Don't Get Hustled

The other day, I told you about my experience selling electricity door to door. I learned a lot from that experience - a lot about how people operate and a lot about how hustlers operate. Here are some tips and rules of thumb that I picked up. They are applicable in any situation where someone approaches you unsolicited and tries to sell you something or sign you up for something. These are in no particular order.

• Do not buy/join on the spot. If someone approaches you about buying or joining something, ask them for a brochure and tell them you'll read it over and make a decision later. If they tell you that they don't have any literature and they try to push you to make a decision on the spot, that's usually because they are worried that if you take time to think about it, you will refuse what they are offering. That's a sure sign that you should investigate what they're offering further and take time to consider it. If it's worth buying or signing up for, it will be just as worth it tomorrow as it is today, so do it on your own time.


• Be protective of information and answers. If someone is trying to sell you something, they should be the ones giving you information, not the other way around. Do not give them your name or any personal info unless you specifically want them to use that information to sign you up or contact you. If you do give them information, make sure they explicitly tell you what they are going to do with that info. Do not give or show them bills or any other documents just because they asked.


• Control your eyes. Do not give the salesman control of your eyes and attention. If he's showing you something, look at the whole paper, not just the part he points to. If he tries to move on, ask him to give you some time to look at what's in front of you. The idea is that if he is pointing at something, you need to figure what he is pointing away from.


• Understand the implications. Understand the implications of signing/buying. Thoroughly question the salesman and read whatever documentation is available. You don't want to sign up for a lower rate only to find out that you unknowingly changed electric companies.


• Don't let things slip by. If the salesman quickly mentions an extra cost, condition or disadvantage, don't let it slip by. Stop him and ask about it. Remember that this changes things. What seemed like a great deal, might be a rip-off now that the extra cost is part of the picture. Any new information of this sort should make you completely reevaluate the proposal.


• Understand the objective. An understanding of what the salesman's role is can really help you maintain perspective of the situation. The salesman is trying to earn a commision. He is not worried about your best interests. He is not trying to show you his product's bad side. It is up to you to watch out for your interests and uncover the disadvantages. Those should be your primary obectives. He'll be sure to let you know all the good things, so you should be playing devil's advocate.


• Read what you are signing. I know you're supposed to do that all the time, but no one does. For example when buying a new cell phone, most people don't read the entire contract, terms, and conditions before you sign. It's not always practical, but in many cases, you already know the major points and the finer points aren't that important at the moment. I stress reading what you sign here because this is not the normal situation. You don't know any of the points unless you really want to trust the word of some random guy who sees you a s apossible commission. Really read it. Pay close attention to any fees, costs, and especially to terms of withdrawal. If you change your mind later, how much is it going to cost you? Also, look out for anything vague like unspecified "variable rates."


• Set the pace. If at any point you feel rushed to make a decision, or even worse, if you feel like you're being moved along with no chance to make decisions, stop!


• Know the bottom line. In the end if you decide to buy/sign on the spot (which you shouldnt - see the first tip) you should be able to answer two questions in a simple and clear way. What am I gaining? What am I losing. If you can't answer these questions, if you're answers seem like they are missing something, or if your answers seem too good to be true, then you are not ready to buy/sign.

Silly love Song

I was feeling silly today, so I started writing a sad song. The humour in this is inspired by some of the lyrics I've heard in country songs.

[chorus]
All the great songs are love songs
Extremely sad love songs
So for love of my art
I broke my own heart
Now I write love songs
Extremely sad love songs
But I hate my art
Because it’s broken my heart

[verse 1]
Our past was so perfect
That’s the reason for my tears
Remembering hurts
And pain’s not changed by years
When you would smile, I would smile
Because your happiness was my joy
And my heart would start singing
Making a joyful noise
We argued almost never
And I wanted you for forever
To love and to cherish
To appreciate and treasure
I felt lucky to have met you
And to have you love me
And I thought our love would be
Eternal until infinity
But something inside of me
Took issue with my bliss
When my pen would hit paper
It would produce blank pages
I found I couldn’t write
Without despair, tears and rages
I need pain and impatience
Anger, frustration
I mean who’s heard of good art
Conceived in positive emotions
Happiness brings a trickle
But pain makes an ocean
I needed to get open
To get creative juices flowing
I had to write my poems
That’s why our hearts are broken

My Door to Door Days

Several years ago, during my search for a summer job, I responded to an ad in an employment newspaper. I ended up working for a marketing company, selling electric service from door to door for a week. For seven days, I went from door to door trying to get people to switch from the major electric company in this area to a greener and "cheaper" provider. Without question, that was the absolute shadiest job I have ever had. When I did my own research, I found that for most people, the switch to a "cheaper" company would actually end up increasing their monthly bill, but that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that we were trained to manipulate people into making the switch. Every cloud has a silver lining - the worst part was also the best part. Long after I left that job, I retained the lessons learned. I don't aim to be manipulative, but I value everything I learn about how people work and learning the techniques of manipulation has helped me avoid being manipulated. The basic idea was to get people to sign a contract without putting a lot of thought into it. In order to do that, we were supposed to play on their trust, use their reflexes, and encourage rashness.

We approached the door - knock knock/ding dong. "Hi I'm Ahd Child representing Green Mountain. I'm just registering all the PECO customers on this street for the flat rate they can get now."

Our speech was pre-written and very calculated. As we began by saying who we were representing, we quickly pointed to our Green Mountain name badge in the binder we were holding. We said this part very quickly so that the person wouldn't really register it. We wanted them to pay attention to the next part. In our binders, next to the Green Mountain badge, was a stack of PECO bills. As we said the word "PECO" we would point to the company name on the bill with our pen. A pen can control a person's attention. Try this trick that they taught us during training. While you are talking to someone, reference and point to (with your pen) something on a paper. Once the person's eyes are on the paper and as you continue to talk, move the pen to the four corners of the paper in an X pattern. The person's eyes should follow your pen. We'd also slow down as we said the word "PECO." The result was that they would see and hear "PECO" while barely noticing "Green Mountain." We "plainly" stated that we worked for Green Mountain, but people always inevitably ended up thinking we worked for PECO - a company they knew and trusted.

If we had succeeded in getting electric bills from their neighbors, we'd leave those on top and using our pens and gestures, we'd draw attention to the name. If someone sees that their neighbors signed up, they'd be more inclined to go ahead and sign up. As we said "flat rate" we would hold our hand up and flat, illustrating our words. This brought the person's eyes back up from our binders and made the words stick in their minds.

"You see what happened now is the government changed the law so everyone can get the new rate now easily."

I don't quite remember the speech word for word anymore, but this is pretty close to what it was - including the bad grammar. The bad grammar was purposely included to make sure the speech sounded natural. There was no mention that by getting these new rates they'd be switching electric companies.

"All I need is an old electric bill, if you could just go grab that for me."

This was one of the most devious parts. At this point we break eye contact, looking past the person and into the house as we ask them to grab the bill. We'd also point into the house and then we immediately looked down into our binders, making sure not to resume eye contact. Our trainers called this "being assumptive." If we were properly assumptive, even before the person realized what they were doing, they'd turn to grab the bill. Of course some people would think about it and stop, but that was only after they involuntarily started the motion. Try it yourself. Ask someone to get something for you that's already in easy reach. As you say it, look and point at the object. Then, look away from the person. Your body language should show that you assumed that they are already doing what you asked them to do. Despite the fact that you could easily have grabbed the object yourself, the person will move to grab it. They may stop halfway there and tell you get it yourself, but if you do it right, there will be some sign of a reflexive reaction to your words.

I forget the rest of the speech, but once the bill was retrieved, we'd copy the person's info (name, address, etc.) to our form as we talked. As we finished, we'd inform them that we just needed their signature to activate this new rate. We never asked them if they wanted to switch companies, we just filled out the form. Once again we were being assumptive. If, after all our efforts at manipulation, the person refused to sign, we'd leave - with their bill if possible. That way, when we went to the next house, we'd have a neighbor's bill to point at, so even if the neighbor hadn't signed up, it looked like they had. If they did sign, we informed them that the last thing they had to do was vocally confirm that they had been informed of all the conditions. We let them know that we were going to dial a number on our phones and somebody would ask them questions. We told them what the questions would be and how they should answer.

". . . and they'll ask you if you are aware that there will be a one-time charge of $5, and you say yes . . . "

(I think the charge was somewhere around $5, but I'm not sure.) This was the first time during the conversation that a start up charge would mentioned. At this point, we'd be wrapping things up, the person already signed the form, and they should be distracted by the phone call. They should feel too rushed to voice an objection to this small additional fee.

Skin Deep - a Haiku

Her face is perfect
Her attitude is the worst
She is so ugly

How Do You Do That?

A few times, after freestyling in cyphers, I've had people ask me "how do you do that?" I've also been asked that when I was out dancing to house music. (house music all night long - say what!) I've never really known how to answer that question, because the answer seems so complex and so simple at the same time. You just do it. You don't need classes or lessons to learn how to rap or how to dance when you go out. You learn by doing it. That's how I learned. When I first started dancing, I was a master of exactly one move - the two-step. When I look back at the first rap verses I wrote, I find them laughable. I'm glad my first freestyles were never recorded.

Of course you can learn by watching other people or sometimes there may be tips that can help you, but in the end, there is only one way to start - just do it.

I'm gonna #010

I'm gonna pass on the side with least space when people move to make room for me to get by. I've seen lots of other people do it, so why can't I? You know - you step to the left, opening up a huge space on your right side. The oncoming person veers away from the huge space on your right and attempts to squeeze between you and the wall on your left. That's gonna be me. For increased effectivness, as I squeeze by, I'll give you the why-the-hell-aren't-you-moving-out-of-my-way glare.

Cleaning Up Their Act (a little) - Burnlounge Update

Previously, I wrote about Burnlounge and their shady business model which looked suspiciously like a Quixtar pyramid scheme. It seems that after getting the unwanted attention of the FTC, Burnlounge decided it wasn't worth it. They've changed their business model to "eliminate the network marketing portion." Now instead of paying them for the opportunity to sell their music, you can create your own Burnlounge store for free. Of course you'd still be selling their music, but without the fee, the Burnrewards you get in return seem a little more enticing.

Of course there are still a number of for-pay services available, but they are a lot more straightforward now. You can still pay a monthly fee in order to get cash instead of Burnrewards, but you no longer get cash or rewards for convincing other people to sell stuff under you . . . though there is something about getting rewards for sales your "affiliates" make. I think the value of some of their for-pay services is still questionable, and the affiliate thing sounds a little pyramid-ish, but the new business model is definitely an improvement. Take a look at their frequently asked questions for more info the changes.

I'm gonna #009

I'm gonna make up words that sound like they could be racial slurs and then use them. Everyone will think it's directed at them. I'll probably get beat up a lot.

"Get out of my way you dirty snik! You sniks are all alike. Ouch! Why'd you hit me?"

I'm Sorry

This is the first verse of a song I started writing a while ago. The song is from the perspective of a war veteran who has killed people in the course of duty. The other verses aren't written yet

I try to wash my hands,
But this blood is in my mind.
It’s on the lids over my eyes,
So when I blink it’s still in sight.
It stalks me and it hides,
Staying close throughout my life
Makes me wish that I could die,
But it will find me after life.
Why’s this guilt on me?
I only did what I was ordered.
I was just a tool,
Not the leader of the slaughter.
Daughters, sons and mothers,
Fathers, sisters, and their brothers
Always smother me with blame,
And the shame paints my days,
And the pain seems to stay.
I would love to run away,
But there’s nowhere I can be
Where this guilt can’t find me.
Out damn spot!
I fucking hate the color red!
I’m so sorry yall are dead,
But please leave my head.
I can’t bring you back.
Acts can never be reversed.
I don’t deserve what I’m getting.
What must a do
To get a ghost to forgive me.
These phantoms stay with me,
Attacking my sanity,
And crying for their families.

(Chorus)
I’m sorry for my actions
And I’m sorry for the past
I’m sorry for the violence
Sorry I can’t take it back
I’m sorry for the bullets
And I’m sorry for the guns
I’m sorry for the bombs
I’m sorry for your loved ones

The Euphoria of Creation - Mad Ponderings

I haven't been doing much creative writing lately. When I'm working on a major project like an album, I have to force myself to focus my creativity on that project. Otherwise, I end up constantly starting new songs instead of refining and finishing the ones I already have. I don't stop making new stuff, completely, but I do it a lot less frequently. Well, the album is almost done now, so I'm free to create again.

I just finished writing something, and I feel good about it. That's normal - I always feel good when I finish making something. I never really paid attention to the feeling, but today I am paying attention. I think I'm high. Seriously, the good feeling is physical. It's emotional too - I feel happy - but there is a physical element to it too. I'm not quite sure how to describe it . . . I feel light in my chest, I feel strong, much more energetic than I was before I wrote. I'm wondering if any scientific studies have been done on this type of thing. I think it would be found that the biology related to the after-creation feeling has a lot in common with the biological effects of drugs that are supposed to give users pleasurable experiences. The nice thing is that I get no side effects.

Hmmm . . . maybe this is why so many artists turn to substance abuse. Art could be a gateway drug - introducing us to an experience that we continue to crave and chase. I'll have to be careful. Maybe art is physically addictive. Is there such a thing as art-withdrawal? Maybe if you take an artist in the middle of a creative spurt and make it impossible for him to create, he'll get physical reactions - cold sweats, shakes and stuff.

Maybe I'm just talking nonsense because I'm strung out on this art stuff.

Everything Except Country

Think of how many times have you heard someone say "I listen to everything except country music." That exception at the end is always stated with a bit of pride and there's always an air of understanding, a bit that's unsaid but understood - "because you and me both know that country is crap." Chances are that you've said something similar at some point in your life or at least nodded your head in agreement when someone else said it. It's become part of pop culture to hate country music. So much so, that I don't think many people really think about what they're saying when they say they don't like country.

How many of the everything-except-country people have actually listened (not heard, listened) to country music and honestly given it a chance? I definitely wouldn't call myself a big fan of country - I hardly even know any songs or artists - but I've come across enough appealing tracks to realize that this entire genre definitely does not deserve to be written off as too corny for the cool people.

I'm a latecomer compared to other folks that like his music, but I've been a fan of Johnny Cash ever since I heard his cover of Nine Inch Nails' Hurt. Just recently, I found out that Almeda Riddle is the singer of an old acapella song that I love - Hangman Tree. The O, Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack is one of the best soundtracks I've heard. Everyone knows and should love Patsy Cline's Crazy. I'm not sure if Ray Charles did it first or if it was a country song before he touched it, but whichever version you listen to, Your Cheatin' Heart is a great song. Many people could probably relate to Bonnie Raitt's Let's Give them Something to Talk About.

If I can come across all this stuff without even trying, imagine how much more must be out there? I wouldn't say that I'm a country music fan - I find much of it to be boring and tedious -but there are plenty of gems out there. Actually, I bet if I dug deeper, I'd find that the boring, tedious stuff is not representative of most country - kind of like smooth jazz could make you think you hate jazz.

I'm not saying that you should dive into the world of country music head first and with reckless abandon, saturating your senses with the vivid story telling and copious amounts of guitar playing (not saying that you shouldn't), I'm just saying give it a chance. You may be missing out.

Unfocused

I'm kind of drifting today . . . I want to blog, but I don't want to blog. I have a few topics I've been thinking about writing about:

• I realized I never gave an explanation of the name of this site - "Wandering to a Goal".
• I've been eating a lot of pineapple lately. I think it's an underrated fruit. I did some reading on it and I was going to write something . . . but then I didn't.
• I went back and looked at a blog I used to write in years ago. I was thinking of doing a looking-back post, but I haven't finished re-reading the old blog yet.
• I heard about a news report that said we should spend some time in air-conditioning when it's hot outside. According to the report, our bodies can't handle being hot for long. I think that's a load of B.S. If we take care of ourselves, we can do just fine in 80 or 90 degree weather. i was going to write about how we see conveniences as necessities, but then I didn't feel like it.

Yep, I'm definitely unfocused and unmotivated at the current moment. I get like this when I'm tired - I went to bed waaaaay too late last night. 'm still gonna write about all of the above, but it's definitely not happening today.

Web 2.0 and the DIY Revolution

I'm a self-professed geek. Sometimes I lose track of what is common knowledge and what is geek-common knowledge. Where does Web 2.0 fall? Have non-geeks heard of it? Do non-geeks understand what it is? The other day it hit me that "Web 2.0" is a horrible name for the social trend that it is supposed to describe. What we call "Web 2.0" is really just a part of something that is much bigger than the web. If this trend is something that is only known of and understood within the geek sphere, it shouldn't be. It will end up affecting geeks and non-geeks alike.

One of the major features of Web 2.0's definition is the idea of user-generated content. Instead of big corporations or globally recognizable celebrities creating content, the user creates it. Of course, this doesn't mean that if you're looking for entertainment/info on the web, you're required to make it. The idea isn't that every user must create content, it's that any user who is willing, can create content. For example, several years ago, you might have looked to magazines or newspapers to read editorial pieces on current trends in the media, but now you're reading my blog instead. I'm not paid to do this, writing is not my career, I'm a regular "user" just like you.

According to Wikipedia, the term "Web 2.0" was coined in 2003, but this idea of user-generated content is far from new. Have you ever been to a talent show? Web 2.0 is basically an online talent show . . . but it's not just online. What was already an old concept recently became labeled "Web 2.0" because while the idea is ancient, its worldwide popularity is very new. User-generated content has been growing in dominance over traditional, celebrity-driven media in many arenas other than the Internet. Consider reality television. Instead of watching sitcoms about quirky people and dysfunctional families, we watch realty T.V. shows that give us glimpses into the real lives of quirky people and dysfunctional families. There are no traditional stars in this this new world of media. Any average-Joe is free to enter, but few will stand out and gain recognition. Reality television is not exactly the same as Web 2.0 - it is not possible for any "user" to be part of a reality show - but they share the same spirit of average-Joe-as-star and both are part of a larger whole.

By focusing solely on the "Web 2.0", we are fostering a misunderstanding of the scope of this thing, its causes, its possible future, and its dangers. This is way bigger than the Internet, bigger than Myspace, Wikipedia and Youtube. It may even be bigger than media. There was a time when the major social effect of new technology was to create more leisure time, but that has changed. A large amount of the new consumer technologies that have recently become mainstream have made it easier for "users" to do-it-themselves. Web 2.0 is not the revolutionary social phenomenon that we need to be studying, discussing and trying to understand, the do-it-yourself attitude is. We are moving away from a compartmentalized world, where one person entertains, one takes pictures of the show, another one writes about the show, and yet another puts the text and images into a magazine. In this current age, technology allows me to put my music together, perform it, take digital pictures, and blog about it. The do-it-yourself attitude is at the heart of Web 2.0, reality television, and the new modern gadget-packed lifestyle that many of us live. Web 2.0 is just a symptom of the evolution of our society.

As a society, we rarely come upon a sword with a single edge. As it becomes easier to be an amateur at anything, it becomes harder to find an expert at anything. This is a necessary economic consequence of the do-it-yourself revolution. Expertise doesn't pay the way it used to. The transition is far from complete, expertise continues to grow less and less profitable. One example that is close to home for me is the effect that home studios have had on professional studios. Pro studios have been seeing a lot less business than they used to due to the abundance of cheaper home studios run by amateurs and the relative ease with which musicians can record themselves. I imagine similar effects can be seen throughout our society. Photographers lose business to digital cameras, magazines lose business to blogs, actors lose business to reality TV stars.

Ironically, as required know-how becomes watered down and distributed throughout the population, the money involved does not. Sure, some folks make money off their home studios or by selling ads on their blogs, but for the most part, the money isn't going to the users. In the face of the do-it-yourself revolution, traditional business models are going through drastic changes. Once upon a time, the money went to the experts and the content providers, but nowadays, the big money is in infrastructure. The guy with the popular Myspace page doesn't profit directly from his page, Myspace does. The digital camera makers are running and skipping to the bank. It doesn't pay to be a doer, it pays to be the one enabling the doers.

Who knows what the long term effects of this will be? Perhaps in the end, there will be an increased appreciation for expertise as people come to realize that without experience and time, the proper tools don't amount to much. Perhaps the enablers will succeed to the point where even time, experience, and dedication do little to separate the pros from the amateurs. No matter how it turns out, it seems that the people we need to watch out for are the enablers. As things are now, they are the ones that stand to gain the most from the do-it-yourself revolution, and they are the ones who are in the best position to exploit the rest of us. At what point do we call it unfair that a popular blog brings traffic to blogger.com while the person writing it is not compensated by blogger? How popular should a Myspace profile be before the individual who created it should be getting kickbacks?

I'm sure that as the industrial revolution began and picked up steam, few of the people living through it realized that they were living through such a historically significant time. I think the same is true for people alive today. As the (geek) media focuses on how the web is changing, the entire world around us is changing. Web 2.0 is not our growth, it is just a sign of our growth. Our children's children will grow up in a world where darkrooms, publishing houses, and soap operas were never necessary. The question "who can ___?" will be replaced with "How can I ___?" We are living through a time of important social change and transformation, a time that will be clearly noted and remembered in the history books of the future. I figured that rather than wait for the experts to point it out, I'd let you know myself.