Back in the day, I believe I mentioned I worked for Freddie, a great dude?
Yes.
I also believe I've been very upfront about the fact that that job was one I should NOT have left the way I did.
Not because it was a "good job" - it wasn't - the conditions were shitty, and the factory food - UGH - but then again, thats factories in China ... (at least the ones in the boonies). But Freddie himself was a great guy!
And anyway, I was hired to ostensibly build a website, write code for them and ... well, in a position wher eI was sort of a manager without ALL of the benefits (but I had most anyway in a sort of indirect manner).
Company cars, phone bills etc all paid, not to mention those lovely $100 burgers at Dan Ryans (more on this later, hehe. I love Freddie, even when we were on a trip to HK and he thrust packs of Nachos or what not at me and asked me not to break them (at that time those weren't available on the mainland, hehe))...
Never one to shy away from being a "Courier boy". LOL.
But he's a great guy! Right down to asking me to bring him "curry powder" or something, lol.
Anyway, that one time I got the best car in the factory - his - so I Can't complain. Hehe.
But anyway, so I was hired for that reason, and I did their website.
Freddie was nothing if not a harsh taskmaster.
IT looks awful!
Was his public comment when he first saw it.
I love Freddie, hehe. It didnt look awful. but it looked "basic", because it wasn't fully designed as yet.
Manny, a manager (design, I belive) was standing next to me (it was a packaging factory).
"No, no, no", he tried telling me, before Freddie whisked him away.
Later, he told me the following.
"So critical!"
"I mean, he can say that privately!"
Probably, hehe, but funny part? I didnt mind!
Anyway, we had a meetingon the site, all was great fun in the meeting, and then I was supposed to create some sort of system based upon feedback from other managers, which of course they were all too busy to provide, and yours truly got along great with all of 'em - so I never pushed them. Always the nice guy, hehe.
A week or so later, Freddie's indirect boss showed up.
Asked why it wasn't done!
And a flaming email showed up from Freddie, who in person just said the following.
"I'm gonna talk to you, Rahul!"
I knew that wink meant something ...
He sent an email completely "tearing apart the site", the project, all from an IT standpoint, and he CC'd all the managers in.
Talk about baptism by fire. Hehe.
When I asked him about it?
"You know, if I dont say it, no-one will do it!"
Hey.
He was right there!
And a classic way of avoiding the point, but again, I didnt mind. I liked Freddie!
He was part Chinese (US citizen) and said most people mistook him for Indian, lol.
Anyway - Mannie once emailed me about a Tai-Po on the website.
"Buddy, I noticed a typo here. Fix it, or Fred will kick your ass!"
Hehe.
Fred never did.
But I fixed it, but point of me saying this/?
Well, first off, I 'm not quite sure WHY I was hired there.
IT yes, but ...
I think really it all boiled down to two things.
One, we enjoyed a great Corona during the interview, got along well, and that was that.
And two?
As Uncle Bob told me, he probably doesnt know any more about hiring than you do!
Hey, thats China and "life at the ole factory".
But point of me saying this?
Sometimes, these things matter - usually not tho.
Por ejempelo, another TaiPo I made on the website (not sure if it was after the Chinese Annual New Year party where I drank more than I ever have in my life, so much so that Freddie came to my office and said "I saw you! You were really pouring it down!") I think ascribed a product to a competitor or something.
"Fix that, Rahul!" said ole Fred. "You'll get my ass in some serious trouble!"
Hehe.
But most cases, I'd say these things really don't matter my friend.
Again, and for example, the comment the Rum Dum in Brum left on the Animal Kingdom Workouts page about Tai-po's ...
"His writing style is very poor!"
Coming from a bozo that never READ the book and that used to previously praise my writing style to the heavens, I'd say ... BS. (and a jackass that never wrote anything beyond what his ole tongue tied to ass tongue did in unmentionable "nether regions")
(Poor gals and older women in Brum)
And so said other people, including a great customer on that very page.
For reference, most of my books don't contain Tai Pos.
No, I dont hire copywriters or fancy editors. All done myself, so the odd one may slip through.
But I really don't think there are many at all in my books.
These emails, of course, that is a different matter.
Point of all this, of course is two fold.
One, a trip down memory lane.
And two, really, my friend.
Focus on what MATTERS.
In this case, exercise.
And I do a damned fine job of bringing it to you ...
Anyway, before I go - and as I've been trumpeting all week long.
Fast and Furious Fitness - the Collector's Edition DOES matter.
You DO want to get your paws on this if you're serious about fitness (in any way, even if you lift weights).
And the time to do so is NOW - once the last few copies (3) are gone they're gone.
No more reprints, fella.
So jump on this now.
Best,
Rahul Mookerjee
PS - Back soon!
