Just a quick note — I want to thank everyone who attempted to vote for this site during the Marketing Sherpa “Blog Of The Year” contest last week.

Unfortunately, there was no write-in option — the blogs that were eligible had been chosen beforehand. It was a very small, very limited list.

The fix was in.

Still, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing from so many readers. I tried to respond to as many as I could, but my inbox was just swamped with email, so I’m sure I didn’t get back to everyone. Please know that I did my best.

And, I apologize to those of you who spent time trying to figure out a way to lodge a vote in the rigged game. There’s always next year, as they say.

Lots of interesting stuff will be happening this summer, so keep checking in. I can always tell when a tidal change is about to occur online, because out of the blue, I start hearing from all sorts of colleagues who have been hiding, or off perfecting some strange new software or marketing tactic.

Sort of like how animals get all riled up before an earthquake. There’s just something in the air.

Plus, of course, if you’ve been paying attention, there are numerous technical advances getting ready to collide. Sony’s looking to make DVDs obsolete (and make gamers swoon)… a whole new “pay to play” high-speed level of the Web is being concocted by colluding Bells (who want to kill off the egalitarian nature of the online experience, and allow rich folks to pay more for better service)… and few people have thought through the ramifications of this Apple-PC interconnectivity thing.

And it all will play out as the real estate market collapses, the reality of debt and inflation starts hitting American families, and Asia finally gets hip to western-style marketing tactics. (The Chinese, especially, are way ahead of schedule, and starting to scare the bejesus out of their American soon-to-be-cold-cocked competition.)

Gonna be thrilling, scary and unpredictable. More than ever before, you need to find people and sources you can trust… because rumors will fly, disinformation will corrode the public discourse, and the Fat Cats will stoop to new lows to protect their power and privilege.

We truly are living in a Neuromancer-style sci-fi reality. I am more and more appalled at the cluelessness and aggressive stupidity of the mainstream media (and the gullibility of people who swallow their swill)… and also getting a little worried about how quickly bad information (and even lies) can zip around the cyber world.

You must continue to hone your skill at reading between the lines, and hold on tight to those sources you trust. The trick will be to practice a Zen calmness and an attitude of waking observation while chaos reigns — you do NOT have to panic to survive.

More later. It’s not all gonna happen tomorrow — plenty of time to relax and enjoy life as you plot your lifestyle in the new world order. Hope you’re finding ways to stay cool during this hot spell…

Stay (as always) frosty.

John Carlton
www.marketingrebel.com

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