I'm pissed off.

I know this is the fourth missive today, I know that's too much, I know some people are gonna unsubscribe without even getting this far, sick and tired of having their inbox overloaded, but hell...

WHY ARE PEOPLE SO STUPID!

My inbox is filling up with people saying they hate Rachel Maddow, what she stands for, she's a tool of the left, but...

THAT WASN'T MY POINT!

Didn't you read the title of the article, "The Rachel Maddow Paradigm"?

But NO!!!

You've got your knee-jerk reaction, got to talk about the libtards, some asshole even called her a "cow."

That's how you win friends and influence people. Why don't you say that in a group of women, see how that works for you.

And another called her an "imbecile."

My article had nothing to do with her viewpoint, but her EXECUTION!

But this just proves the point that the best and the brightest are not in the music business. Maybe they should have studied harder in high school, so they could have gotten into a good college, so they could have learned how to wrestle with the topics.

And the truth is you don't have to go to school to learn any of this. But the people who run this world know this stuff and you don't. They know what's important and you don't.

And now I've pissed off more of you, who didn't fit the peg in my board. DON'T TAKE IT SO SERIOUSLY! I'M JUST A GUY WITH A KEYBOARD! As James Taylor once sang, "you could follow me and lose your mind." I'm only here to spark thought, to stimulate you, assuming you want to think, but too many of you would rather I just give you what you want, reminisce about the old days, talk about vinyl and concerts at the Fillmore and make you feel good, kinda like the "New York Times," which prints anti-technology articles on a regular basis. Why? Because their aged readers are overloaded and want to remember when.

But Rachel Maddow is not living in the when, that was my point, I thought it was very clear, but I'm gonna state it again.

1. FREQUENCY!

To succeed today you've got to be in the marketplace all the time, with new product, new ideas. You're not gonna play at a ten level at all times, but there's so much information that you get lost if you don't continue to play.

2. REACTION

If there is none, pivot or give up. Rachel gained adherents, business people who promoted her and fans who watched and spread the word. This isn't about Rachel, per se, once again, but the PARADIGM!

3. SMART SELLS

She radiates intelligence. She assumes you're smart. She's trying to teach you things and we all want to learn. Maybe you don't agree with her agenda, that's just fine, but being smart plays in all walks of life.

4. MAKE THE AUDIENCE #1

Not like Taylor Swift, who's making her acolytes her tools.

5. BE WARY OF SELF-PROMOTION

It backfires, best to lead with your work.

6. TRADITIONAL CRITERIA ARE IRRELEVANT

You can be gay and still be successful. All the things they said were prerequisites are not.

BUT I'M STILL GONNA GET HATE MAIL!

And I do my best to ignore it, but sometimes it gets to me. You can't answer these people, because even if you prove your point they change the subject and say you're still wrong. It's about them, it's always about them.

And why are you e-mailing me your hatred on a regular basis? It's always the same people. What made you so angry and insecure? And if you care about it that much why don't you start your own newsletter.

But you won't. That takes effort, and perseverance.

Which was exactly my point.

People would rather be haters than players.

And too many are so busy being defensive they can't even fathom the truth. Hell, I listen to Fox News on a regular basis, I read the "Wall Street Journal," I want to see where others are coming from, I'm open to the possibility I can be wrong.

But self-evaluation is out the window.

And god forbid you change your opinion.

And then there are the holier-than-thou jerks that say I keep contradicting myself. No, these subjects are thorny, and I can't write down every exception, every line of thought.

And then there are the idiots who e-mail me I left stuff out. I'd never send a damn missive if I listed every song Steely Dan ever recorded, but I can't make you happy, or is it you just need to be self-satisfied and superior.

Not that many people didn't e-mail me agreeing with my point.

But if my audience can't read, can't wrestle with the issues, what hope do we have for America?

Not much.

Which is why we're in the situation we're in.

Enough.

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