WRITING: TEOTWAWKI fiction — It happened in Church – Chapter Seventy Seven – Into the tunnel

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

It happened in Church – October 19, 1962
Chapter Seventy Seven – Into the tunnel

Monday 19 Nov (begins)

June’s night

When she heard what John had in store for Roy. She immediately got to work; she gather some willing youngsters and they began slicing sheets to ribbons. There were three ideas.

One was in his haste to retreat in the tunnel Roy might become confused and miss “his stop” at Dyckman. June had a “rope” constructed that would be chest high and transverse the track area.

The other one was that in the tunnel under pressure, he might become disoriented and go the wrong way. For that, she planned to ‘armband’ every beam supporting the roof with the knot facing the way out.

Finally, he might need a ‘rope’ for some purpose.

And, he might need some help carrying supplies for his multiday holiday.

She had a lot of willing volunteers. More than she needed. She had the youngsters sort it out to ten. They came up with a one potato two as the preferred method. Although there was substantial support for rocks, paper, scissors.

In about two hours, the group had reduced stacks of sheets into rags. June sent the ten primary and five backup to sleep with the admonition to be back at 4am or lose their place in the ‘adventure team’.

Everyone would carry extra, mark the way going, accompany Roy to his spot, and use the marks to get home. There was some risk, but June thought it minimal.

+++++

Patrol Out

0400 The best hour! Brother Kevin was up.

So were a host of other people. Roy and Jody. John and Marie. A slew of little people all carrying bundles.

Brother Kevin pulled the Lurp together and TomT. Someone had the explosives on the spare hunting cart lashed to a bike. Everyone was ‘mounted’. They’d pedal through the tunnels to 145th and then make their way back to 158th. Brother Kevin didn’t like the lay of the land at the Hospital. It was basically a ravine and could be a channel to a slaughter. At 145th, the terrain was a hillside. With parallel streets. Much more flexible. Besides the extra distance was nought. They had some ‘porters’ to carry the explosives once they had to abandon the bikes. And some spare ‘porters’ for relief. It shouldn’t explode if it was dropped, but Brother Kevin didn’t want to test that promise because some one was tired.

Roy had been planning to go by himself. Plans change. He had Jody, June and a bunch of munchkins, and a Short Leg security team to escort him to his ‘lair’. He kept thinking ‘final resting place’. June had her army already moving to the train station.

John was the most cheerfully morose. Cheerfully putting a happy face on what he had done. Morose because he knew how risky this was. Roy took him to the side and said quietly: “John, whatever happens, this makes sense. We’ve been lucky and lets not dwell on what happens if the luck starts to change. I take solace in the fact that the Bravo Golfs haven’t been very good soldiers to date. That and my faith that you’ll take us all to Vermont.” John shook his head: “I should be going not you.” “Don’t be silly. You have your stuff to do. This is mine. Don’t you dare waste a second worry about me. I’m a big boy. I know the risks. You tend to your knitting and let me tend to mine.” John gave Roy a quick male bonding hug. And walked away. John felt it was 80/20 he wouldn’t see him again. One alert Bravo Golf or one mistake with the ‘boom boxes’ and it could be all over.

Roy said to TomT: “I’ll see you are the subway grate. If I’m late, tape it off to the grate and get out of there.”

Brother Kevin lead his patrol off to the tunnel and Roy ran to catch up to June and Jody. They were already in the subway.

+++++

Decorating Underground

The old sheets from the Library raid were still there and undisturbed. June had a small team rigging the ‘stop sign’ across the tracks. The lucky ten ‘armbanders ‘ were tying up every other stanchion. It was fast work. But there was two miles to do. June figured thirty minutes. She stayed with them.

Roy, Jody, the porters, and the security team move swiftly ahead. They really were not considering trouble given the hour and darkness. Roy was on point and at it was amazing how the human eye could adapt to the dark. The air ventilation grates cave off a ‘light’ in the sense that it wasn’t ‘cavern darkness’. Trips and stumbles were relatively rare as folks were really concentrating.

At the 158th station, (Roy was counting), flashlights confirmed the station identification. From Brother Kevin’s description, it was easy to identify that the market was in the plaza. Where in the plaza relative to the grates was another issue. Roy spent some times looking to find the right place. When he located it, he pushed an end of June’s rope up through the grate. He laid out the antenna wire and attached it to the great.

He coded: ‘ground hog in den’ ‘little goose’.

Jody and the security team were planning to wait until the explosive was set and the waiting began before they pulled out. If something bad was going to happen prematurely, Jody wanted to be with her man. If she didn’t have other duties that depended upon her, she’d have stayed.

+++++

End of line

Brother Kevin and crew were down to the end of the second tunnel. Security was left at the end of each of the two legs. No sense allowing oneself to walk back into an ambush. Even though the Bravo Golfs had shown no interest or ability to do such, he wasn’t going to relax.

Everyone waited patiently for Roy to get into position. Brother Kevin heard the signal. He waved Lurp out in their two by two cover formation and they were moving briskly. Brother Kevin led the portage team out a few minutes later.

Across 145th, to Broadway. Left on Broadway to 159th street. Everyone went to ground in a looted storefront. There was no doubt they were deep into injun country.

Brother Kevin and TomT, each carrying an explosive, started for the 158th intersection. They were really hanging out all by themselves.

Brother Kevin paused by the corner. His sixth sense was holding him there. He signaled TomT to wait.

He smelled it before he could see it.

Cigarette smoke.

They were not alone.

There was a fellow smoking in the doorway right by where they had to pass. Was he a sentry malingering? Or just poor soul. Brother Kevin said a quick ejaculation and crept ahead. It was dark. Hopefully dark enough. Another smell hit him. Body odor. Homeless? He was very close. Rifle butt like a club, Brother Kevin lashed out. Heel of rifle to chin. Just like in basic. The cigarette rolled from the unconscious man’s hand.

Now how to cover up? Brother Kevin searched in the man’s pockets — cigarettes, money, and keys. He took it all. Just like a mugging. And the fellow’s coat, he was using as a pillow.

He waved TomT forward and they proceeded to the rear corner of the bleachers. TomT slipped under and placed one explosive at each end. Attaching the wire, he coiled it around the frame and spooled it out to the grate. As quiet as he could, he tapped the the metal spool to the grate. Three times total.

Roy heard the noise and went to the grate. Silently he stuck a single finger up. TomT put the wire over it and held the spool loosely. In seconds, the wire began to pay out. Shortly in real time, forever in TomT’s time, the roll out stopped. A firm tug was felt on the wire. TomT envisioned Roy cutting it. There were then three tugs on the wire and TomT started rolloing it up. It rolled freely; there was nothing holding it. TomT headed for the exits.

Brother Kevin stopped him. Whispering “Take coat to cover wire and what about the safeties?”. TomT dropped the coat on the wire and hustled back to pull a tab out of each pack. Put them in his pocket. Now any attempt to cut the wire from the detonator or move them would explode them. This was the most dangerous time.TomT wasted no time “Getting out of Dodge”. Brother Kevin was close behind.

Lurp followed them to the bikes. And they pedalled for all they were worth. They were on their way “home”.

++++

Roy’s wired

TomT’s wire was pulled to the detonator. Roy cut the wire and stripped the wire ends. He waited five minutes for TomT to clear the area and then put the wire end through the connector and screwed the wire nuts down over it. It was ready to go boom!

He said to Jody: “It’s time. You need to get back and do your thing. I’m OK and will be OK. I’ll see you at the depot in a few days and we’ll be on our way to Vermont. I ran the wire an extra 100 feet. The first sign, that it or I am discovered, and up she goes. And, I’m headed out.” Jody was a strong girl. But this was her man. “OKAY, but don’t be late.” They hugged and she marched off like a trooper. June, whose armbanding crew had finished, was waiting to walk with her.

In the dark, no one could see Jody’s tears. But, June was an empathic, she didn’t need to see. She just held Jody’s hand, willing peace to flow thru their bond.

+++++

Twin’s wake up

The twins awoke to find both parental replacement units waiting for their needs. The feeding unit was quickly pumping. The changing unit was quickly engaged. The twins felt concern, but not a threat. They attempted to ‘happy’ up the service units with gurgling and laughter. With some modest success.

+++++

Bfast

Krats everywhere. Somber. One of their own was hanging out and a risk. No one was happy.

June sought out John. “John, us sitting here isn’t going to do much good. I suggest we move to the North Mobile site and begin recovery. If Thursday is your target, then we can’t afford to sit around and wait til tomorrow to move. I’d suggest leave Brother Kevin and team here and we move. Let’s not miss your target because we wasted time. We haven’t seen a Bravo Golf any time lately. We need to take a little more risk and stay on schedule.” John thought about it. He wanted Brother Kevin’s opinion. “Let’s find out if Brother Kevin will sign up for that risk?” “OK”

‘father goose needs head lurp’

Brother Kevin came in minutes. June explained the problem. John asked: “You feel OK hanging out here till tomorrow while we move on?” “Sure!” John was concerned that everyone was just blithely agreeing with him to be agreeable. “June, Brother Kevin, I feel like I am talking people into stuff. I can’t tell what you really think is good or bad. So, I need absolute honesty. I am perfectly prepared to stall here until tomorrow and rush the recovery people soLURP has the benefit of the cover. If you tell me it’s not needed, then I’ll move. But it is a risk. True we haven’t seen hide nor hair of the Bravo Golf, but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t. So it’s your call.” Brother Kevin realizing that he was playing poker with other people’s chips, said: “Give me fifteen minutes to poll the group. Everyone has to agree.” “Good enough!”

He played with the twins while he was waiting.

Brother Kevin was back in less than 10. “Go ahead and move. We’ll be fine.”

“You heard the man, June, let’s get saddled up.”

“Since we are moving, I’d like to start by moving half folks out now to go by the school and get cleaned up. After we move, I’d like the other half to go back and get the same.”

John said “Fine.”

Marie chimed in: “And which group will his nibbs be joining. You’re getting a little ripe.”

Everyone laughed.

Funny how we can’t smell ourselves.

John was stunned. They had their assumptions all wrong. They had designed this plan for the staffing level they had originally. They never formally revised it when the Guests came. He was sick. Some leader he was.

“OK, we’ve made a big mistake. We are making this harder on ourselves than we have to. Back to the school and replan from scratch. Brother Kevin, you have to get some sleep. I still need you to place the explosives at Bravo Golf HQ. Little goose, call the base and tell them we’re stopping by for lunch. Nothing like uninvited guests.”

+++++

In the dark

Roy moved up towards the grate. He could hear the noise. He was very tempted to sneak a peak. But, he stayed on mission.

(Good thing he did!)

# # # # #


POLITICAL: Saint Francis!

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=69693

FAITH UNDER FIRE
Major U.S. city officially condemns Catholic Church
Instructs members to defy ‘Holy Office of Inquisition’
Posted: July 15, 2008
8:48 pm Eastern

*** begin quote ***

A San Francisco city and county board resolution that officially labeled the Catholic church’s moral teachings on homosexuality as “insulting to all San Franciscans,” “hateful,” “defamatory,” “insensitive” and “ignorant” will be challenged tomorrow in court for violating the Constitution’s prohibition of government hostility toward religion.

Resolution 168-08, passed unanimously by the City and County of San Francisco Board of Supervisors two years ago, also accused the Vatican of being a “foreign country” meddling with and attempting to “negatively influence (San Francisco’s) existing and established customs.”

*** end quote ***

I guess San Francisco is going to change its name from Saint Francis!

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RANT: Energy policy — put Congress in an asylum

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Message from Luddite:

*** begin quote ***
I hope congress allows drilling offshore, drilling in Alaska, windmills out west, solar anywhere…and stop getting in the way of progress.

*** end quote ***

But, it is not just drilling. We need new refineries (NIMBY) and nukes. Oil doesn’t go into cars; gas does. France get 80% of its electricity from nuke; the US less than 5 (? or so I have heard touted). That’s a disgrace. We need private enterprise to be freed from gooferment regulation to invent us out of this box. Congress should be in a box!

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FITing: Third fill up … …

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

(Now, what did Brother Austin Barry say in Engineering Measurements class too many years ago. One digit significance divided by lots of digits yeilds even more meaningless digits?)

31.5 mpg?

245.2 miles divided by 7.797 gallons — down slightly 31.4779928 mpgs

292.5 miles divided by 8.755 gallons — an unimpressive 33. 409480 mpgs

125.8 miles divided by 8.411 gallons — an unimpressive 14.95 mpgs

Note: FIguring the savings at 15$ per week, how many weeks to break even on an 18k$ car?

(Kick the hampster to turn the wheel!)

1200!

23 years?

I should live so long!

Arghhhhhh!

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LIBERTY: Downsize DC

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

New website for the downsize dc organization!

Perhaps one of the few “weapons” to downsize gooferment.

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read more | digg story


MONEY: FDIC “insurance” … means what?

Monday, July 14, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/
idUSWA000014120080714

http://tinyurl.com/5l2t7z

*** begin quote ***

“I have $360,000 in this bank, and I was misled by this bank,” said Robert Clark, a Glendale resident. “I gave the names of my mother, my sister and my brother on the account so I thought I would be insured. I don’t know what to do. I really don’t know what to do.”

*** end quote ***

Old Wall Street saying: “I’m not so concerned about the return on my money as I am about the return of my money!”

Word to the wise!

And, in my eexperience, the clerk at the bank — regardless of level or office — may know less than you. It’s your money, be sure!

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LIBERTY: Don’t Vote! It just encourages them.

Monday, July 14, 2008

FROM AN IM:

*** BEGIN QUOTE ***

2:03 PMI assume you are not voting for Obama

*** END QUOTE ***

I’m probably not voting. It makes no difference!

>if you don’t vote, or vote for someone other than McCain, that could make Obama president
>remember Ross Perot, we never would have seen Clinton make it

I am tired. Tired of always having to choose the lesser of two evils. Tired of never “winning”. Tired of always seeing gooferment grow. Regardless of how or if I vote. So, I think I am just tired of voting. I don’t think that it makes a difference.

I tried the Ron Paul re-evol-ution but that didn’t work.

The country voted Bush into be “compassionate conservative”; where was the compassion — we’re less free than we were — and conservatism — the gooferment grew 60%! The country voted the D’s into office in 2006 to get us out of Iraq; we ain’t.

Now we have two choices — bad and worse. And you want me to pick the lesser of two evils?

Or, do we have to keep needling the blissfully unaware into thinking.

Or, do we just minimize our participation in their processes and questioning their legitimacy.

And, challenge every dime they spend?

Or free state project to new hampshire?

No, I think the reason that half the people don’t vote is thatthey are smarter than I am. They KNOW it’s a waste of time and just legitimizes the “blue light gang” to oppress us more!

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RANT: ‘sassy’ – the toy industry’s euphemism for sexy

Monday, July 14, 2008

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/main.jhtml?xml=/fashion/2007/01/28/stbarbie28.xml

http://tinyurl.com/67948g

Spoilt Bratz
12:01am GMT 28/01/2007

*** begin quote ***

What Bratz dolls are both contributing to and feeding on is a culture in which girls play at being ‘sassy’ – the toy industry’s euphemism for sexy – and discard traditional toys at a younger age.

Toy marketers now invoke a phenomenon called KGOY – kids getting older younger – and talk about it as though it were a fact of life over which they have no control, rather than one which they have largely created.

Scothon says, ‘Kids are exposed to more things at earlier ages. Their scope of reference is wider. Their exposure to media is greater.’ Larian tells me, ‘Little girls are much more sophisticated now than they used to be.’

*** end quote ***

Sadly noted.

Maybe I’m just an old fart — I use the descriptor FOWG often — but I see little girls dressed like sluts.

Sorry, it’s neither cute nor attractive. But then, I’m a FOWG!

Parents should be ashamed at what they have allowed to happen.

Sigh!

imho,
a FOWG

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FITing: Second Gas Up!!!

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Exxon Route 1 Northbound in South Brunswick

… $3.99 per gallon. Argh! = $35.00

292.5 miles divided by 8.755 gallons

an unimpressive 33. 409480 mpgs

Arghh!!!

Did it improve? Magic!

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LIBERTY: Pulling apart the myth of government aka the blue light gang

Sunday, July 13, 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6tsJVLVA8Y

***Begin Quote***

In a system where all power is supposedly based on the consent of the governed, where all men are created equally, what happens when one questions the legitimacy and the very nature of government? Watch this video and find out how government solves market needs in a very different way than private companies seeking a profit.

***End Quote***

Spend thirty minutes and watch one young man throw a monkey wrench in the “blue light gang”! Some great points that even those eddykated in gooferment skool could understand!

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JOBSEARCH: Social Networking … a wisp of value. If you can catch it?

Saturday, July 12, 2008

http://www.dailyblogtips.com/are-social-networks-like-the-fashion-industry

Are Social Networks Like the Fashion Industry?

***Begin Quote***

The question then becomes: will it ever stop? How many times you joined a social network, created a profile, invited friends to join, and then abandoned it completely after a couple of months? Are we looking for something that will add real value for our lives, or we are just following what everyone else is doing?

***End Quote***

TO WHICH I ADD MY COMMENT:

“Social Networking” a la MySpace, Friendster, Facebook, and LinkedIn has a wisp of value. If you can catch it?

It does allow you to “reach” people you would not normally see, speak to, or even know about in the hum drum drone of daily activities.

Where folks delude themselves is that: this is the “networking” that all the career counselors urge people to do. You know, to “tap the hidden job market” and make a grazillion dollars per year. Or was that per month?

In a recent experiment, on LinkedIn, (Disclaimer: I am not an open networker who will exchange LinkedIn links with just anyone to generate a high number. I have standards. I’m not a connection slut.) Anyway, in my recent experiment, I was only able to exchange an email, phone call, im, or visit with about a third of my LinkedIn “network”. I was stunned at that!

In job search terms, one seeks to harness the power of weak associations by creating a granfaloon of people who will alert you when they see “YOUR JOB” go by on their radar.

What that third meant that I had about 600 less of those “weak connections” to use when I get laid off than I thought I had. AND Yes, I said “when I get laid off”!

That’s another delusion that people have. That employment is not transient. The days of the gold watch and pension is long gone. The only paycheck you are sure of is the one you’ve cashed.

So social networking gives these soon to be fired fools the illusion that they are “networking” like all the employment gurus tell them to do. What one really should be seeking to capture is a “conversation” with these people to get that “weak link association” working for you.

The social networking site that becomes the lingua franca of social networking sites will really have capture that value proposition IF and ONLY IF it encourages conversations. Then we can stop “churning” and start (to misquote an old I Luv Lucy episode) “conversating”.

imho

p.s., Speaking of delusions, we can add to the list of jumbo shrimp, Military Intelligence, honest lawyer and my all time favorite “a politician who wants change” to that list. Delusions are just memes that are wrong. Unfortunately government is one meme that can kill and impoverish us. Where my pitchfork and torch! Get the tar and feathers. The tax and spend folks of BOTH parties have escaped the asylum! We need to put them back in the nut house; not vote them into political office!

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WRITING: TEOTWAWKI fiction — It happened in Church – Chapter Seventy Six – Plan the final sprint

Saturday, July 12, 2008

It happened in Church – October 19, 1962
Chapter Seventy Six – Plan the final sprint

It Started In Church – October 19, 1962
http://www.itstartedinchurch.com

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RANT: Rangel rents N.Y. apartments at bargain rates

Friday, July 11, 2008

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25629176

Rangel rents N.Y. apartments at bargain rates
State, city regulations require that they be used as primary residences

*** begin quote ***

Rep. Charles Rangel is renting four apartments in one building for rates that are far below market value. He has been a critic of landlords’ callousness but hasn’t had much to say about the real estate company that owns the building.

*** end quote ***

Where are the prosecutors? Malfeisence by an elected federal official?

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TECHSERVICE: Apple’s ‘MobileMe’ is up … slow and fubar

Friday, July 11, 2008

Many issues. My McBa blog is gone. I have it local. I don’t have the new DOTME cabalities and icons on the McBa.

It’s probably getting pounded pretty good. Hence there’s a lot of sitting a looking at the Mac equivalent of an hourglass.

Argh!!

#####


TECHSERVICE: Found a flaw with my WSP!

Friday, July 11, 2008

FROM THE NEW APPLE MOBILEME

Add Personal Domain

Before your iWeb site can be viewed at your personal domain, you must complete the following steps:

* Go to your registrar’s website. Define web.me.com as the “www” CNAME (alias) for your domain.

If you need help creating a CNAME, contact your registrar

# – # – #

FROM 1AND1

Can I use a CNAME record to point to my web space?

Unfortunately, you cannot use a CNAME record to point to 1&1 web space. You

must provide our DNS servers to your domain name registrar.

# – # – #

Argh!

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WRITING: Google docs paste had errors?

Thursday, July 10, 2008

This chapter went up initially with one blunder, a few grammar errors, and a strange spacing problem. I write on Google docs, spell check, and word count. (Have to give the reader their money’s worth in ‘pounds of words’!) This time a good half dozen spaces were in the Google doc but not in the pasted copy. Interesting? I think all the blunders have been cleaned up. But feel free to send me an email if you see something else. Sorry if it distracted from the pleasure of the read. Speed kills. I’m trying to get those kid to vermont soon!

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WRITING: TEOTWAWKI fiction — It happened in Church – Chapter Seventy Five – Help oneself

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

It happened in Church – October 19, 1962
Chapter Seventy Five – Help oneself

It Started In Church – October 19, 1962
http://www.itstartedinchurch.com

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LIBERTY: For laughs, FTL’s Ian pokes the property tax folks

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

http://www.freestateproject.org/node/13676

“Property Taxes” and the Consent of the Governed

What is the nature of this organization of people calling themselves the “government”?

# – # – #

Imagine asking them to prove from where there authority come! How cheeky. ROFL, next the folks from ‘mental hygene’ will come to clean up.

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TECH SERVICE: Easy to bookmark or recommend

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Added a tool to make it easier for you to promote the content.

2008-07-JUL003A

 

Which gives you lots of choices:

2008-07-JUL002A

It would be nice to get good publicity and a grazillion visitors!

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PRODUCTIVITY: “Zerstreutheit” and the Attention Management Cure

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

http://www.43folders.com/2008/06/13/zerstreutheit-and-attention-management-cure

“Zerstreutheit” and the Attention Management Cure
Merlin Mann | Jun 13 2008

Linda Stone: Is it Time to Retire the Never-Ending List?

Linda Stone – who coined the phrase “continuous partial attention” – makes a thoughtful distinction between managing time and attention, deflating the misconception that making long lists and then overscheduling your day can be a bulwark against distractions, interruptions, and the crippling feeling of being overwhelmed.

*** AND ***

What did surgeons, artists, and CEO’s have in common? Most of them reported that they managed both their time and their attention. In surgery, in the studio, and in the time carved out to think through strategies and issues, these professionals reported shutting down the devices and endless inputs (email, phone, interruptions), at scheduled times, and claiming those moments to focus. In almost every case, these professionals reported experiencing “flow” (a la Csikszentmihalyi) in their work.

*** AND ***

… share this William James quote, which Stone’s post mentions in passing (my emphasis).

Every one knows what attention is. It is the taking possession by the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seem several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought. Focalization, concentration, of consciousness are of its essence. It implies withdrawal from some things in order to deal effectively with others, and is a condition which has a real opposite in the confused, dazed, scatterbrained state which in French is called distraction, and Zerstreutheit in German.

*** AND ***

“Zerstreutheit.” I love it when there’s a German word for my problem.

# – # – # – #

me2!

It seems that this descibes the modern enterprise with its overbooking meetings, berry email during presentations, and just ‘no time to focus’. I heard someone (maybe Covey?) describe it as “the Important pushed out of the way by the Urgent”.

Quiet time?

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INTERESTING: Diana Rigg: 70?

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Diana Rigg: her story

Dame Diana Rigg may be 70 this month but she still drives a Mercedes sports car, smokes 20 a day and swears by a bottle of Merlot before bedtime. The spirit of Emma Peel lives on, finds Nigel Farndale. Portrait by James Deavin

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/07/06/sv_dianarigg.xml

[JR: Ouch. 70! ]

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LIBERTY: Taxachussetts may revert to being Massachusetts yet!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

***Begin Quote***

Small Government News*
Monday, July 7, 2008

Publisher: Carla Howell
Editor: Michael Cloud

===========================================================
IN THIS ISSUE
===========================================================

— Massachusetts Secretary of State Certifies END the Income Tax
Initiative for Ballot with 16,135 Signatures – Enough to Scare Off
Challenge by Teachers Union
— Help Reach and Persuade 1,600,000 Voters to Vote “Yes” to END the
state Income Tax

===========================================================
MASSACHUSETTS SECRETARY OF STATE CERTIFIES END THE INCOME TAX
INITIATIVE FOR BALLOT WITH 16,135 SIGNATURES –
ENOUGH TO SCARE OFF CHALLENGE BY TEACHERS UNION
===========================================================

Last December, just hours after we filed 76,085 validated and
certified signatures for our END the Income Tax Ballot Initiative with
the Secretary of State, the Massachusetts Teachers Union sent a swarm
of representatives to electronically scan these 76,085 into their
computer database.

They quietly set up and ran a Stealth, Boiler Room Telemarketing
Operation that telephoned signers – and asked whether their signatures
might have gotten on the petition through “fraud” or “forgery.” (Their
words.)

The Teachers Union failed to disqualify our Initiative. We moved
forward. (For more details, see the 12-19-08 and 1-03-08 issues of
“Small Government News.”)

This time, we turned in a Kevlar strength, bulletproof, challenge-
proof number: 16,135 Certified Petition Signatures – 5,036 more than
required by law.

On Thursday, July 3rd, the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth
officially certified our END the Income Tax Initiative for the
November 4th Ballot.

Although the Teachers Union Headquarters is across the street from the
Massachusetts Elections Division – which has our petitions – the
Teachers Union hasn’t even walked over to check our petitions. They
have until this Wednesday, July 9th to file a challenge. With our
signature margin, the walk looks too daunting.

Massachusetts law requires initiative petitioners for a statewide
ballot to collect signatures both in the fall preceding the election
year and in the spring of election year. They must turn petitions in
to each of 351 cities and towns to certify voter signatures.
Petitioners must then collect the certified signatures from each town
and turn them in to the Elections Division. No more than 25% of
certified voters may reside in any one of the 14 counties in
Massachusetts.

In the fall of 2007, the Elections Division approved 76,085 certified
signatures turned in by the Committee For Small Government – 9,492
more than required by law.

Over 123,000 voters in Massachusetts signed the petition – either in
the fall of 2007 or spring of 2008 – to End the Income Tax.

In a statement to the News Media, Carla Howell said:

“Governor Deval Patrick, the state legislature, and the Massachusetts
Teachers Union no longer control the decision of whether to END the
Income Tax. The voters will decide this November 4th.”

“Our END the Income Tax Ballot Initiative is the first major tax cut
for working class and middle class Massachusetts taxpayers in 28
years. Since Proposition 2 ½.”

Two Polls of likely voters – one in January, another in May – show
that 45% of Massachusetts voters already support this ballot
initiative.

A November 4th “yes” vote to End the State Income Tax will give back
$3,600 each (average) to 3,000,000 Massachusetts workers and
taxpayers. A $3,600 tax refund every year.

A “yes” vote to End the State Income Tax will stop the job exodus from
Massachusetts. It will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs in
Massachusetts in the next 2 years. New jobs for our unemployed and
underemployed workers. New opportunities, new jobs for our high school
and college graduates.

“In the face of $4.50 a gallon gasoline, skyrocketing heating oil
costs, exploding home foreclosures, and 28 straight years of property
tax increases on Massachusetts homes – ENDing the Income Tax will give
desperately needed financial relief to Massachusetts families,” said
Carla Howell, Chair of the Committee For Small Government.

===================================================
HELP REACH AND PERSUADE 1,600,000 VOTERS TO VOTE “YES”
TO END THE STATE INCOME TAX
===================================================

We’ll probably need at least 1,600,000 “yes” votes this November 4th
to win.

To legally END the state Income Tax.

What’s the best, most cost effective way to win the hearts and minds
and votes of 1,600,000 voters – starting now?

10,000 Yard Signs and Bumper Stickers. In front of supporters homes.
On their cars.

While our opponents may spend millions of advertising dollars urging
and scaring people to vote “no”, paying more than $10 for each “no”
vote — you and we can lock in the FIRST 1,000,000 “Yes” votes for
just 4.4 cents a vote.

Are we serious? Is this really possible?

Yes.

Unfamiliarity is the biggest barrier to new ideas and proposals. Most
people initially reject the unfamiliar.

Immediate rejection. Without examination or consideration. Without
investigation or deliberation.

Reflexive rejection as immediate as pulling your fingers off a hot
stove.

That’s how most people first react to unfamiliar ideas. To the
foreign, the strange, the different.

That’s the first and biggest obstacle we’re up against with our Ballot
Initiative to END the Income Tax. Often, it’s the ONLY obstacle to
accepting and embracing a new and different idea.

Are there ways of getting around this barrier? Are there solutions to
reflexive rejection?

Yes! And one way is simple and easy to use.

It’s called: The Exposure Effect.

The more often that people are exposed to something, the more
comfortable and positive they feel toward it. The less often that
they’re exposed to it, the more uncomfortable and negative they feel
toward it.

The first time a person hears or reads something outside his comfort
zone, outside his familiarity zone, he immediately, reflexively
rejects it. The second time, he quickly rejects it. The third, he
rejects it. The forth, he treats it skeptically. The fifth, he may see
some interesting or valuable points. The sixth, a little more. And so
on, until he’s comfortable examining it — because it’s become
familiar.

Why do Yard Signs and Bumper Stickers Create an Exposure Effect?

Yard Signs Facts: 107 neighbors will drive by and notice the yard sign
an average of 22 times in the last 11 weeks of the campaign. Another
100 to 200 visitors and non-neighbors will see the sign an average of
twice. (Michael Cloud did field research in 2000 and 2002 to get these
numbers.)

10,000 yard signs X 107 neighbors = 1,070,000 voters familiar and
comfortable with open-mindedly considering ENDing the Income Tax. And
remember that UN-familiarity is the ONLY reason that over 1,000,000
Massachusetts voters are not yet ready to vote “Yes.”

Plus the 100 to 200 visitors also exposed to each END the Income Tax
Message on the yard sign. Another 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 people
exposed by the first 10,000 signs.

Bumper Sticker Facts: Less than 2% of Massachusetts cars have bumper
stickers. Only 50% of bumper stickers are political. (Michael Cloud
did this hands-on empirical research in 2000 and 2002.)

There are roughly 3,000,000 cars and trucks in Massachusetts.

2% bumper stickers on 3,000,000 cars and trucks = 60,000 cars with
bumper stickers. 50% of the 60,000 are political.

That’s 30,000 cars and trucks in Massachusetts with political bumper
stickers.

10,000 of our cars and trucks with END the Income Tax Bumper stickers
added to today’s 30,000 means that 25% of ALL political bumper
stickers will be ours.

Each bumper sticker grabs the attention of slightly over 100 drivers a
week. With bumper stickers on our supporters cars for the last 10
weeks of the campaign – that’s 1,000 Massachusetts drivers exposed to
each bumper sticker. That’s 3 exposures EACH to the 3,000,000 drivers
of these cars.

Add the millions of drivers exposed to END the Income Tax bumper
stickers to the 1,000,000 drivers repeatedly exposed to END the Income
Tax yard signs by their neighbors – and we can win over the first
1,000,000 votes with just these campaign materials.

But that’s not all.

These first 1,000,000 “Yes” voters AND the additional 2,000,000
exposed to our message will now be dramatically more receptive and
responsive to our advertising. They will be more open-minded and
willing to embrace our evidence and arguments when they read them on
the internet or in the newspapers, hear them on the radio, or watch
them on TV and YouTube.

Those multiple exposures create a persuasive “Social Proof Effect” –
as documented by Social Scientist Dr. Robert Cialdini.

They create and reinforce a persuasive “Commitment/Consistency Effect”
– empirically verified by social psychologists.

These Multiple source exposures amplify and reinforce each other.

Our first 1,000,000 “Yes” votes locked in for only 4.4 cents a vote –
and the simple and easy support of supporters.

We’ve priced and shopped the quality and cost of Yard Signs and bumper
stickers.

We can buy 10,000 2-color, 2-sided high visibility, weather proof Yard
Signs and frames – production and shipping – for only $36,000.

We can buy and distribute 10,000 2-color, bright, weatherproof END the
Income Tax Bumper stickers – for only $8,100. (The biggest cost is for
mailing them to supporters.)

$44,100 cost for winning over the first 1,000,000 “Yes” voters.

We need to put these 10,000 yard signs up as soon as we can. And get
the 10,000 bumper stickers in the hands of our supporters.

We only need 2 things: first, our official ballot question number from
the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. (They should give it
to us within 14 days.)

Second, we need $44,100 to pay for the signs and bumper stickers. We
must pre-pay for them. Why? Screeners and printers have been burned by
political campaigns. Not any more. They require us to pay in advance.

We get our Yard Signs 21 days AFTER we pay for them. So we need to pay
for them NOW to get them by early August. Further, signs are printed
“first come, first served,” so if it takes us 2 weeks to raise the
money – we’ll have to wait in line behind whoever got there first.
This could delay us to late August – or even September.

Delay in ordering our Yard Signs will cost us hundreds of thousands of
voter exposures – and perhaps hundreds of thousands of votes.

We need to raise $44,100 this week to get the Yard Signs on time.

If you have the financial ability to contribute $10,000 or $5,000 or
$2,500 today, and the burning desire to help make history, will you
please donate now?

Perhaps you’ve been “holding your fire” – until you could really make
an impact. If you can donate $1,500 or $850 or $550 today, will you
please do it now?

Or can you contribute $250 or $150 right now – so we can begin?

Even $5 from you will help. Will you please give your best donation
now?

Please contribute now by credit card by clicking:

https://secure.bluehost.com/%7Esavyonco/ms/sga/sga2.php

Or please write your check today and mail it to:

The Committee For Small Government
6 Goodman Lane
Wayland, Massachusetts
01778

Thank You.

Small government is possible,

Carla Howell & Michael Cloud

***End Quote***

wrote another check. How about you? You verbally deplore taxes. These folks are striking a blow for all of us against Gooferment!

?

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TECHNOLOGYSITE: Wordie, a gestalt

Monday, July 7, 2008


http://wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/56805/http%3A–www.reinkefaceslife.com-

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TECH SERVICE: Fooling around with CAFEPRESS stores

Monday, July 7, 2008

http://www.cafepress.com/isic

http://www.cafepress.com/reinkefj

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INTERESTING: Success through failures

Monday, July 7, 2008

http://hellomynameisscott.blogspot.com/2008/07/figure-out-why-and-where-others-failed.html

Figure out why (and where) others failed
Monday, July 07, 2008 – posted by hellomynameisscott at 9:21 AM

***Begin Quote***

Here are some questions you can ask:

1. What was the biggest mistake you made in your first year of business?
2. What are the three biggest mistakes made by people in your industry?
3. What is the stupidest possible thing I could be doing right now?
4. If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?
5. What’s on your list of “Things I’ll Never Do Again”?
6. What things do you wish you started doing earlier?
7. Complete the following sentence: “I would have been a lot more successful had I never…”

***End Quote***

1. What was the biggest mistake you made in your first year of business?

Not realizing that the gravy train would end when a key guarantor of the whole effort would get a divorce in the third year. The effort limped along after that as he was distracted. The workers, like me, needed him to schmooze the big wigs and get us in the door. It was lucrative and I should have billed more when the ‘billing fairy’ was sprinkling money on any contract you proposed.

2. What are the three biggest mistakes made by people in your industry?

* Fail to invest in themselves. (One thing I have done right is 1% in tech toys and 1% in education.)

* Fail to realize their ‘real’ job is to find their next one.

* Fail to have a formal networking program (ala Lucht’s description) running at ALL times.

3. What is the stupidest possible thing I could be doing right now?

Being complacent about the probability I’ll be laid off by EOY!

4. If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

I would go to Law School with my AT&T Study group that I did my MBA with! That was a BIG mistake.

5. What’s on your list of “Things I’ll Never Do Again”?

Never trust anything not in writing. Never doubt your gut feelings. Never chase money. Never make investment decision based on taxes as the top criteria. Never make big mistakes; just lots of small ones!

6. What things do you wish you started doing earlier?

Saving for retirement. Or started at all? Followed the Sony Bloch’s ‘Buy 12 houses as a retirement plan’. Ran track in college. Played poker. Wrote my books.

7. Complete the following sentence: “I would have been a lot more successful had I never…”

Lost my information security focus when I branched into Enterprise Architecture.

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WRITING: TEOTWAWKI fiction — It happened in Church – Chapter Seventy Four – Sprinting tunnel rats

Monday, July 7, 2008

It happened in Church – October 19, 1962
Chapter Seventy Four – Sprinting tunnel rats

It Started In Church – October 19, 1962
http://www.itstartedinchurch.com

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