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My 2005 list of Affiliate Program Directories was quite dated and useless, so I’ve updated the list and assigned it a special page on my site: http://markwelchblog.com/affiliate-program-directories/

Comments Off on Receiving Criticism: My First Editor

It was 1978. I was so proud of myself: I was a Real Writer. Read more »

Comments Off on Privacy, Liberty, Respect, and the U.S. Constitution: Lawrence v. Texas (2003)

(June 26, 2003) Something incredible happened today: the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional for the government to regulate private sexual conduct, and that the government may not act in ways that would demean persons in homosexual relationships. (Lawrence v. Texas).

In a 6-3 decision, accompanied by a broad and sweeping written opinion, the Court struck down a Texas law which criminalized consensual sexual conduct between two persons of the same sex. In doing so, the Court overturned a 1986 decision in the case of Bowers v. Hardwick, which had upheld a Georgia “sodomy” law. Read more »

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PLEASE NOTE: This is the first of two articles; in the second article, I describe why I chose NOT to become a teacher. Read more »

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(September 5, 2002)  I’ve worn glasses for nearly 35 of my 42 years. Read more »

Comments Off on Trying to Buy a PVR (DVR)

April 21, 2002 — After many months hearing friends and colleagues boast about their “Personal Video Recorders” (TiVo or ReplayTV), I finally decided today that it was time to plunk down some cash on a new toy. My plan was to buy a ReplayTV device, or if for some reason that didn’t work out, I’d buy a TiVo.

This is not a story about my great experience with a personal video recorder. Indeed, it is not really a story about personal video recorders at all, because it turns out that nobody sells them any more. Read more »

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April 12, 2002 — Over the years, I’ve read a number of well-written books about children, education, and juvenile justice, and always I am left with a strong feeling of frustration and despair. This week, I read a very different book, one I strongly recommend you read. Read more »

Comments Off on In the Company of Good and Evil (by Winn & Power)

February 21, 2002 — Last October, I praised an extraordinary book called Dot.Bomb, an entertaining chronicle of the rise and fall of Value America by J. David Kuo. At that time, I wished for more information about Value America’s technology, and a more detailed account of the pre-IPO days. Be careful what you wish for. Read more »

Comments Off on Dot.Con (John Cassidy): Worthless

February 10, 2002 — Late last year, I read a truly awful book: Stephan Paternot’s A Very Public Offering, a poorly-written account of the rise and fall of TheGlobe.com.  The company has consistently been cited by critics as one of the worst/best examples of absurd internet-stock mania, but this book by the company’s founder offered no real apologies, and provided very little insight.  I don’t blame Paternot, a young man who was willingly manipulated by “market makers,” and who clearly is not a professional writer.

But John Cassidy can make no such excuses for Dot.Con: The Greatest Story Ever Sold. Cassidy offers no insight, and even fails to identify the “con” promised by the book’s title. And his sloppy writing, riddled with factual and typographical errors, insures that the book can’t be accepted even as a “digest” of the events he reports. Read more »

Comments Off on Two More Business Books (Godin & Locke)

“Survival is Not Enough” and “Gonzo Marketing”

(February 3, 2002 — Over the past two months, during a lull in my consulting work, I’ve read more non-fiction books than I’ve probably read in the past year. I’ve had some good luck, with fun titles like The MouseDriver Chronicles and thought-provoking books like Republic.com.

Alas, I have also suffered through several mediocre business books, which manage to stretch a few interesting ideas wastefully into book length. Read more »