Untitled

This is untitled as it is just a quick update on a couple of things that have been happening and have been discussed in previous posts and comments.

As I type this, I’m surrounded by boxes and debris. I am absolutely amazed at how much stuff was in the cabinets in my kitchen. They are now all in eight boxes, plus the microwave, the Foreman grill, a big pot that doesn’t fit and a bunch of cleaning supplies that I will use soon.

That said, you may surmise, I’m in the process of moving. I could do a post about moving; but, you’ve all been there. All of the negatives are currently working. The movers will be here “at about nine” in the morning. The alarm is set for six at which time I will breakdown the seven miles of wire and cable that connect the electronics that, now that I am moving things around, seem, well, unseemly.

Tomorrow’s schedule starts with the movers. All of us should be in the new place about noon. The new living and dining room furniture are scheduled to be delivered after one – if any of you guys are reading this, don’t get there sooner. DirecTv will be there between four and eight.

The worst part of the move will be coming back and cleaning all of the detritus.

As to middle men, yesterday was interesting. I left home at 5:30 a.m. and got home at a bit before ten last night. Six hours of driving and nine hours of listening to a language that I didn’t understand.

I learned that most of the non-verbal things we do to make contact with each other work absent words. I learned that translators spend more time saying what I said than I did. They spend much less time saying what my foreign friends spend talking to tell me what was said by my foreign friends.

I also engaged in a cliché, giving an admired tie to the admirer (after making sure the translator said that it wouldn’t screw the deal, wouldn’t be offensive, and most importantly, after the Chairman of the new partner watched and listen to me and the new tie owner, walked over, and through the interpreter asked if I really wanted to give my tie. I said yes. Quick language, and my tie was gratefully received.

I was then invited to a foreign country to consummate the deal. I countered with a signing in Vegas, accepted with a lot of laughter. My suggestion that the first annual meeting be in Macau, met with more laughter (not by the president of my client).

Now we’ll see if we can actually paper the deal and make some money.