I’m totally convinced there’s nothing you can’t outsource now. Thanks to Tim Ferriss, checking email just became one of those insane outsourcing applications. He has been experimenting with the process of outsourcing his inbox in order to maximize his time and literally cut hours out of an already taxing chore.

This can sound like a scary proposition. After all, is anyone else as qualified to answer your own email? Well yeah, plenty of people actually. The way he talks about setting up a list of rules and actions for his assistant appears like training a robot — or an email clone. But honestly, if you are one of those people who spend 4+ hours drilling through messages every day, get on board. By assembling a procedure and routines, assistants are able to literally emulate the way you would respond to emails.

Use different email addresses for specific types of incoming messages. Tim has a very private address used only for corresponding with his assistant. This enables him to carry out actions for priority emails. Using voicemail to take care of those tricky messages is also a great idea.

Expect issues. You’re hiring an employee here. Tim admits it takes upwards of 8 weeks to get this system on track. But like all things worth doing, if it was really easy then everyone would have outsourced email by now. Check out his list of outsourcing agencies that could handle the workload for you.

The downside here is that it costs money. If you can’t afford a personal assistant, look for simpler solutions. Trust can be another issue for control freaks. One or two mishaps could make you seem like a robot — or that you don’t care enough to respond to your own email. Of course, if the system works then nobody will ever know the difference!

Actor House Peters, Jr., better known to a generation as the inspiration for the bald-headed, muscular advertising icon Mr. Clean, passed away Wednesday at the Motion Picture and Television Fund Hospital at the age of 92.  Peters, the son of silent movie actor House Peters, found fame as Mr. Clean but kept busy in Hollywood […]

This story has been everywhere, but it’s too good to pass up.  After all, the story is about a woman named Michelle Allen who allegedly got dressed up in a cow suit, chased kids, peed on someone’s front porch, and blocked traffic.  Unsurprisingly, she picked a fight with cops and smelled strongly of alcohol.  Surprisingly, […]

Jake, a 14-pound rat terrier, is the luckiest dog in the world. No, he didn’t win the lottery, but he certainly gambled with his life and won thanks to his brave owner, Greg LeNoir. It was during the dog’s daily swim that Jake encountered a 5-foot-long shark off the coast of Islamorada, Florida. […]

Someone on Wall Street has to be listening to a track from Queen’s 1980 album, The Game, right now. Why is that? Well, hum the distinctive bass line if you know it… Dada dum dum dum… another one bites the dust. In this case, ‘another one’ means Wachovia Corporation, who collapsed under […]

You know the economic crisis is getting bad when even notorious Playboy founder and icon to a generation Hugh Hefner has to cut back on his expenses.  Even with a hit reality TV show and a magazine empire, a multi-millionaire can only afford to carry so much in terms of expenses, and Hef has been […]

In a few short hours, the Chinese spacecraft Shenzhou VII will slip the surly bonds of Earth and rocket towards through the stratophere to the stars. Among other goals of the trip, taikonaut Zhai Zhigang will make China’s first spacewalk, technically called extra-vehicular activity. I suppose that’s nicer than calling it a ‘dude […]

There’s always someone out there looking to ruin a good time.  Take, for example, the case of the Idaho Vandals cheerleading squad.  Who doesn’t appreciate those athletic young ladies firing up the crowd with their high-spirited choreography, tumbling routines, and high-flying tosses?  The fact that they are usually wearing cute and skimpy outfits only helps […]