Hi Bella,
Thank you for taking the time to write! I did see your post one of your posts, and I certainly appreciate you.
I cannot take the time to read catlord’s thread. If I did so, 2 months later, this company would be in ashes.
Catlord if is a free agent, although we had to insist he use the MX system or give a disclaimer, as I asked of Diane.
Unless he’s doing something obviously underhanded, I’m not sure it should concern me. Would you care to give me a quick summary?
Lastly, Diane is cool. I don’t understand what the big deal is. I just asked that if she tests on the forum, she explicitly state it is with our permission, or to simply use the MX system. Doing otherwise causes spam issues.
All this is true. I’m not makin’ it up. As much as like someone or their work, I can’t have administrative nightmares. I’m an R&D person, not a forum nazi. I don’t have the time or inclination to rule with an iron fist. We don’t really have much security here. We tend to rely a great deal on good will and social proof.
We run this forum in a very liberal way, but that means people in power or those doing things which are unique need to state some disclaimers so everyone else doesn’t get the wrong idea. Simple as that.
This is not strange or odd amongst create folks, really. The sign on Tim Leary’s house read “Come in”. We do security a bit differently than most!
Catlord understood the issue with disclaimers and/or the use of the MX system, much as Futurist did in the past, but Diane seemed to think it implied more than it did – like I wanted to steal her stuff or not pay her or something weird, which I never said and hope I didn’t even imply.
Heck, even James Kohl is free to use our MX system, and it doesn’t really mean a damn thing, except that he has our permission to use this forum for research. He even links to pheromones.com, which has his affiliate links to love-scent.com. Not something we ordinarily allow due to the material connection, but it’s done with our permission. He is an exceptional contributor to this industry, a definite benefit to the small “light side” we have, so we give him exceptional leeway.
I don’t want him to end up like George Dodd, abandoning this industry. I want this man to be rewarded for his work, to make some money, even if it’s not with us.
His research is still his, much as Diane’s is still hers. Of course, I wouldn’t mind if either James or Diane work with us someday. I’m not going to force either, though, or claim that use of the MX system constitutes anything more than it does.
It’s no different than getting published in a scientific journal, really. It implies nothing more than permission and at least a degree of peer acceptance. (Actually, in my case, it often means I’m actually gosh darn tickled with you and your ingenuity to some extent! It’s sort of an honor here)
Journal of Neurology doesn’t take your stuff, and neither do I. I don’t where anybody got this false idea, but I’d definitely like to know. It’s not in our behavior. Maybe it’s the part the psy-op style (mindf*ck is what most people call them) attacks we’ve been a target of. The operation.. what the hell is that called again? The Operation Mockingbird style attacks we’ve been on the receiving end of, apparently for quite awhile longer than I’ve been aware.
Please, trust your own mind before you trust anyone elses mouth, so you can avoid having your mind ravaged by those kinds of attacks. Check the facts for yourself. Look at our history. I have over 8000 posts, but even better, check our history of actions. Look at us ethologically, objectively, like you would study zoo animals. (best way to test pheromones, too, btw)
For example, we’ve been asked over and over again to make a version of SOE as a product, since it’s formula is published. We refuse every time. I don’t tread on good people’s work. It doesn’t matter if it’s easy to do or hard to do, I just won’t do it. (unless someone less than honorable, mind you – I don’t care about taking the culpable to justice)
Anther example. For years, people asked us to analyze and copy LaCroy’s The Edge or NPA by chemical analysis. We do work with labs like InterTek that can handle this.
Instead of doing things “the cheaty way” (as someone I admire says!), I spent years trying to create a better “sexy” effect on my own, without ever looking at their formula or trying to tread on the exact thing they’re doing.
After what… a couple million years now (I just, of course!)… we might have something better. I’m sorry that I was so slow. I’m sorry it took so long that I became a dinosaur near the end of the journey. At least I learned a lot on the way, and the things I learned can make their way into other mixes and products that will hopefully serve to charm and delight.
I grew up in an area where lots of people were on the dole, on welfare, and I saw clearly that it was better to learn and do the work necessary to grow your own legs, than to borrow someone elses. (not that I don’t think everybody needs a helping hand every now and then, but I definitely saw the ravages of long term dependence) You truly can do yourself a disservice by doing things the “cheaty” way.
Another example. Before MX292 and the latest Raw Power, I actually told people to buy The Edge and NPA all the time. Sent 'em to Love Scent or to Lacroy’s sites, no affiliate links. Look at my old posts. As long as people don’t directly invade this forum in inappropriate ways or otherwise attack us, I tend to give referrals to other “light side” sites all the time.
If you really look, you’ll see I’m trying to build an honest INDUSTRY that truly serves people, more than I am trying to “get the sale”. I’m a long term thinker, and I suffer a lot of short term pain and inconvenience because of it.
Another example. When things became too complex business wise for him, Futurist said we could sell MX101 – Pheromone Proof – here again and keep all the profits to ourselves. This was more than generous of him, and despite what he told Jasmin… I said no… let’s save it for when we have a proper royalty payment system in place. (which we’re building for the next version of the company)
We were once very nice to him, and he reciprocated in a way we never expected. He’s truly a gentleman after my own heart. That’s why I insist that we respect him and reward him in a way he ordinarily wouldn’t expect.
Please, let my history count for something. I didn’t just start this yesterday, and I didn’t live my life in a clean manner to have people treat me as somebody I’m not.
I strive my very best to be like Ayn Rand with a heart (soul, too, since I’m a tad more spiritual than Ayn!). Kinda like one of Ayn’s protaganists and a Richard Bach mishmash. That wouldn’t make sense to most people, but it makes sense to me. I loved both their work, and I work very hard to make what might seem like a dream technology an actual reality for people.
Since it takes one to know one, it seems I was one of the first people to ever go up to Richard Bandler and talk to him about both his obvious (to me) loneliness and his equally obvious love for others. Boy, was he pissed when I said that within earshot of others. He had a reputation to protect, after all!
Most people think he’s a tough bulldog because of the image he portrays on his tapes and DVDs. Nonsense. In the 90s, the guy substantially hampered the growth of his business for years because he took on a street kid in SF, rehabilitated him, and became attached to him like a son. Irrationally, he let him run his company for years instead of using real business people like Tony Robbins would’ve. I know what thats like. Much like me, he can’t stand to see people suffer.
I’ve done the same sort of things he has (in the 90s, not the 80s!), because I often put my ideals and my heart far before I put money. Just like Lor, I’ve been homeless before when I simply wouldn’t involve myself in the wrong things just to make a buck. I’m might seem like a logic driven robot on here sometimes because I try to keep public posts fact focused, but ultimately, I’m idealistic, and a helper.
Ask anyone here we’ve given free product to, when they didn’t have money (mostly college kids), but had a problem we knew we could solve. Or the folks we’ve counseled on the phone for 4 hours a day. Or the people who’ve worked with us that we help in ways beyond a job, or beyond pheromones. Helping Steve with burial costs of his mother (and on the plus side, connecting him with mentors such as David DeAngelo), Amy experience a dream (which she might write about in a few days), and now one of our office guys – Jacob – with his passions, too. Or even certain members of our community here when they’ve had trouble (catlord being a recent example here). We’ve been there, we continue to be there.
We support passions whenever possible, and wherever I see sadness, I try my best to bring a sunny day. I grew up in pain, and that’s not what I wish to inflict on the world around me. I can’t stand seeing any type of pain that I’m more than capable of alleviating or at least helping to alleviate. Best yet, these aren’t just words or subterfuge. These are real actions I’ve taken for a long, long time. They’re easily verifiable facts.
Long term, I think THIS is THE way to go… it’s a way to build a life and a business of true value, something that leaves a beneficial mark on the world at large, and also personally on those you’ve personally dealt with. Short term, it can certainly put one in harms way, sure… but doesn’t almost everything worth truly living for?
Actions should speak louder than words, I hope. I’ve been running things more than honestly for a long, long time now. The way I’ve run it, some say, has completely changed the industry, and certainly changed many lives. In many ways, I’ve gotten exactly what I’ve wanted. (the length of time I’ve been at this is why I’ve been looking for a replacement for some of my functions, btw; it’s been difficult for me to talk for great lengths of time the past year and half due to an operation on an abscess, and my own testing has suffered greatly – you can see clearly how little the MX series has grown in that time)
Back to the practical matter of the MX system and testing here. We can even offer an MX or MX series as a freebie to reporters if you don’t want to subsidize research here, or otherwise feel funny about that. Not a big deal. I’m not gonna sweat the small stuff, especially with people I like.
I simply don’t see any real conflict here from what I know. To me, the use of the words “conflict of interest”, when it didn’t seem to apply, caused an artificial conflict where none actually existed. It’s not language I’m comfortable with, really, since I don’t use typically use war metaphors for everyday business (and as business consultant Jeff Smith says, the metaphors for your business end up being basically literal things)
Not that I care ultimately. Certain words may make me uneasy, but I still think highly of Diane. I still appreciate her work, even if she didn’t understand me or my intent.
I know men and women speak differently, because our brains are wired differently. You are free to read my PMs if you want. I could even publish some publicly, as long as I had Diane’s permission for any parts that were hers. You can tell me where I went wrong. I’m always willing to learn. Again, not a big deal.
However, please understand that we have much more to deal with at the moment than copulins. If there weren’t so many severe problems here – namely involving the constant attacks on this forum, botnet Adwords attacks that still have us limpin’ (we have to make credit card payments on other people’s attacks for the love of god), and the personal attack on Jasmin and her children, an ongoing barrage of nonsense – I probably could’ve been even more careful with my wording to Diane. If I did make a mistake, I would’ve spotted it.
As is, as important as her work is, and as wonderful as I see her, there are other things here taking much more of my time that I do not have control over. I’m having to deal with lawyers, private investigators, and all kinds of people I ordinarily wouldn’t. I’m even having to admin this forum to weed out abuses from our possible attackers, which just puts everything over the top.
If you see me talking about my own R&D efforts or perfume, it’s because it’s literally my own way to relax. If I cannot relax in some way, well… I don’t know what’ll happen… but it won’t be good.
So far, the more I am able to focus on actual growth and value creation, the better I am. The more I have to involve myself in a whirlwind of things that don’t really make any sense to me, the worse.
My business ethics professor friend here (feel free to decloak a bit!) says I should just fly away and get some distance. Yet my way of relaxation is innovation. It is listening to people’s wants, and even closer to their hearts, and doing my best to do my best for them. Please understand that, and allow me some freedom here to focus on the healing activities.
If I need to deal with one more spammer, trespasser or one more false problem from people who ceaselessly game and even criminally violate us and our people … well, I can do that, too, honestly. I can, but I need it balanced with things that matter to me, otherwise this project is more of a painful burden than anything else. My body is already aching due to the lack of balance. I must balance many of these things which what is healing. I hate to be so insistent – but I must, basically, be allowed to beneficent to others, especially in a creative way.
To some extent, I have to set my own conditions here, and my condition is that – for my own health and ultimately the well being of others – please let me focus on creation as much as you can. It’s extremely therapeutic for me both in the long and short term, and it’s also helpful for others. It’s a major win win when I’m allowed to do it! I changed the industry once as a hobby, and, given enough time to think, grow and develop, I can change – for the better – a good part of the world with this as a love business.
That is my pledge to you, and it is the best I can offer. What I am is fairly useful in many ways I’m told, but I can’t be absolutely everything to all people without going stark raving mad (or having my stress related ulcers perforate and possibly kill me).
I don’t know if you understand it, and I certainly hate to admit it, but for the past 2 months, this project has actually been killing me in one way or another. I like to do my best to be superhuman and all, to take on too change and actually accomplish more of it than I figured I could… but ultimately, I admit it – nobody can do absolutely everything, or be everyone to all people. I wish I could, I certainly try to, but I just can’t do it all simultaneously. I have 24 hours in a day like anybody else. I might spend some of those hours a little more efficiently than some, but in other ways I’m far slower. (I’m terribly slow at reading and responding on the forum for instance, since I’m a sub-vocalizer and I like to truly understand every word)
I will, however, do my best over time to absolutely rock your world in almost every way you want… just not every single way at once… especially when there are serious and unnecessary problems to deal with, that sinister people – truly sinister people (not you, not Diane, not hardly anyone here, not even close) – insist I deal with.
Please additionally understand Diane was developing a product at a time when we basically had guns to our heads, and, to some extent, we still do. It was not exactly an ideal time to give the type of orientation she should’ve had. It was no fault of hers, of course, but it is not really a time to talk to anyone much, besides lawyers and investigators. Again, I’m mostly doing my creative work here so I can do something NORMAL and sane. So I can keep myself sane. It just so happens that creative work and contributing to others does that for me. Good, generative things.
Sadly, our defacto phone person for general business maters, Jasmin, is her herself down… the whole situation of which, the piercing of her privacy and the attack on her children, destabilizes me more than I’ve ever said online. I’ve been trying to keep it together here, Bella, be the rock… but just talking about it… my god.
You might think I’m slackin’ by being working on creative project and trying to be helpful on the forum, but I’m not. With the insane things I have to deal with, I’m dealing with some of the sanest things I can for very real, very therapeutic and necessary counterpoint. (it’s 3:58 AM here, btw, and I’ve honestly lost track of how long I’ve spent replying here) This is the way some people cope. Some drink, some take a vacation. I work. On the things that yield the most results, on things where I can actually get someplace. I’m sorry about that, but that’s part of my healing and “normalization” process.
Right now it so happens that a certain set of perfumers is being particularly cooperative with me. They’re extremely excited about the project because I’ve offered them a chance at doing creative work almost nobody else ever allows them to do. It’s healing and joyous working with them. It’s helping tremendously, especially as I connect with some of the people here – new and old – for their input. It’s great to connect like this, with all kinds of people.
You know, I hate giving the squeaky wheel the grease to any extent, when that squeeky wheel means harm. I’d much rather give it fully and completely to everyone I like, people who reciprocate in kind, but my hands are tied. I MUST give a disproportionate amount of time right now to the truly bad situations first, so I can have the freedom in the long term to deal with the good.
It’s like the start of the US. You fight a war you don’t really want to fight, but then you have a couple hundred years of freedom to diddle around and do what you want.
Once I deal with these situations once and for all, I’ll have much more time to tackle more of the things that truly count. To spend with the people who truly count. The short term might not be ideal, but long term I will do right by you and others, probably in ways you don’t even anticipate quite yet. The worse things get, the more elevated my response tends to be.
The more people show me how bad they can be, the more I am driven to make up for them and show just how good a person can be. To the entire world, if at all possible, which I truly believe you can effect through business.
Just like Coke litters the planet with sugar water and aluminum cylinders, side effects of diabetes and tooth decay, I figure I can use the same system to “litter” it with something good. We can give people adventures, friends, romance and love… with “side effects” of the type of joy you can only achieve when you’re really filling your life with things that make life worth living.
The worse an example others set, the better example I try to set. I hate to sound all stupid and 60s about this, but I definitely strive to be the change I want to see in the world. Actually, screw try. As even Yoda knows, there is only do. Yoda and Ghandi make a heck of a combination. Thus I should say (and work very hard to make true until it is true), I am the change I want to see.
All the best and better,
Michael