Did Sarah Palin Just Nuke Herself? The Vietnamese Nuclear Physics Quiz VI

In a departure from our normal Vietnamese Nuclear Physics Quiz we have given our customary Vietnamese Ph.D.s, a break (and boy did they need it) and invited, soon to be, ex-governor of Alaska, the honorable Sarah Palin to be our guest physicist for the day. She quits her job tomorrow, you know. Oh, sure, we know she's not Vietnamese and a little older than our usually tasty authorities but hell, look at the bazoombas on that girl. We think she can handle the atoms around here. So let's let this soccer mom rip! Below, you'll find a question in Bold Faced Type. Consider the question, come up with your answer, and then "mouse over" (just roll the cursor over it - don't click) the question to reveal our physicist's answer. Should you disagree with it, we'll be more than happy to have Sarah check that harpoon you're holding all by yourself.


"Why did I quit my job and nuke my tits?"

For more quizzes, check here:

Iran's Ahmadinedschad - The Vietnamese Nuclear Physics Quiz VII
Did Sarah Palin Just Nuke Herself? - The Vietnamese Nuclear Physics Quiz VI
Vietnamese Nuclear Physics Quiz V
Vietnamese Nuclear Physics Quiz IV
Vietnamese Nuclear Physics Quiz III
Vietnamese Nuclear Physics Quiz II
Vietnamese Nuclear Physics Quiz I.

Our inner fire: The Random Search Effect III

Marcofantyn Alfonso :

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being.

We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit....... ;))

Thanks again to Marcofantyn for this. She's given me two of these and I hope I find more. If you've been reading this blog recently you will have realized that this flame effect has happened to me over the past few months. And when it does, one can only hope that they have had that same effect on that person who brought them the gift in the first place. Thank you.

For more in the Random Search Effect series see:

To be continued: The Random Search Effect I
Children & Unselfishness: The Random Search Effect II
Your Inner Fire: The Random Search Effect III
Mystery Google: The Random Search Effect IV
Warren Buffet: The Random Search Effect V

Big Dreams, Big Plans, Small Money, No Commitment - How Not To Market in Asia III

Watching someone's dreams go up in smoke is never easy, especially in business. It makes you wonder why they were dreaming such things in the first place. This happens often, especially in developing markets. People dream things that are beyond their grasp, usually because they don't like the grasp they are already in. It was conveyed recently to me that all Vietnamese are controlled by somebody; a parent, a marriage partner, a business relationship and so in response to this relationship, they seek to control somebody else, a friend, a lover, a supplier - maybe employees - and in so doing this, seemingly release the pressure they are already feeling from the situation they are already in - and thus, compounding the situation they are already in. What you don't want to be is the last man on that totem pole, because when things go wrong, you or your company will be blamed for all of it, and used as the scapegoat for why the whole deal went sour in the first place.

I've seen it countless of times in Asia. From Korea to Vietnam to Singapore and China, so the syndrome is not just uniquely Vietnamese - it stems from the family business model that is so prevalent in all of Asia.

As many of you will recall, this series started with a patently ludicrous request from a client looking to bring in a blimp in to Vietnam for advertising purposes, just before the Miss Universe competition in Vietnam, last summer. Even before any plan had been written it didn't seem to have dawned on anyone that blimp shots of a beauty pageant were not a particularly saleable commodity. But I dutifully plodded through an 8 page checklist of questions for the client to ask the people who had purported said hot air, just to get the ball rolling - and then I asked for my standard fee. Ball stops rolling. Blimp implosion ensues.

Probably the quickest way to kill a bad deal is to ask for money up front, which means, to get all your expenses covered, before you even get on to the playing field. For even writing plans in Vietnam, that fee could be as little as $500 just for doing a basic proposal, to much, much more should you need to expend cash, or risk life and limb to enter the deal. I was recently told of a business deal involving the shipping of tons of wood to the United States. The business owner was now complaining that the shipping company was now holding them accountable for freight charges because the shipment had been declined by the purchaser in the US (Global financial crisis blamed for causing drop in furniture sales). "But wait a minute", said I, a man with an art degree, to the MBA close to the deal, "Shouldn't all expenses have been covered first in the contract", before anything was shipped? Of course they should have. Standard logistics company contracts require that all the money for a purchase of this nature be deposited in a secure account in the country of the purchaser and then released to the supplier upon customs clearance of the shipment. Essentially, the shipment docking pays the bill - thereby keeping skinflint buyers from balking in the middle of a deal. Looking just in a cursory fashion at someone who allowed this to happen, makes you wonder about all sorts of things.

The "How Not to Market in Asia" series continued with a story of a man who thought he had sold a TV show, but just needed me to write a demographic profile for him over the weekend to seal the deal. "What?" I asked myself. "This is a potential $20,000 initial pilot program and you think you've sold it but it lacks a demographic profile?" Bullshit. Having not been able to get any sort of plan or PowerPoint on the deal thus far, I simply asked for the $500 and the ball stopped rolling. Unfortunately I was barraged by a bizarre negotiation that went all the way down to $50 at one point and shots of me rolling around on the floor laughing during the protracted telephone conversations. I have no idea what ever happened to that deal but since it involved a bank sponsorship right at the media height of the global financial crisis, earlier this year, I suspect that nothing is the correct answer.

And so to the current meltdown. A deal this week, valued at just under $10,000 went south just because a $292 contingency cost couldn't be met? Bollocks. The basic plan was $1500 over budget before leaving the starting gate and had far more risk in it (99.9% for me) than $292 dollars. That small cost was just my red flag warning as to what might happen should things have gotten rolling to much further down the line. A fair call for avoiding possibly massive pain in the future.

I was once told to avoid at all cost, second generation Asians from seemingly wealthy families. Their parents worked hard, planted rice, ran green grocers, built buildings or whatever and then sold off the family fields or store to wealthy Taiwanese real estate developers or just socked it away, day by day dollar by dollar, making maybe millions. Then they sent their children to Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford or some other prestigious International university, thus producing offspring who have no idea at all of all the hard work it took to have made the money in the first place. So I've learned to watch out for this. When you see a person who's sending out all the outward signs of being well tended and well educated, look carefully and make sure they have the go-to spirit that made their parents so successful - or have they just learned to rely on others to do all the real work while they go on maintaining the face that is ever so important in these societies.

Hugh Macleod, in his book "Ignore Everybody" puts it this way "Put the hours in - Doing anything worthwhile takes forever. 90% of what separates successful people and failed people is time, effort, and stamina. Stamina is utterly important. And stamina is only possible if it's managed well. People think all they need to do is endure one crazy, intense, job-free creative burst and their dreams will come true. They are wrong, they are stupidly wrong. Put the hours in, do it for long enough and magical, life-transforming things happen eventually." When evaluating any potential business deal with another party, simply ask yourself, "Yes, but are they willing to put in the hours like I do?" That will tell you more than any contract, budget, pedigreed degree or business plan ever will.

This week, with the help of a friend, I was able to get my book proposal to a more than relevant agent in New York. "A Rock Star" agent, as she was described to me. And what made the week for me, was that - not the idea that I might ever actually get to publish the thing, but that one more small link in the chain had been set in what might be the longest chain I have ever tried to assemble. I've done the work. I've publicized the work. I've put in the hours. And continue to do so with every letter I type on these pages. It all adds up, in little ways, sometimes.

A few weeks ago, the person with the ten thousand dollar deal had dismissed this blog and the Wild Wild East book as, not realistic - a long shot. And probably, from an outside reviewer's standpoint that's partially true. But you not only have to believe that long shots can happen - you have to put in the hours to make them happen. Dream real. And do the work. That's my Infinite Wisdom for today.

The Wild Wild East goes West. Onward ho!

And away we go! From Ho Chi MinhCity to Hanoi to Bangkok to Munich to Paris and finally to Bamako,Mali - Africa! And damn near close to Timbuktu. Yes, that fabled city is actually in Mali. Or will the trip change? Just had a call that it would be better to go just from Hanoi to Frankfurt and then take the train to Munich. Whatever. Trips like this can't be planned down to the last detail, although we're certainly trying. The reasons for this itinerary are trade secrets of Infinite Wisdom. and can't be divulged but suffice to say it's a trip that combines business and pleasure and is sure to provide plenty of fodder for this writer. When I get the photograph of me standing in front of the sign that says, "Timbuktu - Population 32,000", that will be the day. Here's a snippet of what to expect: "The first European acknowledged to have reached Timbuktu was Scottish explorer Gordon Laing. He left Tripoli in 1825 and traveled for a year and a month to reach Timbuktu. On the way, he was attacked by the ruling Tuareg nomads and was shot, cut by swords, and broke his arm. He recovered from the vicious attack and made his way to Timbuktu and arrived in August 1826. He was unimpressed with Timbuktu, which had, as Leo Africanus reported, become simply a salt trading outpost filled with mud-walled homes in the middle of a barren desert. Laing remained in Timbuktu for just over one month. Two days after leaving Timbuktu, Laing was murdered." And that's just the beginning, I'm sure. Munich will be absolutely charming and our contacts in town will be charming as well I suspect - painters and curious sorts are on the docket. Paris, which I have visited before, is always charming and the price of Le Big Mac is reported to be $4.09, more for the meal deal with fries and a Coke, of which I will certainly have more than one. It's amazing how an American's taste for fast food can suddenly reappear when he has been denied such sustenance for the past 3 1/2 years - as well as how visions of Henry Miller appear in relation to the trip and the curiosities surrounding it. Who actually plans to go from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi to Frankfurt to Munich to Paris and then on to Mali with a return to Vietnam, forecast for 6 months? Well, the Infinite Wisdom. team does and the real reasons why don't really matter. It's so much more like the answer to the question, "Why does a dog lick himself?" - because he can. The last few days have been filled with budget planning, minor arguments and all the anticipation one might expect with an adventure of this magnitude. WTF? Sometimes you just have to do things because it is possible. Screw the logic. That's for people who create actuary tables for insurance companies. I wonder just exactly how much cheese I can stuff into my pie hole in three days in Paris? That's the sort of thing I care about - and whether I will be kidnapped by Al Qaeda while in Mali. That's been reported as of late. A contact on Facebook today from John Taylor, head of British American Tobacco in Russia and my old client from Korea told me that he was responsible for all of BAT's activities in Africa, so who knows, I could be selling the white man's drugs to African's soon. Whatever makes a buck. In so many ways, it's amazing what opportunities pop up once you say you're going to Europe and Africa. Doors just start opening. I found 850 people in Mali on LinkedIn and joined the Business in Mali group. Who knew? For my readers in Germany, I'm way up for a meetup when I get there. I'll be blogging and Tweeting all the way so do feel free to contact me on Facebook, Twitter or through email. I'd like to hook up with advertising and marketing folks when I'm there - and Paris too! Anybody from Paris out there? I'm still waiting for my first blog hit from Mali, too...won't be long. Wrapping up this last week, a friend of mine recommended my book, Wild Wild East, to his agent in New York, so please say a wee prayer for me - looks like I could get a two book deal out of it once Infinite Wisdom hits the trail to Europe and Africa!

For more in the WWE Goes West Series check here:

I) The Wild Wild East Goes West: Onward Ho!
II) Frankfurt
III) C'est Si Bon
IV) Bon Jour Paris!
V) Les Picassos en Paris
VI) Nothing Much Happened en Paree Today
VII) Paris Wallpaper: Sometimes The Best Prayers Have No Words
VIII) Au Revoir Paris
IX) Is Publicis Groupe a Dead Brand?

Children & Unselfishness: The random search effect II

Continuing in WWED's efforts to randomly find stuff that adds to our lives, I stumbled upon this Facebook post by Paul Wong Li Rhen:

"No matter who or how old you are, you'll always need children in your life. They are God's tools for teaching unselfishness." - Rick Warren

I don't know why, but this somehow has meaning to me right now. And maybe to others as well. Thanks Paul.

For more in the Random Search Effect series see:

To be continued: The Random Search Effect I
Children & Unselfishness: The Random Search Effect II
Your Inner Fire: The Random Search Effect III
Mystery Google: The Random Search Effect IV
Warren Buffet: The Random Search Effect V

The road to total enlightenment takes time...

Hi all. For the next few days I'll be working on the business plan for Infinite Wisdom, so I will not be posting quite as regular for a few days.

In my post "How Not to Market in Asia: The importance of time, money, quality and knowing how much of each you need to succeed" I waxed philosophically about the idea that even in the best of circumstances, you are only allowed to have two of those attributes - the third - you must be flexible with. ie: If you want something high quality and fast, you need money. If you want something high quality and cheap, you need time - and so on.

What Infinite Wisdom has in abundance right now is quality, but a distinct lack of start-up cash. So what we need is time. I'm taking that time now, so that we don't have troubles later.

Please take your time to stroll around the site and look at some of the almost 200 older posts we have here. You can search any topic you like in the search bar - you may be surprised!

See you in a few days.

David.

"The most trusted man in America" dies: RIP Walter Cronkite

CNN) -- "Walter Cronkite, the CBS anchorman known as "Uncle Walter" for his easygoing, measured delivery and "the most trusted man in America" for his rectitude and gravitas, died Friday night in his New York home, CBS reported. Cronkite was 92. Cronkite covered World War II's Battle of the Bulge, the Nuremberg trials, several presidential elections, moon landings, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the Watergate scandal of President Richard M. Nixon's administration. At his height of influence as CBS anchorman, Cronkite's judgment was believed so important it could affect even presidents. In early 1968, after the Tet Offensive, Cronkite traveled to Vietnam and gave a critical editorial calling the Vietnam War "mired in stalemate."

Noting Cronkite's commentary, President Lyndon Johnson reportedly said, "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost Middle America." Johnson announced he would not seek re-election less than two months later."

At the time Cronkite entered the medium of television, TV was to the world, what the Internet is today. An infant, a newcomer. He was and always will live as a pioneer and sadly, throngs will not gather at the Staples Center for an all-star memorial service. Let's just bid him farewell quietly. He would have liked that. He will be missed.

Should I really believe my horoscope?

If my previous post from Dalat wasn't cryptic enough, regarding both the death of Michael Jackson and the birth of Infinite Wisdom, I just thought I throw a bit more wood on the fire. Blogs are a socially prickly affair and I've learned all too quickly that one's personal life needs to be a bit guarded here, but since I've made everyone so curious, it seems way more than fair to make you even more curious. Suffice to say, I'm in the mode of making a few changes, so to speak, so today I had a visit to www.astrologyzone.com to take a look at my horoscope - to see if what has been happening this last month, has had anything to do with what was predicted to happen. Keep in mind that I didn't read this last month, so I had no idea of what was supposed to happen.

What's probably more important here is that I allowed some things to happen, that I might have previously been opposed to, so that's obviously been a good thing (and has been referenced by many of you in comments to me). Secondly, I have been moved in a direction to want things to be different - and that's been needed for quite some time - so on to the future. Following are snippets of my horoscope from the months of June and July. I have kept my comments to a minimum and only highlighted the areas that really do make sense with what's going on.

JUNE

A conversation with a friend on the "Women are from Venus, Men are from Mars" theory, makes this all make complete sense.

"This month's configuration is unusual. Venus adores being with her lover Mars, but the way things more often turn out is that gentle, beautiful Venus is assigned to other parts of your chart, much too far away to steal kisses and treasured minutes with her macho lover, Mars. This time, as things worked out, Venus and Mars will be within a few tiny mathematical degrees of one another, rubbing shoulders, which is very significant. Venus will enter Taurus on June 6, and from then on, you'll be set. When together, these two energetic planets will act like two matches in a forest - they have the power to start a bonfire and light the midnight sky. To say you have a lot of fun coming your way in June is an understatement!"

June 22nd was my birthday.

"This new moon on June 22 will fall in 1 degree of a cardinal sign, Cancer, and that is a very special degree, for it's exceptionally energetic. Whenever you see zero or 1 degree of a cardinal sign, you know that aspect is very powerful. Those degrees are considered to be very pioneering and energetic, and so you'll be eager to start new endeavors and relationships. This does signal to me that very little will deter you once you get beyond the new moon."

A big road will open up for me? What might that be?

"What makes next month so exciting is that your second new moon in Cancer, due July 21, will be a highly friendly solar eclipse too, giving this new moon the strength of three or four new moons, all rolled into one. A big road will open up for you - and you'll be anxious to explore all it has to offer! You may notice developments in June, but the news will be even bigger in July.

The following explains my look into self:

These lunar events in Cancer will ask you to reexamine your life and make corrections so that you can be truly happy. Indeed, these new moons are all about you. You spend a lot of time taking care of others, for your sign is one of the most nurturing and caring of all the signs. Yet now the universe wants you to think about you, dear Cancer!"

This is about being encouraged to plan what I want:

"With Mars in your behind-the-scenes sector, you will be able to take the time to map out your priorities and choose a strategy this month and during most of next."

This is about working together, happiness and inspiration.

"The new moon in Cancer will arrive just at birthday time, June 22. Yet this new moon opposes Pluto, so you may be both attracted and repelled by the dominant nature of the partner (or potential partner) you are dealing with at month's end. This person is powerful, and may offer you strong financial security. With lovely greetings being beamed from Jupiter (happiness) and Neptune (inspiration), this new moon could bring you a better financial picture if you do link with that person. Creatively you'll hit on one idea after another, and each will be better than the next."

JULY

"July could well be your landmark month of 2009 for it heralds the start of a new family of eclipses in Cancer and your opposite sign of Capricorn. "

Am I experiencing a life changing event? Probably.

"Often life events take place at eclipse time. Eclipses help us evolve into a more mature and sophisticated version of ourselves. They also test the strength of our relationships and our sense of purpose, determination, and courage. If you've needed a reason to take a big step, the eclipse will provide it. Indeed, there is nothing like an eclipse to shake us out of our complacency and give us a reason to view things differently."

Time to travel - Europe and Africa are now on the horizon, but weren't 2 months ago.

"On the very same day as the eclipse, July 7, Mars will be in beautiful angle to Uranus, so you may be taking a trip quite unexpectedly. Cancer is not a sign known for spontaneous actions, but this time I sense you will feel ready to be a bit more carefree, and it's all for good. Alternatively, you may get news from a person in a foreign country who will want to work with you, and again, you'll be thrilled."

And where or who, exactly, is "true north"?

"Romantically, as you might have guessed, this month is a bit more about Cancers who are attached. If that's you, you will need to decide what you need in a relationship to make you happy. If you feel you've found that special someone - your "true north" - you will be given the impetus to move forward."

I do know it's time for a change. The whole Dalat post was about that.

"Your life is about to be turned inside out in months to come, but changes are long overdue. You are ready for the next phase you are about to enter."

"The first eclipse, July 7, will bring a surprise development in a close, serious, and possibly romantic relationship. It's more than you had hoped - are you ready? "

"The July 21 solar eclipse will be highly friendly and will open a whole new road. Hold on to your hat because travel, study, or foreign people / international settings will play a large role in your life in coming months."

"This eclipse is friendly, so even if thing are changing at the speed of light, remind yourself that you are ready for these changes and what's to come will be more suitable for your future. Life will change dramatically and move you in the right direction."

Be ready at the end of August to step vigorously forward into the light. From late August through mid-October, it will be your time to shine! Be brave, for at that time the deck will be stacked in your favor."


To quote my friend Ken Boyte from his book, In Search of the Psychedelic Sunrise, "Let the rebirth begin!"

Thanks also to RCNevada for giving this post a plug!

A death and birth in Dalat. Long live Michael Jackson. Long live Infinite Wisdom.

My birthday week in Dalat was inspiring. I was taken as a birthday gift and if one can be given peace, comfort, hope, inspiration and confidence in a big box with a ribbon on it, that was my gift. A gift from God. No cakes cut, no candles lit and no songs sung. It was perfect.

The Ana Mandara resort is an old French colonial weekend colony that has been meticulously refurbished to maintain the architectural integrity of the original villas whilst bringing them up to date with WiFi, microwave cooking and the like. The staff are courteous and casual and make a science out of staying out of your way while still making sure that all service points are met. Birds sing daily and nights by the fire are standard. Our villa had three fireplaces, making me a full-time Boy Scout and just as happy as could be. Candles are lit in groups of three always. Flowers arranged immediately. A trip to the market one day brought tuna, vegetables, fruits and the finest of Dalat's vineyards - and with the help of the resort kitchen for pots and pans, I was able to cook a meal that rivaled what the chefs had been preparing for us the whole time. Magical. With a jazz soundtrack. Morning was delivered in waves of reflection and care. Introspection and extroversion. Exploration and discovery of truth, love, logic, loss, magic and pro-activity. Beautiful mystery, explained - explained again.

Then Michael Jackson died. Turning on the BBC while having my morning coffee, it was like a replay of Princess Diana's death in August of 1997 except the celebrities had been changed and the person to whom I would deliver the news would be different. In 97 I had driven from the lake house to the local convenience store for the morning's milk and eggs when I saw the newspaper headline as big as it could have been printed, "Di Dies!". This I knew somehow, would be reacted to profoundly by my wife who was still sleeping back at the cottage. When I asked her why this was such important news, during the day long coverage her response was simple. "David", she said, "Don't you know that every little girl wants to grow up to be a princess?" This response would prove to be a milestone in my understanding of women in general but not prepare me much for my traveling companion's reaction to Jackson's death. "Michael Jackson was a foolish man. He couldn't manage his life or his money", was the statement. No sorrow, no sympathy, no regret. Just a cold hard statement of what was essentially the truth. Michael Jackson was a victim of himself and no one else - now relegated the the historical oddity chamber of pop fame.

And did he contribute to my life? Yes. But did his death have the impact on me of that of John Lennon's? No. Because with Lennon a part of my childhood died but with Jackson only a part of his childhood died. He seemed to live in a perpetual Peter Pan state and that, in the end, may have been his demise. He refused to grow up. And my week in Dalat would teach me that, that was exactly what I needed to do.

Grow up a little bit more.

I have always been extremely guarded of the childish part in me that looks at a white sheet of paper and conceives castles to commerce and so showing that to others has been something I have avoided - even to my wife during our 15 years in marriage. Yet here in Dalat I was being confronted by a friend, confidant and full-time muse to look beyond my reality and into a future of intelligence, stability and growth - a future so unlike anything that Michael Jackson could have ever conceived.

And so a death, and a birth, were happening in Dalat - all at the same time. It was coincidence, and contradiction and contrition to the fact that I would need to leapfrog some things in business and jump-start the machine again - all inspired by the most unlikely person I had met through a failed job interview. Who knew. Well, it seems that God knew. From Dalat comes the invention of a new business. A combination of art, commerce, logic. illogic, inspiration, analysis, magic and maturity. I'm not going to go into a full description now, but I will explain the name. The name came from a desire to combine creativity and logic in a business sense. The name is Infinite Wisdom. More on that later.

For readers in Germany, France and Africa stay tuned for an upcoming tour schedule as the Wild Wild East goes west. A death in Dalat. A birth in Dalat. From the loss of Michael Jackson to the birth of Infinite Wisdom. The one to thank, already knows. It's time to take this show on the road. Long live Michael Jackson.

The Hair Job III: How Deep Is Your Mix?

Oh dear. Another post about my frigging hair. The Hair Job III. Well let me tell you about it - if you had my hair, you could write about it too. From the 70's through the 80s and 90s, if you had a picture of my hair, you could tell the history of the time by it's styling because if it wasn't an exact replication of the fashions of the day, it was a folicular forcast of what was to become. My hair, in historical retrospect, has been nothing short of hilarious. Consider the photo attached. Ha! Thank the 80s, thank Wham, thank all the gay hairdressers on the planet because if I wasn't gay I was doing a damn good job looking like I was. This particular hair was courtesy of MIA Salon in Dallas Texas and imported to Washington DC for my work with the Earle Palmer Brown Agency on the Marriott Family Restaurant account. I do believe I am wearing a black bandana as well, giving the whole affair that boy-band poofed up look. Makes Lisa look like a man comparatively.

The woman on the right is Lisa Hagen, my creative partner at the time and the man in the middle is Brad Colerick, then a young music producer with Music Animals of LA and now, Owner and Partner at DeepMix, a commercial music production house in Hollywood. Those who know this blog will be familiar with my association with DeepMix from my previous post, "Introducing WWED Radio" and know that there is also a commercial interest in this partnership as well.

Look at this blog. Do you see any cheesy advertisements for travel services or Vietnamese hotels or any of the other gawd awfull dreck that Google AdSense can come up with? Of course you don't. Because I simply won't have it. Oh, sure, there are a few little links you can click on that come at the end of this post, but they are as unobtrusive as possible and made me a whopping total of $4.82 cents last year because I just don't want a bunch of mass transit garbage mucking things up around here. I only want to work with people I can know and recommend and that includes advertisers and clients.

You and I all create the environment in this space and if anybody is going to muck it up, then we've got first refusal rights on that claim - so let's get on with the story and see how I might effectively monitize the site without inflicting pain on the residents here.

Brad and I met in the summer of 1988 while I was involved in producing a series of commercials for the Marriott Family Restaurant concept Allie's. Allie was the nickname of Bill Marriott's mom, Alice, and after a long and expensive brand reinvention investigation was chosen over the recommended name of Barnie's. It lacked the "bilabial fricative" (linguistic terminology for what happens when the two lips come together to form the B sound - and highly memorable according to the naming consultant) complained the branding agency, but was cetainly do-able as it was the client's mother's name and he was paying the bill. Funny how decisions in corporate America are made no matter what the budget.



Make sure to turn off the music in the podcast before playing.

Our campaign didn't have a big budget but it did have a common self effacing, tongue-in-cheek touch that attracted Gary Johns and Mark Gorman (the rage in hip directors at the time) to shoot it and the Music Animals, one of Hollywood's hottest commercial sound houses, to write music for it. In the end, the entire campaign of over 10 commercials and a whole bunch of print and design projects garnered a One Show Award in New York, Four CLIO finalists and a boatload of local and other creative awards. It was by far, the most awarded work the agency had produced to date and probably remains so to this day.

And Brad helped make that happen. In the advertising business it's common for the writers to take charge of the music production side of the business and there's absolutely no fucking reason that I am aware of for that, but I was technically raised as an art director and that brought some confusion to Lisa and my respective responsibilities on this project. My love and talent in music go way back, and although you would choose not to have me playing the piano at your next Bar Mitzvah, you'd be hard pressed to match my knowledge and appreciation for almost any style of the art. Brad & the boys at Music Animals including Joe Lubinski and Howard Pfiffer, engaged me and added conceptual flourishes that not only improved the scripts and film we had brought to them but raised a few of the spots to nearly high art and comedy with everything from toy pianos to opera singers and Tarzan swinging in the jungle as background support. Working with them was a joy seldom seen in most types of work. It was an absolute blast.

So Brad and I have remained friends and colleagues to this day. In 1996, for my 40th birthday, my wife asked me what I wanted. My request was to be able to invite all off my good friends to visit our lake house in Michigan over the course of a month. Brad and his wife Celeste were two of the caravan from all over the US who took us up on the invitation and came in all the way from LA. Man, that was cool.

Earlier this year the subject came up of how to make Brad's firm, DeepMix more present here in Asia and one answer has come as a presence here on the Wild Wild East Dailies. DeepMix has worked with agencies from Tokyo to Singapore but not yet Vietnam and Thailand should certainly be on the list. Brad has asked me to help develop and work as an agent on the firm's behalf in Southeast Asia and I have agreed. And yes, there's money in the deal. I don't get to sit around and just blog for free. The music you are listening to right now on the podcast is all from DeepMix as producers, and as you hear now, is not for commercial purpose but from Independent artists. Make sure to download an MP3 of it from the podcast control if you like it. And for commercials purposes, be it TVC work, radio, film and TV soundtracks and the like, please do talk to me about your needs and ideas. You'll be surprised at how reasonably a top LA shop can be when it comes to working in this market - as well as how a conceptual and currently hip score or remix can increase the value of almost any project.

Take a listen to DeepMix and an over 20 year old friendship that still works as good as new - except Brad doesn't look nearly that cute today and neither do I. No news on Lisa.

Post Script: And do note the shirt I'm wearing. It's says Chả Giò and was from the café of the same name in Atlanta. A Vietnamese café. How's that for predicting the future with fashion?