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October 23, 2004
Ask QBlog
By QBlog in
I get a fair amount of email asking questions about my life, this site, my opinions about Quixtar and more. So, responding to inquisitive minds I'm using this post to answer any questions that you'd like answered. Feel free to ask whatever's on your mind but understand that just because you ask it doesn't mean I'll answer. I know very little about Nuclear Physics so you may want to avoid questions on that topic altogether, at least if you hope to get an answer.
So, have at it, ask me a question in the comments and we'll see how this goes. But wait, there are a couple of rules (ah gee) that I insist on.
- Keep questions brief
- See the first rule
Ok, that's it. Now, I'll start this thing off by asking a question of myself.
Question: What is the best blog on the planet?
Answer: The best blog is probably Instapundit because it wields such influence in the media, is updated almost hourly and is run by a Tennessean.
Ok, next question.
Comments
Chris,
No, not willingly. When my wife became a Quixtar IBO in 2002 she signed my name on the contract, which to my surprise, doesn't require me to sign anything (she saw the plan while I was at work). So I was officially an IBO though I never asked to be, never signed a single document and never saw the plan until I'd already been an IBO for a couple of months. Also, while I was an IBO, I never personally "worked the business" though I did help my wife with many aspects of her business.
QBlog:
Why are amquix ppl so reluctant to share their success on this blog. All I see is smoke and mirrors -- no numbers!
Why do you think that is?
DF,
I really don't know why they're reluctant to share. My guess is that many are worried that no matter what numbers they share, those numbers will be berated and belittled by various critics. They may conclude that it would be unnecessarily making themselves vulnerable without anything to gain.
But really, I'm only speculating.
It grieves me mightily to disagree with you, but InstaPundit sucks, and I don't know why on earth it's the most read blog in all of creation. Glenn Reynolds may be hot sh*t as a law prof (judging from what little I've seen of his writing, I doubt it, but I'm so far out of that loop anymore I wouldn't know), though he teaches at a mediocre law school, but as a "pundit" he's just another opinionated gas-bag of a law professor with opinions that aren't worth considering, written in a style that isn't worth reading either.
I enjoyed my colonoscopy much more than I enjoyed reading InstaPundit (the few times I tried).
Qblog,
When you finally saw the plan, did it make sense to you? (i.e.- did you 'see the dream'?). Along those lines, you mentioned how/why you and yours got out (and back in again), but how were the finances for you? About even? Little loss/gain? Did you have a 'downline'?...those sorts of things.
Thanks.
Len, you make some good points. Which blog do you think is the "best blog?"
Porkchop,
No, the plan never made sense to me and still doesn't, not in the way that it should for me to be excited about the business. Maybe I'm just stupid but there's nothing about the Quixtar "opportunity" that has ever convinced me that it's superior to smart, traditional investing strategies. Others feel differently so I don't begrudge them that perception and desire to pursue their goals via Quixtar. Others also believe Whole Life life insurance makes sense too, and I don't try to talk them out ot it.
I don't believe we "lost" any money in Quixtar because we volunteered for each expenditure (tools, training, etc.) and received products in exchange for other costs. We probably spent more in Quixtar trying to "build the business" than we would have spent out of it but my wife was honestly trying to develop something and so I think of it as the cost of doing business. If we'd continued at that pace much longer I'd probably feel differently. And we didn't get "back in." My wife is now a member (as opposed to IBO), not bound by any contracts and receiving no direct benefit from any purchases. And yes, my wife did have a downline when she was in. A pretty big one though I honestly don't know the size. About 1/3 of that downline was Spanish-speaking too so we glimpsed that side of the business.
Try to keep it one question per comment please. Thanks. ;o)
Len Cleavelin wrote:
"It grieves me mightily to disagree with you, but InstaPundit sucks, and I don't know why on earth it's the most read blog in all of creation."
Except for grieving me greatly to disagree with QBlog, I totally agree.
Sorry for the interruption. . . on to regularly scheduled programming.
Ambivalent
Qblog,
I just heard that sales have increased by 9% over last year with the big Q. In your opinion, how well do you think the big Q will do in the next 5 years?
Evan,
I can only guess. However, considering the recent direction they've taken with their Web site improvements I would imagine that they'd outpace the increases of the last couple of years. But I really don't know.
Best blog? Oh ghod, I don't know that I can answer that question unless I read every blog on earth for at least a week (equal to the trial I gave InstaPundit; I want to be fair).
My Favorite Blog, beyond all doubt, is Redbird Nation (http://redbirdnation.blogspot.com/), which styles itself "A St. Louis Cardinals Obsession Site". Brian Gunn, who writes most of the entries there (though he does have a couple co-bloggers who put in very rare appearances) knows his stuff, and while he's a Cards fan he's scrupulously fair (IMHO), and he'll criticize the Cards or management when he thinks it's warranted. He'll also admit mistakes when it looks like that's warranted; he did a wonderful retrospective on Cardinals GM Walt Jocketty, Jocketty's personnel moves this season, and Gunn's criticisms of those moves, in which at one point Brian remarked, "At this point the count is something like Jocketty 12, Redbird Nation 1." If only the political blogosphere were so honest.
As far as political blogs go, if it counts as a blog I vote for "The Daily Howler" (http://www.thedailyhowler.com/) as being my favorite. Mostly criticism of the news media and their failures. Very even handed and fair IMHO; Somerby's caught the media out in both pro-Dem and pro-GOP mistakes and failings a whole bunch of times. Always entertaining (if somewhat maddening) reading.
In the world of political blogs I would say my favorite blog is http://www.blogsforbush.com
The reason that is my favorite is because it has been most useful for me in gathering information to share with people. They could work on getting the site to load faster, and it has a very link filled navigation bar, but the authors and content is right to the point and well written.
I just think that overall it is a good resource and should be a bookmark for every Bush supporter.
QBlog, what do you do? Not just your job or the blog, but what do you do? If you can dig that?
Rocket,
I dig it brotha, I dig. What I do is just let my mojo flow and try not to stand in its way. When the groove is rolling, grab my sax and play along and blow baby, just blow till the sun comes. Ya dig?
QBlog,
How many licks does it take to get to the chewy center of a tootsie-pop?
Alto or Tenor Sax?
If you say Alto, you rule
Excellent Question Roger and one I've pondered the answer to for lo these many years. My conclusion is that it does in fact take three licks just like the owl says. I've tested this myself and I've found that sometimes that third lick seems like it's the twelth or even thirtieth lick but upon closer examination, it really is the third lick, on average.
Tenor sax of course. My favorite jazz musician is Lester Young and I fell in love with the magic he works on the tenor sax. My son was born to the tunes of Lester Young bopping through the OR. Sorry to disappoint but tenor is the sax for me.
That's still cool. Tenors are needed too, I suppose ;0)
QBlog wrote:
"Tenor sax of course."
You are way too cool. :)
My question is (and this is a serious one): do you sometimes feel like you're writing to yourself, especially if no one answers?
I've been thinking of starting a blog, but dont' want to talk to myself. I do too much of that already. ;)
Ambivalent
>> My question is (and this is a serious one): do you sometimes feel like you're writing to yourself, especially if no one answers?
No, I don't. I track visits and I know people are visiting and assume some of them read what I write so there is an audience. If they comment, then that's great but not necessary. If nobody ever visited the blog, ever, I would probably change it significantly or end it altogether.
Who will you be voting for in this presidential election? Any short answer as to why?
My question:
Your last name is "Jannsen." Does your wife's first name, by any chance, happen to be Famke?
If so, tell her I loved her in "X-Men United."
Thanks.
Chris said:
"Who will you be voting for in this presidential election? Any short answer as to why?"
Excellent question. However, I never publicly state who I vote for in the Presidential election but I'll try to answer your question as best I can.
I always vote my conscience. I don't believe in the "wasted vote" rhetoric and am appalled at the similarities between the two dominant parties. When I go into the voting booth I'm looking for the best man, not the best party. I wish I could be more forthcoming.
Fleak, good to see you around.
My wife's name is not Famke and her last name is Janssen, not Jannsen.
How are your sales with the new clothing line?
Can I buy some attire, set up shop outside an IBO organization and promote your stuff? I was thinking of giving everyone an XS with every purchase.
that was a cop-out on the tootsie-roll pop question.
oops. there was supposed to be a at the end of that.
ey, this thing is filtering out my grins I put at the end.....you know less than G greater than
Why is that QBlog?
Who are you for in the World Series? How much do you care?
Roger, you're wrapping your "grins" with carets (or whatever those are called) and my comment filter strips out ALL html tags. Those are viewed as HTML by the filter.
Sorry.
I wouldn't mind seeing the Red Sox win it all just because they haven't won in a long time. I really don't care. The best games were the ALCS and NLCS in my opinion.
The reason I asked was because you had a post below where you said: "World Series begins this Saturday and I can't wait."
I thought you might have been a big baseball fan.
hmmm, that's what I was thinking....but I was sure I had used "grins" before like that.
oha well, I was concerned my post wouldn't have been taken funny without it.
So, how about that trillian?? WOW that is some good software.
Instapundit is a great blog! I have it in my bookmarks of favorite blogs.
Question: Are you or have you ever been affiliated with a network marketing company in any way?
Posted by: Chris | October 24, 2004 2:09 AM