Merlin's Frequently Asked Questions
Search the FAQ for entries containing:
About Merlin (2 entries)
Definitely. I’m named after my late father and grandfather. 
No, it does not. The name is based on a line in my favorite novel, the Pulitzer Prize-winning, A Confederacy of Dunces , written by the late John Kennedy Toole . ...
43 Folders (4 entries)
It’s the number of folders in the lo-fi existential alarm clock known as, a tickler file . A tickler file is a collection of date-labeled file folder ...
Not at all. Or, more strictly speaking, I suppose the sites are related inasmuch as they both launched to much acclaim in 2004, and both reside at regrettably similar ...
43Folders.com is a website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work. [ more » ] 
No, it is not. No more than The Seventh Seal is a buddy movie about hanging out at the beach. I’m an ardent admirer of David Allen and an ...
Merlin's Work (4 entries)
It’s one very enjoyable part of my job. Here’s a rundown of the basic gerunds in my work life : writing & blogging - In addition to ...
I’d really prefer you did not. I’m a writer . Albeit, a writer who also does other stuff related to what I write about. But, yeah. I’m ...
No, I am not. I’m just a distractible man with some websites. I am the guru of nothing . 
Like I say, I think of myself as a writer . If you need something fancier and with a more sophisticated whiff of “personal branding,” you can say that ...
Hiring Merlin (8 entries)
For most all of my speaking, consulting, and advisory work, yes : I do charge a fee, plus expenses. And, candidly, I charge kind of a lot. ...
If there’s a good match between your needs and my modest abilities as a speaker, writer, advisor or what-have-you, you’ll find I’m astoundingly easy to hire and work with. Functioning as ...
All depends. Surprise, right? It’s really hard to quote a definitive price for something until we both understand what something is, you know? It’s one reason a Maserati and a ...
It totally is. Also, that wasn’t a question.
Seriously. Dude. Absolutely not. Unless you specifically request my famously colorful and awkward profanity. In which case it is, of course, complimentary . 
Yes. Owing to requests from numerous clients, pants in some form or fashion are now standard equipment for all of my public talks. N.B. : In the event that ...
Totally. As with all parts of a hiring arrangement, everything’s flexible as long as everything’s negotiable.
You certainly wouldn’t be the first to try.
Merlin, Connectedness, and the So-Called Social Graph (9 entries)
Never. Probably not. We’ll see. Maybe. I doubt it. 
Only if you want them sent back like an overcooked steak. Seriously, please don’t send me this kind of crap; I’m not a baseball card. 
Only if it’s waiting for me on some kind of ironic eyeball-searing machine in hell. 
Kinda. I guess. I assume. I mean, I haven’t even looked at Facebook in over a year, but I imagine my old page is on there somewhere. ...
No. That’s not going to happen. And, for the record, it’s a creepy thing to ask. Seek counseling. 
I don’t hate anyone. And I have a lot of friends in some form of public relations. They seem nice. Also, people I work with and who represent me use PR ...
Because Twitter is a safe and harmless place to let my id run off-leash. Plus, it’s just amazingly tedious to talk about your exercise, location, and meal quality. ...
It’s nothing personal, and it most definitely has zero to do with you, your email, or your awesomeness, all of which we’ll take as read. The problem is: every ...
Again, it’s so nothing against you. Not at all. It’s just that I don’t use websites to confer friendship—let alone the illusion of friendship. I use actual friendship for ...
Fun Facts (16 entries)
You bet I did. Although I’m best known for playing in “ Bacon Ray ” (1994-1999), I was also in “Parachute Pants” (1997-1999) and “Three-piece Spicy Whitemeat” (1993), as well as ...
Yes. For several years in the late 90s, it was my honor to be one of the people who portrayed “ Jungo ,” the Bingo number-calling gorilla. Most Sunday ...
Yep. Started in 1986 and graduated in 1990. Had a great time, too. Afterward, I had the honor to serve for a couple years on the boards of both the New ...
Mono.
Vim.
TextMate.
No. I will not.
Lightroom.
Flight.
Yes. Please.
Trick question. Next.
Don’t insult me. Tall-hair.
Dick York.
Not until now.
It was.
I have absolutely no idea. 
