Passionista!

Re: BRAND NEW...FASTEST/EASIEST WAY To Make $384,OOO.OO per Year.

2009-01-30T23:49:00.001+08:00

W0uld y0u bel1eve that some_one who wr0t3 lik.e th1s was a leg1timate inter_net market3r?

See what the fool says:

This e-mail was sent to you because you subscribed to at
least one of our mailing_lists. If you feel that I've breached
your privacy or at any time you would like to rem0ve yourself
from our mailing_list, please feel 'free to do so by sending
an E-mail with "Rem0ve" as the subject to greatbeeper.rem0ve@gmail.com
and I will honor your "0pt 0ut" requests, rem0ved your email address
personally and immediately from my emailist.

Uh, no. I think that once you decided to spam, you threw your "honor" out the window.

Write you a personal email to request to be "rem0ved"?
Uhuh, I don't think so.
I'll just hit the button that says "Report spam" - after I rant about you on my blog.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: NO ExperiencE RequireD <HighlyRecommendedPr0gram@myway.com>
Date: Fri, Jan 30, 2009 at 5:44 PM
Subject: BRAND NEW...FASTEST/EASIEST WAY To Make $384,OOO.OO per Year.
To: - deleted -

Dear Friends,

I hope you are doing well in whatever
online business you are in right now.

However, if you have enough time,
then here is a once in a lifetime
information and a 100% genuine to
make money.

* This idea has nothing to do with selling.
* This does not involve promoting affiliate.
* You will never have to recruit anyone.
* Not a data entry type or filling survey.

$7,400 Per Week or everyone can still earn as much
as they want, whenever they want. There's no hard work
and Without Any Investment.

An unbelievably simple idea - so easy,
so fun and simple. There is absolutely nothing
complicated about it.

If 1nterested, PLEASE CL1CK HERE to continue
and for more 1nfo.

Thank you and Regards,
M. Lopez

This e-mail was sent to you because you subscribed to at
least one of our mailing_lists. If you feel that I've breached
your privacy or at any time you would like to rem0ve yourself
from our mailing_list, please feel 'free to do so by sending
an E-mail with "Rem0ve" as the subject to greatbeeper.rem0ve@gmail.com
and I will honor your "0pt 0ut" requests, rem0ved your email address
personally and immediately from my emailist.

Thank you.

Corporate Communications: Be Smart, Not Clever

2009-01-30T23:39:00.002+08:00

Tell me if you can understand what on earth these guys are trying to say.
It's as though they're writing in a foreign language closely related to English.
What on earth?

A bit of advice in corporate communications: be smart, not "clever"!

---------- Forwarded message ----------

- deleted -

we have gone to great lengths to ensure the privacy of our members. please reciprocate and remove this content from your website.

Following a courteous note (excerpted above) from one of the writers of the original email, I have removed it.
I still have no idea what the original email was trying to say.
If you have to choose between clever or clear writing, choose the latter - especially if your message is going out across the spectrum of cultures and levels of English proficiency.

Work for the learning, not just the earning

2009-01-09T11:50:00.001+08:00

FINISHING this book was like waking from a dream, and what a dream it was. The Seduction of Water is a layered story, a myth retold in New York lingo.
—Seductive Intrigue review by Alpha Lim

This four-year-old article popped up today in my Google Alerts vanity search (what, you don't have one? you don't?).

Rereading it affirms to me that I made the right decision to sharpen my writing by joining the advertising industry.
I found the book review somewhat lyrical, but at the same time, I was thinking, "Dude, get to the point".

I get to the point much quicker nowadays.
(Click here! Call now! Act fast!)

Are you learning something new every week?
If not, why are you still at that job?

Paying the bills, oh yea.
Go ahead and pay today's bills, but don't let your skills entropy to the point where you can't pay tomorrow's bills.
Your work isn't about money, it's about value, really.
Value to your employer, your customer, your client, your dependents, your causes, you.
Don't sell any of them short.

(Remember, the taxman wants some value, too!)

get down to work (after this blog post)

2009-01-04T14:42:00.005+08:00

I see your face and smile
and then I wonder
why can't I just get down to work?

your sparkling eyes distract me
your perfect white teeth taunt me
I should just get down to work

I love the way your hair falls into place
it makes me think of GTD workflow
now I'll really get down to work

Parker Gel Ink: A Writing Obsession Comes Home

2008-12-31T16:48:00.007+08:00

My latest pen adventure began with my insurance agent.

See, she handed me her Mont Blanc to sign the papers for my boy's insurance plan.
(I've since come to learn that Mont Blancs are legendary for their writing feel.)
Anyway, filling in the forms with that unnecessarily luxurious pen caused a crisis of longing in me.
(Insurance agents have a collection of unnecessarily luxurious items meant for causing crises of longing.)

I had previously settled happily on the Kilometrico black medium ballpen. (Bought three packs of it, in fact.)
And just recently - at that time - I had moved on to the Faber-Castell black medium ballpen.
Years ago, I used to swear by a Parker Jotter with a black medium ballpen refill.
Haha. Mr Consistent, that's me. (In some things.)

Anyway:
That Mont-Blanc-inspired crisis of longing made me challenge my values again.
I wanted something smooth. With a highly opaque ink.
Some googling later, I had (re)discovered the Pilot G2, favourite of geeks the world over.
Go ahead - google it. You'll find it right next to the geeks and their Moleskines.

And then, in my googles, I discovered that Parker makes gel ink refills for their ballpens.
Duh. Why didn't someone say something before?

Well, long story short, I bought a Parker black medium gel ink refill.
I'm one happy camper right now.
Except for one thing, maybe - medium nibs are just right for oil-based ballpen inks, but too fat for water-based gel inks, which tend to bleed more.
I'll try out a Parker black fine gel ink refill and report back here.
If that works out, I will have come full circle.

Almost. Instead of a Parker Jotter (or needlessly thick-girthed Mont Blanc aimed at the male market, heh), I'm using a surprisingly hefted click-action ballpen that I got for free at some tech event I can't even remember.
Use has rubbed off the sponsor's markings, leaving me with a nice faux metal pen with black trimmings (that's rather wider-girthed than a Jotter).

What's with all this rambling? Would anyone be interested to know these things?
I don't know. I'm just sharing.
You know - they way they do at Alcoholics Anonymous.

English Gaffes: Even Superheroes Are Susceptible

2008-12-30T13:59:00.005+08:00

I just saw Iron Man last night. (late, I know.)
the most eye-popping scene for me, was when they showed a series of famous magazine covers featuring Tony Stark, and the Forbes one yelled:

Tony Stark Takes the Reigns at 21

aiyaiyaiyaiyai.

maybe they were going for:

Tony Stark Takes the Reins at 21

or even:

Tony Stark Takes the Reign at 21

but surely, surely, surely, not "Tony Stark Takes the Reigns at 21"?

you really should hire a pro.
avoid long term shame with a little up-front pain.
get yourself a writer/editor.

even Iron Man needs one.

give me a call, drop me a line, okay?
(I don't laugh at clients.)

Merry Christmas to You from Us

2008-12-24T14:20:00.008+08:00

Dear Friend,

I had planned to write a thoughtful, considered Christmas message. but instead, I offer you this greeting from Santa and his reindeer, which a friend sent to me (thanks, Elaine):

Merry Christmas!

this Christmas, we're grateful for the gift of your friendship and the present of your presence, which we hope to enjoy more fully in the coming year...

with love from Alpha, Adeline & Seth

PS: check out Seth's first composition...

The Unexpected Side Effects of Making Money (and How to Avoid Them)

2008-12-09T00:21:00.004+08:00

by Michael Masterson (12/8/2008)

My life changed when I decided, one day, that “make a lot of money” would be my number one goal. Focusing on that goal and making it a priority changed my income… from about $50,000 a year to seven-plus figures. It changed my business status from that of a nameless employee to that of an employer of hundreds. It changed my lifestyle from one of making minimum payments on credit card statements to the kind happy movies provide for their heroes.

But it also had two negative consequences:

1. I gave up thousands of hours of good times with friends and family.

2. I did a few things I wish I hadn’t.

It was 1982 when I set that goal. I had just been hired as editorial director for a fledgling publishing company in South Florida. Although I knew that there are more important things in life than money, I figured that if I made the money first, I could then have everything else too. (I knew nothing about making money. I had come from a family of teachers.)

It worked. Big time. But, as I said, there were unexpected side effects.

Thinking back, I realize that I could have made all the money I wanted without suffering those side effects. So if you are at the beginning of your wealth-accumulating journey, I have some observations and suggestions for you that may be helpful.

Let’s start with this. Perhaps the best thing about having “make a lot of money” as my number one goal was that it made subsequent business decisions much easier.

Prior to establishing money as my priority, I was never sure if I was making the right call. Faced with multiple options, I could see some merit in just about all of them. I’d force myself to pick one… and then worry that it might have been the wrong one.

But now that I knew what I wanted, there was no longer such uncertainty and self-doubt. I’d listen to a question or problem and ask myself, “What solution would give me the best return in terms of money?”

Suddenly, complicated problems were simple to resolve and difficult questions were easily answered. I went from being an editor who was ambivalent about marketing and argumentative about quality to a businessman who had an “amazingly good” instinct about what would sell and what wouldn’t.

Within 18 months of my making this transformation, our business went from a negative worth of more than a million dollars to a million dollars in the black. And then it got better! Two years later, my partner/boss gave me a plaque that read “Michael Masterson: Marketing Genius.”

That’s what’s good about making wealth building your priority.

The mistake I made was in how I dealt with this priority. Lacking the experience I have now, I made two big mistakes:

1. I was too short-term-oriented.

2. I ignored my instincts about quality.

What that amounted to was this: I sometimes promoted products that weren’t as good as they could have been. Since I knew I could sell the heck out of them, and since I believed that selling the heck out of them was the only thing that mattered, I’d allow inferior products to reach the marketplace.

I didn’t do this all the time. It was probably the exception rather than the rule. But whenever I did it, I regretted it. And that’s the point of today’s message.

If you want to make wealth building your number one goal, go for it. But make sure you go after that wealth with a long-range view of making profits and a serious commitment to creating good products.

If you do it that way, it will be a little tougher at first. You will have to spend more money improving the product and you’ll have to wait a little longer for it to be produced. But in the long run you’ll make more money and will be happier, because your customers will stay with you and reward you with continued buying.

I was talking to “Eliza” this weekend about her career. She was considering a job offer that would double her income and put her on a rapid road to wealth. “I am tempted to take the offer,” she told me, “but I don’t want to make money the center of my life. I want to do good for people.”

Had she said this to me many years ago, I would have told her to get real. Now, I realized that her instinct was right. She should never make the pursuit of money her primary objective. She should be in a business that she wants to be in. She should sell products she’s proud of selling. She should find some way to make her business interests coincide with her personal ethics and dreams.

“Yes,” I said to Eliza,” make the good you can do for people your primary goal. But pay attention to the money as well, because it will be the best and simplest way to measure the financial health of your business.”

You should be in business to provide people with something of value. If you conduct your business correctly and offer them a good deal - and if the product you sell is something they really want - you’ll make plenty of money.

Russ Whitney put it this way in his book Millionaire Real Estate Mentor: “Money is a result, not a cause. If you get into business solely for the money, chances are you will never be great at what you’re doing. That’s why so many people fail at network-marketing businesses - they’re attracted by the promise of big profits, but then they realize they have to sell soap or vitamins or lotions or whatever, and don’t want to do that. Get into a business that you like, learn it thoroughly, and do it right. The money will come automatically.”

I’ve heard the same thing said by professional athletes. The guys who do it right - who have long, successful careers - play because they love to play. People like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods don’t work as hard as they do for the money. They do it because they want to be the best. And in being the best, they earn amazing amounts of money. The money is the result, not the cause.

Money isn’t the root of all evil, but the love of money is.

Don’t love money. Love the idea of your business. Love the good that it does. Love the fact that in some way your products meet the needs or wants of your customers. See money for what it is - a neutral indicator of how good you are at doing what you do. If the value you provide is worth the money you get for it, people will buy what you’re selling. The better the value you give, the more money you will get.

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

The Fourth Screen

2008-12-08T23:10:00.001+08:00

Being inside the advertising industry can make you a little jaded; it's rare that I find advertising that I really like. "The Fourth Screen" by Nokia is something I really like. it's lyrical, it's intelligent, it doesn't pimp its product. and it's copy-based ;). it's a good example of how to speak to an educated, aspirational, over-communicated audience. do you agree?

Absolutely, Positively HIV+

2008-11-22T23:45:00.002+08:00

What's it like to live with Aids?
what's it like when a positive test result is a negative thing?
what's it like to die alone and discarded?

I hope you'll never know these things.

Except in World Vision's One Life Revolution.

it's an immersive art installation. that's how I'd describe it if you were to ask me.
you listen to a narrated audio soundtrack as you walk through a life-like recreation of three innocent HIV sufferers' worlds.

the person who emerges from the back door will be a different person from the one who walked in the front door.

do it.

it's harrowing, but it's like an engaging movie or a passionate play. for us.
for them, it's life. and death.

http://worldvision.com.my/onelife/
next installation: Berjaya Times Square, Nov 28 - Dec 1, 2008

They say a clean desk is the sign of a sick mind...

2008-11-22T01:12:00.002+08:00

They say a clean desk is the sign of a sick mind..., originally uploaded by alphalim.

... They are just jealous.

Want to see where I write?

when you have a clean desk, you can be more productive.
and you can gloat.
click through the photo to Flickr, for a guided tour!

just having a little fun, maybe to assuage the pain of loss.
we just saw the Hayashis off at the airport.
Takeshi was our church's seminary intern for four years during his studies here in Malaysia.

we will miss you all.

Social pdf on Social Behaviour Written Socially

2008-11-17T17:56:00.006+08:00

It's freebie season.
I've told you about the Tribes free audiobook.
now, here's the Tribes Q&A pdf--also free.

Seth Godin has this thing about spreading his ideas far and wide.
I'm happy to oblige.
he's got some great ideas.
the idea of Tribes--that people want to belong and not just buy--is highly recommended.

go get the free pdf!

Business Is Selling

2008-11-11T15:31:00.002+08:00

I occasionally come across articles that are too good or too timely not to share with you.
here is one such article, which speaks about many people's distaste of selling, why it's misguided, and how to overcome the aversion.
—Alpha

Understand that you need to sell you and your ideas in order to advance your career, gain more respect, and increase your success, influence, and income.
—Jay Abraham

Business Is Selling
By Michael Masterson

As we keep telling you, just about anyone can start a business. But there's an important caveat - and it jumped to mind when I got an e-mail from Lynn, who wants advice on starting a newsletter. She writes:

"I've worn many hats, juggled them off and on in my years as Mother, Grandmother, Realtor, Concessionaire, and Artist Retailer/Wholesaler. Love, divorce, custody issues, death, inheritance, bankruptcy, accidents, health issues, friendship, betrayal. I've either been through it or carried someone through it.

"What I seem to do best is calm nerves and give good advice, to the point where it often interferes with other endeavors. I've seriously thought about ETR's copywriting/ Internet ideas, but I'm wary of selling things. It seems that, among family and friends at least, I am the oracle of issues, the witchy woman matriarch with the final answer. The trendy term 'life coach' isn't quite it. I want to be like an e-mail comforter. A listener of last resort. A sounding board.

"It's the only thing I think I'm really quite good at. Could this be a business?"

Yes, it could be a business. But not if you are leery of selling.

Business is selling. You can't make money unless you sell something. As Robert Louis Stevenson said, "I find it useful to remember, everyone lives by selling something."

So the first thing Lynn needs to determine is what it is she is going to sell.

People will pay for comfort... but not if it's billed as comfort. Think about what therapists do. They charge pretty good money to give people comforting advice. Yes, there are some who deliver discomfort, but they don't stay in business very long. People pay money to have their therapists make them feel good. If you've ever been in therapy with a successful therapist, you already know that.

But if therapists said that they were in the business of comforting their clients, no one would take them seriously and no one would pay them good money for their comforting advice. Rather than advertise what they are really selling, therapists advertise their methodology (Freudian, Behaviorist, etc.) or the type of "problems" they deal with (addiction, obsessive compulsive disorders, etc.).

Since Lynn isn't a trained psychotherapist, she can't honestly advertise those sorts of things. So she will have to come up with her own ideas about why people get themselves into trouble and how they can find solutions. These ideas will form themselves into a unified whole, if she thinks about them long enough. This unified whole is what we call an "intellectual franchise." That's what Lynn needs to develop. And then she needs to test it and see if it sells.

Remember, starting a business and making it a success is not just a matter of having a good idea. The idea has to be one that people will be happy to pay money for.

So if you are in Lynn's position - looking to turn your idea into a profitable business - you have to become comfortable with selling.

How do you develop the skill of selling when you are "wary" of selling, as Lynn puts it?

The first step is to understand that there are really two kinds of selling:

1. pushing people (to buy things they don't want)
2. helping people (to select those things they do want to buy)
Pushy salespeople - the telemarketer who calls you while you're eating dinner, the broker who calls you on the weekend with a "hot deal," the proverbial used-car salesman - take delight in persuading you to do what you don't want to do. Such salespeople see the selling process as a kind of battle where they bully and beat you into submission. It's an ego game for them, and your acquiescence - even if you really do want the product - is an indication of submission.

Such salespeople should be tarred and feathered, run out of town, dunked, and pilloried. They are the same people who delight in not letting you merge in traffic and cutting ahead of you in the supermarket line.

Helpful salespeople are actually more common than their obnoxious cousins.

If you understand that the job of a salesperson is to solve a customer's problem or help him meet a need, selling won't seem so odious to you.

Let's say your prospect's main concern is the future of his marriage. What you would do, in this case, is ask him questions about it and find out, in as much detail as possible, what his worries are. Having done this, you are then in a great position to address each one - to explain how your product (in Lynn's case, her advice) can give him effective solutions. By driving home the benefits of your product that the prospect cares about, you are making a very strong sales presentation. You are telling him exactly what he wants to hear.

Remember - your prospect wants to be sold. So long as you help him understand how your product can help him achieve his desires or solve his problems, he will be prejudiced in your favor. You lose your prospect when you start talking about other things - your interests, for example, or product features that he doesn't really care about.

So don't sell him, help him. Begin by finding out what he wants and needs. And then (if and only if you can really help him), make the strongest, most specific case you can make to convince him that his desires will be achieved and his problems solved.

Once you've figured out how to sell your product, and have gotten over your distaste of selling, you need to start testing... preferably on the Internet... until you find some way to position the product that catches on.

And then, to grow your business, you will have to produce lots of products that tie into your initial business idea and lots of sales letters to convince people to buy them.

Does this sound like something you can do? If so, you are on your way!

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, an e-zine dedicated to making money, improving your health and quality of life. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

Verbose Verbiage: A Lament

2008-11-10T13:48:00.003+08:00

There remains almost no other way by which I might express my consternation at how, across the face of the planet, certain quarters of humankind insist on utilising ostentatious verbiage in circumstances in which more precise and concise definitions would suffice – except to say:

Why on earth do some people use big words when small ones will do?

Why are spam girlfriends always named Irina?

2008-11-06T22:29:00.002+08:00

Helo mine blog reader,
today I'm been having an other yet spam inbox mine, asking for to be my friend for to be married maybe.
asking you me, why always they name Irina?
Russha, Germanian, whatever, always Irina their name been.
you reading at bottom and seeing.

maybe Irina friend you wanting bekoming...

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: --address deleted--
Date: 2008/11/6
Subject: my new friend!
To:

Hallo mein Freund! Mich rufen Irina! Ich habe entschieden, den Mann zu finden! Eben ist zur Agentur der Bekanntschaften gegangen! Mir haben gesagt dass sie darin mir helfen konnen! Und mir der Ferne deinen E-mail! Ich wollte dich sehr kennenlernen! Ich hoffe mich dass du nicht gegen wirst, mich kennenlernen! Ich bitte sehr damit du mir so bald wie moglich antwortetest! Ich werde von dir der baldigen Antwort sehr warten! Hochachtungsvoll Irina! Hello my friend! My name is Irina! I have decided to find the man! Also has gone to agency of acquaintances! To me have told that they can help me with it! And me a distance yours E-mail! I very much would like to get acquainted with you! I hope that you against will not get acquainted with me! I very much ask that you answered me as soon as possible! I shall wait very much from you for a fast reply! Yours faithfully Irina!

--photo deleted--

Routines Rock!

2008-11-06T10:53:00.005+08:00

Here's an article on developing daily routines as an aid to greater productivity. it seems to be skewed toward work-at-home moms, but I still found it useful for my day-to-day writing work ;). I hope you'll garner some good ideas from it too!
—Alpha

Routines Rock!
By Colette Robicheau

Having a routine doesn't mean your life will be boring or predictable. Routines are an awesome way to get more out of each day and to allow us to do more of the things we really want to do. Complete everyday activities in the most efficient way so that you have more free time to be spontaneous. Creating routines for different parts of your day such as morning, when you arrive at work, before you leave work, when you get home, dinner time, and before bed, reap the greatest rewards.

Here's how to create a rockin' routine or to rework one you already have:

1. Make a list of some of the regular activities you do in the run of a day like getting the kids ready for school, exercising, email or a report at work.

2. Estimate how much time it takes to do each task. This is often where people go wrong. We tend to underestimate the amount of time needed or have no idea at all.

3. Try to group actions by similar activity and location to minimize the amount of time you spend running back and forth, such as preparing supper, getting dressed for work, or items to be photocopied or sent out at work.

4. To finish your routine, write down your tasks in the order you will perform them along with the time allotted for each.

5. Use the times to limit the amount of time you spend on an activity (like getting dressed or primping). By knowing your start and end times you will always know if you are running on schedule or not.

6. Add up the times to determine a start time to begin your routine.

7. Be sure to give yourself a buffer zone of extra time for unexpected events. As you repeat your routine it will become easier and you will be quicker at getting things done.

8. Save time and adapt to curve balls by completing tasks before you need to do them. Try packing your lunch and briefcase the night before, making a week's worth of meals at one time or answering all your email at a set time.

9. To create some new habits try linking them to ones that are already in place. Put a load of laundry in as you start to make supper.

Once you make your routines rock, you'll see how it can save you time, toil, and trouble every day. You'll avoid some unnecessary stressors leaving you free to run your day by design and enjoy it however you choose.

Colette Robicheau, President of Organize Anything, is a consultant, coach, and public speaker offering corporate, residential, and personal organizing services. Colette's humor and positive attitude are a great asset in her roles as professional organizer and life coach. An extensive background in professional organizing, project management and business development, have given Colette a no-nonsense approach to project completion with the ability to deliver on budget and on schedule. Email Colette or for more information, including great organizing tips, visit www.organizeanything.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Colette_Robicheau
http://EzineArticles.com/?Routines-Rock!&id=1559226

How to Write Pieces That Get Read Through

2008-10-28T16:16:00.003+08:00

Clutter.
we all have it, we all want less of it.
your readers want less clutter, too.
how can you give them less?

1. Cut word clutter
let your writing be simple and direct.
not sure how? try this:
define the problem, supply the solution and illustrate with an example.

for example...

problem: "not sure how?"
solution: "try this: define the problem, supply the solution and illustrate with an example."
example: "for example..."

get the idea now? ;D.

2. Discipline your design
just because you have dozens of typefaces, it doesn't mean that you should use them.
think of reading as listening. your typeface should not be a visual distraction.
instead, your typeface should be "invisible", lulling your reader into an almost hypnotic reading experience.
use one or two typefaces (plus a third to emphasise special text or computer code, for example) and no more!

3. Cull your word count
this point is related to the first, but is different.
with point 1, you're trying to cut out unnecessary words.
with this point, you're trying to limit the number of words in the first place.

the average reader reads 150 words per minute.
keep that in mind when deciding how many words to aim for.
(always aim a little high and then edit down.)

how many minutes would you spend reading an email? three minutes, tops?
then aim for 450 words, maximum.

so here's how to write pieces that get read through

1. Cut word clutter
2. Discipline your design
3. Cull your word count

your readers will thank you for giving them more info, with less annoyance.

subscribe to the Passionista mailing list and get more relevant resources for paid, self-publishing writers...

Inspired to Lead: Surprised by a Social Marketing Book

2008-10-21T22:25:00.006+08:00

Late last night, I downloaded Seth Godin's Tribes audiobook.
I was prepared for more of his uncommon insights into marketing and also to see what he had to say about social marketing, The Next Big Thing. well, I was surprised.

not let down. surprised.
although, I can see where the complaints will come from.

this book doesn't weigh heavy on how to make money.
in fact, Godin reiterates numerous times that leading a tribe is not about money.
he goes so far, once, as to say that if you try to cash in on your tribe, you'll ruin it.
and I can just imagine how wonderfully that's going to go down with the marketing types who'll buy this book.

I was surprised.
this is not another marketing book. this is a book about leadership. one of the best I've come across, and leadership is a genre I follow quite closely.
(I even got Guiliani's post-9/11 tome, eh.)

over and over again, Godin says that we need leaders; leaders who will do the right thing.
he emphasises how each of us needs to connect--to each other, to a higher purpose.
he talks about the difference between faith and religion, how faith is what we believe, and religion is what we construct to try and nurture that belief.
and how religion can sometimes go awry, in that it may not promote belief but rather imprison it.
and how when you then challenge those concepts of religion, people get offended because they think you're challenging their faith.

an episode comes to mind, when I was preaching that the Bible does not forbid alcohol but rather intoxication.
that sermon was not well received.
how can we know that we believe in an eternal faith unless we're willing to put our religion to the test?

Godin surprised me with this one.
it's like the time I went to watch Click, expecting another trashy, brashy Adam Sandler gagfest.
and found myself choking back embarrassing man-sized tears.

it's like the time I signed up for a preaching course to learn how to communicate better and found out what grace meant for the first time, despite being a lifetime Christian with most of that lifetime spent in a movement named after grace.

sometimes it's nice to sign up for one thing and get another.

are you looking for some inspiration?
Tribes the audiobook is available for free now on Audible.com. follow the promotional link from Seth's blog post announcing the release of Tribes.
and if you're feeling generous, you can tip me by buying the hard copy of Tribes from my Amazon link.
This is one of the best books on leadership that I've read (actually, heard) in a long time.
and it's got some good points on marketing, too.

Inspiring Yourself: What Makes Your Day?

2008-10-19T21:10:00.004+08:00

Isn't it interesting how some things can make your day?
say, for instance, someone shows up at your front door brandishing the keys to your Lamborghini, a surprise gift from a loved one.
or a lost love from yesterday is found anew.
ah, that's the stuff of movies.
and on the silver screen (or flat panel display) they'll remain, for most of us.

Seth Godin recently reiterated that you can get lucky, but luck is out of your control.
so appreciate the lucky breaks, but forget trying to build a strategy around them.
what you can depend on, is the joy of the mundane.
what do you love doing that you can do consistently?
do it, and it'll be motivational fuel for your life's work.

for some people, it's taking a bicycle ride (it was for me, as a kid). for others, it's a workout at the gym.
for me, it's writing in my journal—by hand. typing on the keyboard just doesn't turn me on in the same way.

what's your "make my day" activity?
what are those one or two things that after doing, you can rest your head on the pillow knowing that your day has been full?

it might take some reflection to rediscover your "make my day" thing, but do it. it's worth it.
take a moment right now to identify that "make my day" thing you do, and you'll be set to have many full and satisfying days ahead.

go on, contemplate; I'll wait.

What's Your Passion? How Can You Apply it to the Real World to Actually Benefit People?

2008-10-16T21:04:00.001+08:00

By Diane Corriette

'Reduce your workload by 30% and increase your fun load by 30% and you will increase your revenues by 100%. More fun, less struggle. More results on all fronts.' Abraham-Hicks

I remember being asked this question years ago and it took me a long time to finally express my passion for writing because I really didn't think that anything I wrote would really impact people. Once I began writing articles and receiving emails from people who had read them and enjoyed them I knew I had to overcome my insecurities and reach out for moments of brilliance because in those moments I write my best work :)

We all have a passion for something and we do not always have to save the world or make it a deep far reaching impact kind of passion. You can put all of your passion into raising healthy, well rounded, loving children who are ready to live their life according to what they are passionate about. Or you can choose to take in damaged and abandoned animals giving them a loving home where they can flourish and overcome their fears/hurt.

Having a passion helps to take you out of any concerns, fears and worries you may have and place you into a place of joy and 'in the moment' living because when you are truly engrossed in a passion you forget everything and every one around you!

In all my years of coaching when I listened to someone in the workplace talk about why their performance is failing fast I always knew it wasn't whatever reason they presented. They had convinced themselves that the reason they were not getting as much done, or hitting their targets was become of something related to their job.

However I knew something different! Because living your passion doesn't mean you have to give up your job. I have a passion for dancing but being a dance teacher or a professional dancer at 41 is definitely out of my reach... I am a realist after all. But just being able to go out and dance, whether it was to salsa, in a club, to African drumming music... whatever I was dancing to I didn't care just as long as I got to dance. Dancing brings me a sense of joy that cannot be matched by anything, it makes me laugh, and provides me with some exercise.

Dancing is one of my greatest loves, my biggest passions (next to writing) and I give thanks every day for being able to get up and shake my thang!

If your passion involves helping others this has a wonderful effect not only on the people you help but on your life, especially during times of uncertainty. When life is not working the way we feel it should be it's very easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of not knowing what to do and trying to fix the problem. When your passion involves you helping others it gives you some time away from your own problems and in those moments, when we are not focusing on what's wrong, it is easier to find solutions.

Whenever I meet an under performing employee my first task would always be to identify what their passion is and how they can apply that to the real world to actual benefit not only themselves but also other people. Everyone has a passion, even those people who believe they really do not and all it takes is the willingness to look at what it could be.

Of course a few clients went on to leave their job and actually live their passion - which I always love to see happen because none of us should be doing anything we are not 100% passionate about (not even for the money!) But the majority found a new lease of life, a new sense of purpose that changed their perspective.

When you have something in your life you are truly passionate about life becomes a joy. It doesn't matter how much work you have to deal with, what your colleagues are like, if you are worried about money, whether your children are driving you crazy... in fact what you find is that all of that stuff seems to 'magically' change yet nothing has really changed except your outlook on life!

So please take the time to discover your passion especially if you find yourself in a place where you are fearful about the future or uncertain about what to do next and allow it to give you some 'me time' because during those moments we can receive our greatest answers to whatever questions we may have.

Write if you love to, paint if you love to, walk for miles if you love to, make plans to visit a different part of the world every six months. Do whatever you have to, to ensure that every day you have something to look forward to, something that fills you with passion and makes your soul sing with joy.

Diane Corriette is a Personal Growth Coach who works with women to help them re-connect to passion and purpose. You can read her perspective on all things transformational at Inspirational Guidance http://www.inspirationalguidance.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diane_Corriette
http://EzineArticles.com/?Whats-Your-Passion?-How-Can-You-Apply-it-to-the-Real-World-to-Actually-Benefit-People?&id=1571608

Branded Girl: Marketing Gone Too Far?

2008-10-14T01:56:00.002+08:00

PICT5506, originally uploaded by Luke Luo.

I ask you: is that Samsung logo emblazoned on her bosom going too far? is this the sexploitation of brand ambassadors? we're used to their outlandish, revealing costumes by now, but Samsung's upped the ante with this one, taking "branding" a little too literally, if you ask me. as if to say Samsung owns her. or that she's a Samsung product. so I ask you again: is this a case of branding gone too far? (of course, if it turns out that she's the latest humanoid robot, from Samsung, then I'd say they did an awesome job. oy. is this then the objectification of women?)

Mooch My Books

2008-09-25T14:06:00.001+08:00

Here's how it works:

1. you list the books that you want to give away.

2. 10 listings give you 1 point.

3. you use that point to mooch a free book.

you can check out the books I've put up for adoption here:

http://www.bookmooch.com/inventory/alphalim

note: I just cleared my bookshelves, so these are books I want to give
away because they're no longer relevant to me, or I found duplicates.

these are not necessarily books that I recommend ;).

to read more about BookMooch:

http://www.bookmooch.com/about/overview

A private screening of The Dark Knight

2008-09-24T00:40:00.004+08:00

I finally watched The Dark Knight today.
4 pm show, right, and there are only four people watching it.
Adeline and I were two of the four.
halfway through the show, the other couple walks out.

how about that, ay?
one whole Premiere Class cinema to ourselves.
one whole Premiere Class cinema for 32 bucks! haha...

yea, it's a great show. my favourite part was the sequence with the two ferries.
and Boone--"magic trick with the pencil"--I get it now! aha...

I won't say any more for fear of spoiling the plot surprises for the remaining two or three people in the world who haven't watched it yet.

Yahoo asks staff to dress like yahoos

2008-09-20T23:03:00.002+08:00

Separately, in a bid to shore up morale within a company that has been besieged by competition, a tough advertising market and the so far unwanted takeover gestures of Microsoft, Yahoo has introduced a campaign to encourage employees to dress in purple--the company's primary color--at work.
--ZDNet

You know things are bad when management tells the people to pull "morale building" stunts like this.

hull taking in water? arrange the deckchairs.

it's dark and you have no lights? just start whistling.

predator approaching? bury your head--if you can't see him, he isn't there.

okay, maybe that's a bit harsh--they are trying to rearrange their homepage, after all...

but could you just leave the Barney costumes out of the equation, Yahoo?

in related news, an overdue rant:

have you tried Cuil, the (latest) Google-killer?

apparently, its founders believe that the reason we all left Yahoo is the reason we should now leave Google for Cuil: web page content analysis.

remember the early days in search when Yahoo would try to determine the relevance of a page by examining its contents? and so we ended up with oodles of webpages with paragraphs of text at the top and the bottom that said sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex... and the page was about some guy's holiday in the Alps or something.

now, Cuil isn't that dumb, but the Cuil team somehow believes that Google's PageRank tech is "superficial". you know, the tech that changed search forever by ranking pages democratically: pages about holidays rose in relevance the more they were linked to by pages about holidays...

well, the founder of Cuil once poached salmon from the River Boyne in Ireland, where the Salmon of Knowledge was caught. this was a magic fish, see. it knew everything there was to know about everything. so maybe, just maybe, the Cuil folk know something about search that the rest of us don't.

you use Cuil for yourself and be the judge.

Use of the Internal Security Act in Malaysia

2008-09-19T18:26:00.003+08:00

U.S. Department of State
Press Statement
Sean McCormack
Washington, DC
September 18, 2008

The United States views with grave concern recent use by the Government of Malaysia of the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the possibility that it might be used again to detain opposition political figures. The statement by a government figure that a leading member of the opposition had become "a threat to the economy and national security" is extremely troubling.

The United States firmly believes that national security laws, such as the ISA, must not be used to curtail or inhibit the exercise of universal democratic liberties or the peaceful expression of political views. The detention of opposition leaders under the ISA would be viewed by the United States and the international community as a fundamental infringement of democratic rights and values.

I hope I'm not labelled an "agent of America" for posting this press release here, heh.