Niche Market

I mentioned a couple of posts back that I believe EVERYBODY has insecurities. Nobody is normal and yet some things fall within normality and some things seem to land in the 'queer', 'weirdo' or 'perverted' boxes.

The Internet allows people access to all sorts of stuff. If you have a product that doesn't need to be manufactured or shipped then you can sell it on the internet and your work load is minimal. Sell an image, a story, a video clip. It's a numbers game and I hate it that I'm a sucker for it. Hate it because its such a simple idea, such a flawed business plan and yet in the case of the internet which requires so little work to establish the shop window it can make the site owner thousands...My biggest frustration is that I fall for it and fritter away money to people who don't care about me or anyone else but their bank accounts. Porn is the most obvious culprit. It's so obvious that its hardly even niche - but there is no doubt sex sells (Dammit!). Drugs sell too - whether they be recreational or for performance . They're expensive.

It's niche market stuff. It's fantasy and people pay for it. Damn you people for praying on MY fantasy, leading me on that you have something I can have forever.... It ONLY costs maybe $10 a pop, maybe $100, maybe more - it depends on the market and the buyer. Of course nobody is twisting arms after all. Criminals target niche markets. I hope that makes you feel better Mr or Mrs Seller. Actually I wish I was you..or had what you have to sell.

Join the deep sea underwater Ironing club today!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niche_marketing

In sickness and in health?

Driving down Durham Street on Saturday I saw on my left a lovely looking young bride accompanied by what looked to me like three equally good looking young bridesmaids. "Another silly fucker" I uttered to myself as I drove past. It was like a reflex reaction to what I saw, an automatic 'without thought' response and it shocked me to the point of justification. Why did I say that!? Come ON James, be fair?

With my opinions I generally question myself as if somebody else was challenging any view I have, try to look at things from another angle...I do it to affirm my view or in rare cases, modify it.

Marriage. It doesn't make any sense to me at all. It's a bookies dream because there are so many variables and so much you cannot know and yet it is the single most important commitment people make to each other. So, I'd be happy to take bets on most marriages. They may last but isn't that possibly due to a fear? Codependency maybe? I mean people locked into relationships can't bare to be alone right? How many marriages are happy ones? In New Zealand last year about 20,000 people got married. About 10,000 divorced. Doesn't seem like people are too committed to marriage at all to me.

'Where there is no trust there is no love' must be one of the truest statements. If you trust somebody, why do you have to sign a damn register to prove it? How many people do you know that stuffed a relationship because one party was 'hiding' something from the other - be it an affair, alcoholism, S&M fetish or something else? Well...It's not uncommon - just ask Hugh Grant. So, that means that in relationships people aren't (always) honest. I'd go further. People aren't reliable. Then again if you are happy with the one you are with, aren't checked by paranoia because of what may or may not be then 'great!', no no i mean 'You lucky lucky bastard'...But you don't need to risk making a dick of yourself in front of 100 people do you? No. You've got the one, the boy or girl that does it for you so go and enjoy yourselves and best of luck to you..

If you meet the one and you truly know it's forever, I'm happy for you. Who are you proving it to if you get married you idiot?

If you want to play the slot machines then that's your choice. People change, people get old and people aren't always honest. That's just 3 variables. Put your coin in the marriage machine and your chances of the jackpot are worse than your chance of winning the lottery. There are so many variables you will need a computer to know how many. It's people you see?: They're ridiculously complex things. I used to play the chance game as a school teacher. A $20 note was up for grabs and the all the kids had to do was pick 4 numbers 0-9 in the same order as me. I never lost.

How many of you would put $1000 bet on a coin toss? See - you're not so silly after all. OK, now talk me through the logic of marriage? Er...

Here's another slant to it: Cage a wild animal and it will try to get out right?.... I've said enough. Love her / him but don't be a fool. If you are to be a fool, I truly hope you do hit the Jackpot (really). I don't rate your chances* but I hope those dice keep rolling a six for you.

*I believe in probability. It's smart to work out your chance of success before you stake your future on it.

Who's normal anyway?

I'm getting addicted to this place. Its brilliant. I guess it allows people to jot down their wacky thoughts, well that's what it is for me just now anyway. Everyone has insecurities - even the most rock solid individual has their little issues and truly? I refuse to believe otherwise.

I'm single and I'm also admittedly a dreamer. At 34 I'm worried that a little cynicism is clouding my sunshine and the clowning kid that was is not seen so often any more. Maybe the clown was a cover anyway....Probably.

I'd like to fix things a little. The ironic thing is that I'm not unhappy. I have cash in my pocket, a place of my own, allegedly a brain in my head and I have possibly too much time to myself.

Being a fussy bugger is a good thing but for me its a real pain in the arse. Normal guys like normal girls. I don't. That means I'm either a bloody peculiar guy or I like unusual girls... Which I guess either way you look at it means I'm peculiar. The other slant of course is that it could mean I'm honest or that every other man on the planet is scared about their true 'desires'. My desires I guess are not that 'weird' - thank goodness.

For some unknown reason I think muscular girls are incredibly appealing. No idea why. I just realised as a kid that your normal 'super model' didn't do it for me. I look after myself OK but not to extremes. I don't take drugs but am guilty of the occasional binge drinking session. I don't eat too much rubbish but can inhale a block of chocolate or wolf down fish n chips from time to time. Being in shape is important to me and it is what I look for in any potential partner. Why the hell I find female body builders so appealing is a loss to me but its the way it is. Needle in haystack? Er...Yes. Not sure how I'm wired exactly. My ego is in check. The idea of a female partner who can bench press more than I can doesn't worry me at all. Actually I think its great. Before you finalise your judgements though..I'm not a 100% submissive guy, I'm not a skinny 'was beaten up by girls at school' guy and I'm not gay. I just like pumped up girls. The girl in the picture? Yep, that works. Yeah I know!!! 0800 Braindoctor? Ha..It's just the way it is...

Margin

So, the credit crunch. The collapse of the western economy. The failure to lever money out of the average tax payers pocket. What a stuff up. Best bit of all is that we now have governments using tax payers money to bail out banks! Sorry!? I beg your pardon but are banks not establishments that have been 'printing' money since their inception at the expense of the common man? What a load of bullshit. Next time I get into financial strife I'll just ask the government to bail me out - because I've been stupid. Oh hang on - that already happens in western society. Bum. I'm no economist but if a business goes bust isn't it just tough shit?

I don't understand the idea of 'twin' towns, especially when a town has more than one twin. That's just stupid. Why not call it 'sibling' town? That makes sense. Sometimes things in the world just don't make sense. People eh?

People can change your mood so quickly. Being the savage flirt that I am a telephone call from a woman is always going to get more attention than one from a mumbling bloke. Simple as that. I 20 minute call today really made me smile. It should have lasted about 20 seconds. Communication is the key to everything hey?

An email had the very same effect this morning. From a relative stranger it was so well worded that I can tell you that I know already that I like the author. That she's an absolute stunner just makes it easier.

You all look after yourselves.

What's going on anyway?

So yesterday I took a day off. It's sleep related. That is i haven't been sleeping too great since i got back from the UK and the wedding last weekend...well lets just say the getting home at 8am and not feeling too sharp sort of put me back in UK time. So, being 12 hours out of sync I didn't sleep Monday night at all. Nice that I'm employed and don't work for myself I guess.
Part of the whole nonsense is due to lack of motivation though. I'm getting a bit tired of being that cog in the machine, the machine that seems to line my bosses pockets with cash and allows his family to wander around every day with no need for a 'job' and yet spend like royalty. That sort of pisses me off. They're nice people but I am a bit of a closet commie...Why is one persons time worth so much less or more than anybody else's? That guy cleaning the municipal toilets? He works damn hard, has a fucking horrible job and gets paid fuck all for the privilege. Nice. I sit on my arse either in a car or at a desk, and solve / sell technical solutions to engineers who facilitate huge process plants which in turn make kzillions. It's all fucked up. I get paid far more than the guy that cleans the toilets but i'm sure he works harder.
Also I'm feeling a little trapped - and here is the flip side. All I really want to do is travel and meet people i want to meet, have more than 20 days 'holiday' to do so and at the same time help people. Easy right? Well...No...Because the real twist is that I want to be able to give everyone i choose just a little hand up the hillside, a few dollars to get them going. To do that, I have to have far too much money and so the wheel of misfortune begins again. Truth is..If i get to that position of wealth will I think like this or will I employ somebody with a few cells that work to make more money for me? OOOPS! That's the wheel of misfortune again! Damn it. The self perpetuating bullshit..I'm going to have a cup of tea and think about what I'm going to do at the gym later...