Seasonal Paradise

Pitching Is Boring. Story Development With GREAT Writers Is Fun

I realised recently that pitching the press is not much fun.  However, helping top tier press develop stories is thrilling.  I'm enamored with their skill and thoughtfulness.  We need to take a more thoughtful and learned approach to helping press.  

The specific inspiration for the morphing of our approach was my experience with Sharon Jayson for today's front page USA Today article, and with Dan Slater (formerly of WSJ), on his upcoming book on the internet dating business.  They ask great questions, and I just thoroughly enjoy these top flight reporters.  It was fun to help guide their story development.

Also, I invited press who have written on the dating industry in the past to get early copies of our white paper 'What is Social Dating' and an analysis of eHarmony vs POF vs Match and got a great response.  We were helping and informing, not pitching.    

That's the direction Courtland Brooks is taking in the future.  We're most interested in forming tighter relationships with thought-leader bloggers and rock-star members of the press.  Just a small group of reporters and bloggers that have shown interest in industries we cover.  Our team of industry experts will serve their interests on an individual basis by assisting them with their story development. 

Where Did We Park?

I'm glad we're not in Prague right now. This is a picture from the window of one of Irena's friend's apartment.

Whipple On Happiness

Tom Whipple at The Times writes about happiness.  Here’s the summary of his advice…

 

1 Whatever you do, don’t try to be happy

Happiness is a bit like an erection.  You can only get it when you are thinking about something else. Helping others only boosts happiness if you are not in it for yourself. Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, said: “Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one’s personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself.”

2 A story or an experience?

A man listened to a symphony in a state of bliss. As it approached the climax, a scratch on the disc produced a horrible sound. “It ruined the whole experience.”  We love stories with happy endings. This has big implications for happiness. Take parenting.

3 Fast cars are overrated

Rich nations are no happier, on average, than poor ones (once basic needs are met. Contentment increases in line with pay until a threshold of £58,700, then levels off.

4 Don’t live under a flight path
Noise pollution is a catastrophe for happiness. In ruins our emotional equilibrium and creates nasty physiological effects, such as elevated cortisone

5 Would you enter the Matrix?
Would you plug yourself in? Most people say “no” prefering a real life, even one that is less happy, provided it was authentic. We should decide on what we really believe before living our lives, not the other way around.

Full article at The Times

Accepted to Harvard

Very happy!  I got accepted onto a Harvard Business School executive course in February.  A one week intensive entitled 'Launching New Ventures.'  I've always wondered what it would be like to study at a top tier Ivy League School, but now I can't possibly justify taking a year or two off, even if I could get in.  So this course fits perfectly, just after iDate Miami.      

I'd love to do this course on Strategic Innovation, and this course on Media Psychology.  Time will tell. Right now business is great, and clients own my time and attention.

Vicki Worm

Sasha Worm

Cyprus Vicki and Irena

Walking To School

Paintball For Bonu's Birthday

Relaxing At Malta's Hilton

Surprise 40th Birthday Party, Risque Tshirt

iDate Moscow

Weekend Date With Irena

Partying With Mum

Cheeky Vicki

Mum in Mdina

Sasha Shades

The Onion: Last American Who Knew What He Was Doing Dies

It's been a rough month.  First, Chris Walker succumbs to spine cancer. Then my friend Sundrea Ryan, and Cupid/Predating super speed-dating host died. Then a sweetheart of a guy, Eric Holze, CEO of Scientific Match passes away at just age 47. wtf! And oh, Steve, my hero, the last american who knew what the f he was doing passes away.

Apple Birthday Cake

Vicki & Sasha Yabber

Very cute. My l'il girls.

Listen to them

Why Malta?

My head is in New York and Silicon Valley, but our feet are in Malta.  Malta is our home.  Why move to Malta?  Here's some of the appeal of lovely Malta...

Ranked the best weather in the world, out of 191 countries, by International Living Magazine.  The average annual temperature of the sea is 20c, the hottest in Europe.  And there's more sunshine hours than Mallorca, Spain.  (2,961 in Malta vs Mallorca's 2,763).  In fact, Malta comes in at about the same level of sunshine hours as Honolulu (3,042)

One of the safest countries in the world with 40% the murder rate of the USA, 10% of the rape rate, and a lower rate of aggravated assault than Japan.  Reputation really matters here.  It's a small island, people talk.  There's 1.2 million visitors to Malta a year and I'd guess that much of the crime is committed by non-locals.  Safety is super important to us.  We have two l'il girls.

Ranked 3rd top for Quality Of Life, by International Living Magazine.

#5 on the World Health Organization ranking of medical systems out of 190 countries.  UK is #18 and USA #37!

Very attractive taxation.  As an ordinary resident, capital that we bring into the country is not taxed.  

No annual property taxes.  We pay 5% taxes, plus 1% notary fees when buying property, and we're done.  We're buying two apartments next month.  One for home (at Fort Cambridge), one for our office and sea toys (at Qui Si Sana Seafront).

Super internet infrastructure, thanks to all the iGaming companies here.  3G wireless throughout, and 100mb fiber optic.  

Other interesting stats.  90% of the 414,000 people living in Malta speak Maltese.  6% speak English.  In actual fact, most people also speak English.  Swedish is fast becoming the most popular language next to English, and Italian as the Swedish population booms here.  Maltese sounds like a mishmash of Arabic and Italian.  Actually, its ~75% from a Sicilian dialect of Italian, the rest is of Arabic descent.  

The ordinary residency program suited us best.  There's minimal paperwork.  We just declared ourselves to the local tax authorities.  

Stand Up Paddling, in Malta

Stand Up Paddling is new to Malta, but pretty popular in the USA, and UK.  We saw a feature on SUPing in the fashion magazine, Pink, in Malta.  Then we saw some SUPers out on the water and it looked like fun.  So I looked up Pete Satariano, the personal trainer/SUP instructor featured in the magazine.  He brought out some boards gave us a lesson and set us free on the water.  

Its great training for balancing.  A little tougher than I thought it would be.  Irena did GREAT!  She was as solid as a rock.  We both hit the water when boats came by and rocked us around.  So there's plenty of room for improvement.  I wondered why Pete had a small strip of astroturf on his board.  He's an avid golfer and practices his swing from the board.  

The boards are light inflatables so they're easy to pack down and transport.  They're not cheap.  Ours cost 900 Euro, but in the USA they run about the same in Dollars.  Definitely fun, and a lot easier than windsurfing.

My Great New Nephews

Our niece, Sabrina, just had twin boys. Lucas and Logan.

Sasha Sing n Poo

Sasha was singing while on the toilet, and Irena caught the occasion on her phone.

Download the sound file

Mum In Malta

 

Valleta Winetasting Violinist

 

Mum and Irena

 

Winetasting In Valletta

 

A Little Chocolate

 

Irena pre-ordered a welcome treat for us for when we arrive at Hilton Gatwick.

Mum With Dr Dre

Headed to Malta. A tough flight for her bad back. Dr Dre helped a little.

Leaving Canada

 

A very very tough farewell for mum, leaving Canada. Headed to Malta.

Nephew n Niece

 

Nephews and Bro - John, Mark, Mike, Ed

Mums Moving Day, In The Van

 

Mum moved out of her independent living apartment in Victoria Canada, and moved to Malta.

Mark, Mum and Mike. 

Malta Speed Boat Racing