the tipping point

People ask me why I write poems, rap songs, and/or find dorky jokes for small group announcements. It is my firm belief that if you make something interesting, people may actually read your emails and do what you want them to do. (Very big pet peeve when people don't read their emails). For example, I've been ignoring these emails about March Madness pools (basketball is the one mainstream sport I never followed) for years and never participated. Didn't think it applied to me. But if you give me a clever reason to laugh, I'm willing to give in.

Though I have to say...is it a bad thing if I made my picks based on which teams had better mascots/logos? Dang, that sounded so girly. I hang my head in shame.

* * * * *

Okay, in the last week or so, I've heard all the excuses:

"Sorry, I can't, work is really busy"

"Sorry, I can't, I have an IV conference in San Francisco, all the way across the country!"

"Sorry, I can't, I'm getting married in two weeks"

"Yes, but I have three finals in two weeks and I haven't studied all quarter"

(okay, that last one was me)

Well, everyone, I timed it.

It takes 1 minute, 32 seconds to register, and that is if you sit and try to think up a clever team name. 1 minute 32.3 seconds if your pop-up blocker blocks the link below and you have to press the control button before clicking the link.

It takes 4 minutes, 43 seconds to pick teams, and that is if you look up where each region is playing.

6 minutes and 15 seconds. No one is too busy not to have a spare 6 minutes and 15 seconds in his or her life. If your time is that compressed, maybe you need to reevaluate your schedule.

To put it in perspective, it takes 37 seconds to read this email so far (subtract a second for ever year it's been since you graduated from MIT). And it took the nerds among you another 37.4 seconds to look up at the clock and reread the email (please don't send me anything letting me know how fast you can read). So just delete the next 10 emails that arrive in your inbox without reading them, and you'll have saved just about enough time to enter the pool. Delete the next 11 if you want to be sure.

You no longer have any excuse. ("I don't follow sports" is NOT an acceptable excuse)