“Young man!” No answer. “YOUNG MAN!” No answer. The old headmistress pulled her spectacles down and looked over them across the courtyard. Then she put them up and looked out under them. She seldom looked THROUGH them for so small a thing as a boy. This was her state pair: it was built for admonishment, not for seeing through. She looked […]

​Except it doesn’t. Because the literal moment you go to write, it’s like somebody ties your keyboard’s shoelaces together. The email trips and falls. For example, back in the Dark Ages when they were still building the Great Wall of China, I had this student. He said he has tons of ideas BEFORE sitting down to write, but […]

I would have made a great First Contact Specialist. The Star Trek Federation should beam one of their better looking members back in time to recruit me. Even on Earth, I discover new species of human and make first contact. Just you imagine what I could do among the stars… For example, my most recent discovery is the Homo […]

You’ve read one of those emails before, right? There’s a story… but it doesn’t really make you crave the product.  You’re left wondering, “How does this relate to what you’re selling again?” Or they tell you a pretty good story…  But the way they then transition from the storytelling to the selling seems awkward and forced. Or the […]

So a friend of mine did something really daft the other day. She purchased a cactus in a cute little pot and put it on her windowsill so it could get sun. Unfortunately, that’s also where she has her alarm clock. Guess which one she grabbed in the morning… Shoot. Don’t we all hate it when we have to […]

​Did you notice anything bizarre in the last 24 hours? I did. This story on a “news” site: (Yes, I waste time too. I’m not a robot.) “Today, someone broke into my house and stole all of my underwear. FML” So odd. And disturbing. If you’ve been on this email list for… oh say, more than a week, you know I […]

​Public Panic #1 when it comes to email marketing: “I haven’t written to my email list since, ummm, January? I feel like I need to send something explaining where I’ve been, and letting them know that I’m going to be emailing a lot more often. Agree or disagree?” You’re probably thinking, “Boy can I relate to this!” Confess: When […]

Most people think babies are cute, and children mildly demonic. Personally, I don’t mind small children. They can be bribed It’s the babies I distrust. The most powerful weapon in their arsenal? They look so small, and squishy, and… innocent. So you underestimate them. For example, I have a “friend” who deeply underestimated his baby nephew’s climbing skills. He returned from […]

One of my subscribers beat me at my own game… So I’m currently licking my wounds and plotting my comeback. In the meantime, I shall uphold my promise as a Supervillain must, above all else, be a man of his word. (It’s hard to retain your minions if they don’t believe you’ll honour your end of the bargain.) Anymoo, I […]

​I am obsessed with unconventional businesses. Recently, that obsession has been focused on Basecamp. Specifically, I’m consumed by how it became the market leader in project management software by constantly doing less than their competitors. It pays to study the outlier, and understand WHY they can outperform the rest of the pack with such a large margin. For example, how did […]