Feeling like we need to expand the MoD crew a bit.

Arlin seems to have disappeared. Andy rarely come here. Russ/BigDog is busy with the Prep Forum. And Im increasingly busy at work.

Does this make sense?

Id like us all to be more strategically placed around the country, with the ability to share in this private space. Contemplating adding...

 Arnie Rimmer
 Gayla Dunbar
 Donna B. (forget her last name)
 Stan Faryna

Thoughts? Ideas? Comments? Additions?

Thanks,

Diane

-- Anonymous, November 11, 1999

Answers

Arnie is a long-timer and has always seemed sensible to us. He's drilled his preps too :-) Very middle-of-road, even-minded type guy. Yes to Arnie!

Because of what we've observed in the chat room, we're not 100% comfortable with Donna. She, Gayla, and Tricia are a bit cliqueish. But we're extra-sensitive to those types of things.

Stan we don't have much of a reading on. He's been hanging out a great deal in the chat room. Seems to have the computer savvy & some discipline, so might be OK.

The folks in the chat room tend to get clannish and circulate any and all secrets/gossip.

What about Robert Cook?

Tom Carey?

Somebody we have high respect for is Anita Evangelista. She is active on Cory Hamasaki's ListServ.

How about Faith Weaver?

We like David Butts. What about him?

Still groggy, out of brain cell energy ;^)

-- Anonymous, November 11, 1999

I'm very ok with Arnie and Stan... Actually, though for different reasons, I'm with A&L on all counts.

Scott Johnson leaves iDefense tomorrow. I think he would be a fabulous addition.

Ok, Diane. I'm going back to sleep now.

:-)

Critt (who starts work with Rick Cowles at www.energyland.com next week.)

-- Anonymous, November 11, 1999

Congrats Critt!

Humm... have you got Scott's most recent e-mail addy Critt?

(((You are sleepy and feeling relaxed!)))

Ashton & Leska,

I've talked several times on the phone with Stan. He consults with the World Bank.

(Donna, Tricia and Gayla are FRL fruitcakes! So are we!)

Okay. So far... Arnie & Stan.

(Robert and Tom ARE on the MoD team!)

Diane

-- Anonymous, November 11, 1999

Yes, but they don't say much! You must ignite them :-)

-- Anonymous, November 11, 1999

I was just going to say, Hey -- here I am! Now I don't need to. (But I need to be 'ignited'....!)

I've never been reluctant to post when I had something to say.

BTW count me as a vote for Arnie.

For most here the only surprises will be a notable absence of disruption in the first quarter of 2000. So many of the posts lately are simply news items, some conceivably Y2K related, others clearly not. But what shows up in the media is the least important part of what's happening. For instance, the 'anecdotal' report from California recently of a truck loaded with toxics, rigged as a bomb, somehow intercepted and inactivated. Or an NG weekend exercise, training with razor wire. Not even on the back pages.

The big story is telling itself in deeper currents-- Y2k is only a part of it, I think. A crucial part, but there's much more. I've only intuition on this -- nothing to take to court -- nothing I can spell out. Only way I can characterize this is to say the whole culture is in flux. Increasingly so in recent years. With T as the timeline, Y the degree of novelty in society (read CHANGE, read DISCONTINUITY), dY/dT is accelerating upward.

Remember that not all change is negative in impact, nor is all discontinuity. Those who are adaptable have better prospects than those who aren't.

From Carmichael's Weeks 8 & 7:

"What I was nudged to realize is that habits of mind are so strong that whole levels of reality are occluded. For those who tend to think of the world as One, a little dropped stitch will loom into a disaster, whereas for those who see things as parts, they see a few broken parts that do not add up to a big deal, and are easy to fix. The Oneness people tend to miss the complexity and workability of problems, and the partness people tend to miss even the possibility of interconnectedness having a reality of its own.

"The problem is we do not know what will happen, and that problem cannot be overcome, because the facts are impossible to get (for social and technical reasons). This lack of knowledge is translated into who is right, and since most people are either whole people or part people, most people have opted out of being able to hold the we dont know space. The implications of this for other problems, even more systemic, like poverty and its relation to money and interest, or governance and technology, is enormous.

"I know this is a hard time for those who are nervous, for those who need to lead, for those who tried and found themselves strangers among their neighbors and even families.

"The stultifying effect we have seen of central control is really a sign of weakness, whereas our ability to improvise with each other is our greatest strength."

-- Anonymous, November 12, 1999

Tom... silent running... but deep... as always.

;-D

Yes... I tend to think next year will be reporting the "news" such as it is, and trying to connect the hidden dots. Have some thoughts on the subject that I need to mull over, then post in the big board... this weekend or sometime next week.

Y2K could be a transformative turning point.

Remember Lincoln Logs or Lego blocks? To create soemthing new... the old had to "come apart."

Could be a "creative" time. Or not.

Diane

(BTW... Tom check out Arnie's new alternate)

-- Anonymous, November 12, 1999

Dryden never dreamed he was describing this current age:

'Tis well an old age is out,

And time to begin a new.

[Chorus ] All, all of a piece throughout;

Thy chase had a beast in view;

Thy wars brought nothing about;

Thy lovers were all untrue.

And time to begin a new.

-- Anonymous, November 13, 1999

Does reformating the hard drive... again... count Tom?

(Not what Dryden had in mind).

;-D

We really need a "reset" on the past 5,000 years... methinks.

Diane

-- Anonymous, November 13, 1999

Yes for Arnie.

Suggest all of you hang out at Bok's board to see what open invitation is like. As noted elsewhere, things can get silly and I've been known to help--we all need a silly break now and then, and Bok's board can continue to serve that function.

-- Anonymous, November 15, 1999

OG, I agree...Bok's board is like group therapy and silly chicken soup for the soul.

I can't speak higher of any of the names mentioned. In fact, I am certain that many should have been picked over me. We're talking core of the core and so many of these names have done so much for everyone.

A&L, how can I get on Cory's listserv? Your suggestions are excellent.

Tom, you never cease to give me goosebumps.

Diane, we're in sync... nuff said : )

Mike

==================================================================

-- Anonymous, November 16, 1999

Okay,

Arnnie Rimmer added... for now.

Diane

-- Anonymous, November 17, 1999