Sorry for the gap; I've been traveling in Europe and have had an amazingly hectic week: Monday, Amsterdam, Tuesday, Eindhoven and Groningen, Wednesday, Berlin, Thursday, Madrid, and Friday, Toledo.  I know, a reason is no excuse, but, well, that's my reason.  I must tell you I am having a great time and have had some productive meetings, and now that I'm in Toledo I'm attending the European Congress on Telepathology which has been very useful.  I am running down a bit; the travel, weird food, and need to speak in tongues are taking a toll...  but in the meantime, it's all happening...

Josh Kopelman: How to ask for the order.  "The way you ask is just as important as asking. If you focus on reducing friction in a transaction -- and ask for the order in the right way -- you might find that you improve both your odds of success and the time needed to get a deal done."  A great post.  This resonates strongly for me because of our learnings at PayPal; we found that removing one question from the signup page increased signups dramatically. 

Malcom Gladwell: In the Air.  Who says big ideas are rare?  I've reached the point with Gladwell where I read everything he writes, but while this is interesting it isn't his most insightful work.  Check it out and see what you think. 

Fake Steve Jobs: Why Dell will not bounce back.  "The other reason Dell won't rebound is that the company is yoked to Microsoft. Vista has hurt them tremendously. Don't doubt it."  I don't. 

This is a little too weird, Adam Curry asks Albert Einstein or Marilyn Monroe?  Check out the picture at right; if you think you know the answer, get up and view it from across the room... 

Here's an important study: Music affects wine taste.  "New research suggests that the type of music one listens to while drinking wine can dramatically affect the taste."  I would not doubt it.  Furthermore I've noticed music has more of an effect on me than many other people, so it would probably affect the taste of wine more, too.  Personal research on this issue seems indicated! 

More important work: the Science of Orgasm.  "Brain scans seem to show that orgasms aren't just about heightened arousal but also the silencing of the brain's 'center of vigilance' to lose all inhibitions."  Again, personal research seems indicated :)  In fact as I think about it, I wonder if music affects orgasms.  Or wine.  Or both in combination?  The need for extensive research in this area is apparent :) 

Today's example of a semi-useful feature masquerading as a company: Spellr.us; a service that monitors websites for spelling errors.  You honestly cannot make this stuff up, it defies parody. 

Finally, here's today's picture of the week.  Wow. 
Beautiful, amazing, and awe-inspiring, all at once.  

(click to enlarge)