanta, Mark and I attended his Think Two Sales Ahead workshop to initiate ourselves into the nebulous world of branding and brand development.

And, yes, we were one of those who spent $197 for his eBook before that.

The 3-day workshop cost over $4000, including travel and lodging...which we gladly paid...even after having paid the price for the high-dollar eBook!

Why, might you ask, will we each buy a copy of his just-released new book on Amazon - Think Two Products Ahead - too?

It's pretty simple really - the reason why, I mean. To develop a brand today in a very competitive marketplace - especially when you're dealing in the marketplace of ideas - requires an honest review of the niches you want to trade in and a well-developed understanding of the subject of branding...

...and the new hardback book may reveal a new twist or take the editors over at Wylie could've helped Ben unveil!

The little guy can compete with the big guys, my friend...and Ben, believe you me, is the one who can actually make it happen for you!

Having personally met and come to know the guy in such an intimate setting - in a small conference room with some 40 pretty cool people - was the best introduction to the world of branding, publishing and internet marketing we could ever have hoped for...much less experienced.

In the short life of our new company we didn't feel then, nor do we feel now, that we could compete - much less survive - in this brave new world without it!

To this day Ben's emails are the most interesting - as compared to over 200 different marketers' email messages we receive - and most educational of these we religiously still read...

We're gonna succeed in this business against some pretty strong odds, mark my words.

And so will you!

Mark and I will give you a ringside seat as we develop a relationship with our new colleagues and customers.

We're brand new in this business - absolute neophytes - but we can help make something happen for all of us!

After you buy Ben's book - at under $16...one helluva bargain - why not check out our own Legend Platform...we learned to put together by studying Ben's teachings. Read all you can - and know you're gettin' some incredible insights from a master brand strategist - that'll prove to be of exponential value to you, I promise!

As a token of our appreciation for you - the little guy - we invite you to share in our misadventures...lament - or laugh - at our trials and tribulations...at all the mayhem we'll certainly create for ourselves...just starting out.

Mark and Lark are internet marketing greenhorns - real live noobs - with no products for sale and no customer list yet...and we live as suburbanites wanting a way out of the same mess we've all gotten ourselves into...

...so why not follow along with us as we begin this journey together?

To date we've gotten a little traction with this web log and we've spent considerable time and money just getting our feet wet.

With much to learn still!

But you can subscribe to the Mainspring Mindshares blog free of charge and we can get to know one another - even have a bit of fun...

...at our expense! You can even copy-and-paste - anytime you want - the content of this site. Hell, change a few words around - scramble 'em up - and combine 'em with your own words!

We're always gonna say, "Hey, have at it! It's within the public domain, if we say it is, right?"

And, as they're put together, we also want you to download our free comic strips, which will carry a Creative Commons license (no restrictions, with attribution), but are yours to freely pass around - any way you see fit!

Soon we will have a lot of stuff going on...as will you, no doubt...but we wanna definitely keep in touch...so scroll down, check out the site, and...above all else, learn all you can to Think Two Products Ahead from a remarkable fellow indeed...our friend and yours - Ben Mack!

Put this strip on your site! Just click here to get the code...

2007-01-28T10:08:00.000-06:00

What is reason?

Tat for tit
Tit for tat
What is this?
What is that?
What is rhyme?
What is reason?
Would you say
It's time
For Love to have its day...
Or am I just a-teasin'?

Many of us confuse this word reason with other words, like logic, cognizance, mind, sense, consciousness, truth, rationality or cause - as in cause and effect - because it is by applying concepts of language (words, symbols, feelings, and/or perceptions by which we have learned to communicate), consciousness (mindful self-awareness of one's own thoughts, identity, and environment), and logic (that part of reasoning which forms the basis for inquiry into questions of cause and effect) that we have come to understand human reasoning and its effects on our actions within the realms of knowledge, free will, and moral and ethical responsibility.

Knowledge can generally be described as being rational, a priori, independent of our experience, or, empirical, a posteriori, dependent on our experience - central core meanings within epistemology, the study of knowledge.

Free will, on the one hand, is a laughable social and political oxymoron; while, on the other, it is an individual human conundrum debated ad infinitum since before the time of Socrates. Whether we are dispossessed of this causality agent by virtue of having given in to societal dictates, even before our birth - or not - is a question often left unanswered by most of us...given that most of us assume we are naturally possessed with this ability to freely choose our actions...bound within the laws of nature...if often quite apart from our cultural inheritance.

Of this debate, the crux of the dilemma, nevertheless, calls upon rational human societies and individuals to resolve age-old conflict in new ways consistent with Man's natural bent toward survival and environmental sustainability. If free will be but illusory - even transcendental - does not escape the argument of whether or not it is of the determinist or compatibilist school of philosophy, for instance.

Our power to reason is often cited as the difference between us and the lower animals. It is what causes us to act upon our free will by logically processing derivative answers to questions...or stated premises to conclusions...by subtracting - or deducting - seemingly illogical abstractions - in order to bring about inferences, answers, or conclusions...by way of stimulation, influence or persuasion. The commonly-held belief here is that Man is somehow superior in Nature, and hence, must assume stewardship - or dominion - over much of Creation.

And it is through our supposed ability to reason we consciously form our motives... which inspire or call us to action.

Thus it is the force of our arguments by which we are often falsely led down the primrose path leading to nowhere in particular...

Do you think this is often so?

Could it be we are but fallible beings who easily and often are misled by our own false assumptions?

Are our arguments and conclusions - our less than completely logical or honest answers to life's many riddles - leading us away from our most-honorable purposes more often than not?

Reason does not rule out unconscious influence on our thoughts and behavioral activities; nor does it explain away very well all lingering questions about...

Intention and Desire
Observation and Experience
Evaluation and Discussion
Self-Imposed Limitations
Denial of Facts
Lies and Distortions
Myth and Reality

...and the like.

Instead, it reinforces my belief that our thoughts and actions are ultimately rooted...and persist...not so much in reason, but in our built-in biological propensities toward a primordial game of survival - seeking pleasure at every turn.

Therefore, if this be true - on its surface, at least - then reason itself becomes suspect as nothing more than manufactured thought borne from an illusory premise; and our reliance upon evolutionary trends in communication to see us through our days only exposes us for the _[fill in the blank]_ we have become - our own worst enemies!

We know this from history and we know this from our own experience - if we but simply examine the evidence.

If we are to evolve as a species we must challenge our assumptions and beliefs about a lot of things. If we are to hold on to our perception of ourselves as even rational reasoning creatures, that is.

In suspending our hard-held beliefs...those voices of obvious or apparent reason...by constantly challenging their underlying assumptions; by trusting in our own physiologically-rooted emotional interactions...both inside and outside our spheres of influence...we will be less-guided by words and imagery...which tend only to lead us away from our better, more-highly-evolved instincts.

Instead, we will merely allow our natural instincts for survival and our natural seeking of pleasure to inform and supersede all other honest appraisals of this question.

All rational discourse must naturally devolve from these elemental understandings innate to our individual and collective concepts of being - well before silly words obfuscate the picture - lest we delude ourselves again with still more of the same... less-than-honest, illogical questions and answers using them.

Seeing the world in this way is not to discount reason; it is simply a means to an end - a way to use reason to serve us in the more beneficent manner we deserve.

I dare say, without real emotional love - of ourselves and all life (though reasonable persons may agree to disagree) - and without conclusive proof of love's existence in objective reality, then does subjective reason even really matter?

Can we deny the existence of our emotions - even of love?

Furthermore, is reason alone a sound enough basis for coordinating our myriad thought communiques or for organizing our intentional actions in this world?

I think not.

Only the truth of this...will finally set us free...toward the path of our own salvation...and the lessening of our suffering, don't ya think?

So what...do you think...is reason?

Would you trust in the truth of your answer?

Let us know if you care so much about these words, huh?

For me, my own words read here are meant to inspire playfulness and joyfulness - hardly amounting much to anything else at all!

2007-01-26T09:24:00.000-06:00

What does freedom mean to me?

====================================================================================

Following up on the What is freedom? question I put forth the other day...

I said I would let you in on what freedom means to me - in other words, how is it that I define the word freedom itself, first...then, how is that I will answer the question, second, for myself.

But before I do, here's the dictionary definition of freedom...

free dom - the state of being free

Okay, so now we logically have to check out the definition of free first...

free - without obligation; unobstructed; unconstrained; obtainable without payment; without limitation; being absent; unbound; without blockage; unattached; unencumbered; to be released; not imprisoned

Wow...this is getting a little overwhelming, isn't it? You would think a simple question requires a simple answer, wouldn't you?

But it gets even more complicated as we dig deeper...

Remember, a dictionary, and maybe an encyclopedia, are only the first references we can consult. After all, these traditional sources are but compedia (abstract summaries) - or compilations - of the English-speaking world's collective overview of these words' most-commonly-understood meanings. But then, I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I?

Now that we have just some dictionary definitions of free let's get back to the other words used to define freedom - the state of being - before we begin to check out the encyclopedias for more, shall we?

After all, if a suitable definition has been found already - by others who've come before us...or who might be more learned than us - then I'm all over what's easiest!

Aren't you?

And I just want to provide myself the simple answer to a simple question - without just guessing, or worse - getting the answer all wrong...

...because I really don't have a desire to be that smart; nor do I necessarily believe I can be forthcoming with a definitive personal answer - despite sounding so positive in my earlier pronouncement!

Notwithstanding the fact that an acceptable definition of the single word freedom may not be sufficient to succinctly answer the original question...

...we'll keep digging...and continue with the definitions of state and being next.

[By the way, do you think you have the perfect answer already? Without all this gobbledy-gook?]

state - a condition...of being, of being in a stage, as of structure, growth, or development, of depression or agitation; of a physical system, of excitement or distress; a social position or rank; a supreme public power within a sovereign political entity; within the purview of a supreme civil power within a given polity; a body politic, especially one constituting a nation; the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation; the organization or group of people comprising that which is the government; the group owned or operated by a state (adjective); declare, or set forth in words (verb); ceremony or pomp; the politically organized body of people under a single government; the way it is relative to its principal attributes; the federal government; as of matter, like of a solid, liquid or gas; to express in words (verb); put before (verb); denote; refer; vote, or express a choice; a mental or emotional condition

Whew! Hang in here with me now...'cause it only gets better! To define being, first we need to define the word be...

be - an action word (or verb form) of the words is, am, are, was, were; the root word of being (present participle) or been (past perfect tense); used with the present participle of a verb to express a continuing action; used with the infinitive of a verb to express intention,obligation, or future action; used with the past participle of certain intransitive verbs of motion to form the perfect tense; used to identify the predicate of a sentence with the subject, or as a verb serving as a link between the subject and the predicate of a proposition; to exist in actuality, or to have life or reality; to symbolize or signify; to equal in meaning; to go (past perfect tense); to have or exhibit a quality or characteristic; have the quality of being; have an existence; happen, occur or take place; identical or equivalent to; form or compose; spend or use time; represent; have life; remain uninterrupted, unmolested or undisturbed; priced at; occupy a certain position or area; belong to or befall (archaic) <Where be my poor thinking right about now?>

And to soldier onward...

be ing - derived from the word be; quality of having existence; an object, idea, or symbol that exists; basic or essential nature; in philosophy - that which can be conceived as existing, or absolute existence in its perfect or unqualified condition, or the essence of existence; a person; a living thing which has the propensity, or already possesses, an ability to function or act independently; existing; existence

...let's not neglect the words the and of...'cause we might just miss somethin'...so here goes...

the - pronounced thuh before a consonant; and thee before a vowel; a definite article or an adverb; an article or absolute adjective used before a noun or nouns in a sentence, clause or phrase; used before an adjective extending it to signify a class and giving it the function of a noun; used before a present participle; used before a noun with the force of per; used before a singular noun indicating the noun is generic; used before a noun specifying a particular human endeavor; used before the plural form of a numeral denoting a specific decade or period in one's life; used before a present participle, signifying the action in the abstract; used before a proper name, as of a monument or ship; used before nouns that designate natural phenomena or points of a compass; used before a noun, and generally stressed, emphasizing one of a group or type as the most outstanding or prominent; used before a title, a rank or office designating its holder; beyond any other; to that extent:by that much; and finally, from the Old English and the Middle English periods, an alteration of the word se, a masculine nominative singular demonstrative adjective

...some more of our comprehensive understanding of these damn words...with the definition of...(you guessed it!)

of - derived or coming from; caused by; at a distance from; from the total or group comprising; so as to be separated or relieved from; from the total or group comprising; composed or made from; associated with or adhering to; belonging or connected to; possessing:having; on the part of; containing or carrying; centering on:directed toward; specified as; produced by:issuing from; characterized or identified by; with reference to:about; in respect to; before:until; during or on a specified time; by; used to indicate an appositive <that idiot of a wordsmith>; on (archaic) <A plague of all cowards, I say> - Shakespeare

Now, you just might be fed up reading this balderdash by now, huh? Well, I've got some good news for you...

I'm fed up assembling all these tedious words!

So, do I have an answer for you...for what freedom means to me?

You're damn right I do!

Freedom is unthinkingness and unknowingness - not wanting for nuthin'...including the stupid words to define it!

And you can forget about going into the encyclopedia definitions too...because...

Freedom is whatever the hell I want it to mean! You got that?

2007-01-25T07:44:00.000-06:00

Wes Unruh (see his Online Prosperity Education link to your right on this page) is truly a gifted communicator who sees his role similarly to how Mark and I see our own roles in the media.

The following comment was in recent response to Wes' post regarding guerrilla tactics shown, by example, to counterbalance what employees see as their employers' unethical practices in the workplace.

Mark and I have been employees and employers; we've been contractors and we've been consultants - so we see the issues clearly from both sides of the bargaining table.

As real people engaged in commerce - or employed by a commercial interest - understand all-too-well, communication must be a two-way street if our time spent together in a useful exchange is to bear the most fruit...on a basis of fair play
...over time.

Fair play is that part of the social contract which underlies our assumptions about how and why our collaborations are to be defined, explicitly or implicitly understood, and acted upon accordingly.

Without effective communication we assume the risk that fair play will not sustain itself because misunderstanding and conflict naturally arises...in any event or circumstance.

Notwithstanding all other evidence to the contrary...factors, quotients and variables do exist...in any relationship where cognitive dissonance is, many times, at play...and buyer's remorse remains a possibility.

So, whether it be in our business or our personal relationships, this truism holds because it always exists.

It is up to each one of us to know this potential for tension and dispute is a naturally-occurring phenomenon found universally in Nature; and thus, it is within our human natures too...to become empowered by this knowledge...and successfully adapt to it or change directions.

As Dad always said, "Life gives us lemons - so we make lemonade. It's up to you what you do with it."

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Wu,

You never cease to impress me with your thoughts, my friend!

Authoritarian constructs are often innocently or enthusiastically created when two or more parties wish to begin an exchange - for whatever reason or purpose.

Thus, your example perfectly illustrates what often goes awry in just such an authoritarian construct which assumes an equitable exchange of time and effort for money and stock options - the mediums of the exchange, in this case.

Here we have an often-used, real-life example of a classic employer-employee construct, coupled with a carrot-and-stick performance/results clause, commonly employed in many industries - not just the gaming industry.

This example is widely-used because skilled workers want a piece of the action in exchange for their creative efforts; and their employers want motivated efforts from them.

And it is from here that all-too-human machinations begin to unravel both parties' assumptions - leading to the grass roots campaign begun by our "significant other" protagonist, and its eventual outcome, as evidenced in your case study.

Utilizing leverage this way comprises a finely-tuned balancing act which both sides actively engaged in the aforementioned construct must stay attuned to perfecting as performance and results are actualized - lest we lose our way...or our health.

Without respectful communication we cannot expect good outcomes or positive results. So if an authoritarian construct - of any kind - is entered into, it is useful to remind ourselves that the devil is in the details very often, and a social or business contract must equally benefit both parties if this entanglement is to bear fruit for us over time.

Successful collaborations within an authoritarian construct begin and end when all parties engaged therein realize the truth as it stares them in the face. And honest assumptions require a compact of structured arbitration be built in the contract for harmonious results to be expected.

Alas...simply an employer-employee relationship in a capitalist construct - heavily weighted from its patriarchal underpinnings - often doesn't call for this understanding to be put in place at all...as the authoritarian master-slave, parent-child, and/or even the outmoded man-woman construct is entered into, unthinkingly...like bees to honey...to the full flower of its poisonous bloom; in other words, with no recourse but to churn-and-burn its participants in a never-ending cycle of wanton abuse.

I think, therefore I am but a product of my own imagination. So if I imagine I must consider participating in any authoritarian construct, I can imagine this entanglement for what its logical experience and outcome might mean for me - from its beginning to its end - so I can leverage this experience to satisfy my own design.

Hence, all less-than-equal social or business constructs can be intelligently and compassionately seen in the light in which they are originally engaged, allowing us to see our way clear as to how best it can suit our highest, most-noble purposes.

Seen from this vantage point, knowing few things in life are co-equal, or even fair, we carry on...

Fair play is best understood when the parties so enjoined realize how successful collaborations are made harmonious within our natures as human beings.

When less-than-fair-play is tolerated...tension - or stress - can be expected to be the result.

And change - whether for good or ill - will be the only outcome of such a shared experience.

After all, a house of cards will most certainly fall, right?

In observations such as yours, a playing field can be leveled - with a little initiative and a bold approach - utilizing the power of leverage.

Bravissimo, wu!

Show us the way to the revolution!

Laurence

Mainspring Mindshares

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Go see Wes' original post in MySpace by...

Clicking Here...then heading over to his blog post which is entitled "Target Inc Overworking Diabetics, Refusing Breaks" to view more.

2007-01-18T09:19:00.000-06:00

What is freedom?

You know how it is with simple questions like this, everyone has a different take on it's definition. Therefore, there can be as many answers as questions, if you get my drift.

If freedom is something you might find desirous it helps to understand what it means first.

So for fun...here's some definitions supplied by some other folks.

But remember...only your definition of freedom will ring true for you. If you can't put it to memory - as a constant reminder - you might as well be sabotaging your freedom.

If this be unimportant...maybe you're into doggie submission...or second-class subservience...to someone else's definition of freedom...ya think?

More on this topic later...if not sooner. I'll let you in on what freedom REALLY means - albeit, only to me!

In the meantime, why not let us in on your thoughts?

At the end of the day...what could possibly be more important?

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"I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom." - Albert Einstein

"Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose. Nothin', don't mean nothin' honey if it ain't free." - Janis Joplin

"Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes." - Mahatma Ghandi

"Man is free at the moment he wishes to be." - Voltaire

"The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion." - Albert Camus

"We are driven by five genetic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun." - William Glasser

"While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions." - Stephen R. Covey

"Freedom in general may be defined as the absence of obstacles to the realization of desires." - Bertrand Russell

"There are only two kinds of freedom in the world; the freedom of the rich and powerful, and the freedom of the artist and the monk who renounces possessions." - Anais Nin

"Man is a being with free will; therefore, each man is potentially good or evil, and it's up to him and only him (through his reasoning mind) to decide which he wants to be." - Ayn Rand

"Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one." - Benjamin Franklin

"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Freedom lies in being bold." - Robert Frost

"No one is free, even the birds are chained to the sky." - Bob Dylan

"Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear." - George Orwell

"I want to have fun. I want to shine like the sun. I want to be the one that you want to see. I want to knit you a sweater. I want to write you a love letter. I want to make you feel better. I want to make you feel free." - Joni Mitchell

"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." - Soren Kierkegaard

"The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission." - John F. Kennedy

"Freedom is not procured by a full enjoyment of what is desired, but by controlling the desire." - Epictetus

"You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having both at once." - Robert A. Heinlein

More freedom quotes here

2007-01-17T18:14:00.001-06:00

Lark - "Okay...oh yea, did you see that video I told you to check out? The night fishermen?"

Mark - "You mean the one with all the fish hittin' the Mexican guys in the face?"

Lark - "Tell ya what's so cool about it, Mark. It beats the hell out of kanoodlin' - even shootin' fish in a barrel. Wanna know why?"

Mark - "You mean noodlin'? Like Okies catchin' Cats by hand?"

Lark - "Yea, yea, you're from Oklahoma. Never went noodlin', Mark?"

Mark - "No...and I never shot fish in a barrel, either. So what?"

Lark - "Sheeeiish, man...this damn video explains all we need to know about internet marketing!"

Mark - "Don't go weird on me dude! Go ahead. Tell me somethin' I need to hear, alright?"

Lark - "We just need to shorten the learning curve, Mark! Why don't we see if we can throw down with somebody already doin' this crap?

Mark - "Yea, right! Like I need to become a wage slave again, huh? What about you? You think you can handle being a suck-up again, Lark?"

Lark - "Mark, I ain't interested in no fussin' and fightin' now, no strugglin' neither! We just need to seriously think about makin' some deals..."

Mark - "Heh, heh! Gimme a break! Noone wants to deal with noobs - with no products and no list! We're nobodies, Lark!"

Lark - "Would you trade a dollar to make two, Mark?"

Mark - "Hell yea, any day of the week! You can pull a deal like THAT off? Sign me up...I'm game!"


Fishing without bait at night. Amazing!!!

2007-01-17T13:15:00.000-06:00

Mark - "I thought YOU had the plan..."

Lark - "Yea, and I thought YOU did!"

Mark - "Remember you said," 'We just need mass eyeballs to the sales page', so you could then put the hoodoo on 'em, right?"

Lark - "Alright, Mark, let's lay out the step-by-step - one more time, okay?

Mark - "Whatever! Give me somethin' to sell and I'll slap it up!"

Lark - "You know, Mark, this is the simple part. The whole world's pitchin' and catchin' and we're just the ones providing the message board - get it?"

Mark - "Of course, dude, you mean like at the Rangers game, right?"

Lark - "That'll work! We just need to sign up the players and put some asses in seats."

Put this strip on your site! Just click here to get the code...

2007-01-13T13:14:00.000-06:00

Reflections on everything old becomes new again - things between and beyond...

This past week Mark and I worked together - according to our pre-arranged schedule - on the creation of our first real information product.

Though we followed a rather circuitous route to begin its implementation the project at least has the look and feel of something which adheres to our brand essence...as evidenced in our Legend Platform.

And as it was fun, it remains so - a worthwhile thing - a proverbial work-in-progress!

This Saturday morning it's threatening to sleet outside and I'm happily allowing myself the latitude to have the feeling of no direction - destination unknown take me over whilst the words and the melody of an 80s tune with similar lyrics...
rhapsodizes...rhythmically in my head.

So it's a lovely beginning to a well-deserved lazy day which guides my destiny...and I have no regrets...

...for such days always fuel my energies and inform my passions.

As I meander about my way - like you, sometimes, might expect - I often learn more as an accidental tourist than if I had followed along the beaten path of the tour guide within me.

I read some emails, reread others, listened to a few audio and video tutorials, and generally selfishly pleasured myself...as only me, myself, and I knows how to do best. (Don't sink to the level of the guttersnipe now...:)

Just consider me the penultimate expert about some things, okay?

Anyway, I glanced through Kevin Hogan's Covert Persuasion a little again, ignored a couple of bill collector calls, reminded Laura - and myself - about the Top Ten important people in our lives, then stopped...

...myself...to consider just how insular our lives had become...of our separateness from human events - unimportant...out of sight...out of mind - not of our own creation or directly related to our present circumstance.

It's not a happy state of affairs, is it?

Upstairs, I went to check on Laura giving Rocky (our little Pom-Bomber) his weekly (bi-weekly?) bath, and in a box in an anteroom I discovered one of my late Mom's books, Orgone, Reich & Eros: Wilhelm Reich's Theory of Life Energy, by W. Edward Mann.

Now since I had only a few days ago been reading about radionics, ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) scores and orgone therapy it's only natural I'd be drawn to this book, don't ya think?

Hell, while routinely throwing out direct mail pieces from A.A.R.P. - presumably since some bot discovered I was now past 50 - I was delighted to discover the social networking site, cRANKy; but upon learning "sex" is the #1 search term for my fellow boomers today, and "Eons" has an "Obits" section, I wasn't so delighted after all!

So, perusing the innards I come upon the first page of the first chapter, and lo and behold, highlighted in yellow (energy) is "...his death in prison in 1957...", no doubt, manually applied by my dear Mom's own hand...sometime about 1973, the time of its first printing.

This made me think of one of Mom's constant admonitions to me as I was growing up..."Be careful what you say, Larry. They'll put you in prison."

To which I usually scoffed or laughed - one or the other - because I didn't want to believe that the thought police would ever come knocking at MY door; nor did I accept the possibility that such an occurrence ever would exist, though it may have existed as a reality for some...back in the dark ages...before MY time.

But there it was - a concrete reinforcement that this kind of stuff "has happened" in my lifetime - here in the good ole USA! And Mom knew something about it...

Wilhelm Reich was a contemporary of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, and his crazy ideas were experiencing a revival, of sorts, about the time I was in junior college - a time of intense introspection and revelation in my life, so I was not wholly unfamiliar with his theses.

What has captured my fascination this morning is the fact that this particular book jumped out at me at all...just when it did.

It catalyzes some of the causality notions I've held for some time, in that random chance is simply not an acceptable reality if we but choose to open our energy pathways and allow ourselves to just be like the open-ended conduits of energy we really are.

Assumptions of what is real and what is not are at the heart of self-imposed limitations we too-often place on our existence, preventing us from living the life of fulfillment we deserve.

Like Royal Rife, of Rife Frequency Generator fame, Reich too was hounded by the FDA for his "claims that orgone energy therapy might one day become a demonstrated treatment to assist in the cure of cancer." After being considered one of Freud's most promising new contemporaries - in the relatively new field of psychoanalysis - over time he had difficulty keeping friends and winning converts and money to his "overwrought and complicated" causes, which were just too far out for their time. In fact, many, including his peers, and, of course, the federales thought of him as schizophrenic - a dangerous, must-be-subverted quack.

So Freud, and Albert Einstein, eventually shunned him, and Reich died in prison. The same kind of travesty which befell Galileo before him.

[Which only goes to show you: Use your insight to support the powers-that-be, or risk being ostracized. Prepare for the worst in advance - or just shut the ***k up!]

As Professor Mann so correctly states in his introduction, Reich's ideas about energy, social behavior, politics, even the human libido and its relationship to the cosmos itself, have consistently curried new favor and won over new fans for his theories to this present day.
More Info

It's up to us to carry the torch...

And I couldn't help but note my interest, too, in Reikian therapy, or, as some would have it called - even derisively - the laying of healing hands on the human body, because the Japanese word reiki reminds me of the German word reich, or empire.
More Info

Creation of Order = Initiation of Chaos

You might enjoy Armed Madhouse, by Greg Palast, for a contemporary read on the current situation in Washington, that'll make you bust a gut laughing (to keep from cryin'?). Then read Reich's books like Character Analysis (about how our entire personalities are self-serving, self-defeating - pure fakery with little connection to reality), Cosmic Superimposition: Man's Orgonotic Roots in Nature (and its relation to elan vital), Mass Psychology of Fascism (discover the parallels between the Nazi regime of the Third Reich and present-day America's mass psychosis, exploitation of the many by the few, self-delusion and betrayal of our own self-interests), The Sexual Revolution (no wonder we got wound up in the 60s, and freaked out, turned on or turned out by the 80s), and especially, Listen, Little Man (a chilling expose of a people, a society, gone blind, and the impetus for going after him in the first place), and you tell me this man's prescience doesn't deserve his rising star, after all.

Robert Anton Wilson (just passed away) once wrote a play, Wilhelm Reich in Hell, based on his life; and William Steig, Norman Mailer, William S. Burroughs, and Orson Bean had all undergone Reich's orgone therapy before.

More at Wikipedia.org

Beyond the grave, he remains in good company, my friends. But on terra firma we must know that our ability to live as free men is always under assault...by those same few who would have us under the yoke...pulling their plows - these same sadists who tyrannized our forebears. They're like unfeeling, unthinking "do-gooders" - insisting on their worldview as superior to yours. Did you make all these rules which constrain you, or do you just want to go along with the program laid out for you, without a plan to escape?

Do you still have free will?

Which reminds me, I have to finish reading this book in a hurry so I can revisit Viktor Schauberger's writings on water-based power generation (via vortex action in a closed cycle) - concepts not too far apart from Reich's concepts of perpetual motion, force multiplier FX (my words), and orgasms. :)

Pseudo-sciences, from pseudo-intellectuals all, we're told still to this day!

Is this why the U.S. Government had his writings burned while they had him safely behind bars?

But, by "cracky", I'll be danged and determined, even if I can't find the tie-in, and crack the proverbial code myself one day, I will!

(How's that, for cranky, huh?)

Are we so empty-headed and self-centered that we deny ourselves the freedom to passionately and excitedly just be truly alive?

Who is it that told you that your life is not your own? To be lived on YOUR terms and yours alone?

How much insanity have you bought into - without ever realizing it?

When we definitively describe our purpose - our mission - in life, are we too-hurriedly short-changing ourselves?

I think so.

I think, therefore, I am but a product of my own imagination. Thus, can I be the victim of setting my own limitations in quick-drying cement - like you, maybe?

But more on this story later...as it's still being lived...

...a work still in progress...and its telling must wait!

Oh yea, like this work-in-progress from last week...

...by a couple of suburban internet marketing noobs (neophytes) named...

"Mark and Lark"

2007-01-06T12:28:00.000-06:00

It's no secret I appreciate readers and writers , psych-docs and story-tellers, truth-seekers and myth busters - especially...

artists and composers or organizers.

Which is not to say I don't also appreciate those wishing to eliminate malicious intent from their lives or those only wishing to make me laugh or smile...

like clowns and rabble-rousers or town criers.

And there's only so much artifice I can stomach from anyone - including myself!

My heros are those who lack obvious self-consciousness or those who, like me, are all-too-human...

Like these guys...

The Dullards

A dullard sat atop a flagpole
Wondering
Whether or not
The weather might change.
And would it not be too strange
For a flop to flip
Or his friend to sit
Waiting
While both start
Rearranging
Their brains?

Or this guy...

Why? It Matters How To(o)!

No matter the problem

No matter the solution

No matter the question

No matter the answer

For everything

And everyone

That matters

For

Whatever

Whomever

Whenever

Always ask, “Why?”

A big enough reason

Makes the how to(o)

Simple

So the secret's out - you're just my kind - a healer, a help-mate and a time-traveler too.

And now left I'm wondering...

From where it is YOU sit, just exactly where DO you fit?

Do it on a lark...

2007-01-05T23:00:00.000-06:00

We have 52 purchased domain names; and hosting of a few of them has been set up. Mark has established and/or perfected our accounts in Clickbank, PayPal, eBay, Amazon, Google...MSN and Yahoo are next.

Has anything been left out - or forgotten? No doubt...

...but at least we're moving forward together with the new business.

Advancing previous discussions, we took digital photos of each other so we can introduce ourselves more properly to the online community.

Mark edited the images in PhotoShop and we discussed framing issues related to our marketing strategies.

Monday through Friday - from 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. - we will meet at my home office to bring Mainspring Mindshares to life. This week, we didn't get started until Wednesday, but we'll stay on this schedule beginning Monday.

What had been a storage area - the adjacent sunroom between the office and a small rose garden outside - has slowly begun to take shape as a separate office for Mark, and now we can work from our own computers at our own desks, while still being able to have normal conversations.

We feel that there are just too many words and too much media in most of our lives today.

And chewing up life in our little corners of suburbia is an all-consuming experience.

We talked about persuasion - and crowded marketplaces. Competition from worthy competitors. I alluded to what I now famously refer to as that real estate between our ears which is so relentlessly assaulted because we allow it.

Mark still objects to my use of big words...especially if I am to keep him engaged. He reminds me of another Mark I once knew in high school, who, upon interrupting my blather with someone else - after not seeing each other for a week or so - was startled to hear me say pardon me to him, as if I had assumed some alien nicety or affectation unbecoming of a "regular dude" we might deem worthy of his association!

In both instances both Marks just kinda chuckled...since proper dudes just don't use such words from outside their own circles, do they?

Which also reminds me of another friend of mine, Dan, from Marquette, Michigan, I also knew in high school earlier in Bossier City, Louisiana, who commented one day about some asinine blowhard pulling off a typical high school prank by saying, "Such a crude individual...", while the rest of us laughed and laughed at his uncommon choice of words...whereas, in this vulgar scene, most high school dudes (esteemed by the appellation) usually might just say, "Cool!"

All in all...it's been a healthy start. Communication happens best when our time can be spent being playful and joyful...and laughter works too...

...since LIFE is what we live on our way to bigger and better things.

2006-12-31T11:09:00.000-06:00

Final Thoughts on 2006 - and New Thoughts for 2007

Having been intimately involved in more business start ups than I care to count - as a restaurateur, caterer, chef, hospitality consultant, and food service equipment dealer over 30+ years - I'm cognizant of how crucially important is organization and focus.

Shotgunning of our resources is what needs to be assiduously avoided because I've learned this approach produces less-than-satisfactory results.

Embarking on any journey which doesn't allow for a playful disposition and the clear opportunity for a joyful experience should also be avoided.

I've been a student of internet marketing since March; and Mark has been since August. Both of us already are business owners. We simply want new income streams... so we are diversifying our activities.

But we don't want to sacrifice our pledge to do something meaningful and worthy of our time...

...which brings us back again to organization and focus, doesn't it?

I'm fond of two particular philosophical concepts:

Authoritarianism speaks directly to our freedom...
Definition

...and...

utilitarianism speaks to our highest, most noble purpose in life.
Definition

Both are joined at the hip - as we must be to inaugurate this new company.

From our first meeting, Mark knew I hated computers (complicated man-made machines) - even business (imperfect capitalist economic construct) - because both threatened my independence. I'm just another aspiring writer; Mark retains the soul of the artist.

We want to love our work because it is not perceived as work.

Neither of us will admit that suffering should be part and parcel of our human condition - though, admittedly, our conditioning has needlessly complicated our work habits...which is suffering, nevertheless.

Though I accept that a keyboard is useful for producing words, Mark - as a web and graphics designer - appreciates the importance of computers.

I enjoy words, and Mark, computers. Both are merely useful tools which, employed properly, can efficiently address common problems, or cause the world to better interact, interconnect, and expand our collective consciousness.

And the creativity and artistry applied to their use has so much bearing on our human potential.

Now both of us better understand the validity of proper framing - especially since we must consider many viewpoints from separate lenses in order to accommodate the other...and which will serve to enhance and develop relationship-building processes.

Our collaboration will make me better appreciate machines - and business - while Mark understands I will make him better appreciate wordplay - if not my radical ideas about busy-ness too! :)

But we're middle-aged now - he's 40 and I'm 52 - and we're both grounded in the reality of our American middle-class lifestyles. We each have wives, and Mark has two young kids, besides. We've got mortgages, we're on the grid, at the grindstone...everyday, kinda like you.

So time is precious - and our obligations and responsibilities too numerous - which is why we've determined that it's okay to co-opt the passions and skill sets of the other.

Our Legend Platform will help keep us organized and focused on brand development. It will inform our marketing strategies...its tactics and techniques too.

As social beings we view this as being a naturally-occurring first step forward. It's part of what makes us human. Instructed by our notions of motivation and reward...

...we naturally prefer to work from home...because home is where the heart is.

Hardly infallible, we're gonna make mistakes in this new enterprise. Like many of you, we've allowed ourselves to be bombarded with knowledge and new information from others who've been actively engaged with this business model already.

To all of you, thank you for your insights and guidance. We hope to return the favor in '07.

2006-12-21T00:44:00.000-06:00

Better luck next time, I guess! The physical product owner seeking a publicist turned out to be quite a sophisticated gentleman looking for a firm with a proven track record to promote his product. And, after a prompt follow up phone conversation - upon receipt of the following email from us - I can't say that I wouldn't see things differently from his perspective.

[But Dr. Silber is still talking with us...and we have more irons in the fire!]

In any event, we're confident in the future, and the sky's no longer the limit. It was fun to think through a promotion of a new physical product online - even if we will have to try our hand with some others.

#########################################################################

Hi XXXX!

It’s clear you and your company have a lot riding on your ability to bring your products to market so that they literally fly off the shelves.

The current Christmas season will have come and gone by January...when the big store rollout begins. This makes the task no less time-sensitive, however, because these products still must be proven winners within a narrow window of time.

But then Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day are just around the corner!

Have you considered an online marketing blitz, or an affiliate program? Though conventional publicity-oriented channels are worthy of focused attention, we might consider, too, how best to create a genuine phenomenon online via direct response techniques at your site...and others.

To accomplish this, Mark and I feel it might be in your best interests to enlist the support of an army of affiliate marketers to your cause. And a downloadable digital version – with real functionality – might also be in order, assuming it’s feasible, and it enhances the cachet – and the sales – of the physical products.

This downloadable version can be placed on desktops and websites pretty quickly with the right program – and it would only bolster the sales of the physical products. Mark, my partner with the programming and graphic design skills, believes the script can be created to make this version practical and easy to install.

The image itself can vary in size, and an additional graphic can be considered – of wall space or desk space – for placement of a customized message outside the XXXXXX.

XXXXXXXXXX is a tremendous play on words to work with, XXXXX, and has every opportunity to become a viral hook in a meme-complex online. To sell the XXXXXX – whether virtual, physical, or both – it is preferable to heighten the buzz to a crescendo pitch so the XXXXXX become popular more quickly.

Your brand image will be seen as attractive to most demographic groups. However, the digital version – if it can be made feasible and available – will cause more cash to flow faster, particularly in the beginning, when the retail store roll out needs its strongest support.

Scarcity, price, and time limits for the sales of digital products are typically important persuasion elements employed by copywriters and marketers to induce a direct response. And the copy – along with video and graphics – can make for a nice multimedia presentation as well.

This assumes that a mini site is set up as a gateway to your site – with an opt-in or squeeze page included – which can easily be utilized by affiliate marketers who feel the product can successfully be marketed to their lists.

Your site – very well done, by the way – can still be the payment processor for all sales online, exclusive of other offline channels you will, no doubt, pursue.

The prices set for the physical products are consumer-friendly and easily affordable. And the digital version can be priced, say, at about $37 – and made available for immediate download after payment has been processed. Resale and Master Resale Rights for the digital version can carry a one-time offer of an additional $10 and $20, respectively. Or, both versions can be bundled together for a price of, say, $97 and $107, respectively, plus S&H.

An appropriate percentage of the gross sale for your affiliate will need to be pre-determined, in any event, of course. And this merits closer scrutiny.

If you determine to stay the course with the marketing and publicity for the physical product only at this time, it’s understandable. However, not enough can be said about getting XXXXXXXXXX – especially the words – out into the public domain as rapidly as possible. The possibilities for exposure on Flick’r, MySpace, YouTube, and other social networking sites – oftentimes, mostly about fun – are exciting to behold.

And Mark and I can help in this effort to make your product a hot commodity by performing the following tasks...

Engage other programmers, copywriters, and software developers in a quick feasibility study of the digital download version of your product, in order to establish our technical parameters.

Consider other high-quality background images for the XXXXXXXX ...perhaps more appealing to teenagers and young adults – even the merry pranksters among us.

Create a killer sales letter for the affiliate site which will make a nice “lead-in” to your site. Affiliate marketers will want to capture names and email addresses for themselves on this mini site...then pre-sell them...before redirecting their customers to your payment processor page. They often will “sweeten the deal” with other bonuses if their customer buys from you.

Create a suitable User Interface, specifically designed for an affiliate marketer – which makes it dead-easy for him/her to effortlessly participate in the promotion of your products – by simply driving traffic to this affiliate site with their targeted ads and affiliate links.

Enhance and optimize the existing site as required.

Drive traffic to the site with keyword and metatag optimization, whacky videos, and article and press release submissions, etc.

Engage a publicist with extensive offline contacts – and reputation – to distribute your press kit for a reduced price-per-placement campaign...in appropriate media outlets. This may be “doable” because different approved versions of the release copy can be provided to them in advance.

Create a viral XXXXXXXXXX pre-launch campaign, do all the work for them, including their follow up auto-responder email messages, so they only need to promote to their individual subscriber lists.

This can be done by giving them “advanced copies” of your product(s) and invite them to take part in the campaign. This is simply an ethical bribe which will be made as attractive as possible.

To easily facilitate this, at least 3 versions of the sales letter can be made ready and adopted for their use.

Determine their “cut” so that they are made to feel privileged to participate.

Engage them in a sales contest with prizes (your physical products?) and, maybe, some cash

Create a blog and chat line just for the joint venture partners (from 12 to 40) to communicate effectively during the promotion

Consider a portion of the proceeds be earmarked for an appropriate charity group which supports our marketing message

Begin a search engine (e.g., Google Adwords), Ezine, eBay, safelists, and social network ad campaign

Create some funny videos for the affiliate site and placement on the free hosted video sites

Solicit the JV partners’ advice and suggestions for improving the campaign’s performance

Assist with budget analysis, project management, and brand-building

Negotiate a reasonable basis for action in order to coordinate a successful launch

Participate in budget and cash flow analyzes, brand-building strategies – from innovation through implementation

In conclusion, I feel your products are really appealing, but question whether the efforts of a publicist alone will serve your interests best in the short and long term. As attractive as your physical products appear to be, it’s XXXXXXXXXXXX which is the viral hook most deserving of cross-promotion online; and the user-friendly digital XXXXXXX version – which will only enhance the sales of the physical version – is what will give you the most bang for your buck the quickest.

Enlisting the support of many little players might be a more cost-effective strategy to pursue – thereby providing you more leverage for the money.

Like jokes and funny videos – even rumors – get quickly passed around in cyberspace, so too will these cool customizable XXXXXXXXXXXXX with personalized messages get passed around. XXXXXXXXXXXX can become a brand associated with playfulness and joyfulness – no matter its version, whether or not, it is presented or received.

The downloadable version can be used as a fun promotional delivery vehicle for just about anybody. Think about aspiring models, actresses, singers, band members, DJs, marketers, doctors, attorneys, moms and dads, business owners, and everyday folks – all happy to send a piece of themselves to their friends, family members and business clients.

What if these XXXXXX images suddenly appeared and spread like a biological Asian flu bug all over MySpace – each one with a slightly different take on the XXXXXXXXXXXXX attached in the message text?

Consider that a one-time purchase can bring a lot of instant pleasure to a lot of people over-and-over, again and again – in chat rooms, emails, blog posts and comments, especially web sites.

Talk about a good investment! Talk about increased profits and ROI! Talk about more incoming revenue to create more apostles for your brand! :)

To, incidentally, also own a real XXXXXXXXXXXX will thus be seen as the very essence of cool.

Though our new company is untested, we appreciate the fact that some parts of your marketing campaign will require other outsourced professionals. Mark is but a web designer and I am but a writer – and neither one of us would want our lack of experience to hurt your project.

A multi-track path is best in any event. Both of us have much real-world experience leveraging strengths and limitations – of ourselves and others. We see ourselves ultimately as communicators, facilitators and collaborators motivated to effect change and bring about positive outcomes.

In college, Mark once built a successful T-shirt design business; and I used to be a restaurateur, caterer, and fine dining chef – even a music promoter at one time. Small businesspeople often are the ones with the most hustle and stick-to-itiveness in them to make things happen.

Mainspring Mindshares – like your company – was borne from an intense study of human nature, numbers-crunching, and this same kind of street-smart entrepreneurial vision which will guide its destiny in the future.

If our capabilities do not match your immediate needs and expectations we will be happy to accommodate you in other ways...because Mark and I both...wish you...

Only the best,

Laurence Cumbie

Laurence@msms2.com

2006-12-18T09:26:00.000-06:00

[Note: This is my response to a Craig's List ad seeking a publicist. Never in my life have I played the role of this particular actor; in fact, I was only struck by the word itself. If the work involves having fun, though, I'm all over it!]

SEEKING PUBLICIST For unique new worldwide product line

To whom it may concern:

Go ahead. Make my day! Show me something that so stirs my passions I want to become its apostle. Inspire me to want to work hours and hours on end promoting (y) our new religious experience to the unitiated.

Show me what you got, baby, and I’ll show you what I can do with it!

Remember...all marketers are liars and publicists have vastly inflated egos. Both are often out-of-touch with human events and real-world social contracts outside their propagandist missions.

Why? Because they already think they’re smarter than you! By you seeking a high-falutin’ publicist, one might assume you’ve already bought into one more authoritarian construct where a publicist has, once again, assumed the upper hand as an acknowledged expert.

Truth be told, we can all be publicists, for who among us feels less or more expert about anything for very long?

Tell me about you. Tell me about your product(s). Tell me the outcome of our successful collaboration – from your perspective.

What you need is a fresh thinker who is inspired to break out of convention and lovingly stir up the beehive for you – one who fights like a wolverine and laughs like a hyena – and whose loyalty to you is unquestioned at every signpost. One who constantly gives more than s/he gets.

It’s what all of us need. It’s what I want to give.

At 52, I can tell you I don’t concern myself with corporate-speak in corporate-land anymore. It’s too demeaning, and it makes most feel “targeted” or “imprisoned”. Check me out. And I’ll check you out. Forget about the rules – they were made for someone else other than us.

To place a label on me – or you, for that matter – would be counter-intuitive and unproductive.

Together, we can create a new language to facilitate the emotional triggers we want to explore...which will capture the hearts and minds of our many new-found friends...since, they too, are destined to become apostles.

Put the customer in the driver’s seat. Present the benefits of ownership. Weave stories about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances doing extraordinary things with your product line. Put out a single call to action - invite a direct response - one person at a time. And always follow up.

“Don’t make a consumer feel consumed by anything more than the passion for you and your product(s). Invite him/her to participate as a privileged willful partner – never as a mere consumer or a customer. It’s the frame which must be set right - from the first introduction - which will cause a proactive arrangement to take shape and grow exponentially...”

“…because we’re all ruled by emotion – and connected by emotion. We also happen to want to share in the benefits of some very cool product(s).”

As Ross Perot reportedly once said, we will all buy into the mission, when - as a team - we...“get ready...aim...and...fire-fire-fire-fire-fire...”

Afterwards, we’ll all do a happy dance together.

At the end of the day, we’re defined by what we do, not what we say. Right?

Personally, at this moment, I’m a person of no import, of even less repute to you. I believe – like you, perhaps – that we must always trust, but verify.

Cunning calculation, cutting-edge communication techniques, and practical execution of a purpose-driven strategy – that’s all it takes!

There’s no one hero needed. No, not at all – just heroic interplay amongst many heroes.

Consider, though, that I might just be the stealth fighter you need in your camp right now.

Kindest regards,

Laurence Cumbie

Mainspring Mindshares

[P.S. - Note to self: Don't expect an answer. :)]

2006-12-14T17:21:00.000-06:00

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It’s that time again! Here is our gift - especially for you!

Click & Grin

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Whosoever art a most prolific gift-giver...ruleth his own destiny. It’s a tried-and-true way to have fun in a gift economy – and generate real long-term growth.

The ROI for your business – like BS – will happen. It starts and it stops; it’s up and it’s down. It is then we shall know - this is it - all else, just is.

And economy of motion can be willed out of pure thin air.

Time is an interlocutor of all faith-based initiative, the Great Denominator for which Man must share his handiwork.

Thus, we have it on Faith - in our own confounded beliefs - happiness is as a happy person does – one merely becomes the other – the fruit fly flies content with itself, forever seeking that which is sweetest.

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For more inspired drivel, visit us again.

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Be happy with yourself...in all your busy-ness

...and enjoy the season! :)

Mainspring Mindshares

2006-12-08T21:11:00.000-06:00

We've all known stress in our lives, and over the years we develop certain coping mechanisms to carry us through it when stressful situations arise.

At a recent Functional Foods Conference in Richardson, Texas, I had the pleasure of meeting a group of scientists, university professors and various medical practitioners passionately involved in the study of - and cutting edge research with - so-called functional foods.

I met one of my heros (from the early 70s), Dr. Earl Mindell, author of The Vitamin Bible, who signed one of his books for me. And I met over a dozen other fascinating people - all interested in food as medicine.

Since that time in October, I've begun a correspondence with Dr. Moris Silber, M.D., Ph.D, a research professor of the Natural Resource Sciences at Washington State University.

At 66, Dr. Silber was still far-and-away the most active participant in Q & A discussions with the various speakers there - in a small conference group of less than 40 people from all over the world - and he appeared to be quite well-known and respected by his peers.

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My own interest in food as medicine - and the overarching reason for my attendance - was developed before my 15-year career as a serious chef actually began - because, for me at least, the study of food was always interwoven with all my other interests - but especially of health and nutrition. Throughout much of the 80s I was mad about spa cuisine, aka cuisine sante, and I was particularly fond of American, French, Japanese and Italian dishes - often because the high-end food service businesses which were most popular paid the most to experienced chefs.

And I wanted to devour all of it - a glutton for punishment if there ever was one - because, as any chef will tell you, the skills required of a successful chef are hard-won, and the hours are tortuous, to say the least.

For many years, in Japan, where statistics can be gathered and studied more comprehensively - as the Japanese are a more homogeneous society than is our melting-pot society - chefs and restaurateurs have long been known to have the highest mortality rate among all professions, trades and employment groups consistently analyzed.

Such is our dismissal of, shall we say, the less-privileged socio-economic groups in the U.S. - what with so many illegal aliens and young people employed in this massive sector - and our disparate racial elements, we often are told that surgeons and air traffic controllers have the highest mortality rates. But I dare say that if accurate statistical records were kept we might learn that our experience here is not too dissimilar.

The people thus charged with keeping us fed - in a time-starved, media-saturated culture - live the shortest lives and die the soonest.

One of these days I'd like to expound on this time period, as I've much to share of my own experiences; but, even though I have not held a professional position since 1994, I still try to keep up, and still subscribe to a few of the trades.

Ultimately, I became disillusioned with the scarcity of quality foodstuffs, the shortage of dedicated European-trained workers, and the brutality of the typical business model. All this propounded by, you guessed it, stress.

*************************************************************************************

Dr. Silber is in discussions with Mark and me about writing a new book.

This man spent 23 years of his life as the lead scientist for the old Soviet Olympics teams - and he, too, has much to share - about a lot of things...but mostly related to the scientific aspects of what he's learned in sports medicine...and its potential ramifications for a stressed-out world...often too dependent on quick-fixes and prescription drugs for relief.

You see, while Western allopathic - or conventional - medicine has heavily focused on protocols for disease treatment centered on surgical (cutting), radiation (burning), and/or drug (poisoning) interventions, much of what we call the science of medicine - and its worldwide body of students and practitioners over many, many years, and from many traditions - has not necessarily bought into their arguments.

For example, even the exalted Royal Family in England has, as their primary care-givers - (oh, the horror!) homeopaths - at their beck and call. And who would argue they don't have insurance coverage or can't afford to see any doctor they choose? Given their fair share of a fair amount of uncommon sense?

Many treatments available to us outside the conventional medical community are to be preferred if they are less-invasive, have fewer side effects, and are holistic - more systemic in their approach - and their respect for the sanctity and complexity of our human organism is better appreciated and more highly evolved.

Personally, I consider that less is often more - treatment with a sledge hammer is less-preferred, when, with an alternate opinion, a feather will often do.

Don't you?

Modern American doctors function in a sellers' market, as do their brethren at Big Pharma and in the FDA. Years from now, history will teach us that - along with Big Media and the military-industrial complex (warned about by Eisenhower) - the American Medical Association membership will have done us more societal harm overall than all the wars of the 20th century combined.

And the corporatist takeover of our government will very nearly have finished us all.

These groups - conventional doctors too - will be seen as the single most insidious cabal of evil-doers ever visited upon us. We will look back and marvel at our own willingness to have been duped for so long, at the destruction they had caused the world's citizens.

Though many modern doctors (the same vicious circle of revolving door operatives who run Big Pharma, the AMA and the FDA) are often well-meaning, they know before they ever finish their internships that the once-noble Hippocratic Oath has long-ago been supplanted by an implicit understanding of something less to be desired - as much, to our detriment, as Big Media, the military-industrial complex and their corporatist lackeys - which drive the power-mad capitalist machine - no longer deserve the appellation, guardians of our democracy, anymore.

Enlightened citizens - many of them not activists - lead lives of quiet desperation, too concerned with themselves and their own kind to feel they have any other recourse, in the face of such a juggernaut, but to batten down the hatches and steam full speed ahead, in a desperate race toward oblivion.

With the creation of order comes the initiation of chaos, and too often, the deleterious consequences arising from stress - in all its guises and manifestations - naturally follow.

Our psycho-physical intuitive bodies are beautifully designed to deal with it though; and without it, we would not be fully attuned to the remedial actions we can take to deal with it successfully.

Stress cannot be seen as merely all bad. In fact, if it be alive - in every sense of the word it - stress is inherently a part of its everyday life.

Dr. Silber can teach us a lot about this subject. And Mark and I will be tasked with delivering his revolutionary message - largely, because it has often been misunderstood in the West, even by academicians and medical doctors.

Today, our better understanding of quantum physics has alerted many astute observers that we truly live in an electrical universe - ultimately more so than in a chemical one.

This very fact has been at the heart of theoretical discussions among scientists for a long time...and medical science will take its biggest evolutionary leap forward in this new century once this basic argument has been won.

Medicine and the treatment of disease will be changed because prevention and self-healing will displace the wastefulness and wanton greed which has kept most of us in the dark, and medicine from advancement.

Food, air and water will be seen in the special light they deserve again - since their quality goes hand-in-hand with the quality of our lives and the survival of all living species on Earth.

With quality essential fuel maybe we can begin to form higher quality relationships - first with ourselves, then with others, and, finally, with the living earth.

The corporatists must be reigned in, their control over "private property" strictly regulated - especially as their destructive tendencies affect the health of the commons and all living things.

The mining of finite natural resources, the depletion of our topsoil, and the destruction of endangered species and natural habitat deserve enlightened attention if we believe we care about anything.

Dr. Silber understands this salient knowledge better than most. Which is why he suffers, so important is it to him to get this information widely disseminated into the public domain.

And he's an avowed capitalist!

In this country now for some 16 years, following his emigration to the West, he laments that his English is not better - enough to be easily understood. And the concepts he has to share, the preventatives and treatments to outline, are really rooted in good science. But they often fly in the face of what American doctors are throwing out to their patients looking for a pill or a quick fix to instantly cure what's ailing them.

An email excerpt I sent to Mark the other day reads...

Here is an overview of what so-called adaptogenic science has to say on the subject. Adaptogens have been downplayed by the American Medical Association because they are not considered "real science" which fits their worldview of chemical (poison) treatments for the "management" of human disease. Anything which has to do with the treatment of sickness and disease with natural substances is considered "off-limits" under its guidelines for practicing physicians here in the U.S., thus its study and much of the good science supported by the scientific method under watchful peer review is still considered "underground".

Nowadays, too many respected medical researchers are finally beginning to take this stuff more seriously, and it's being brought forth more frequently in the most prestigious publications by more and more doctors petitioning for patents and certification by the FDA...so they can begin the marketing of these 100% natural formulations, in earnest, to the conventional medical community at-large.

And it's no wonder...as all these misunderstood subjects deal with STRESS on the human body - and how best to treat it without more damn drugs!

We don't have to be athletes to know stress is one huge problem in modern societies.

And Big Pharma and their partners-in-crime, the AMA, don't want it widely known to the general public that something natural - from Russia, no less - might just cure their ills better than what conventional American medicine would prescribe!

Adaptogens

Valeology is the new - mostly Russian - science of human health & sports fitness; and pharmacosanation involves the usage of pharmacological agents for optimal nutrition.

These subjects have been of a more-than-passing interest of mine for many years, and I believe I can get something "marketable" out of him. You see, much of what occurred in the old Soviet Union was, for a long, long time, not generally available to the western news media, and their society was considered secretive, to say the least.

But with the launch of Sputnik into outer space, and the unqualified success of their Olympics program, the world community knew we had to take these guys seriously - especially their scientific achievements!

So, without getting too long-winded again, would you be open to testing the Hipcast audio recording system sometime this weekend, by letting me interview you (like we discussed already)?

We will want to record an interview with him to begin the process.

Laurence

And here is my communication to Dr. Silber...

Hi Dr. Silber!

I’m so glad your conference went well for you; but then, somehow, I knew it would!

My activities in the world have been uneventful of late…which is a blessing. Thank you for asking!

Working titles – and the subtitles or headlines attached – are very useful when a work is in-progress. For starters, by envisioning the end result of your particular work product, it allows one to more fully embrace the information you want to include in your text – the supporting info which will reinforce and enhance the titles.

To organize your work it might be necessary to create an outline. After editing the outline, you can then attach a subtitle representing each chapter.

In each instance – whether for the outline, the chapters, or the book itself – it’s often helpful to begin with questions you propose to answer.

So to review, first we will create an introduction – which explains what you hope for the reader to “benefit” from by reading your material. Afterwards, we will pose specific questions your readers might have – and which you intend to answer.

Like this:

What exactly is stress? (Tell me the short answer first – then the long answers afterwards – in an organized, comprehensive way…that I can easily understand.)

What qualifies you to pass this knowledge onto me? What unique qualifications or new, specialized information can you share with me that I should consider important?

Why should I care? Why should I care enough to pay for this information?

Is all stress bad?

What is an adaptogen?

What is valeology?

What is pharmacosanation?

Why are these subjects of specialized study controversial?

If I read this information, how will I benefit? What’s in it for me?

What can you tell me which will inspire me to take beneficial action?

How can I learn to cope with stress better?

Do I need to adjust or change my diet? Why?

Should I take supplements? Why?

What can I do to alter my physical activities to better cope with stress?

How does emotional stress relate to physical stress?

What are some simple things I can do to control stress?

Will you be able to present this information to me in a way that I can actually use it?

How is it I can easily calm my nerves to alleviate stress?

What are the top 10 coping mechanisms I can practice so that stress becomes less harmful to me?

The more tightly-focused is the question…the shorter your answer needs to be! In fact, instead of writing in an attempt to appeal to academics like yourself, it might be more user-friendly – and much easier – to design your book to contain nothing more than “short questions” with “short answers”.

This format will be more appealing to the popular culture - and ordinary, uninformed buyers of your book! When this is assembled – and after editing all aspects – we can begin to create some short stories about some of your actual experiences over the years learning and applying this specialized knowledge in real-world circumstances.

People like to read “true stories”, “real-life adventures”, “confessions of an addict”, “my biggest mistakes”, “how does Soviet medicine differ from Western medicine”, “why I became interested in this research”, etcetera, because it makes you appear more human, more like them, because you will be presenting yourself as “just another person who cares about something beyond himself”.

And thus, you will have the ability to present yourself as “likable”, however you see fit! The perception of yourself you’d most wish others to know…can be the reality you present to them! And a “cold, too-serious” subject – like stress – will be seen by your readers (your fans) as “not so scary” or “uninteresting”.

Call or email me anytime, Dr. Silber. The task of creating your book will NOT be work – it’ll be FUN!

You will see... :)

Best regards,

Laurence

2006-12-07T15:14:00.000-06:00

A few things on my pea-pickin' mind today...

(1) Ben Mack is being interviewed by Mark Joyner at Simpleology tonight at 7:00 CST.

You can sign up at Simpleology.com for free and check out the Live Learning Event, called...

"Social Networking and MySpace - How I Attracted 500 friends in Less than 1 Week with a Brand New Profile"

Ben is going to tell us how he found happiness, and how he now knows what it's really like to party...

...and you can visit the link to his blog on your right at Think Two Products Ahead - ahead of time.

While you're at it, visit his roommate's (Wes Unruh) blog too, at Online Prosperity Education (below Ben's link) for some further insights about MySpace.

(2) Jason Mangrum tells me he's purging his list...and hangin' it up with internet marketing...

...which is why I'm going to be posting in his blog before too long.

(Had a comment almost ready to post, and, damn it, if the words disappeared from the screen beforehand, because I must have bumped into my mouse on my way to letting the cat out out of the bag...or something like it, I guess.)

I got an email from him about how he had an issue with some kind of autoresponder malfunctioning and had decided to change course with his online marketing efforts anyway.

We haven't met Jason yet but certainly applaud his sentiments! These machines can bite us on the ass whenever we least expect them to...

Visit him at JasonMangrum.com.

(3) Jason Cox - or JJ - has also sent me an email I actually remembered too. He's looking for some help to co-develop a new open source web conferencing platform, still in alpha stage, at 1videoConference.com

His last co-creation, with Hardik Sanghvi, MyWhatSpace.com, has been purchased by MySpace co-founder Brad Greenspan’s new company, Live Universe.

All of these things remind me of how little we can accomplish financially in life without some inspiration and a few partners-in-crime to get us further on down the road.

How it is we conspire to have a litle fun is what it's all about!

2006-12-04T00:35:00.000-06:00

The ultimate virtual reality game is one which advances us in the reality-based Big Game of Life.

Which is why I'm so taken with the idea of a game for wordplay...which goes well beyond Scrabble or the Sunday crossword puzzle. One in which the player only competes with himself - choosing and ordering everyday words which can cause dramatic change to alter his/her life forever...decidedly for the better.

It is words...symbols or imagery, feelings and perceptions...which force us to define our thoughts, which, in turn, ultimately inspire us - individually or collectively - to action.

And it is the actions we take in life which really define who we are - or are to become.

Everything and anything which has transpired in our lives just seconds ago is so "yesterday"; and it's irretrievable - we can't just hit "replay" or "go back".

It's what happens - and what can happen - now, and seconds later, for which we can have the most immediate and direct influence.

The words which we choose to consciously inspire our present and future actions can have a huge impact in the ways we also conduct our busy-ness - a better word, I think, which does not separate our personal, interpersonal or professional dialogs.

Thus, in this capitalist financial system into which we have been thrust (the world of business), it is our business and personal relationships together - first, by our definition of our own Self*, then, second, all our interactions within ourself and with all others - which is the ultimate key, way beyond mere survival, to happiness and prosperity.

*[Question: What is "I"? / Answer: I made "I" up to suit a manufactured self-image of myself.]

A Legend Platform - a branding device, of sorts - is just words if the words contained in it have no real meaning. Words are most useful when they inspire a call to action which allows us to survive - or better still - to prosper and to flourish.

With prosperity, we have the opportunity to flourish - to be playful, to be joyful...

...which, for us, is what we chose to be the essence of our brand. (See our Legend Platform link to your right)

We have the clear choice to be whatever is our hearts' desire. We can create our own realities, with fewer constraints on our abilities to innovate and succeed.

And we can follow our bliss - that which most powerfully gladdens our hearts.

Our legend - imbued with relevance and meaning for each one of us - thus can actually serve as the platform from which we can grow our businesses.

When it can also be your Legend Platform, because its words are also your words, it will inspire you to feel and to know it as the powerful brand blueprint it's meant to be.

Let us know how we can change it up or explain it so it makes more sense to you. We are happy to help if you allow us.

Then you can choose your own words, which spring forth from your own mind, in the order of your own choosing.

Only then will your words - taken from our common language - inspire you to action.

************************************************************************************

An available book on Amazon, A Theory of Fun for Game Design, by Raph Koster, has recently caught my eye.

It's title - and its reviews - forced me once again to consider buying another information product I don't actually need!

Not to mention, spend an hour or so reading posts on his blog.

And you know, I've got too many unread books as it is! (But I want it anyway...)

Can't wait to hear Mark howl about this one. :)

2006-12-01T00:18:00.000-06:00

Daniel Levis has a new blog we discovered today...and, as we were invited to post a comment regarding Web 2.0 and social networking, we did.

My comment is posted below his, and you can, of course...

Read it here

...posted, as is our wont, under mainspring mindshares

While we're in favor of symbiotic relationships we especially like to read just about anything Daniel writes - as we're not naturally disinclined to learn something new when the mood is right. His being Canadian, we're inclined towards neighborliness - even if we don't remember our neighbors' names...in our own neighborhoods.

Copywriting is a skill which is not easy to master, especially if one is not possessed with a killer instinct, which is what successful closers must also possess in order to successfully consummate a particular business transaction.

Or close the deal...as I, the self-styled sales manager, at one time would often exclaim - usually by shouting.

In the beginning of our online internet marketing education, Mark and I both were troubled by this whole notion that secrets, tactics, and strategies must be devised if we wanted to make money selling information products.

But we kept on keeping on, and before we knew what hit us...as Mark recently stated, "These internet marketers! I'm sooo getting it now!"

And I just had to laugh. Because Mark doesn't have the stamina to even read a long sales letter, let alone get interested in how to sell with "spoken words on a page - virtual or otherwise".

For me, I was astonished at all the stuff I would buy - mostly because I figured I could sell it to someone else.

For him, it's akin to having to take out the garbage - just another unpleasant chore!

If anyone can sell something to Mark...well, all I can say is, "Good luck!"

Mark ain't buying secrets, tips, tactics, or strategies - ever. And he ain't even gonna read what you have to say, because, if you're sellin', he just ain't buyin'!

Mark considers that the internet is his playground; and designing websites just happens to be what he does for a living.

So how does one go about getting to Mark's wallet, I wonder?

Remember, he ain't buyin', Bubba - he's sellin'!

As for me, I'll stay focused on how to monetize my investment - of time, energy and money - by becoming a new kind of capitalist.

First, I'll surreptitiously relearn how to be popular by unlearning what it means to be a social climber...or, you know, whatever it takes.

2006-11-25T19:12:00.001-06:00


A heart-warming segment from Texas Country Reporter, with Bob Phillips. For more information visit www.TexasCountryReporter.com or www.skidboot.com

2006-11-23T10:59:00.000-06:00

We live in a world not entirely of our own creation and we’ve been forced to adjust to the reality on the ground. Along the way we've chosen to adapt, constantly striving to preserve any aspect of our uniqueness whenever and wherever we can.

But we know we are being swept along, like by the tide of a great oceanic current which ultimately cares little for our survival or our happiness. It is a feeling sometimes like being engaged in combat. A struggle not of our own choosing...again.

So we are struggling to get another grip, to gain another foothold, at every turn it seems.

This struggle is ideologically rooted in whether or not we become mired in the onslaught of our best intentions, or we become its victims; so struggle we must - for our very survival in this crazy mixed-up world.

Which is why we must constantly reexamine our definition of struggle - and what it is really are our best intentions.

And we want so much more than just to struggle, as our purpose demands more meaning.

What is it anyway that makes us so special? Why do we even have the right to feel this urge to be special?

Maybe it's because we know how to love. We know it because it has been bestowed upon us, and we bestow this feeling toward others. We know it because we really feel it. And we tend to like it. To crave it constantly.

Somehow we sense that knowing and feeling Love must begin with loving ourselves first, then allowing it to flow naturally towards others. Not too dissimilar in the way the tides ebb and flow in an unstoppable sea of change, or the sun rises and sets, the air we breathe is invisible all around us, we know Love is subject to the Natural Law which rules our existence.

But we also know Love is unevenly distributed - subject to the whims of Nature, Time and our own human failings. All the while, we carry on with our busy-ness.

When we understand the truth of our physical reality we know that Change is the one constant in our lives which knows no bounds; and Nature and Time subject us to their own grand designs.

Our paths will cross many times in this life. Perhaps not always physically, but most certainly in our thoughts and our musings about what it means to each one of us - to feel and to give of this great gift we call Love.

And it is for Love we can truly be thankful to be here...soldiering onward together.

Thank you for sharing this with us. Today, let's all give special thanks - let's give in - to Love.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-02T20:07:00.000-06:00

So we've got a leftover Halloween pumpkin or two, do we? Why not just eat the old jack-o-lantern? It's "yesterday's news" anyway...right?

Before you throw our treasure into the trash...or leave outside to rot away on the porch, why not consider this no-brainer from the Cookshop Alchemy receipt file?

Here's all you need to do...

	1. Sharpen a big long knife 2. Wrestle the ol' gourd and saw him in half 3. Repeat Step 2 with both halves 4. Repeat Step 3 with all 4 pieces 5. Repeat Step 4 with all 8 pieces 6. Repeat Step 5 with all 16 pieces (optional)

Score yourself some points - as a genuine Cookshop Alchemy apprentice - if you're able to cleave this ol' gourd up into nice pretty even shapes.

We like nice and pretty, shapely young things...

Now, with a plain soup spoon, scrape out those seeds, leaving the rest of the innards alone.

Remove any blemishes or bruises or rottten places - trash 'em with the seeds and entrails...or remove them to the compost heap.

Score yourself more points if you've decided to save the seeds, roast 'em and salt 'em for a fun-to-eat snack. You're a natural!

Now, preheat the chamber oven to a medium temperature - about 350 degrees.

And place the pumpkin pieces on to any ol' bake sheet.

Sprinkle lightly with some natural salt, after first brushing with a bit of coconut oil or melted cow's butter.

So...now, here comes the best part...

Is this getting too complicated? Well, don't stop now, for goodness' sake!

You're about to make some magic here, kiddies...

But first, pick your poison...I mean...your secret ingredients.

Choose whatever's handy from the cupboard and sprinkle your fairy dust - to taste - over your soon-to-be-cooked little babies.

Here's what is written, as you wish: orange, or any citrus peel; ground pumpkin pie spice, or any combination of cardamon berries, cloves, anise seeds, allspice berries, ginger and/or nutmeg. Fairy dust.

Add some butter: coconut, almond, cow's...in any combination...one or another...even all three

You're the one making the magic, so consider that you're invincible. There's no rhyme or reason to contemplate here. Remember, this is a no-brainer!

Now roast these little babies in the belly of the beast until just soft - about 35 or 40 minutes.

The spell is just about cast. Magic is about to be unleashed...

...and such are the powers...of that mischievous sorcerer's apprentice...that devious spellbinder...you really are!

Now, about 10 or 15 minutes before removal, start waving of your hand over these little objects of our desire...some brown sugar - light or dark...or a little blackstrap molasses...or cane syrup...or brown rice syrup, or honey...or whatever your hedonistic desire conjures up.

Eat hot or cold - you'll know what to do!

We like it either/or - hot, with a spoonful of pan juices, as a side dish, dearie, or - cold, with some whipped cream on top...in which case, a few finger cookies will do nicely!

Just don't you - or your victims - eat the skins of our little darlin's, okay?

2006-10-31T12:59:00.000-06:00

Five little pumpkins sitting on a fence...

The first one said, "Oh my, it's getting late!"
The second one said, "There are witches in the air!"
The third one said, "But we don't care!"
The fourth one said, "Let's run, and run, and run!"
And the fifth one said, "I'm ready for some fun!"

Isn't fun a little more *palatable than most other choices we have in our lives to make?

What makes us believe this is not an empirical observation, or something not worthy of our attention?

What constitutes our understanding of something called an ecstatic truth?

Or just a plain truth, as opposed to, say, an unspoken truth? Or the awful truth, as it were?

Truth be told, we have our sensory perceptions, and we have our experiences - when all else is said and done.

So, who's to say what meme(s) will resonate in an individual organism? Which will translate easily and well within an expanded organism?

That stick in our individual and collective minds - and refuse to let any of us go?

Will we be able to formulate new guiding principles which determine new actions? Promote new vistas of opportunity?

Or new tableaux to exploit for our pillage and plunder?

Pitting the weak against the strong? The meek against the hucksters, charlatans, and chieftains of this world?

What drives our survival? Our ambitions? The existence and propogation of these memes?

Let's rely on what we actually already have - at our disposal - as opposed to what we don't have, to provide us some solutions.

And we do know this: The best things in life are still free...

http://onlinemarketingdump.blogspot.com

[*Tomorrow: What does one do with leftover Halloween pumpkins?]

2006-10-30T18:09:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow night is Halloween, our favorite holiday of the year!

In the past we can remember more than a few bizarre parties, always great fun. Back in the 80s, some accused a few of us of thinking everyday was Halloween, such was the stuff of our legends then.

But at 8:00 CST tomorrow, we'll be joining Ben Mack on a live call for a little Q&A session - one only for the brave of heart and stout of mind, (fair warning) we're told.

Dial in at 712-432-3000 and enter the bridge number, 938678, to join in - just to eavesdrop, or interact, as is your wont!

And be afraid...be very afraid! Especially, any of you faint of heart and wit por wittle pud'n' haids to wonder with...

As my brother, the comedian, used to say, "Just pull out of it! And get a life while you're at it!"

Ben's a little more than your average dude, and we hope Wes Unruh is on the call too. In fact, the more attendees of his recent Atlanta workshop on the call...the livelier it promises to be.

Poor Mark, the kids will be a-pullin' at him, but he tells us "a little orchestration may be in order this night", so we'll stay tuned for him.

Might we call that disorder, Mark? At least the kids aren't old enough to be tee-peein' houses yet, or terrorizing the neighborhood unnecessarily so!

Whether 20, 60, or 300+ are on the line just does not matter. Be there or be square, all you dilettantes, pseudo-intellectuals and raconteurs you. Take a quick trip to the darkside of life for a change...

Ben and Wes' blog links can be found on the right side of this here page...so check out what all the fuss is about. A little background check will do a body good.

If any of you hobgoblins must miss the live call, check back later in Ben's blog for the recorded repeat. Take an aspirin if you must...beforehand...and hold onto yourself, for heaven's sake.

Both Ben and Wes are into something called memes, those mysterious bits of dynamic infobites which rhyme with "genes", and act almost the same.

A fanfaronade, this is not, friends, tho we will suggest it be just short of a fare-thee-well. Okay? Let's just listen in and see...

Points scored for opening your rag-eared copy of I Ching, beforehand, if you can even find it. Close those winkers...stab one wittle finner on any opened page...now open.

There now. Feel enlightened?

As it relates to the evolution of our common sick human condition, and especially as it relates to why it is the world oft times seems so ****ed up, here's an ideal opportunity to gain some insight into how to make things all better - starting with a little brain candy.

Trick or treat? Open up, please! (Rhetoric need not be implied when the end-game is all about mischief...and good clean fun!)

It's that real estate between our ears again - calling for some attention - tomorrow night, kids.

See ya there...or here...oh, hell...whatever!

2006-10-19T16:32:00.000-05:00

Dave Navarro is one memorable person we met recently at Ben Mack's cool Think Two Sales Ahead workshop in Atlanta. Awash with simple, executable ideas for helping us, he impressed Mark and I both with his breadth of knowledge and sincerity.

Something in Dave's DNA keeps him sooo focused on whomever he's listening to or speaking to...that is so refreshing and inspirational.

And it was all we could do to redirect his attention away from our needs and concerns long enough to find out more about what makes Dave tick. After all, we simply don't run into such naturally caring people every day, and our own piddly interests seemed to pale in comparison to our interest in Dave anyway.

Be that as it may, what we learned about this remarkable fellow is he's overcome some tremendous obstacles from his earliest formative years and had identified his life's journey from a time before he became a teenager. He's known what his life's purpose was before most of us got out of Little League or Girl Scouts!

Dave is one ready, steady guy we are proud to call a new friend and life partner - and, as a professional life coach, he's THE one we'd like always to be in our corner.

When FOCUS, ORGANIZATION and RESULTS matter most...we'll go to the guy who's NOT the rock star...OUR guy is www.DaveNavarro.com

Thanks for allowing us the pleasure, Dave!

2006-10-19T16:21:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Mainspring Mindshares.

: )