The Writer's Poke

Some time ago in the spring, I found out that David Ellefson, bass player and co-founder of Megadeth, was rebranding the coffee shop in Jackson, Minnesota. Every so often I would tell Linda that I planned to drive over there to check it out, but the morning that I actually decided to drive over there to check it out, I think I surprised her. I’m not sure she thought I would ever do it. “What else are you going to do over there?” “Oh, that’s it. Just drive over there, order a cup of coffee, and drive home.” I had checked out Jackson on Tripadvisor, and honestly, Jackson seemed like it didn’t have much going on. My mind map of southwestern Minnesota was mainly a blank. I knew that I-90 drove through, but I thought perhaps the interstate was a metaphor: Beware ye who enter here, lest ye be on your way to somewhere else. When I told Tavi we were driving two hours to visit a coffee shop, the idea didn’t seem far-fetched to her. She only had one question, “Do they serve hot ...

The final product is all that matters; never worry about the process.

To do something big, start big.

If you're in charge, expect the best-case scenario; if you're not in charge, predict the worst-case scenario.

Don't ever compromise: Make others adapt to you.

Remember the Golden Rule: Whoever has the gold makes the rules.

          It is more important to repeatedly state the claim than it is to establish the facts. 

       Justice isn’t blind; it’s political. 

         Principles are good in theory, but in practice, winning is much more important. 

West Concord, Minnesota: Population 782 Distance from Rochester, Minnesota: 31 miles Reason to drive there: Only one – Omar’s Café for Sunday Brunch Sunday mornings in West Concord are incredibly quiet. No one in town is stirring, and except for the few cars in front of Omar’s Café,  you might be forgiven if you thought you were in a ghost town.  The view in the middle of Main Street looking to the east.  Why did Omar decide to open a cafe in, of all places, West Concord? I've never asked him the question directly, but I'm sure part of it has to do with the location. Yes, it's a 30 mile drive from Rochester, but maybe that works in his favor. If you want to have Sunday morning brunch at Omar's, you're going to have to make a firm decision to go. It's not a cafe that you end up going to on accident.  Linda and Octavia heading in.  Is it worth the drive? Sure it is. We've had Sunday Brunch at Omar's maybe ...

       Never admit you’re wrong, because doing so could give your opponent an advantage.  Losing is worse than being wrong.