Experience...

teaches many lessons.  Some are worth sharing.  Here you’ll find articles and insights into subjects ranging from Einstein and the Science of Aging to direct marketing and Duke Ellington. Enjoy!  -- dw

PHOTOS OF THE MOMENT:  Pigeon River Falls, Canadian Border 6/2009.

CONTACT US: wilhide@skypoint.com

Marketing-related articles -- bits and pieces over the years that still may be relevant.

The CEO as spokesperson -- can you use your CEO as an ad spokesperson?  Should you?  Includes a checklist.


Is branding dead? -- branding has been the leading buzzword for a decade or more.  Should it still be the first thing we think about?


Marketing notes -- measuring web site performance; old folks and young; women and money.


Marketing notes -- about making marketing more accountable; results from some campaigns; data on marriage


Marketing notes -- should you use a self-mailer or enclosed package? Are brochures still useful in a digital age?  What about recruitment ads?


Marketing notes -- the “noun gap”;  comments on lying and bullshit.


Branding the Band -- Duke Ellington was one of America’s great composers and jazz band leaders.  No slouch at marketing either.


Marketing Around the World. -- correspondence from Birmingham, UK; Target’s Torino Olympics strategy; factoids of various sorts.

General interest articles -- on a

wide range of subjects.

Riding the Rails   Review of great Amtrak train trip

-- The Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to L.A. 

-- The Coast Starlight from L.A. to Seattle.

-- The Empire Builder from Seattle to St. Paul.


The Upside of Downtime Write-up of a talk by Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal priest and professor who speaks eloquently about how to “stop” and ask yourself the important questions..


Unlocking the Keys  A review of places to stay, places to eat and things to do in and around Marathon and the Florida Keys.


Medicine 2006-- “a prescription for tomorrow.” Notes from the 2006 Nobel conference.


The Legacy of Einstein -- notes from the 2005 Nobel Conference.


The Science of Aging -- notes from the 2004 Nobel Conference.


Nobel conference 2003.  --  notes from the 2003 Nobel Conference about recent research into the origins of life (ours and others) on the planet.


Estonia, etc -- comments on a lecture by Salmon Rushdie, the book “On Bullshit” and not attending to one’s gutters.


The 60s -- comments on a lecture by Thomas Sugrue about the decade that made so many of us what we are (or wish we still were).


bike ride 09 -- “Short and Sweet”  Notes from the 2009 Klobuchar bike ride.  NOTE:  want notes from other rides?  Contact me.


Over the Rainbow bike ride-- “Over the rainbow with a bad back.” Notes from the 2006 Klobuchar bike ride.


bike trip 03 -- “In the and of the cheeseheads.”  Notes from the 2003 Klobuchar bike ride



Check out the photo album below.. in the process of being assembled.

photo album


I’ve archived photos used previously on this web site. Click on “photo album” above to see them.


  1. *Pt. Loma lighthouse

  2. *Fish and corral, Seattle aquarium

  3. *Ernest the egret. Florida Keys

  4. *Moon over the surf at Duck, N.C.

  5. *Cherry blossoms in Tokyo