Friends of Dave #185: giving two f's
Sometimes, you just have to give two F's to make things happen....
Friends (especially those in the US), is this the weirdest 4th of July weekend you can remember, or what?
With so many people still working remotely or partially remotely, fireworks being cancelled or modified, typical summer plans disrupted and social distancing still a thing, this three day weekend just does not have the same feel as most years, does it?
A weird and random observation (which I tweeted about): was there a campaign by the state of Maine marketing itself as some sort of self-quarantine retreat destination that I missed? Are they giving out free lobster and six packs of Moxie or something? Is LL Bean secretly providing COVID-19 vaccinations?
My social media feeds are full with pics and stories from many people I know whose families are visiting there right now....
But I digress...
Our big news here this weekend: we finally got tickets to see Hamilton!
Okay, not really. We'll be watching it like everyone else on Disney +. But we'll be seeing the original cast perform the play, which many of you suckers who paid handsomely for actual tickets did not. #winning
However I do understand it is a slightly edited, PG-13 version of the show. In order for Disney to agree to broadcast the play on its family friendly platform, two instances of the "f" word needed to be omitted from the dialogue.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote and starred in the musical, apparently finds this hilarious -- he has been going around making a point of saying to anyone who will listen that he "literally gave two 'f's" to make this whole thing happen for us.
And cue the Beavis and Butthead laughter....
I have a confession to make, Friends: I know the guy is extremely talented and all and our entire family is looking forward to finally seeing the show. But, for some reason, I have to say I find Lin-Manuel Miranda just a tad annoying.
Perhaps it's the self quarantining talking. Maybe I have some PTSD from having to listen to my Mom talk this week about the cancellation of her trip to see Hugh Jackman on Broadway this Fall. I'm sure my viewpoint has probably been somewhat unfairly influenced by his guest turn on Curb Your Enthusiasm a few years back. Like Mocha Joe, if he is no friend of Larry, he likely is no friend of mine.
That said, I am grateful that you literally gave the two F's, Lin-Manuel. My wife and kids are thrilled. We didn't receive the invite to join everyone we know in Maine, but we will be able to see your show this weekend. I am definitely intrigued to see what all the hype has been about.
But you should be aware that I am putting you on notice: this weekend is your last chance to convince me (and I am sure many others) that you are not a pretentious, annoying jerk, Lin-Manuel Miranda. Let's just see how many more F's you have in you to give.
If nothing else, you will be able to rest well knowing that your recent dorky bit of humor provided enough clickbait to help get people to open this newsletter over a long weekend....
That's it. That's the preamble.
Below, as usual for the issues over this weekend, you will find a selection of your most clicked on stories from the first half of 2020 -- in case you missed any of them the first time around. I did provide one new article in the Last Word however -- worth skippng down and checking that out if nothing else.
Have a happy and safe weekend everyone.
XOXO
Dave
A Few of the Most Popular Reads and Links This Year...
F** the Bread. The Bread Is Over.
What happens when your skills are no longer needed for the sake of the fairy tale? A great gust comes and carries you away.
FUN FACT: this longer, more involved, read was one of the most clicked on FoD article shares of all time.
The Technium: 68 Bits of Unsolicited Advice
The purpose of a habit is to remove that action from self-negotiation. You no longer expend energy deciding whether to do it. You just do it. Good habits can range from telling the truth, to flossing.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***
Most of us struggle throughout our lives by caring about what other people think in certain situations where we really shouldn’t. In concert with this preamble and the one it appeared in earlier this year, there is definitely a subtle art to not giving a f** k (and if you are easily offended by the “F” word – it would be good to stay away from this one).
Life is Tough. Here Are Six Ways to Deal With It When life is tough, this ancient set of Buddhist slogans can offer six powerful techniques to transform obstacles into awakening and benefit.
This Is How To Change Someone’s Mind
NOTE: while it is worth reading the entire thing, if you lose steam you can skip down to the “Sum Up” section to get some high level bullets.
We Explored 3 Product Positioning and Branding Failures. Here’s What NOT to Do. — openviewpartners.com
B2B brand and product positioning will only continue to become more important with the rise of CX. Synergies between those will be critical. Always good stuff from OpenView.
How Sales Managers Can Get Their Team Out of A Sales Slump
Everyone in sales has similar fears: watching their pipeline unravel, falling short of quota, losing a deal they were sure they would win, etc. Mostly common sense stuff here but some helpful reminders on the types of slumps your team may encounter and how to help keep them on track.
Marketing Exists to Make Sales Easier
Good read for the sales, marketing and product Friends. As I have mentioned before, sales is marketing’s primary customer, but that does not mean that the customer is always right. Make their job easier by partnering with them, not doing what they say.
Looking for meaningful conversation? Stop asking 'how are you?'
Next time you’re talking to a co-worker, avoid using the three most useless words in the world of communication: “How are you?” — and you’ll be amazed by where the conversation goes.
WATCH: Terry Tate, Office Linebacker — www.youtube.com
Seven Terry Tate office linebacker ads. Apparently, you couldn't get enough of them....in 2020 he'd likely be out of a job....
A company sent an Ohio man 55,000 copies of the same letter
SPOILER ALERT: The letter was “Q”…..
As predicted, this was one of the most clicked on links of the first half of the year.
It Took a Global Pandemic, But Generation X is Finally Getting Love
All of the sudden folks are impressed by our remarkable resilience, our ability to entertain ourselves for hours on end and our willingness to shelter in place without whining.
And The Last Word....
Non-Americans Are Revealing All The Things They Actually Like About America And It's Surprising — www.buzzfeed.com
"Telephone numbers have exactly the same number of digits."
We should not forget that it's the little things that make America great....
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