First from WEB: I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season, whether you celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or any other day special to you.  If you’re one of the lucky ones,  you’ve gotten an extended vacation because the holiday fell in the middle of the week.  Hopefully, that’s given everyone lots of family time, reminding us all of Christmas’ when we were young.  Maybe it allowed you the time to volunteer for a cause dear to your heart.   Or perhaps you got that long awaited, much needed vacation.  At our house, we’re still in mellow mode, which personally, I’d like to stick around for awhile …….morning coffee and Kahlua will be greatly missed when things get back to normal.  But back to ‘normal’ is exactly where we all must head soon…..the New Year is here, and thoughts of upcoming responsibilities will sneak into our minds as the days go on.  My best wishes for a great 2014 go out to each of you. ☮

Of course there were parties, and firework-filled celebrations around the World to ring in 2014.  Some made resolutions (I never do),  many drank too much (I’ve been known to),  but ultimately most of us have wishes of good things in the year ahead  (I always do).  Be it health, wealth, love, success or ‘world peace’☮, we approach every January 1st with an optimistic view of all that could be.  But never in my wildest imagination did I anticipate the events of the last year.  No way.  My family remains healthy and happy, for which I am extremely grateful, and certainly wished for.  What was extraordinary were the other events that occurred throughout the year….events that hadn’t even existed in my slightly-hung-over thought process of Jan. 1st, 2013.

~An Internet education……the good, the bad, and the ugly.

~More computer knowledge in several months than my entire life to that point.

~A blog….not a familiar territory then, just like home now.  Thanks for reading.

~Exclusive conversations with John McAfee….for McAfee Weekly.

~New friends…..after weeding out the freaks, there really were some.

~An amazing job offer….and a totally cool job 😉

~Never knowing what will be next…..and liking it.

~And more…. 😉

And so, my thoughts turn to John, and what feelings he has about the year ahead.  After all, without him, none of this would be happening.  Last year at this time JM was deep in the Heartland, making his way to Portland, and couldn’t have possibly anticipated the roller coaster ride he’s been riding.  It seems to me that he’s paid his dues, and should be allowed the luxury of this New Year being more peaceful….if that’s what he wants ;)~ .   Honestly, when I stop and think about what it must be like, I’m not sure how people in the public eye do it.  Being under a microscope wouldn’t fly for me….. but back to JM’s thoughts on the New Year….. I think we need some McAfadvice. I wonder if he’ll be available. *Big smile*….he’s got some time for us.

WEB:  We’re starting 2014 with a New Moon (fairly rare – last was 19 yrs. ago), which is said to bring good luck and new beginnings.  What, if any, ‘new beginnings’ are you looking forward to in 2014?

JM:  I have initiated a number of new projects that, hopefully, will improve my deteriorating public image and re-focus my energies into more conservative and acceptable pursuits.

The first one is my Somalia Marketing Initiative.  It is clear that the powers that be have no real intention to address the huge issue of piracy on the high seas and the piracy profession will continue expand at an exponential rate for the foreseeable future.  As things stand now, Somalia Pirates, as a collective, earn more yearly revenues from piracy than the GNP of Brazil, and approximately 98% of this revenue stream is spent outside the country.  While this may in fact create a dangerously lopsided trade imbalance that could burden future generations of pirates and devastate the pirate profession at large, it represents for the moment a huge untapped market that should bear fruit for a dozen or more years if properly managed.  

Since there is no current marketing plan to address the buying needs of pirates, this enormous wealth is currently being siphoned away by world class scam artists and unscrupulous opportunists, to the detriment of both the the pirates and the world economy as a whole.

My approach to mining this untapped resource is two-fold: 

First there needs to exist a country-wide education program to help the pirate community develop safe, sane and effective purchasing programs to help protect themselves from those con men and scam artists that currently have a stranglehold on the buying public in Somalia.  The pirate community needs to understand its purchasing options, and formal purchasing procedures need to be established to weed out people and organizations whose whole intent is to take advantage of the Pirates’ naiveté in accepted ethical business practices.  

The second thing that needs to be produced is a comprehensive buyers catalog that can be distributed for free to all pirates that meet certain minimum buyer criteria.  The catalog addresses both their professional and their personal buying needs.  Since Internet access in Somalia is either non functional or non existent, depending on geographic area, and since the majority of pirates are illiterate, the catalog will be distributed on a simple touch screen video device that will display pictures linked to explanatory videos dubbed in the Somali language.  For example: the opening screen has only two pictures.  The first depicts a large cargo ship being chased by speedboats filled with men brandishing a variety of weapons.  When touched, a screen appears with pictures of each class of appropriate weapon, interception and boarding devices, and the chase and escape vehicles that would be needed in the effective carrying out of the pirate profession.

The second photo depicts a contented pirate at ease, in front of a large estate wearing sophisticated clothing and surrounded by scantily clad Nubian women and attentive servants.  When touched, photos depicting the standard classes of recreational and entertainment products and services appears.

The catalog comes with a custom satellite phone with one single button.  When pressed, the buyer is instantly connected to his area sales representative who takes orders and arranges for expeditious delivery and secure payment.

If you have a product or service that you feel merits inclusion in our catalog, please contact myself, or my associate Edward Snowden at your earliest convenience.  Space is limited.

My other new projects include “Opinions inc.”, which addresses a growing problem today; knowing what to think about the huge and growing number of issues in the world.  Subscribers will have full time access to a personal advisor who will guide them as they navigate the delicate business and social interactions that present themselves throughout the day.

My third initiative is “Decisions Inc.” – the next logical step for subscribers to Opinions Inc.   Decisions Inc. subscribers can relieve themselves of any responsibility whatsoever for their own lives by turning over all decision making responsibility to us.  Thus, the truly difficult or intimidating choices we all must face, such as whether or not to approach a particular someone at a singles gathering, or whether or not to propose marriage to someone you already met (or would like to meet), will be decided by our professional decision makers.  All subscribers will wear a full time, nearly invisible earpiece and will be equipped with a tiny wearable video camera and microphone.  Professional decision makers will monitor the subscriber’s every action and will prompt them in each and every situation requiring a decision. 

Those interested in becoming a subscriber should apply early.  Numbers will be limited for the first few years. 

WEB:  (must stop giggling) From what we’ve all read, you’ve lived a pretty exciting, and colorful life.  It seems you live every moment to the fullest, and frankly show little signs of slowing down…..your above answer makes that clear.  Over the last year there have been countless comments made on whoismcafee.com by people who either want to be you or hang out with you.   So, with that in mind, what advice would you have for us mere mortals to make the most of this New Year?

Upon realizing the magnitude of the question, John offered to provide not one but seven responses to my query.   I have created a new post so his answers will all be under one heading, and will add to them daily.  Enjoy.

In closing, as 2014 starts it’s ‘New Beginning’, I would like to (publicly) thank John McAfee and Francois Garcia/Impact Future Media for having the confidence (the smart ass me says ‘insight’.. lol) to offer me, an unknown, such an amazing job.  To say the last 6 months have been a pleasure would be an understatement.  Last year at this time I could never have imagined I’d be sitting ‘here’ right now.  It’s been a blast this far, with so much more to come, and my deepest gratitude goes to both of you.  Cheers to New Beginnings.

This year has me really, really excited….it’s going to be FAN-f*c%ing-TASTIC.

Bring on 2014……I’m ready.   ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

©WEB~2014 ☮