Last night for about four hours the Internet experienced a blackout.
It was a small one, but some people felt it.
A few people even disappeared during it.
Bill Hibbler, Pat O’Bryan, Scott York and myself stepped away from our computers and went to see blues-rock guitar-slinger Joe Bonamassa tear down the walls and shoot chi through our veins.
During the rip-roaring concert none of us checked our email.
Nor did we do any online promotions.
We let it all go, trusting the Internet would survive without us, at least for a few hours.
Apparently it did.
No one sent out a missing person’s alert looking for any of us.
No one even seemed to notice the blackout.
Joe Bonamassa was fantastic. I haven’t been this excited about a guitar player since Stevie Ray Vaughan. I’ve seen (and met) Kenny Wayne Shepherd and other guitar slingers, but nobody puts it all together and belts it out with blistering speed and contagious energy like Bonamassa.
I’m telling you this partly to promote Joe’s music, but also to remind you to take a break.
I don’t take enough breaks. Except for my time in my gym, some time watching movies with Nerissa, and an occasional meal out, I basically sit in front of my computer all day and work online. I love it, of course, or I wouldn’t do it.
But the Internet will survive without me if I took a few breaks.
And it would survive without you, too.
At least for a few hours.
Now and then, step away.
Get out.
Relax.
Get some fresh air.
Smoke a cigar.
Go swimming.
Or listen to some Joe Bonamassa.
Nobody will notice the “blackout” and you’ll return more refreshed.
Try it and see.
Ao Akua,
PS – I just discovered an online marketer you should study and watch. I don’t know him at all but I’m now a fan as well as a customer. I’m talking about John Wood. The guy has a niche you won’t believe: Hand strength. That’s it. He offers products focused on developing your hand and wrist strength. He sends out hypnotic emails virtually every day. Every one is muscular. Many are downright wise. I wrote him to say how much I love his work. He wrote back to say he’s been studying my methods for years now. You never know who you influence, do you? Check out John Wood’s site at www.functionalhandstrength.com/ He doesn’t know I’ve posted this here, so let’s surprise him with a sudden surge of traffic.
PPS – Oh! If you missed the info-packed free call where I and others talked about the marketing methods we learned from Internet legend Mark Joyner, you can still access the audio at http://m162.infusionsoft.com/go/xbmcall/joevitale/ If I were you, I’d go get it right now.
I’ve been a BMW groupie for a decade now.
I own two of them: my Montreal Blue 1999 BMW Z3 2.8 Roadster and my Mystic Blue 2005 BMW 645ci.
Both are works of art.
Both are loves of mine.
But I’m about to cheat on them.
Yesterday Tesla Motors announced a sports car roadster which looks like a sexy road rocket, flys like a stealth missile, and costs like a high-end BMW — but runs entirely on electricity.
I want one.
I’ve run out of room here at our estate for all the cars we already have, since Nerissa recently got a 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid. We even had to build a special carport to house my Z3.
So we’re crowded.
But I want this electric car.
I was fascinated with electric cars back in the 1970s. (We went through gas shortages back then, too.) But the joke then was you could only drive as far as the cord allowed you. You had to keep the thing plugged in, and the cars were ugly and slow. No wonder they became golf carts.
But this Tesla Roadster is as sexy and fast as anything James Bond ever steered. And the added fact that it uses no gas at all is very appealing.
The car was officially unveiled on July 20 (yesterday). Tesla Motors claims prototypes have been able to accelerate from 0-60 mph (100 km/h) in about 4 seconds, and reach a top speed of 130 mph (210 km/h). Also, the car can travel 250 miles (400 km) on a single charge of its lithium-ion batteries with an equivalent gas mileage of 135 mpg (57 km/l).
All pretty impressive.
And that’s why I want one.
After all, more and more conscious consumers are going green. They want luxury, but they also want to respect the environment. They wouldn’t mind saving money at the gas pump, too.
I’m in that category.
But I also want the car for marketing reasons.
If I get one of the first 100 of the cars made, I’ll probably be the only one in Texas to own one.
I’ll certainly be among the celebrities who may own one, such as George Clooney or maybe Lindsay Lohan.
From a marketing and publicity standpoint, getting one of these winged plug-in batmobiles would be wise for me.
Still, I haven’t decided at this very moment to order one.
I’m wondering if wanting this car is just another “hungry ghost;” one of those silly addictive desires that comes from your monkey mind. I talked about this at the Manifestation Weekend. I don’t think this is a “hungry ghost” desire, but I want to be sure.
But I have a few other concerns, too:
Tesla wants $100,000 up front to order it. It’s refundable if I don’t like the car, but still, that’s a handful of money.
They don’t have any service spots in Texas. While the car is designed to not need service (no oil changes, ever, for example), sooner or later, it will need it. At that point it may need shipped to California, or a tech shipped to me.
I still haven’t heard how you recharge the battery in the car if you drive 250 miles away from home. You get a special plug to put in your garage to recharge the Tesla Roadster at home. But what do you do once you’ve left the house?
Once these minor concerns are addressed, I’ll start working on attracting the car (I’ll order one painted electric blue).
I hope my BMW’s won’t mind.
Ao Akua,
PS — If I order today, I’ll have the Tesla Roadster by Summer 2007 — about one year from now. Talk about making me wait. Doesn’t Tesla know we live in the instant gratification Western world? Alas. I must learn patience. And fast.
PPS – Does Tesla have any competition? You bet. All good ideas do. See http://autoreview.belproject.com/item/19
Where do the best money-making ideas come from?
From being silly.
From getting drunk.
From a stupid joke almost no one gets.
From taking a chance and trying something new, just because you believe in it, even if it seems like no one on earth will tell you it’s a good idea.
Want proof?
Go see http://weirdtechnewshub.blogspot.com/2006/07/top-10-dumbest-online-business-ideas.html
Those 10 “dumb” website ideas made and are making their creators very, very rich.
So, what dumb idea haven’t you acted on lately?
Ao Akua,
Joe
www.mrfire.com
PS – The Canine Concert was a dumb idea, too. But four news crews covered it and it will soon be a DVD you can buy. If you want to make money online, think FUN DUMB. That seems to be the ticket. It’s dumb to most people but fun to a select few, and that select few can make you wealthy.
This just in:
Pat O’Bryan’s course on how to build your own Internet Empire (in 30 days) is currently available for just $99.
You gotta go look.
He so believes that you can get your “portable empire” up and making money fast that he is loaning you the money to get his course on how to do just that.
It’s all explained at his site.
See – http://snipurl.com/unseminar
Ao Akua,
Joe
www.mrfire.com
PS — Rumor has it some people are calling me “The King of Manifestors.” I don’t know if Lindsay Lohan started that rumor or not, but if you want to know my personal secret, go see www.BeyondManifestation.com
Take a good look at that image…
That has to be the greatest example of a hard-hitting, clear, concise and truly hypnotic irresistible offer I’ve ever seen online.
The graphic grabs you because of the beaming smile, the in-your-face business-card size memo, and the finger pointing to it.
And the words say it all —
“Set up your own portable Internet empire in 30 days or less – Guaranteed!”
Lordy, you can’t get much more focused than that.
I applaud Pat for creating one of the best direct-response sites of the year.
Go study it.
You’ll find the hypnotic graphic, video testimonials, story oriented sales copy, social proof, and an offer that most people would be nutty to ignore.
This is the kind of website that makes me proud to be an online marketer.
And even prouder to know Pat.
It’s at http://snipurl.com/unseminar
Or http://www.marketerschoice.com/app/?Clk=1507703
Ao Akua,
Joe
www.mrfire.com
PS – Pat’s site offers the DVDs and CDs from his Portable Empire Un-Seminar. It was a terrific event. Newbies came and learned how to get online and make money fast. This is the real deal and the information is bankable. I know. I was there. I spoke three times. Get all the details at http://snipurl.com/unseminar Or http://www.marketerschoice.com/app/?Clk=1507703 You should really get this set. Like today.