My plan was to interview the Cincinnati native for an hour or two, but Burck wanted me to get the whole experience.

"If you just want to scratch the surface, I guess that's fine," he had said resignedly on the phone that day. "But if you want to get deep with the Naked Cowboy, then maybe we should head into the city right now."

In twenty-degree weather? Nearly in the buff?

"Why not?" I asked. "What time and where?"

The Hotel Room

First, an inventory of the Naked Cowboy's belongings.

In his room was a suitcase of clothes, mostly underwear that had "NakedCowboy" emblazoned in red, white and blue. Then there was his guitar, also painted like an American flag. Noticeable was a stack of papers, folders, and postcards, and a bunch of books. He picked up a book and handed it to me.

"Here," he said. "I read this book over 30 times already."

It was motivational speaker Anthony Robbins' "Awaken the Giant Within."

"It has really helped me focus, gain direction and plan out my goals," Burck told me.

"Really?" I said. "Cool. What kind of goals?"

"All kinds - personal, financial, spiritual...you name it. For instance, one of my goals is to be the wealthiest person who has ever lived."

"Huh. How's that going?" I asked.

Just then, his cell phone rang. He excused himself and answered it.

"March!" he exclaimed to the caller. "That's three months away. No telling where I'll be then."

Pause.

"I see. Well, I usually get a thousand bucks out there..."

Burck flipped through a notebook. There was a hand-drawn monthly calendar on each page.

"Okay," he said. "Well, why don't you give me a call closer to the date, but it sounds good. Okay, thanks. Bye."

He slid back on the bed and kicked up his feet.

"See that?" he asked. "Those people want me to go out to Long Island and hang out at their bar. They pay me a thousand bucks, I get an open bar tab and I take my girlfriend. Sweet."

He continued, "Only problem is, they want me for March. March! I don't live like that, man. I got all my belongings in the whole world right here and in my car. Tomorrow I head to Ohio; next week I'll be in New Orleans. Two months ago I was in Japan. How can I commit to March now?"

"That's my life - open," he mused. "I am free for the rest of my life."

Friends forever

Just then, Burck lifted a bound stack of postcards from a pile. On the front of each was a picture of him with his guitar in Times Square. They were all filled out, addressed and stamped.

"You know what these are?" he asked. "These are for every person I have ever met in my life. My friends. I keep a list of every person I ever met, and every month I send everyone a postcard to say hello. And now you'll be on that list, too."Suddenly I understood his local popularity. One woman at the Secaucus Post Office on Paterson Plank Road has a collection of photos of him on the wall. "He was just in here this morning," she had told me the week before. "What a nice man."

Burck continued talking about his post cards. "Check it out," he said, handing me a stack. "Over 1,400 a month. Get it?"

"Get what?" I asked.

"Look here," he said, redirecting my attention. "Have you seen the Naked Cowboy currency yet?" He pulled out a stack of bills. Each one had "Naked Cowboy" stamped across it in light green.

"In the last eight months, I've put $46,000 into circulation," he said laughing. "Get it?"

Strangely, but slowly, I was starting to get it.

The man was branding himself. He was taking advantage of every bitof free publicity, notoriety, and acclaim he could get his hands on.

But what I couldn't figure out was if the dude was crazy or not. There was only one way to find out...

Is he crazy, or just naked?

The ride into the city in the Naked Cowboy's truck was intriguing, to say the least.

I began with a few simple questions, the answers to which came back in a cultlike monotone, almost like a mantra that has been memorized and regurgitated over time.

"So, you mentioned goals," I started. "What exactly is th-"

Before I could finish, he said, "I will dominate the world's markets through the commercialization of the greatest product/service ever created - me."

"Oh, I see," I said. "Well, then how exactly do you plan to-"

"My image/name, message/prophecy, persona/character, and love/divinity, I will communicate so incredibly, that everyone/everything will seek to channel their missions/products through me."

I see, you ask a serious question, you get a serious answer.

"We're all connected," he continued, "and that is what I do. I connect with people, with every living thing, in everything I do."

Was he a brainwashed Tony Robbins fanatic, or just cultivating an image? It was time to mix it up a little.

"So then, do you like Star Wars?" I asked. This caught him off guard.

"Uh, Star Wars?" he said. "No, not into it. Why?"

"Well, you know, 'the force'... it surrounds us, binds us all - living and non-living..."

"Interesting," he said. "Sure, if I can use it, why not."

Ah ha! Now we were getting somewhere. If he can use it. I thought about it,and I saw his angle. Another question. "Are you a religious man?"

"Religious? Sure I am... I am God."

"You're God?"

"Yep, and so are you. We all are. We're all our own god, and you have to believe that in order to achieve and be who you are."

"Of course." I stubbed out my cigarette. The Lincoln Tunnel was straight ahead and it was time to see the Naked Cowboy in action.