Handling Hate Mail — For Dummies

Sorry about that title, it should read: "Handling Hate Mail — From Dummies." Oh me. Will the LRC editing staff ever get these things right? Oh well, since I already have your attention…

Unless you are writing about flowers, children, balloons, Teddy bears, and other nice stuff, you'll probably get hate mail. In fact, I'll bet even the writer's of such fare get their share of hate mail too (I would imagine it would come from jealous people). On a site like Lew Rockwell, most people don't write about pretty things; so I guess we get hate mail in droves. I know I do.

I like to think that my hate mail comes because good folks don't read and understand what I have written — I'm allowed to dream, aren't I? What I actually fear and suspect is that I could be even more of a hack writer than I think I am and as such, am unable to convey my message clearly. Oh well, you learn something new everyday.

Don't do what I do, do what I say!

This article is to help you, my fellow writers — hackers, pro's, what-have-you — to gently handle those hate letters so that you don't get an ulcer, start drinking heavily, or start feeling sorry for yourself (this happens to me often). Here are a handy-dandy set of rules that I promise will help you in making the answering of your hate mail an enjoyable experience.

Rule 1: Keep in mind that love and hate are two sides of a fiat coin. Anyone who writes to you actually loves you. Some people are better at showing their love than others. This is an important rule to keep in mind before tackling that Yahoo mail account that we all use for our articles (instead of our real e-mail address).

Rule 2: Never, but never, open your e-mail account after you've been drinking. I imagine some of the good folks who have written to me will scoff at this. For that I must apologize — blame it on the booze. In fact, if you have been drinking, I think it's best to stay away from your computer all together (look who's talking!). Nevertheless, from now on, do as I say, not as I do.

Rule 3: Never look at your e-mail after arguing with the little woman. Let's face it. She's right and you are wrong — you should be ashamed of yourself, you useless worm. That's no time to start an argument with other people. Have a drink and go to bed – remember to kiss the battleaxe on the forehead before retiring and to say "Good night." It's never a good idea to go to bed angry.

Rule 4: Humor, humor, humor. Don't look at mail as a personal attack. If you look closely I think you'll find most probably several remarks from the reader that are good for at least a few howls of laughter. Don't forget, you are the writer. That puts you in the driver's throne and that you are the king of all that is good and fair. The reader is a fan (see Rule 1 above).

Rule 5: Keep in mind that the readers are generally not writers and they are trying their best to convey their message. Often, they will be angry at you for what you have written and their letters will start off politely and then descend into flames like a Zero fighter at the Battle of Leyte. This is where the gist of their message comes out: That you are a hack writer (well, of course, we all know that). So what's to argue?

Rule 6: This is the best one and I've saved it for last. I have found a great way to answer extremely foul-mouthed e-mails that works about 70% of the time. It really does. Whenever you get a mail - and they are usually several pages long - but start out with a kind greeting along the lines of:

"You (expletive deleted) (expletive deleted) (expletive deleted) moran…." (They usually misspell "moron".)

I found that the best way to reply is to ignore reading the rest of their letter (I mean, if I want to be called names, I'll go home and argue with my teenage daughters or my wife) and then I will respond to the dear reader by writing:

"Dear Such-and such,

Don't you think that your mother deserves better than to have people think that she didn't raise you right because you use profanity and call strangers names? Most people know that calling strangers names is a definite sign of poor manners and upbringing. I think your mom would be ashamed to see what you wrote, and I think such a fine woman as her deserves better than that. Don't you?"

No kidding. I've used this at least two dozen times and, until now, 7 or 8 people have apologized to me. Really! Try it sometime.

If you keep in mind these simple rules, then I'm sure answering Hate Mail will come as a much more pleasant experience than it has ever been before. Let's face it, when someone calls you names, what you really want to do to let them have it with both barrels. But what good are you doing if you are adding just one more small crumb to this mountain of a hateful world we live in? Keep in mind, it is much more fun and rewarding to know that you have pissed them off even more by being kind to them; and in this way, at least one of you can go to bed chuckling. I know I do.

-For Robert Klassen

This article originally appeared on Lew Rockwell on Dec. 15, 2005

Benefits of Blogging: I Made $400 Extra in Guam While on Vacation!

There are so many benefits of blogging that can profit you both spiritually as well as financially... But, as with many things in life, you've got to stick with it. 


Lord knows how many times I've wanted to quit writing for blogs. But, for better or worse, I've stuck with it. Now, I think if I quit, I'd wind up feeling like I lost a friend.

My blogging: The early years

Today, I want to give you an example of how blogging, for me, has done many great things for my well being (my maturity) and for my pocketbook. Besides making money, blogging has helped me to become a more patient and wiser person. I think blogging is a sort of therapy for the savage mind. It's worked wonders for me and it has made me money. Yes, folks. It's true: I have made lots of money with this particular blog you are reading right here and I allow no advertising on it. I'm not sure that it is possible to make any money from a blog that has pop-up ads, unless, of course, you get a few million readers a day. This blog has made me money because of what I write about and the wonderful people it has helped me to meet.  


I have been writing this Marketing Japan blog now for just over 1.5 years. In that short time, I have surpassed 850,000 reads (thank you!) At this rate, I expect to surpass 1 million reads by the third week of February or so. Besides this blog, I have also been writing blog posts for Lew Rockwell (LRC) since 2004. At Lew Rockwell, I am in the top 10 most published writers with almost 250 articles. Lew tells me that a popular article on LRC will get over 1.5 reads. In 2005, I had the #2 most read article on that blog. 


In this time, and over these nearly eight years, blogging has helped me to grow as a writer and as a person and has helped me to meet a great many wonderful people. It has also gained attention for me and my work, and has had the unintended consequence of having people ask me for advice or even getting me paid consultation work for their businesses. Many of those requests  (for advice) I rejected because I felt that I wasn't expert enough on the subject. In those cases, I introduced someone else who could help better than I.


But whether I do the job directly and get paid, or I help someone or help my friends, then there's enough reward in that for everyone.  


I'd estimate that, in 2009 ~ 2010, beginning with experience and information contained in this blog, I earned approximately $2000 a month in consultation and marketing and promotional fees.... I also got a consultation job for one friend and full time employment for another. Of course, in my case, I had to do a lot of work and go to many meetings and come up with marketing ideas, but that's not so bad for a part time job whereby I set the hours and come and go as I please.

Vacation in heaven? Guam! Yep. Only 3 hours by plane from Japan 

Besides the above, interestingly, I also "earned" $400 while I was on vacation in Guam the other day! Seriously! Pretty wild, eh? Well, here's what happened: 


At the end of December, I took my son, my wife and her parents and her sister to Guam for a family vacation. The in-laws are getting on in years and, as in-laws are wont to do, they keep saying that they want to go on "one last vacation together with the whole family before we die." (I think many people have relatives like this. They, like my in-laws, have been saying this sort of stuff for years... I wonder where we'll go for our "last vacation together" next year? Anyway...)


We went to stay at a very nice hotel in Guam (that I promised the hotel manager I would write about and I will soon). The hotel had connecting rooms and their own golf course. This is a great hotel and the rooms were large, clean, well-kept and a bargain at $200 dollars a night - don't forget that this was at Christmas time so prices that low at such a fine hotel are unbelievable! 

They even have Santa Claus in Guam

We choose this particular hotel because it was the in-laws wish was that they could go golfing together everyday. My wife and her sister would go shopping everyday and that left me to go play in the water park with my son. Get it? The parents golf, ladies shop, I babysit.... So much for "spending our last vacation together"! It was ok. I'd rather spend eight hours a day in the pool anyway because I don't like golfing and I really don't like shopping at boutiques.


We checked into the hotel and everyone went to their rooms. Our plan was to stay at this hotel for seven nights. Like I said, this vacation was paid for by me so everyone was my guest. Unbeknownst to me, the air conditioner in my in-laws room was broken. Since they are old people and I was paying for it, they didn't say anything about it at all. I didn't find out about the broken air conditioner until the forth morning at the hotel. I walked into their room and it was baking!


I asked my in laws why they didn't turn on the air conditioner and then they told me it didn't work. I checked it and sure enough, it was broken. I was a bit upset and asked them why they didn't tell me sooner. They said that they didn't want to complain and, if they did, they thought it would hurt my feelings.


Bless their hearts. I understand. They know I was paying for the vacation and they probably think I this hotel was the best I afford so they didn't want to make me feel bad about the accomodations. Old people are like that, I guess. Especially old Japanese folks who have rarely travelled outside of Japan; they don't know what to expect. I told them that I was going to complain to the manager about it and demand a room change and a discount. They told me not to complain. But I insisted that I had to. Heck, for all I know the hotel didn't know the cooler was broken.


From past experience, reading books (and experiences with this blog and dealing with comments and people) I have learned that getting angry is not a good negotiating tactic. I calmed myself and went down to the lobby to see the manager to make a business negotiation.


When I got there I met the manager. He was a very nice man named John. I explained the situation. John promised me that he'd look into it and switch the rooms immediately. I also asked for some satisfaction and a discount. He told me that he'd have to inquire to the sales division (understandable, this is a huge and famous hotel) so he'd get back to me later on.

View from our hotel room at Onward Beach Hotel. Fabulous!

When I met John again, he arranged the room transfer and, for that, I was happy. But, he said, that the sales department did not approve of a discount because we should have told them sooner. Yes, that's true. But I also explained to him about the in-laws and the "how's" and "what for's" and why they didn't tell me. They didn't tell me because they knew I was paying and probably thought that this was the best I could afford and if they complained, I'd feel bad. Fair enough, I figured. I can understand how older folks think. John agreed with me.


Even though he agreed, he said that it would be really tough to get the sales department to change their mind. We went back and forth a bit and I felt myself getting a bit hot under the collar.


That's when I pulled out my ace-in-the hole. I told John that I was a blogger and that I blogged for one of the most famous political and social commentary blogs in the world: Lew Rockwell and I also write this blog. I didn't have a business card, but, as I have written before in how to market yourself in Internet and Social Media? Get a Great Name, that having a great and easily memorable and unique name is critical.


I said to John,


"Listen John, I don't want to fight or hassle with you, but not getting even a bit of satisfaction in the form of a discount for the room isn't good enough. Now, when we reserved the room, we reserved a room with all the amenities and that includes an air conditioner that works. Please, I need more cooperation from you guys. You don't know who I am but I am a sort of well-known blogger. Please go to Google and search "Mike Tokyo." That's me at #1 or #2. I write for one of the most famous blogs in the world. Now, I don't want to write a bad review about this hotel. In fact, everything except this broken air conditioner has been just fine. And I'm not asking for something outrageous. Just some satisfaction. But if your sales doesn't want to make me happy, then you will lose a customer and I will write about this.... Because, well, because I am being forced to pay for something that wasn't as advertised and that's bad business. So please go back and ask again."


John said he understood. He looked me in the eye and shook my hand. With that, I walked off and we agreed to talk again the next morning.

The next morning, when I saw John, he smiled broadly at me. He told me that he was a big fan of Ron Paul and Lew Rockwell!!! He said he told the top director of the hotel about my case and they both agreed to cut the first four nights rate from $200 a night to $100 a night! I was so pleased. I was also so impressed that John was that kind of go-getter aim-to-please type of guy. He didn't have to go bat for me like that. But he did. He always has my business from now on. I like that sort of attitude.


What a diamond in the rough John is!


Actually, though, besides being happy, I was stunned. At first I thought John  meant that he was cutting $25 a night off the price, for a total of $100 and that would have been good enough for me, but they cut the price in half! $100 a night! Wow! That's $400 in my pocket right there! And all because I have a big mouth and I blog.

My wife was so happy too. Not only did we get a $400 discount, but they moved her parents into a bridal suite that was twice the size of the former room. Heck, the bathroom and shower in the bridal suite was the size of my dining room back home in Japan! When I saw the room, I thought, "Wow! This is really classy! These guys know how to treat customers!" What a wonderful place to take that someone special in your life for a honeymoon, anniversary, or just for vacation. 


I knew it! I blew it. I should have told my in-laws to take my room and we'd sacrifice by taking the bridal suite. Serves me right for not being more sneaky. Ahem!


Anyhow, the verdict is in for me: Blogging pays... Doing it consistently pays much better.

Onward Beach Resort, Guam. Highly recommended. http://www.onwardguam.com/hotel/en/

NOTE: The hotel we stayed in in Guam was the Onward Beach Resort. We have been to Guam now six times. We have stayed in the Nikko Hotel, the Hilton, Plaza Hotel and few others whose names escape me, but, for overall room quality, food, service and pleasant experience, Onward Beach Resort has been, by far, the best experience we've had in Guam. We will be staying there again next time.... If you go there, tell the manager, John, that I sent you. (Oh, and John, don't worry... I won't be asking for a discount again!)

Japanese Politicians Bizarre? Nah! Unbelievable But True Hilarious TV Speeches!

Readers of this blog know that I am a solid Ron Paul fan and have been writing for Lew Rockwell (LRC) since 2004. I remember years ago, when my book was released, I was savaged by some critics in Japan because of being a columnist for LRC. One woman wrote something along the lines of, "Mike writing for Lew Rockwell proves that he is amongst the lunatic fringe."


Ha! That's a laugh. (But, seriously, if you need a laugh, read on and watch these videos. They are hilarious.)

Zero Income Tax - Zero Wars - Zero Federal Reserve. Who could possibly have a problem with that?

Getting those negative comments was in 2005. I don't think people consider us the lunatic fringe anymore. Freedom, no taxation, no wars is now mainstream thinking (and just plain common sense - We've been doing it the opposite way all these years and how has that worked out?) 


Gee, I wonder what is so lunatic about being against wars, foreign entanglements and being for freedom and pro-constitution and anti-police state. If that is lunatic, then I am it.


Yesterday, I was inspired to write to Lew and sent him these great videos of some real Japanese who ran for political office. I think these guys are funny crazy. Are these guys really lunatics? You be the judge.... Frankly speaking compared to any US politician running for the US presidency, excepting Dr. Ron Paul, these guys are probably much saner than the rest. 


Here's what I wrote to Lew:


Dear Lew,


Happy Holidays to you and your readers. 

I think you'll be happy to watch these videos of some Japanese politicians. You guys only have Ron Paul to tell the truth.

We have several.... The problem with ours is that, as opposed to Dr. Paul, these Japanese politicians have nothing positive nor constructive to offer.

First up, Rock and Roller, Uchida Yuya as described by Keith Cahoon (extremely well known and regarded music industry beast):

"Yuya Uchida, who long aspired to be a rock'n'roller, decided to run for mayor of Tokyo in 1991.

This is his official alloted TV campaign speech. In 2011 he wrote a book about himself (including recent nude photos) and of course, rock 'n' roll. He was also arrested for various charges related to stalking a former girlfriend."

Yuya Uchida lost the election but still received over 54,000 votes.

And, please witness the glorious wisdom of Toyama Koichi. Scary like Hitler at first, this guy starts to make more and more sense as he goes along (actually when he says that nothing will be changed by elections, I find myself agreeing with him):

The best part is that he got over 15,000 votes. Who says that there's no hope for politics? (The middle finger at the end of the speech is awesome.)

And, now, going from a pissed off revolutionary to a really nice guy, who could forget Mack Akasaka? Mack always smiles and he founded and ran the "Smile Party" whose basic platform only held that people need to smile more to fix all the nations problems. This guy really does seem like a nice guy. He's pretty nutty though. Probably would make a great next door neighbor. 

Even though he lost in this election, he got 6,408 votes.

And, finally, what political and social commentary about Japan could be complete without a word from Yoko Ono? And I do mean, "Without a word." 

Japan has the best politicians (though they never get elected). In America, you have all these scum and liars, at least these Japanese people are sincere in their beliefs.... Perhaps Ron Paul can change the idea that good honest and sincere men cannot get elected in today's America.

Happy New Year's to you all!

NOTE: You can read my archives at Lew Rockwell here.


Thanks to Keith Cahoon, Lew Rockwell

Self Defense Mechanisms and Why Life in America Has Gone to Hell

I want to write something that I think will be received by most Americans like my article on Lew Rockwell (LRC) entitled, "America is Bankrupt." According to Lew, that was the #2 most read article on LRC in 2005. It was roundly criticized by many Americans and even got me death threats.

Now, over 6 years years later it doesn't raise an eyebrow. I predicted the future. In fact, things are even worse than I could have imagined.

JUNIOR MURVIN - POLICE AND THIEVES

Today's article is another one ABOUT how bad life in the USA has become for the average person.

I went to America a few months ago to see my deathly ill father. I didn't want to go to America. I hate going to that place.

Why do I hate going to America? Well, there's something very wrong about that country. From the moment you land at the airport - I always land at Los Angeles International (LAX) - there's a tension in the air. I can't put my finger on it exactly but it seems like a racial tension. It certainly got worse after the Los Angeles riots of the early 1990's after the LA police beat up Rodney King.

Most Americans realize that America is an extremely messed up place and they will talk about it and complain about it amongst themselves but they will take umbrage with you if you, as an outsider, bring it up. 

People may know that their kid is an idiot but they don't like it if you say so.... 

America is only royally screwed up place. Though most Americans recognize that fact, many are in serious denial or think that it is "still the best". Americans are so used to being treated like third-class citizens that they fail to comprehend what has happened to their country. Americans are so dense that they think it is normal to be yelled at by police or at the airport and treated like cattle. They think that this kind of behavior is normal.

Well, it is not. It's bizarre and uniquely American.

Why don't Americans recognize how bad that country has become? I suppose it's kind of like the frog in the slowly boiling water: The sh*t has been hitting the fan so slowly that Americans cannot see what kind of a crappy third-world country that place has become.

The biggest reason I hate that place are the police and the airport. You know, when you go to any other civilized country in the world, and leave, they don't ask you to strip down naked and take off your shoes like the USA does. They don't ask that you go through an X-ray machine like the USA does.

The last time I went to a foreign country, besides the USA, I went to Hong Kong. Weird, those Chinese. Those people are polite and actually pleased that you come to visit. They are polite and kind to you. They treat you with respect. What's their problem? I had the same problems whenever I visited any other country in Eastern Asia or Oceania: The border and customs officials were polite and seemed happy to have me and my wife and children visit.

Odd balls, aren't they? I mean, who wouldn't think a guy who looks like a white  American with his Japanese wife and 6 year old son and two teenage daughters with their Gucci bags aren't terrorists with bombs strapped to themselves under their clothing ready to suicide themselves for the freedom of designerbagistan? 

The USA? The immigration agent looks at my USA passport, his lips curl at the corners and he barks in a most foul attitude,

"What is your purpose in visiting the USA?"

"Uh, duh! Hello. I have an US passport, dummy! I am an American." I think, "What is your purpose in being such a dolt?" (of course I don't not verbalize what I am thinking).

And that brings me to an interesting thing I heard from an American woman the other day. We were talking about this very same subject. She said that she recently went back to New York and was surprised because people were "nicer" than she remembered them being. She had been living in Japan since the year 2000.

I asked her to explain what she meant by "people being 'nicer'."

She said that wherever she went, to stores or shops, it seemed that people were friendlier and more polite than she remembered. She said that when she was at a coffee shop, whenever customers walked in, they would always say a very polite "good morning" to the clerks and staff.

She's right. American people do this. I've noticed it too. It is much more pronounced than it used to be before 9/11. In fact, I have pondered about this and why it happens as I love to watch people and, in my amateur views on humanity and social behavior, reason why people act the way they do.

When I was in the USA a few months ago, I saw this very same behavior by people in many places I went. It has been becoming more and more pronounced as the US police state grows and crime grows along with it. 

Not anymore, they don't

I didn't usually notice these overly friendly salutations at chain restaurants such as a McDonald's or fried chicken establishments or at large, very crowded restaurants. (I did, though, notice many security cameras at a McDonald's that I stopped at to get a cup of coffee off the 101 freeway heading back to LAX). I noticed this sort of overly friendly greetings and gestures at small restaurants like corner donut shops, liquor stores or out of the way mom & pop coffee shops.... You know, the kinds of places that didn't have wide security apparatus and cameras like the famous chain restaurants that did or the large restaurants that were heavy with customer traffic, those were the kinds of places whereby customers would walk in (seemingly somewhat nervous) and give out a hearty "Good morning!" 

I noticed this sort of behavior by customers at these small shops. 

"Now, I wondered, "why are people acting so overly friendly? Isn't it strange?" 

I did some very surface research about crime in my home county and found that more than 10% of all felonies were robbery (with 85% being assault)... When it came to property offenses, over 1/3 were theft.

Perhaps my image is wrong, but it seems to me that robberies of these little corner shops and mom and pop restaurants are far more prevalent than robberies of big chain restaurants and establishments that are full of customers. Low traffic and poor security seem to me to make an easier target.

So, how does this abnormally high amount of extremely friendly greeting work as a self-defense mechanism? It dawned on me at a coffee shop in Oxnard, California.

I walked in. The shops clerks looked at me. They were a Vietnamese couple. Nice folks. I quietly said, "Good morning." I made my order. After me, several others came in. They all gave out a very loud "Good morning!" (It seemed too loud, in fact)... Everyone did this as they filed in and out of the shop. I sat down and enjoyed my coffee at one of the two (dirty) tables available.

One after another, people came in with a very loud, "Good morning to you!" "How are you today?" etc. Nevertheless, there was that tension in the air. The same one I always felt at LAX. If you always lived in Southern California, you'd probably never notice it. But if you lived outside of the USA, this tension is very heavy and like soup in the air; it is a very heavy fog. 

The tension is in the air. The people all greet in a loud, yet mechanical way. "What is the reason?" I thought....  

Then it dawned on me. 

I believe that this excessively friendly greeting and attitude was a method of self-defense. When these people walk into an establishment like the ones described above, they say a hearty (exaggeratedly friendly) "Good morning!" 

The true meaning of this greeting is not, de facto "Good morning!" it actually means, "Don't worry about me. I am a safe person and mean you no harm. I just want to come and go about my business."

The greeting disarms people and allows them not to worry and can give them a chance to relax... Like I said, it is a defense mechanism.

It is just one more reason why the USA has gone to hell in a hand basket. People must now announce their intentions in coded language to others to show that they mean no harm. It used to be the other way around; people expected others to be civil; that was normal and a matter of course.

It used to be that it was normal behavior that everyone was not a criminal and only criminals announced their intentions upon entering and establishment by way of saying something like, "This is a robbery! Put your hands up!" Now, in 2011 USA, normal people must disarm others by announcing that they are not criminals by saying "Good morning!"

Many Americans will scoff at this idea (like they scoffed at my 2005 article). But, deny it as you wish, it is pretty difficult for any human being to shut off their basic human survival mechanism regardless of what country they are living in.

In today's USA it is necessary to let others know that you have no ill-intentions. It used to be obvious and common that people had no ill-intentions towards others... In today's USA? One never knows. In today's USA you must broadcast your intentions. It is a bizarre and sad state of affairs.

Opinions, anyone?