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How Things Get Done
Things get done by people who: 1. Know what needs to be done. 2. Have an inclination/reason to get it done. 3. Can command the necessary resources (money/labor/space/materials/ etc.) to get it done. 4. Have the requisite experience/expertise/knowledge/tools to get it done. 5. Have the time to get it done. 6. Can stay focused long enough and/or often enough to get it done. 7. Have the requisite authority/permission to get it done.....or do it anyway. It has been my good fortune to know a good few such people off and on throughout my life. They have been a constant source of inspiration and admiration. I have also been fortunate in actually being such a person (admittedly by sheer happenstance and on a modest scale) on rare occasions. The latter, I think, gives one an even greater appreciation of those who do it regularly and with evident ease. In the last year and a half, it has been my great good fortune to meet a few folks who routinely get things done, and done well, with appallingly evident ease. And it happened again.....in spades.....these last three days. It started last weekend when Larry reminded me of the impending visit of three heavy hitters from a major university in Michigan who were scheduled to visit the tree farm. Larry graciously refrained from telling me that three bodies and three beds would preclude yet another invasion by the erstwhile tree farmer from Milwaukee. He said I could stay at the condo in La Crosse. I refrained from expressing my horror at the suggestion of sleeping in a condo in La Crosse. I said I would tent it at the tree farm. He was horrified at the thought of anyone sleeping out in the....the.....well.....under the....um.....stars and ****.....with all the animals and dew and bugs and.....etc. I suggested that, having survived similar experiences on numerous occasions in the past, the odds were even (or perhaps even better) that I could do so again. The proposition was never tested, the experiment was never conducted. The heavens opened up on Wednesday evening.....angel pee everywhere.....in short, it started raining early in the evening. I slept on the floor.....with the dog. Though small and of dubious aroma, she is warm and affectionate. But that is beside the point, I suppose. By then, the biologists had arrived, a late supper of steak and baked potatoes, with a side salad and lots of good beer (about as good as boy could come up with fast and easy at 9:00 p.m.), had been consumed, introductions and CV had been exchanged, something vaguely resembling a plan for the morning had been sketched, refined, and ratified, and much storytelling had transpired, replete with inside jokes from all and sundry which left the ins grinning or roaring with laughter and the outs nodding, smiling, and utterly bemused. Oh yeah, and a lot of biology and internal departmental politics and personalities flew in smoking hot streaks back and forth across the room. A boy is tempted to say that it was all he could do to keep up......but he didn't.....quite. Pretty close, though. Same tools (mostly), same techniques (pretty much), similar protocols (more or less), same reagents (here and there).....WAY different critters.....Dan (not his real name), a plant pathologist, tells the story of a friend who originally trained as a botanist and then moved to human physiology. You cannot imagine how EASY! human DNA is, the friend informs him. Larry and I busily knit our brows. The others (Tony and Justin.....not their real names.....from Michigan.....and Angela.....not her real name.....from the local university) smile broadly and nod wisely. Hm..... Larry leaves. Yeah, it's his place.....but there's only three beds. He's staying in the condo tonight. Dan looks at me and says (and I quote), "O.k., why are we here?" Uh oh. Ummmmm........................................ Ummmmm........................................ Angela comes to the rescue. She explains, in broad terms, the research project that her grad students Cassie and Astrid (not their real names) are engaged in, what they hope to do in the future, what Larry would like to see come of it, and what we all hope to gain from the current visitation. I (rather wisely, I think) nod vigorously, smile broadly, and strive manfully not to think of other places I'd rather be just at this moment. Discussion ensues. A provisional plan is agreed upon. We will have breakfast in the morning.....and then wait for Larry.....if he has not already arrived. I nod, slowly and deliberately, as though not entirely convinced but willing enough to abide by the apparent consensus in lieu of a better idea. In due course, morning arrives. Breakfast is designed, executed, and consumed by committee. It is surprisingly good. Larry, having not yet arrived, does not get a vote. However, arriving before the consummation is completed, he is allotted a full share and tucks in with gusto. Everybody is happy. Senta (her real name), has been visibly and unmistakably jubilant every waking moment since my arrival some 36 hours earlier. This would be an unequivocal annoyance in anyone other than a coal black schnauzer pup (the aforementioned small dog). Even so, it is starting to wear thin. Beth and Eric (their real names) arrive. Beth and Eric own a small forestry business. Not surprisingly, in the coulee country, their business sense is tempered by a rather bewildering amalgam of New Age, Hippie, Astrological, Biodynamic, Holistic, Nativist, Herbal, Pragmatic sensibilities. Beth and Eric are also old friends and sometime part time employees of Larry's. They have at least as large a stake in the current proceedings as anyone. They also have more experience on the ground in this locale than anyone but Larry himself. Beth, as Larry often proclaims, does the work of two men. Eric has bigass digger machines and a portable bandsaw mill (well, a borrowed mill, but it cuts just the same). We have, not just a quorum......we got the whole shebang! Dan says....."So?" Beth (or Angela.....I forget) says, let's go for a walk up to the orchard (the orchard comprises the newest plantings, from two to four or five years ago, and contains the trees of greatest interest to the visiting dignitaries.....for reasons that space does not permit me to go into here.) I say why don't we just all pile into the Gators and ride up? I see several nodding heads. And then I see Beth and Angela looking at me in a manner that is indescribable but with which every man who has ever known woman knows and dreads. We have the women outnumbered 3:1 (well, actually, 6:2......but, close enough). We all agree that it is a very nice day for a walk. For the next four hours we wander, in ever changing aggregates of humans and one small dog, over the eastern half of Larry's 80 acres, peering, kneeling, squatting, discussing, peeling, paring, poking, prying, questioning, answering, pondering, debating, lying prone on bellies and backs, rubbing, smelling, photographing, remembering, philosophizing, planning, collecting, discarding, theorizing, suggesting, digging, and wondering. By the time we head back downhill, everybody, including (MAINLY including) Larry, knows what we all knew before any of us arrived and the adventure began. The chestnuts are doomed.....period. Well.....ALMOST period. There's hypovirulence. Hypovirulence. There is a virus.....well, actually a tribe of viruses.....that ingest and otherwise thrive on the Cryphonectria fungus, the villain in the American chestnut drama. There are many strains of Cryphonectria, so it is a good thing that there are also many strains of the virus that attacks and weakens them. But it DOES make life complicated. As luck would have it, Larry's setup, diverse plantings, loving attention to the trees, and record keeping make his holding a textbook example of the perfect laboratory for the proposed experiment. Angela, Cassie and Astrid get the ready made lab to do with as they will. Beth, Eric, Larry, Becky and I are relieved of the responsibility of caring for the chestnuts (in fact, the policy will be strictly hands off for us.....except for clearing out the unmistakably dead). We have that much more time to devote to the butternuts (also doomed.....but that a whole nother long story.....for another time), walnuts, hazels and sundry other minor characters. Justin gets much needed samples and data for his PhD. dissertation on the evolution of Cryphonectria, Tony, ditto for his statistical analyses. Dan? Well, what Dan gets out of the deal is a bit more complicated.....and subtle. Dan is on the Castanea A-list. Dan is pretty much at the top of the Castanea A-list. There really isn't much more for Dan to get out of any of this. Dan just gets to make it happen. And it happens like this...... When we get back to the house there is much discussion about how to get the project rolling, who is going to fund it, how the funding will be managed, who will do the management, and a very LONG list of other considerations. The bottom line is that this isn't something that a bunch of people can make happen just by agreeing that it needs to happen. Fortunately, similar situations have been coming up for a long long time, and there are well developed institutions and procedures in place for dealing with them. Universities have organizational and administrative tools at their disposal for just such situations. So does the federal government. While we discuss details, ask questions, raise objections, and generally chew on a host of considerations, Larry quietly dials a phone number. A moment later the house falls quiet when Larry says hello Max (not his real name) who has worked for the Forest Service (USDA) for 35 or a hundred fifty or something years, do you know Dan? Yeah, says Max. Larry explains that a foundation is to be set up to conduct a years long intensive Cryphonectria management experiment on his property and that some startup funds will be required. He hands the phone to Dan, who reminds Max of a few long ago shared adventures of one sort or another. They laugh. Then they get down to business. It takes all of four minutes. Dan hangs up the phone. Approval must await the next application and funding cycle.....a matter of a few months. This means exactly nothing. The deal is done. The funding will appear. The work will go forward. The world has turned. So much for academic detachment from real world phenomena. So much for governmental bureaucratic inertia. That's how **** gets done. Kind of amazing. Kind of scary. g. who suspects he will somehow get no less busy. |
How Things Get Done
On Sep 12, 12:07*pm, Giles wrote:
Things get done by people who: 1. * * *Know what needs to be done. 2. * * *Have an inclination/reason to get it done. 3. * * *Can command the necessary resources (money/labor/space/materials/ etc.) to get it done. 4. * * *Have the requisite experience/expertise/knowledge/tools to get it done. 5. * * *Have the time to get it done. 6. * * *Can stay focused long enough and/or often enough to get it done. 7. * * *Have the requisite authority/permission to get it done.....or do it anyway. It has been my good fortune to know a good few such people off and on throughout my life. *They have been a constant source of inspiration and admiration. *I have also been fortunate in actually being such a person (admittedly by sheer happenstance and on a modest scale) on rare occasions. *The latter, I think, gives one an even greater appreciation of those who do it regularly and with evident ease. In the last year and a half, it has been my great good fortune to meet a few folks who routinely get things done, and done well, with appallingly evident ease. And it happened again.....in spades.....these last three days. It started last weekend when Larry reminded me of the impending visit of three heavy hitters from a major university in Michigan who were scheduled to visit the tree farm. *Larry graciously refrained from telling me that three bodies and three beds would preclude yet another invasion by the erstwhile tree farmer from Milwaukee. *He said I could stay at the condo in La Crosse. *I refrained from expressing my horror at the suggestion of sleeping in a condo in La Crosse. *I said I would tent it at the tree farm. *He was horrified at the thought of anyone sleeping out in the....the.....well.....under the....um.....stars and ****.....with all the animals and dew and bugs and.....etc. *I suggested that, having survived similar experiences on numerous occasions in the past, the odds were even (or perhaps even better) that I could do so again. The proposition was never tested, the experiment was never conducted. The heavens opened up on Wednesday evening.....angel pee everywhere.....in short, it started raining early in the evening. *I slept on the floor.....with the dog. *Though small and of dubious aroma, she is warm and affectionate. *But that is beside the point, I suppose. By then, the biologists had arrived, a late supper of steak and baked potatoes, with a side salad and lots of good beer (about as good as boy could come up with fast and easy at 9:00 p.m.), had been consumed, introductions and CV had been exchanged, *something vaguely resembling a plan for the morning had been sketched, refined, and ratified, and much storytelling had transpired, replete with inside jokes from all and sundry which left the ins grinning or roaring with laughter and the outs nodding, smiling, and utterly bemused. *Oh yeah, and a lot of biology and internal departmental politics and personalities flew in smoking hot streaks back and forth across the room. *A boy is tempted to say that it was all he could do to keep up......but he didn't.....quite. *Pretty close, though. *Same tools (mostly), same techniques (pretty much), similar protocols (more or less), same reagents (here and there).....WAY different critters.....Dan (not his real name), a plant pathologist, tells the story of a friend who originally trained as a botanist and then moved to human physiology. You cannot imagine how EASY! human DNA is, the friend informs him. Larry and I busily knit our brows. *The others (Tony and Justin.....not their real names.....from Michigan.....and Angela.....not her real name.....from the local university) smile broadly and nod wisely. Hm..... Larry leaves. *Yeah, it's his place.....but there's only three beds. He's staying in the condo tonight. Dan looks at me and says (and I quote), "O.k., why are we here?" Uh oh. Ummmmm........................................ Ummmmm........................................ Angela comes to the rescue. *She explains, in broad terms, the research project that her grad students Cassie and Astrid (not their real names) are engaged in, what they hope to do in the future, what Larry would like to see come of it, and what we all hope to gain from the current visitation. *I (rather wisely, I think) nod vigorously, smile broadly, and strive manfully not to think of other places I'd rather be just at this moment. *Discussion ensues. *A provisional plan is agreed upon. *We will have breakfast in the morning.....and then wait for Larry.....if he has not already arrived. *I nod, slowly and deliberately, as though not entirely convinced but willing enough to abide by the apparent consensus in lieu of a better idea. In due course, morning arrives. *Breakfast is designed, executed, and consumed by committee. *It is surprisingly good. *Larry, having not yet arrived, does not get a vote. *However, arriving before the consummation is completed, he is allotted a full share and tucks in with gusto. *Everybody is happy. *Senta (her real name), has been visibly and unmistakably jubilant every waking moment since my arrival some 36 hours earlier. *This would be an unequivocal annoyance in anyone other than a coal black schnauzer pup (the aforementioned small dog). *Even so, it is starting to wear thin. Beth and Eric (their real names) arrive. *Beth and Eric own a small forestry business. *Not surprisingly, in the coulee country, their business sense is tempered by a rather bewildering amalgam of New Age, Hippie, Astrological, Biodynamic, Holistic, Nativist, Herbal, Pragmatic sensibilities. *Beth and Eric are also old friends and sometime part time employees of Larry's. *They have at least as large a stake in the current proceedings as anyone. *They also have more experience on the ground in this locale than anyone but Larry himself. *Beth, as Larry often proclaims, does the work of two men. Eric has bigass digger machines and a portable bandsaw mill (well, a borrowed mill, but it cuts just the same). We have, not just a quorum......we got the whole shebang! Dan says....."So?" Beth (or Angela.....I forget) says, let's go for a walk up to the orchard (the orchard comprises *the newest plantings, from two to four or five years ago, and contains the trees of greatest interest to the visiting dignitaries.....for reasons that space does not permit me to go into here.) *I say why don't we just all pile into the Gators and ride up? *I see several nodding heads. *And then I see Beth and Angela looking at me in a manner that is indescribable but with which every man who has ever known woman knows and dreads. *We have the women outnumbered 3:1 (well, actually, 6:2......but, close enough). *We all agree that it is a very nice day for a walk. For the next four hours we wander, in ever changing aggregates of humans and one small dog, over the eastern half of Larry's 80 acres, peering, kneeling, squatting, discussing, peeling, paring, poking, prying, questioning, answering, pondering, debating, lying prone on bellies and backs, rubbing, smelling, photographing, remembering, philosophizing, planning, collecting, discarding, *theorizing, suggesting, digging, and wondering. By the time we head back downhill, everybody, including (MAINLY including) Larry, knows what we all knew before any of us arrived and the adventure began. *The chestnuts are doomed.....period. Well.....ALMOST period. *There's hypovirulence. Hypovirulence. *There is a virus.....well, actually a tribe of viruses.....that ingest and otherwise thrive on the Cryphonectria fungus, the villain in the American chestnut drama. *There are many strains of Cryphonectria, so it is a good thing that there are also many strains of the virus that attacks and weakens them. *But it DOES make life complicated. *As luck would have it, Larry's setup, *diverse plantings, loving attention to the trees, and record keeping make his holding a textbook example of the perfect laboratory for the proposed experiment. Angela, Cassie and Astrid get the ready made lab to do with as they will. *Beth, Eric, Larry, Becky and I are relieved of the responsibility of caring for the chestnuts (in fact, the policy will be strictly hands off for us.....except for clearing out the unmistakably dead). *We have that much more time to devote to the butternuts (also doomed.....but that a whole nother long story.....for another time), walnuts, hazels and sundry other minor characters. Justin gets much needed samples and data for his PhD. dissertation on the evolution of Cryphonectria, Tony, ditto for his statistical analyses. *Dan? *Well, what Dan gets out of the deal is a bit more complicated.....and subtle. *Dan is on the Castanea A-list. *Dan is pretty much at the top of the Castanea A-list. *There really isn't much more for Dan to get out of any of this. *Dan just gets to make it happen. And it happens like this...... When we get back to the house there is much discussion about how to get the project rolling, who is going to fund it, how the funding will be managed, who will do the management, and a very LONG list of other considerations. *The bottom line is that this isn't something that a bunch of people can make happen just by agreeing that it needs to happen. *Fortunately, similar situations have been coming up for a long long time, and there are well developed institutions and procedures in place for dealing with them. *Universities have organizational and administrative tools at their disposal for just such situations. *So does the federal government. *While we discuss details, ask questions, raise objections, and generally chew on a host of considerations, Larry quietly dials a phone number. A moment later the house falls quiet when Larry says hello Max (not his real name) who has worked for the Forest Service (USDA) for 35 or a hundred fifty or something years, do you know Dan? *Yeah, says Max. Larry explains that a foundation is to be set up to conduct a years long intensive Cryphonectria management experiment on his property and that some startup funds will be required. *He hands the phone to Dan, who reminds Max of a few long ago shared adventures of one sort or another. *They laugh. *Then they get down to business. *It takes all of four minutes. *Dan hangs up the phone. Approval must await the next application and funding cycle.....a matter of a few months. *This means exactly nothing. *The deal is done. *The funding will appear. *The work will go forward. *The world has turned. So much for academic detachment from real world phenomena. *So much for governmental bureaucratic inertia. That's how **** gets done. Kind of amazing. Kind of scary. g. who suspects he will somehow get no less busy. Having worked in academia doing research, I totally appreciate your story and the beauty of knowing People who Get Things Done. Nicely unfolded. Good luck with the project. --riverman |
How Things Get Done
"Giles" wrote in message ... Things get done by people who: 1. Know what needs to be done. 2. Have an inclination/reason to get it done. 3. Can command the necessary resources (money/labor/space/materials/ etc.) to get it done. 4. Have the requisite experience/expertise/knowledge/tools to get it done. 5. Have the time to get it done. 6. Can stay focused long enough and/or often enough to get it done. 7. Have the requisite authority/permission to get it done.....or do it anyway. It has been my good fortune to know a good few such people off and on throughout my life. They have been a constant source of inspiration and admiration. I have also been fortunate in actually being such a person (admittedly by sheer happenstance and on a modest scale) on rare occasions. The latter, I think, gives one an even greater appreciation of those who do it regularly and with evident ease. In the last year and a half, it has been my great good fortune to meet a few folks who routinely get things done, and done well, with appallingly evident ease. And it happened again.....in spades.....these last three days. It started last weekend when Larry reminded me of the impending visit of three heavy hitters from a major university in Michigan who were scheduled to visit the tree farm. Larry graciously refrained from telling me that three bodies and three beds would preclude yet another invasion by the erstwhile tree farmer from Milwaukee. He said I could stay at the condo in La Crosse. I refrained from expressing my horror at the suggestion of sleeping in a condo in La Crosse. I said I would tent it at the tree farm. He was horrified at the thought of anyone sleeping out in the....the.....well.....under the....um.....stars and ****.....with all the animals and dew and bugs and.....etc. I suggested that, having survived similar experiences on numerous occasions in the past, the odds were even (or perhaps even better) that I could do so again. The proposition was never tested, the experiment was never conducted. The heavens opened up on Wednesday evening.....angel pee everywhere.....in short, it started raining early in the evening. I slept on the floor.....with the dog. Though small and of dubious aroma, she is warm and affectionate. But that is beside the point, I suppose. By then, the biologists had arrived, a late supper of steak and baked potatoes, with a side salad and lots of good beer (about as good as boy could come up with fast and easy at 9:00 p.m.), had been consumed, introductions and CV had been exchanged, something vaguely resembling a plan for the morning had been sketched, refined, and ratified, and much storytelling had transpired, replete with inside jokes from all and sundry which left the ins grinning or roaring with laughter and the outs nodding, smiling, and utterly bemused. Oh yeah, and a lot of biology and internal departmental politics and personalities flew in smoking hot streaks back and forth across the room. A boy is tempted to say that it was all he could do to keep up......but he didn't.....quite. Pretty close, though. Same tools (mostly), same techniques (pretty much), similar protocols (more or less), same reagents (here and there).....WAY different critters.....Dan (not his real name), a plant pathologist, tells the story of a friend who originally trained as a botanist and then moved to human physiology. You cannot imagine how EASY! human DNA is, the friend informs him. Larry and I busily knit our brows. The others (Tony and Justin.....not their real names.....from Michigan.....and Angela.....not her real name.....from the local university) smile broadly and nod wisely. Hm..... Larry leaves. Yeah, it's his place.....but there's only three beds. He's staying in the condo tonight. Dan looks at me and says (and I quote), "O.k., why are we here?" Uh oh. Ummmmm........................................ Ummmmm........................................ Angela comes to the rescue. She explains, in broad terms, the research project that her grad students Cassie and Astrid (not their real names) are engaged in, what they hope to do in the future, what Larry would like to see come of it, and what we all hope to gain from the current visitation. I (rather wisely, I think) nod vigorously, smile broadly, and strive manfully not to think of other places I'd rather be just at this moment. Discussion ensues. A provisional plan is agreed upon. We will have breakfast in the morning.....and then wait for Larry.....if he has not already arrived. I nod, slowly and deliberately, as though not entirely convinced but willing enough to abide by the apparent consensus in lieu of a better idea. In due course, morning arrives. Breakfast is designed, executed, and consumed by committee. It is surprisingly good. Larry, having not yet arrived, does not get a vote. However, arriving before the consummation is completed, he is allotted a full share and tucks in with gusto. Everybody is happy. Senta (her real name), has been visibly and unmistakably jubilant every waking moment since my arrival some 36 hours earlier. This would be an unequivocal annoyance in anyone other than a coal black schnauzer pup (the aforementioned small dog). Even so, it is starting to wear thin. Beth and Eric (their real names) arrive. Beth and Eric own a small forestry business. Not surprisingly, in the coulee country, their business sense is tempered by a rather bewildering amalgam of New Age, Hippie, Astrological, Biodynamic, Holistic, Nativist, Herbal, Pragmatic sensibilities. Beth and Eric are also old friends and sometime part time employees of Larry's. They have at least as large a stake in the current proceedings as anyone. They also have more experience on the ground in this locale than anyone but Larry himself. Beth, as Larry often proclaims, does the work of two men. Eric has bigass digger machines and a portable bandsaw mill (well, a borrowed mill, but it cuts just the same). We have, not just a quorum......we got the whole shebang! Dan says....."So?" Beth (or Angela.....I forget) says, let's go for a walk up to the orchard (the orchard comprises the newest plantings, from two to four or five years ago, and contains the trees of greatest interest to the visiting dignitaries.....for reasons that space does not permit me to go into here.) I say why don't we just all pile into the Gators and ride up? I see several nodding heads. And then I see Beth and Angela looking at me in a manner that is indescribable but with which every man who has ever known woman knows and dreads. We have the women outnumbered 3:1 (well, actually, 6:2......but, close enough). We all agree that it is a very nice day for a walk. For the next four hours we wander, in ever changing aggregates of humans and one small dog, over the eastern half of Larry's 80 acres, peering, kneeling, squatting, discussing, peeling, paring, poking, prying, questioning, answering, pondering, debating, lying prone on bellies and backs, rubbing, smelling, photographing, remembering, philosophizing, planning, collecting, discarding, theorizing, suggesting, digging, and wondering. By the time we head back downhill, everybody, including (MAINLY including) Larry, knows what we all knew before any of us arrived and the adventure began. The chestnuts are doomed.....period. Well.....ALMOST period. There's hypovirulence. Hypovirulence. There is a virus.....well, actually a tribe of viruses.....that ingest and otherwise thrive on the Cryphonectria fungus, the villain in the American chestnut drama. There are many strains of Cryphonectria, so it is a good thing that there are also many strains of the virus that attacks and weakens them. But it DOES make life complicated. As luck would have it, Larry's setup, diverse plantings, loving attention to the trees, and record keeping make his holding a textbook example of the perfect laboratory for the proposed experiment. Angela, Cassie and Astrid get the ready made lab to do with as they will. Beth, Eric, Larry, Becky and I are relieved of the responsibility of caring for the chestnuts (in fact, the policy will be strictly hands off for us.....except for clearing out the unmistakably dead). We have that much more time to devote to the butternuts (also doomed.....but that a whole nother long story.....for another time), walnuts, hazels and sundry other minor characters. Justin gets much needed samples and data for his PhD. dissertation on the evolution of Cryphonectria, Tony, ditto for his statistical analyses. Dan? Well, what Dan gets out of the deal is a bit more complicated.....and subtle. Dan is on the Castanea A-list. Dan is pretty much at the top of the Castanea A-list. There really isn't much more for Dan to get out of any of this. Dan just gets to make it happen. And it happens like this...... When we get back to the house there is much discussion about how to get the project rolling, who is going to fund it, how the funding will be managed, who will do the management, and a very LONG list of other considerations. The bottom line is that this isn't something that a bunch of people can make happen just by agreeing that it needs to happen. Fortunately, similar situations have been coming up for a long long time, and there are well developed institutions and procedures in place for dealing with them. Universities have organizational and administrative tools at their disposal for just such situations. So does the federal government. While we discuss details, ask questions, raise objections, and generally chew on a host of considerations, Larry quietly dials a phone number. A moment later the house falls quiet when Larry says hello Max (not his real name) who has worked for the Forest Service (USDA) for 35 or a hundred fifty or something years, do you know Dan? Yeah, says Max. Larry explains that a foundation is to be set up to conduct a years long intensive Cryphonectria management experiment on his property and that some startup funds will be required. He hands the phone to Dan, who reminds Max of a few long ago shared adventures of one sort or another. They laugh. Then they get down to business. It takes all of four minutes. Dan hangs up the phone. Approval must await the next application and funding cycle.....a matter of a few months. This means exactly nothing. The deal is done. The funding will appear. The work will go forward. The world has turned. So much for academic detachment from real world phenomena. So much for governmental bureaucratic inertia. That's how **** gets done. Kind of amazing. Kind of scary. g. who suspects he will somehow get no less busy. Interesting and well written narrative. I'm glad I got to the end before you ran out of fictitious names. When are you going to write about when Freda and Mark went fly-fishing :-) Bill |
How Things Get Done
Been there, done that. Worked to get something going for two years
till I sat down and chatted between a couple of meetings with a two- star. He reached over a confernce room table, grabbed the phone, made a call, in the middle he asked me how much staff I would need, rank and job types. Told him four folks besides me and their skill sets. He grunted, chatted on the phone a few more minutes (as everyone held off starting the meeting), hung up, leaned back to me, said "its done." First body showed up by the end of the week. We worked for 6 months then disbanded. We saved the US taxpayer 17 million dollars the first year with that program. Just gotta get to the right folks. Very cool. You going to help with the program? Frank Reid |
How Things Get Done
"Giles" wrote in message ... Things get done by people who: 1. Know what needs to be done. 2. Have an inclination/reason to get it done. 3. Can command the necessary resources (money/labor/space/materials/ etc.) to get it done. 4. Have the requisite experience/expertise/knowledge/tools to get it done. 5. Have the time to get it done. 6. Can stay focused long enough and/or often enough to get it done. 7. Have the requisite authority/permission to get it done.....or do it anyway. It has been my good fortune to know a good few such people off and on throughout my life. They have been a constant source of inspiration and admiration. I have also been fortunate in actually being such a person (admittedly by sheer happenstance and on a modest scale) on rare occasions. thanks for sharing your self-congratulation, once again. As one person, or more, is fond of saying, YMMV. introductions and CV had been exchanged hoo, boy. That should have been good. Dan looks at me and says (and I quote), "O.k., why are we here?" the same thought occurred to this reader, at least. Hypovirulence. There is a virus.....well, actually a tribe of viruses.....that ingest and otherwise thrive on the Cryphonectria fungus, the villain in the American chestnut drama. There are many strains of Cryphonectria, so it is a good thing that there are also many strains of the virus that attacks and weakens them. But it DOES make life complicated. a discussion of Cryphonectria, and why it has become the villain would have been informative.....you might have chosen to enlighten us with that, as opposed to a description of consuming breakfast, but I suppose, that's my scientific training getting the best of me...... And it happens like this...... ok, I've slogged this far, we'll get to the point now, I figure.... Then they get down to business. It takes all of four minutes. Dan hangs up the phone. Approval must await the next application and funding cycle.....a matter of a few months. This means exactly nothing. The deal is done. The funding will appear. The work will go forward. The world has turned. so, that was it? They got a grant project approved(at least on a verbal basis)? Do you have any idea how often this happens, every day, in every field of science? Further, can you comprehend how such verbal agreements often de-materialize into bureaucratic backlogs? I hope for the best, and all, for this project(hell, I am alarmed as the next guy over the fate of American Chestnuts, as well as the fate of much native flora and fauna), but to tell the truth, nothing is really 'gotten done' until the project generates data, and points the clear path toward progress addressing the problem. As you are no doubt well aware, this can happen through both positive or negative findings, but simply glad handing after an initial planning session doesn't speak, in any way, to accomplishment. Frank Reid provided a salient example of accomplishment, as illustrated by the final results. g. who suspects he will somehow get no less busy. doing what, is always the part that's unclear, but it's good to know we can count on a long-winded essay describing your pivitol role in modern biological advances. Now, was there any discussion of WHY the virus class in question is not already present, given the presence of a preferred media of reproduction? If so, I didn't read it in your piece. And if not, was there any discussion as to potential deliterious effects of introducing same to the ecosystem involved? Hell, Wolfgang, it seems like a potentially interesting and beneficial program of study about to be embarked upon......I just wonder what makes it in any way different from the numerous examples of well-intended tinkering with nature that has had provable detrimental effects for our environment. I also wonder why you choose to not name the research principals. Is this supposed to be top-secret? It would seem like something unnecessary, and, at the same time sort of puzzling.......Come on, lad, you can do better. A little less about the importance of Wolfgang, and a bit more about the actual issue at hand might have been nice. Tom |
How Things Get Done
On Sep 12, 10:54*am, "Tom Littleton" wrote:
"Giles" wrote in message ... always -at least most of the time ---enjoy reading your { Wolfgangs stuff } but got a little confused by this one did you have coffee with your breakfast---did you catch any fish ? how fast do you type ? Joe the Elder |
How Things Get Done
On Sep 12, 7:54*am, "Tom Littleton" wrote:
"Giles" wrote in message ... Things get done by people who: 1. Know what needs to be done. 2. Have an inclination/reason to get it done. 3. Can command the necessary resources (money/labor/space/materials/ etc.) to get it done. 4. Have the requisite experience/expertise/knowledge/tools to get it done. 5. Have the time to get it done. 6. Can stay focused long enough and/or often enough to get it done. 7. Have the requisite authority/permission to get it done.....or do it anyway. It has been my good fortune to know a good few such people off and on throughout my life. *They have been a constant source of inspiration and admiration. *I have also been fortunate in actually being such a person (admittedly by sheer happenstance and on a modest scale) on rare occasions. thanks for sharing your self-congratulation, once again. As one person, or more, is fond of saying, YMMV. introductions and CV had been exchanged hoo, boy. That should have been good. Dan looks at me and says (and I quote), "O.k., why are we here?" the same thought occurred to this reader, at least. Hypovirulence. *There is a virus.....well, actually a tribe of viruses.....that ingest and otherwise thrive on the Cryphonectria fungus, the villain in the American chestnut drama. *There are many strains of Cryphonectria, so it is a good thing that there are also many strains of the virus that attacks and weakens them. *But it DOES make life complicated. a discussion of Cryphonectria, and why it has become the villain would have been informative.....you might have chosen to enlighten us with that, as opposed to a description of consuming breakfast, but I suppose, that's my scientific training getting the best of me...... And it happens like this...... ok, I've slogged this far, we'll get to the point now, I figure.... *Then they get down to business. *It takes all of four minutes. *Dan hangs up the phone. Approval must await the next application and funding cycle.....a matter of a few months. *This means exactly nothing. *The deal is done. *The funding will appear. *The work will go forward. *The world has turned. so, that was it? They got a grant project approved(at least on a verbal basis)? Do you have any idea how often this happens, every day, in every field of science? Further, can you comprehend how such verbal agreements often de-materialize into bureaucratic backlogs? I hope for the best, and all, for this project(hell, I am alarmed as the next guy over the fate of American Chestnuts, as well as the fate of much native flora and fauna), but to tell the truth, nothing is really 'gotten done' until the project generates data, and points the clear path toward progress addressing the problem. As you are no doubt well aware, this can happen through both positive or negative findings, but simply glad handing after an initial planning session doesn't speak, in any way, to accomplishment. Frank Reid provided a salient example of accomplishment, as illustrated by the final results. g. who suspects he will somehow get no less busy. doing what, is always the part that's unclear, but it's good to know we can count on a long-winded essay describing your pivitol role in modern biological advances. Now, was there any discussion of WHY the virus class in question is not already present, given the presence of a preferred media of reproduction? If so, I didn't read it in your piece. And if not, was there any discussion as to potential deliterious effects of introducing same to the ecosystem involved? Hell, Wolfgang, it seems like a potentially interesting and beneficial program of study about to be embarked upon.......I just wonder what makes it in any way different from the numerous examples of well-intended tinkering with nature that has had provable detrimental effects for our environment. I also wonder why you choose to not name the research principals. Is this supposed to be top-secret? It would seem like something unnecessary, and, at the same time sort of puzzling.......Come on, lad, you can do better. A little less about the importance of Wolfgang, and a bit more about the actual issue at hand might have been nice. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Tom- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Garlic and Goat cheese pizza just befiore bedtime is bound to make the middle aged stomach a major contributor to CRANKY. Maalox or just a large bucket of water in which to place one's head can sometimes curtail CRANKy. P;+)) Dave He wasn't defending a thesis Tom. Just describing what HE experienced. As to what science is or is not, well that's for another day, as is experimental design standards in the bio medical world. |
How Things Get Done
On Sep 12, 2:31*pm, Injun Joe wrote:
On Sep 12, 10:54*am, "Tom Littleton" wrote: "Giles" wrote in message ... always -at least most of the time ---enjoy reading your { Wolfgangs stuff } *but got a little confused by this one did you have coffee with your breakfast---did you catch any fish ? how fast do you type ? Joe the Elder - Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Good point. Breakfest without coffee is like . . . the anti-breakfest. Dave |
How Things Get Done
On Sep 13, 6:06*am, DaveS wrote:
Good point. Breakfest without coffee is like . . . the anti-breakfest. Dave For me, breakfast without coffee is no breakfast at all. Nada, zilch, nothing. --riverman (coffee for breakfast, in case you missed that) |
How Things Get Done
On Sep 12, 7:21*am, --riverman wrote:
Having worked in academia doing research, I totally appreciate your story and the beauty of knowing People who Get Things Done. Nicely unfolded. Good luck with the project. --riverman Thanks, Myron. giles |
How Things Get Done
On Sep 12, 8:22*am, "Bill Grey" wrote:
Interesting and well written narrative. Thank you. I'm glad I got to the end before you ran out of fictitious names. I suspect that none of the people participating in this drama would object to being named (hell, some of them have a fairly prodigious public presence) but I don't know some of them well enough to be certain. When are you going to write about when Freda and Mark went fly-fishing :-) Bill Not much of that going on in my neighborhood these days. I used to write about it some when I was doing more of it. Who knows, maybe some day I'll vacate the big city and go back to where a boy can fish through the dining room window. giles |
How Things Get Done
On Sep 12, 9:12*am, Frank Reid © 2010 wrote:
Just gotta get to the right folks. Amen. Very cool. *You going to help with the program? Frank Reid Probably not much in any direct way. That would be trespassing on grad-student turf. It would probably also taint results. However, as you probably noticed when you were there, the chestnuts are not isolated. They are interspersed among all the other trees. We will go on as before with all of those, and this will necessarily have some effect on the chestnuts. This is, of course, understood by the researchers; it comes with the turf. giles |
How Things Get Done
On Sep 12, 9:54*am, "Tom Littleton" wrote:
"Giles" wrote in message ... Things get done by people who: 1. Know what needs to be done. 2. Have an inclination/reason to get it done. 3. Can command the necessary resources (money/labor/space/materials/ etc.) to get it done. 4. Have the requisite experience/expertise/knowledge/tools to get it done. 5. Have the time to get it done. 6. Can stay focused long enough and/or often enough to get it done. 7. Have the requisite authority/permission to get it done.....or do it anyway. It has been my good fortune to know a good few such people off and on throughout my life. *They have been a constant source of inspiration and admiration. *I have also been fortunate in actually being such a person (admittedly by sheer happenstance and on a modest scale) on rare occasions. thanks for sharing your self-congratulation, once again. I'd be interested in learning what it is I'm being congratulated for. As one person, or more, is fond of saying, YMMV. Hm.....stroking the diminutive member. introductions and CV had been exchanged hoo, boy. That should have been good. Not very. But when asked, it is considered polite to answer. Dan looks at me and says (and I quote), "O.k., why are we here?" the same thought occurred to this reader, at least. And doubtless to others as well. It even occurred to some among us who were there. Hypovirulence. *There is a virus.....well, actually a tribe of viruses.....that ingest and otherwise thrive on the Cryphonectria fungus, the villain in the American chestnut drama. *There are many strains of Cryphonectria, so it is a good thing that there are also many strains of the virus that attacks and weakens them. *But it DOES make life complicated. a discussion of Cryphonectria, and why it has become the villain would have been informative..... No, it would have been any more informative. It would simply have been information on a topic other than that I wished to write about. If you want to inform the folks here about Cryphonectria from your own vast store of knowledge, please be my guest. And Cryphonectria is not a villain. Cryphonectria is a fungus. Fungi don't have a great deal more intent (evil or otherwise) or intellect than snots. you might have chosen to enlighten us with that, as opposed to a description of consuming breakfast, Or I might have chosen to do any of innumerable other things. But those weren't things I wanted to do. but I suppose, that's my scientific training getting the best of me...... No, that has nothing whatsoever to do with scientific training.....as any reader with even a bit of it surely understands. That's just your surly childish petulence shining through. And it happens like this...... ok, I've slogged this far, we'll get to the point now, I figure.... Funny thing is, you KNOW what an absolute ass you are making of yourself here. :) *Then they get down to business. *It takes all of four minutes. *Dan hangs up the phone. Approval must await the next application and funding cycle.....a matter of a few months. *This means exactly nothing. *The deal is done. *The funding will appear. *The work will go forward. *The world has turned. so, that was it? Yep. That was it. They got a grant project approved(at least on a verbal basis)? Uh huh. Do you have any idea how often this happens, every day, in every field of science? As a matter of fact, yes, I do have a pretty good idea. Further, can you comprehend how such verbal agreements often de-materialize into bureaucratic backlogs? I've seen that happen. Comprehend? Well, at some level or other, I suppose. Why don't you go ahead and make it crystal clear for all those fans who can't get enough of the REAL dope? I hope for the best, and all, for this project(hell, I am alarmed as the next guy over the fate of American Chestnuts, as well as the fate of much native flora and fauna), Alarmed about the chestnuts? Huh? What? Has something happened to the chestnuts? but to tell the truth, nothing is really 'gotten done' until the project generates data, and points the clear path toward progress addressing the problem. Well, that actually depends on what it is that one wants to 'get done'. If one wants to get a project started, then something has "really 'gotten done'" at the inception of the project. There are people who make a pretty good living 'doing' no more than that. As you are no doubt well aware, this can happen through both positive or negative findings, Ooh! Ooh! That's science talk.....right? I'm right, ain't I? Yeah, I'm right. Go on and tell me I'm righty. but simply glad handing after an initial planning session doesn't speak, in any way, to accomplishment. Depends on what one wants to accomplish. Look at your efforts here, for example. Some doubtless find them fairly reeking of accomplishment. Others may differ. Frank Reid provided a salient example of accomplishment, as illustrated by the final results. Ah yes, results! Who needs beginnings when you can skip right to the results? g. who suspects he will somehow get no less busy. doing what, is always the part that's unclear, What would you like to know? but it's good to know we can count on a long-winded essay describing your pivitol role in modern biological advances. Well, ONE of us has alluded to his "scientific training" here. Now, was there any discussion of WHY the virus class in question is not already present, given the presence of a preferred media of reproduction? I didn't hear any such discussion (there were eight of us, eating, drinking, walking, crawling, etc., in ever shifting groups), but there may have been. Not likely though, and not for long. Everyone there was already pretty much up to speed on the current best guesses regarding that issue. This is attributable, in large part I think, to the fact that none of the participants relies much on ROFF for scientific revelation. But then, most of those present probably don't know that you are here. If so, I didn't read it in your piece. Well now you have. All ya gotta do is ask the right questions. And if not, was there any discussion as to potential deliterious effects of introducing same to the ecosystem involved? The virus(es) involved are dedicated parasites. The only deleterious effects arise from the fact that the virus cannot live without its host. Thus, if you want the virus, you MUST have cryphonectria for it to feed on. These people are plant pathologists.....they ain't much interested in healthy trees. But then, as a highly trained and dedicated man of science, you already knew that. Hell, Wolfgang, it seems like a potentially interesting and beneficial program of study about to be embarked upon Well, as a beneficiary of scientific training, you would undoubtedly know more about that than I. ......I just wonder what makes it in any way different from the numerous examples of well-intended tinkering with nature that has had provable detrimental effects for our environment. Really? Do you? You ain't real bright for a trained scientist. I also wonder why you choose to not name the research principals. See my response to Bill Grey. Is this supposed to be top-secret? Of course. That's why I published it here. It would seem like something unnecessary, and, at the same time sort of puzzling....... It may well seem unnecesary. But the truth of the matter is that research in pretty much any field is highly competitive in these days of shrinking budgets. Many of those involved are in fact secretive about their work, for good or ill. And no, I can think of no reason to doubt that you find any or all of this puzzling. Come on, lad, you can do better. You really think so? Well. Gosh. A little less about the importance of Wolfgang, You saw something about the importance of Wolfgang in that? Good god, you have gotten stupid in the last couple of years. and a bit more about the actual issue at hand might have been nice. O.k., hows about you tell me what the issue at hand is.....and I'll see what I can do. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Tom Idiot. g. |
How Things Get Done
On Sep 12, 4:31*pm, Injun Joe wrote:
On Sep 12, 10:54*am, "Tom Littleton" wrote: "Giles" wrote in message ... always -at least most of the time ---enjoy reading your { Wolfgangs stuff } *but got a little confused by this one did you have coffee with your breakfast Yes. did you catch any fish ? No. how fast do you type ? Not very. Joe the Elder giles. |
How Things Get Done
On 9/12/2010 12:07 AM, Giles wrote:
Things get done by people who: 1. Know what needs to be done. 2. Have an inclination/reason to get it done. 3. Can command the necessary resources (money/labor/space/materials/ etc.) to get it done. 4. Have the requisite experience/expertise/knowledge/tools to get it done. 5. Have the time to get it done. 6. Can stay focused long enough and/or often enough to get it done. 7. Have the requisite authority/permission to get it done.....or do it anyway. It has been my good fortune to know a good few such people off and on throughout my life. They have been a constant source of inspiration and admiration. I have also been fortunate in actually being such a person (admittedly by sheer happenstance and on a modest scale) on rare occasions. The latter, I think, gives one an even greater appreciation of those who do it regularly and with evident ease. In the last year and a half, it has been my great good fortune to meet a few folks who routinely get things done, and done well, with appallingly evident ease. And it happened again.....in spades.....these last three days. It started last weekend when Larry reminded me of the impending visit of three heavy hitters from a major university in Michigan who were scheduled to visit the tree farm. Larry graciously refrained from telling me that three bodies and three beds would preclude yet another invasion by the erstwhile tree farmer from Milwaukee. He said I could stay at the condo in La Crosse. I refrained from expressing my horror at the suggestion of sleeping in a condo in La Crosse. I said I would tent it at the tree farm. He was horrified at the thought of anyone sleeping out in the....the.....well.....under the....um.....stars and ****.....with all the animals and dew and bugs and.....etc. I suggested that, having survived similar experiences on numerous occasions in the past, the odds were even (or perhaps even better) that I could do so again. The proposition was never tested, the experiment was never conducted. The heavens opened up on Wednesday evening.....angel pee everywhere.....in short, it started raining early in the evening. I slept on the floor.....with the dog. Though small and of dubious aroma, she is warm and affectionate. But that is beside the point, I suppose. By then, the biologists had arrived, a late supper of steak and baked potatoes, with a side salad and lots of good beer (about as good as boy could come up with fast and easy at 9:00 p.m.), had been consumed, introductions and CV had been exchanged, something vaguely resembling a plan for the morning had been sketched, refined, and ratified, and much storytelling had transpired, replete with inside jokes from all and sundry which left the ins grinning or roaring with laughter and the outs nodding, smiling, and utterly bemused. Oh yeah, and a lot of biology and internal departmental politics and personalities flew in smoking hot streaks back and forth across the room. A boy is tempted to say that it was all he could do to keep up......but he didn't.....quite. Pretty close, though. Same tools (mostly), same techniques (pretty much), similar protocols (more or less), same reagents (here and there).....WAY different critters.....Dan (not his real name), a plant pathologist, tells the story of a friend who originally trained as a botanist and then moved to human physiology. You cannot imagine how EASY! human DNA is, the friend informs him. Larry and I busily knit our brows. The others (Tony and Justin.....not their real names.....from Michigan.....and Angela.....not her real name.....from the local university) smile broadly and nod wisely. Hm..... Larry leaves. Yeah, it's his place.....but there's only three beds. He's staying in the condo tonight. Dan looks at me and says (and I quote), "O.k., why are we here?" Uh oh. Ummmmm........................................ Ummmmm........................................ Angela comes to the rescue. She explains, in broad terms, the research project that her grad students Cassie and Astrid (not their real names) are engaged in, what they hope to do in the future, what Larry would like to see come of it, and what we all hope to gain from the current visitation. I (rather wisely, I think) nod vigorously, smile broadly, and strive manfully not to think of other places I'd rather be just at this moment. Discussion ensues. A provisional plan is agreed upon. We will have breakfast in the morning.....and then wait for Larry.....if he has not already arrived. I nod, slowly and deliberately, as though not entirely convinced but willing enough to abide by the apparent consensus in lieu of a better idea. In due course, morning arrives. Breakfast is designed, executed, and consumed by committee. It is surprisingly good. Larry, having not yet arrived, does not get a vote. However, arriving before the consummation is completed, he is allotted a full share and tucks in with gusto. Everybody is happy. Senta (her real name), has been visibly and unmistakably jubilant every waking moment since my arrival some 36 hours earlier. This would be an unequivocal annoyance in anyone other than a coal black schnauzer pup (the aforementioned small dog). Even so, it is starting to wear thin. Beth and Eric (their real names) arrive. Beth and Eric own a small forestry business. Not surprisingly, in the coulee country, their business sense is tempered by a rather bewildering amalgam of New Age, Hippie, Astrological, Biodynamic, Holistic, Nativist, Herbal, Pragmatic sensibilities. Beth and Eric are also old friends and sometime part time employees of Larry's. They have at least as large a stake in the current proceedings as anyone. They also have more experience on the ground in this locale than anyone but Larry himself. Beth, as Larry often proclaims, does the work of two men. Eric has bigass digger machines and a portable bandsaw mill (well, a borrowed mill, but it cuts just the same). We have, not just a quorum......we got the whole shebang! Dan says....."So?" Beth (or Angela.....I forget) says, let's go for a walk up to the orchard (the orchard comprises the newest plantings, from two to four or five years ago, and contains the trees of greatest interest to the visiting dignitaries.....for reasons that space does not permit me to go into here.) I say why don't we just all pile into the Gators and ride up? I see several nodding heads. And then I see Beth and Angela looking at me in a manner that is indescribable but with which every man who has ever known woman knows and dreads. We have the women outnumbered 3:1 (well, actually, 6:2......but, close enough). We all agree that it is a very nice day for a walk. For the next four hours we wander, in ever changing aggregates of humans and one small dog, over the eastern half of Larry's 80 acres, peering, kneeling, squatting, discussing, peeling, paring, poking, prying, questioning, answering, pondering, debating, lying prone on bellies and backs, rubbing, smelling, photographing, remembering, philosophizing, planning, collecting, discarding, theorizing, suggesting, digging, and wondering. By the time we head back downhill, everybody, including (MAINLY including) Larry, knows what we all knew before any of us arrived and the adventure began. The chestnuts are doomed.....period. Well.....ALMOST period. There's hypovirulence. Hypovirulence. There is a virus.....well, actually a tribe of viruses.....that ingest and otherwise thrive on the Cryphonectria fungus, the villain in the American chestnut drama. There are many strains of Cryphonectria, so it is a good thing that there are also many strains of the virus that attacks and weakens them. But it DOES make life complicated. As luck would have it, Larry's setup, diverse plantings, loving attention to the trees, and record keeping make his holding a textbook example of the perfect laboratory for the proposed experiment. Angela, Cassie and Astrid get the ready made lab to do with as they will. Beth, Eric, Larry, Becky and I are relieved of the responsibility of caring for the chestnuts (in fact, the policy will be strictly hands off for us.....except for clearing out the unmistakably dead). We have that much more time to devote to the butternuts (also doomed.....but that a whole nother long story.....for another time), walnuts, hazels and sundry other minor characters. Justin gets much needed samples and data for his PhD. dissertation on the evolution of Cryphonectria, Tony, ditto for his statistical analyses. Dan? Well, what Dan gets out of the deal is a bit more complicated.....and subtle. Dan is on the Castanea A-list. Dan is pretty much at the top of the Castanea A-list. There really isn't much more for Dan to get out of any of this. Dan just gets to make it happen. And it happens like this...... When we get back to the house there is much discussion about how to get the project rolling, who is going to fund it, how the funding will be managed, who will do the management, and a very LONG list of other considerations. The bottom line is that this isn't something that a bunch of people can make happen just by agreeing that it needs to happen. Fortunately, similar situations have been coming up for a long long time, and there are well developed institutions and procedures in place for dealing with them. Universities have organizational and administrative tools at their disposal for just such situations. So does the federal government. While we discuss details, ask questions, raise objections, and generally chew on a host of considerations, Larry quietly dials a phone number. A moment later the house falls quiet when Larry says hello Max (not his real name) who has worked for the Forest Service (USDA) for 35 or a hundred fifty or something years, do you know Dan? Yeah, says Max. Larry explains that a foundation is to be set up to conduct a years long intensive Cryphonectria management experiment on his property and that some startup funds will be required. He hands the phone to Dan, who reminds Max of a few long ago shared adventures of one sort or another. They laugh. Then they get down to business. It takes all of four minutes. Dan hangs up the phone. Approval must await the next application and funding cycle.....a matter of a few months. This means exactly nothing. The deal is done. The funding will appear. The work will go forward. The world has turned. So much for academic detachment from real world phenomena. So much for governmental bureaucratic inertia. That's how **** gets done. Kind of amazing. Kind of scary. g. who suspects he will somehow get no less busy. drama and fun! damn. that was a fantastic read. jeff (nuts to chest...) |
How Things Get Done
On 9/12/2010 10:54 AM, Tom Littleton wrote:
wrote in message ... Things get done by people who: 1. Know what needs to be done. 2. Have an inclination/reason to get it done. 3. Can command the necessary resources (money/labor/space/materials/ etc.) to get it done. 4. Have the requisite experience/expertise/knowledge/tools to get it done. 5. Have the time to get it done. 6. Can stay focused long enough and/or often enough to get it done. 7. Have the requisite authority/permission to get it done.....or do it anyway. It has been my good fortune to know a good few such people off and on throughout my life. They have been a constant source of inspiration and admiration. I have also been fortunate in actually being such a person (admittedly by sheer happenstance and on a modest scale) on rare occasions. thanks for sharing your self-congratulation, once again. As one person, or more, is fond of saying, YMMV. introductions and CV had been exchanged hoo, boy. That should have been good. Dan looks at me and says (and I quote), "O.k., why are we here?" the same thought occurred to this reader, at least. Hypovirulence. There is a virus.....well, actually a tribe of viruses.....that ingest and otherwise thrive on the Cryphonectria fungus, the villain in the American chestnut drama. There are many strains of Cryphonectria, so it is a good thing that there are also many strains of the virus that attacks and weakens them. But it DOES make life complicated. a discussion of Cryphonectria, and why it has become the villain would have been informative.....you might have chosen to enlighten us with that, as opposed to a description of consuming breakfast, but I suppose, that's my scientific training getting the best of me...... And it happens like this...... ok, I've slogged this far, we'll get to the point now, I figure.... Then they get down to business. It takes all of four minutes. Dan hangs up the phone. Approval must await the next application and funding cycle.....a matter of a few months. This means exactly nothing. The deal is done. The funding will appear. The work will go forward. The world has turned. so, that was it? They got a grant project approved(at least on a verbal basis)? Do you have any idea how often this happens, every day, in every field of science? Further, can you comprehend how such verbal agreements often de-materialize into bureaucratic backlogs? I hope for the best, and all, for this project(hell, I am alarmed as the next guy over the fate of American Chestnuts, as well as the fate of much native flora and fauna), but to tell the truth, nothing is really 'gotten done' until the project generates data, and points the clear path toward progress addressing the problem. As you are no doubt well aware, this can happen through both positive or negative findings, but simply glad handing after an initial planning session doesn't speak, in any way, to accomplishment. Frank Reid provided a salient example of accomplishment, as illustrated by the final results. g. who suspects he will somehow get no less busy. doing what, is always the part that's unclear, but it's good to know we can count on a long-winded essay describing your pivitol role in modern biological advances. Now, was there any discussion of WHY the virus class in question is not already present, given the presence of a preferred media of reproduction? If so, I didn't read it in your piece. And if not, was there any discussion as to potential deliterious effects of introducing same to the ecosystem involved? Hell, Wolfgang, it seems like a potentially interesting and beneficial program of study about to be embarked upon......I just wonder what makes it in any way different from the numerous examples of well-intended tinkering with nature that has had provable detrimental effects for our environment. I also wonder why you choose to not name the research principals. Is this supposed to be top-secret? It would seem like something unnecessary, and, at the same time sort of puzzling.......Come on, lad, you can do better. A little less about the importance of Wolfgang, and a bit more about the actual issue at hand might have been nice. Tom tom, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar... enjoy a good smoke. jeff |
How Things Get Done
"jeff" wrote in message ... tom, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar... enjoy a good smoke. jeff each to their own. Your 'good smoke' is my vision of yet another entry in a bad prose contest. 500 turgid words to say, "I fancy myself as successful, I can sort of keep up with PhD's in any field, and we all ate breakfast" isn't my view of a good read. As I said, your mileage may, and clearly does, vary. I wasn't impressed. Which isn't to say that I haven't read and valued some items over the years which Wolfie has written. This just wasn't one of them.....And, since Wolfie feels compelled to tell others, with assorted snide, dismissive comments, when he is unimpressed, I have little or no hesitation doing so in return. Tom |
How Things Get Done
On 2010-09-12 00:07:13 -0400, Giles said:
Things get done by people who: 1. Know what needs to be done. 2. Have an inclination/reason to get it done. 3. Can command the necessary resources (money/labor/space/materials/ etc.) to get it done. 4. Have the requisite experience/expertise/knowledge/tools to get it done. 5. Have the time to get it done. 6. Can stay focused long enough and/or often enough to get it done. 7. Have the requisite authority/permission to get it done.....or do it anyway. It has been my good fortune to know a good few such people off and on throughout my life. Yep, it has been my good fortune to marry such a person on and off throughout life. Joanne is all of that and more, although she is never self-congratulatory. Thanks for reminding me. Dave |
How Things Get Done
On Sep 14, 4:22*am, "Tom Littleton" wrote:
"jeff" wrote in message ... tom, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar... enjoy a good smoke. jeff each to their own. Your 'good smoke' is my vision of yet another entry in a bad prose contest. 500 turgid words to say, "I fancy myself as successful, I can sort of *keep up with PhD's in any field, and we all ate breakfast" isn't my view of a good read. As I said, your mileage may, and clearly does, vary. I wasn't impressed. Which isn't to say that I haven't read and valued some items over the years which Wolfie has written. This just wasn't one of them.....And, since Wolfie feels compelled to tell others, with assorted snide, dismissive comments, when he is unimpressed, I have little or no hesitation doing so in return. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Tom I like the "bad prose" part; it demonstrates that you haven't quite completely lost your mind yet.....but it's not too late for that. I think you should unbunch your undies and conduct a thorough scientific evaluation of your motives. :) g. |
How Things Get Done
On Sep 14, 5:45*am, D. LaCourse wrote:
On 2010-09-12 00:07:13 -0400, Giles said: Things get done by people who: 1. Know what needs to be done. 2. Have an inclination/reason to get it done. 3. Can command the necessary resources (money/labor/space/materials/ etc.) to get it done. 4. Have the requisite experience/expertise/knowledge/tools to get it done. 5. Have the time to get it done. 6. Can stay focused long enough and/or often enough to get it done. 7. Have the requisite authority/permission to get it done.....or do it anyway. It has been my good fortune to know a good few such people off and on throughout my life. Yep, it has been my good fortune to marry such a person on and off throughout life. You keep a minister and a divorce lawyer on retainer? Joanne is all of that and more, although she is never self-congratulatory. Well then, congratulations to both of you. Thanks for reminding me. De nada. Dave Idiot. g. |
How Things Get Done
"Giles" wrote in message ... On Sep 12, 8:22 am, "Bill Grey" wrote: Interesting and well written narrative. Thank you. I'm glad I got to the end before you ran out of fictitious names. I suspect that none of the people participating in this drama would object to being named (hell, some of them have a fairly prodigious public presence) but I don't know some of them well enough to be certain. When are you going to write about when Freda and Mark went fly-fishing :-) Bill Not much of that going on in my neighborhood these days. I used to write about it some when I was doing more of it. Who knows, maybe some day I'll vacate the big city and go back to where a boy can fish through the dining room window. giles Live you dreams and good luck Bill |
How Things Get Done
On Sep 14, 3:36*pm, "Bill Grey" wrote:
Live you dreams and good luck Bill Easier said than done, Bill.....I've got a LOT of dreams. :) Thanks for the kind thoughts. giles |
How Things Get Done
"jeff" wrote in message
... snip tom, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar... enjoy a good smoke. Mmmmmmmmm. . . cigars. Oh, yeah. I very much enjoyed the story, Wolfgang. -- TL, Tim |
How Things Get Done
On Sep 14, 8:29*pm, "Tim J."
wrote: "jeff" wrote in message ... snip tom, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar... enjoy a good smoke. Mmmmmmmmm. . . cigars. Ewwwwwwwww. . . rope. :( Oh, yeah. I very much enjoyed the story, Wolfgang. Thanks, Tim. I'm thinking the next installment might be about the relative merits of various agar recipes for Phytophthora cultures.....something else I know absolutely nothing about. Should be loads of fun! :) giles who cannot, for the life of him, remember where he was on August 6 or August 9, 1945.....despite all the fuss. |
How Things Get Done
On Sep 15, 10:25*am, Giles wrote:
On Sep 14, 8:29*pm, "Tim J." wrote: "jeff" wrote in message t... snip tom, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar... enjoy a good smoke. Mmmmmmmmm. . . cigars. Ewwwwwwwww. . . rope. * * *:( Oh, yeah. I very much enjoyed the story, Wolfgang. Thanks, Tim. I'm thinking the next installment might be about the relative merits of various agar recipes for Phytophthora cultures.....something else I know absolutely nothing about. *Should be loads of fun! * * *:) giles who cannot, for the life of him, remember where he was on August 6 or August 9, 1945.....despite all the fuss. There are various agar recipes? I thought agar was agar. -riverman |
How Things Get Done
On 16/09/2010 6:19 AM, --riverman wrote:
There are various agar recipes? I thought agar was agar. -riverman Agar is the gelatinous base used as an ingredient for microbiological media. It can be, and is, variously modified using a variety of nutrients (some defined, some not) to suit the task the media are needed for. The handbook of Microbiological Media by Atlas lists some 4000 recipes. Tim Lysyk |
How Things Get Done
On Sep 16, 8:13*am, Tim Lysyk wrote:
On 16/09/2010 6:19 AM, --riverman wrote: There are various agar recipes? I thought agar was agar. -riverman Agar is the gelatinous base used as an ingredient for microbiological media. It can be, and is, variously modified using a variety of nutrients (some defined, some not) to suit the task the media are needed for. Also often modified with things that are manifestly NOT nutrients.....depends on what what wants to grow.....and NOT grow. A classic example woult be testing a new antibiotic. Some plates would be prepared without the antibiotic and some with, for the obvious reason. The handbook of Microbiological Media by Atlas lists some 4000 recipes. Tim Lysyk And it's a dead certainty that they've missed more than just a few. Aside from the competition for funding, some people are just downright secretive, withholding any and all information they can until publication. And even then many are not as forthcoming as one would hope (and as they should be) about all manner of things. Many a paper has been published in many a respected peer reviewed journal with lacunae that should have disqualified it. Sometimes makes a boy wonder who is blowing whom. giles |
How Things Get Done
On Sat, 11 Sep 2010 21:07:13 -0700 (PDT), Giles wrote:
Things get done by people who: 1. Know what needs to be done. 2. Have an inclination/reason to get it done. 3. Can command the necessary resources (money/labor/space/materials/ etc.) to get it done. 4. Have the requisite experience/expertise/knowledge/tools to get it done. 5. Have the time to get it done. 6. Can stay focused long enough and/or often enough to get it done. 7. Have the requisite authority/permission to get it done.....or do it anyway. It has been my good fortune to know a good few such people off and on throughout my life. They have been a constant source of inspiration and admiration. I have also been fortunate in actually being such a person (admittedly by sheer happenstance and on a modest scale) on rare occasions. The latter, I think, gives one an even greater appreciation of those who do it regularly and with evident ease. In the last year and a half, it has been my great good fortune to meet a few folks who routinely get things done, and done well, with appallingly evident ease. And it happened again.....in spades.....these last three days. It started last weekend when Larry reminded me of the impending visit of three heavy hitters from a major university in Michigan who were scheduled to visit the tree farm. Larry graciously refrained from telling me that three bodies and three beds would preclude yet another invasion by the erstwhile tree farmer from Milwaukee. He said I could stay at the condo in La Crosse. I refrained from expressing my horror at the suggestion of sleeping in a condo in La Crosse. I said I would tent it at the tree farm. He was horrified at the thought of anyone sleeping out in the....the.....well.....under the....um.....stars and ****.....with all the animals and dew and bugs and.....etc. I suggested that, having survived similar experiences on numerous occasions in the past, the odds were even (or perhaps even better) that I could do so again. The proposition was never tested, the experiment was never conducted. The heavens opened up on Wednesday evening.....angel pee everywhere.....in short, it started raining early in the evening. I slept on the floor.....with the dog. Though small and of dubious aroma, she is warm and affectionate. But that is beside the point, I suppose. By then, the biologists had arrived, a late supper of steak and baked potatoes, with a side salad and lots of good beer (about as good as boy could come up with fast and easy at 9:00 p.m.), had been consumed, introductions and CV had been exchanged, something vaguely resembling a plan for the morning had been sketched, refined, and ratified, and much storytelling had transpired, replete with inside jokes from all and sundry which left the ins grinning or roaring with laughter and the outs nodding, smiling, and utterly bemused. Oh yeah, and a lot of biology and internal departmental politics and personalities flew in smoking hot streaks back and forth across the room. A boy is tempted to say that it was all he could do to keep up......but he didn't.....quite. Pretty close, though. Same tools (mostly), same techniques (pretty much), similar protocols (more or less), same reagents (here and there).....WAY different critters.....Dan (not his real name), a plant pathologist, tells the story of a friend who originally trained as a botanist and then moved to human physiology. You cannot imagine how EASY! human DNA is, the friend informs him. Larry and I busily knit our brows. The others (Tony and Justin.....not their real names.....from Michigan.....and Angela.....not her real name.....from the local university) smile broadly and nod wisely. Hm..... Larry leaves. Yeah, it's his place.....but there's only three beds. He's staying in the condo tonight. Dan looks at me and says (and I quote), "O.k., why are we here?" Uh oh. Ummmmm........................................ Ummmmm........................................ Angela comes to the rescue. She explains, in broad terms, the research project that her grad students Cassie and Astrid (not their real names) are engaged in, what they hope to do in the future, what Larry would like to see come of it, and what we all hope to gain from the current visitation. I (rather wisely, I think) nod vigorously, smile broadly, and strive manfully not to think of other places I'd rather be just at this moment. Discussion ensues. A provisional plan is agreed upon. We will have breakfast in the morning.....and then wait for Larry.....if he has not already arrived. I nod, slowly and deliberately, as though not entirely convinced but willing enough to abide by the apparent consensus in lieu of a better idea. In due course, morning arrives. Breakfast is designed, executed, and consumed by committee. It is surprisingly good. Larry, having not yet arrived, does not get a vote. However, arriving before the consummation is completed, he is allotted a full share and tucks in with gusto. Everybody is happy. Senta (her real name), has been visibly and unmistakably jubilant every waking moment since my arrival some 36 hours earlier. This would be an unequivocal annoyance in anyone other than a coal black schnauzer pup (the aforementioned small dog). Even so, it is starting to wear thin. Beth and Eric (their real names) arrive. Beth and Eric own a small forestry business. Not surprisingly, in the coulee country, their business sense is tempered by a rather bewildering amalgam of New Age, Hippie, Astrological, Biodynamic, Holistic, Nativist, Herbal, Pragmatic sensibilities. Beth and Eric are also old friends and sometime part time employees of Larry's. They have at least as large a stake in the current proceedings as anyone. They also have more experience on the ground in this locale than anyone but Larry himself. Beth, as Larry often proclaims, does the work of two men. Eric has bigass digger machines and a portable bandsaw mill (well, a borrowed mill, but it cuts just the same). We have, not just a quorum......we got the whole shebang! Dan says....."So?" Beth (or Angela.....I forget) says, let's go for a walk up to the orchard (the orchard comprises the newest plantings, from two to four or five years ago, and contains the trees of greatest interest to the visiting dignitaries.....for reasons that space does not permit me to go into here.) I say why don't we just all pile into the Gators and ride up? I see several nodding heads. And then I see Beth and Angela looking at me in a manner that is indescribable but with which every man who has ever known woman knows and dreads. We have the women outnumbered 3:1 (well, actually, 6:2......but, close enough). We all agree that it is a very nice day for a walk. For the next four hours we wander, in ever changing aggregates of humans and one small dog, over the eastern half of Larry's 80 acres, peering, kneeling, squatting, discussing, peeling, paring, poking, prying, questioning, answering, pondering, debating, lying prone on bellies and backs, rubbing, smelling, photographing, remembering, philosophizing, planning, collecting, discarding, theorizing, suggesting, digging, and wondering. By the time we head back downhill, everybody, including (MAINLY including) Larry, knows what we all knew before any of us arrived and the adventure began. The chestnuts are doomed.....period. Well.....ALMOST period. There's hypovirulence. Hypovirulence. There is a virus.....well, actually a tribe of viruses.....that ingest and otherwise thrive on the Cryphonectria fungus, the villain in the American chestnut drama. There are many strains of Cryphonectria, so it is a good thing that there are also many strains of the virus that attacks and weakens them. But it DOES make life complicated. As luck would have it, Larry's setup, diverse plantings, loving attention to the trees, and record keeping make his holding a textbook example of the perfect laboratory for the proposed experiment. Angela, Cassie and Astrid get the ready made lab to do with as they will. Beth, Eric, Larry, Becky and I are relieved of the responsibility of caring for the chestnuts (in fact, the policy will be strictly hands off for us.....except for clearing out the unmistakably dead). We have that much more time to devote to the butternuts (also doomed.....but that a whole nother long story.....for another time), walnuts, hazels and sundry other minor characters. Justin gets much needed samples and data for his PhD. dissertation on the evolution of Cryphonectria, Tony, ditto for his statistical analyses. Dan? Well, what Dan gets out of the deal is a bit more complicated.....and subtle. Dan is on the Castanea A-list. Dan is pretty much at the top of the Castanea A-list. There really isn't much more for Dan to get out of any of this. Dan just gets to make it happen. And it happens like this...... When we get back to the house there is much discussion about how to get the project rolling, who is going to fund it, how the funding will be managed, who will do the management, and a very LONG list of other considerations. The bottom line is that this isn't something that a bunch of people can make happen just by agreeing that it needs to happen. Fortunately, similar situations have been coming up for a long long time, and there are well developed institutions and procedures in place for dealing with them. Universities have organizational and administrative tools at their disposal for just such situations. So does the federal government. While we discuss details, ask questions, raise objections, and generally chew on a host of considerations, Larry quietly dials a phone number. A moment later the house falls quiet when Larry says hello Max (not his real name) who has worked for the Forest Service (USDA) for 35 or a hundred fifty or something years, do you know Dan? Yeah, says Max. Larry explains that a foundation is to be set up to conduct a years long intensive Cryphonectria management experiment on his property and that some startup funds will be required. He hands the phone to Dan, who reminds Max of a few long ago shared adventures of one sort or another. They laugh. Then they get down to business. It takes all of four minutes. Dan hangs up the phone. Approval must await the next application and funding cycle.....a matter of a few months. This means exactly nothing. The deal is done. The funding will appear. The work will go forward. The world has turned. So much for academic detachment from real world phenomena. So much for governmental bureaucratic inertia. That's how **** gets done. Kind of amazing. Kind of scary. g. who suspects he will somehow get no less busy. Okay, guys, so I've read it. And from what I read, Wolfgang didn't do jack **** except peel back the sheets in someone's (not their real name) condo and eat. I did notice that he didn't simply "get things done" and pitch a tent, however - he hit the sheets. And in fact, apparently nothing got done, except someone (not their real name) talked to someone else (again, not their real name) and was told that whatever the alleged plan (not its real name) was isn't important enough, or those folks (yet again, not their real name(s)) involved didn't have the stroke to "get things done" and it will have to wait until later. Here's how things get done: 1. You have a plan that stands on its own, or, 2. You have the stroke to get whatever the **** you want done, _done_, and on your timetable, which leads to... 3 In the former case, merit is rewarded and gets it done right then and there, or, 3a.In the latter case, your stroke is such that you have the ability to say, "This is what _will_ get done, and it _will_ get done _now_..." Waiting around for this or that or someone else to act isn't "getting things done"...getting things _done_ is how things get _done_. Geez, what a porchpuppy.... R |
How Things Get Done
On Sep 23, 10:38*pm, wrote:
Okay, guys, so I've read it. Well. Gosh. We're impressed. And from what I read, Wolfgang didn't do jack **** except peel back the sheets in someone's (not their real name) condo and eat. *I did notice that he didn't simply "get things done" and pitch a tent, however - he hit the sheets. Yeah. That's what I said you cracker moron. And in fact, apparently nothing got done, except someone (not their real name) talked to someone else (again, not their real name) and was told that whatever the alleged plan (not its real name) was isn't important enough, or those folks (yet again, not their real name(s)) involved didn't have the stroke to "get things done" and it will have to wait until later. Absolutely wrong, not only in the large picture, but also in every detail. Imbecile. Here's how things get done: 1. *You have a plan that stands on its own, or, 2. *You have the stroke to get whatever the **** you want done, _done_, and on your timetable, which leads to... 3 * In the former case, merit is rewarded and gets it done right then and there, or, 3a.In the latter case, your stroke is such that you have the ability to say, "This is what _will_ get done, and it _will_ get done _now_..." Waiting around for this or that or someone else to act isn't "getting things done"...getting things _done_ is how things get _done_. Profound. Geez, what a porchpuppy.... R Idiot. g. he waits.....and waits.....and waits......for the pressure to build. and then he just can't stand it anymore. he KNOWS that he's shooting himself in the ass yet again......but he just can't help it. we like that. :) |
How Things Get Done
On Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:58:05 -0700 (PDT), Giles wrote:
On Sep 23, 10:38*pm, wrote: Okay, guys, so I've read it. Well. Gosh. We're impressed. And from what I read, Wolfgang didn't do jack **** except peel back the sheets in someone's (not their real name) condo and eat. *I did notice that he didn't simply "get things done" and pitch a tent, however - he hit the sheets. Yeah. That's what I said you cracker moron. And in fact, apparently nothing got done, except someone (not their real name) talked to someone else (again, not their real name) and was told that whatever the alleged plan (not its real name) was isn't important enough, or those folks (yet again, not their real name(s)) involved didn't have the stroke to "get things done" and it will have to wait until later. Absolutely wrong, not only in the large picture, but also in every detail. Imbecile. Here's how things get done: 1. *You have a plan that stands on its own, or, 2. *You have the stroke to get whatever the **** you want done, _done_, and on your timetable, which leads to... 3 * In the former case, merit is rewarded and gets it done right then and there, or, 3a.In the latter case, your stroke is such that you have the ability to say, "This is what _will_ get done, and it _will_ get done _now_..." Waiting around for this or that or someone else to act isn't "getting things done"...getting things _done_ is how things get _done_. Profound. Geez, what a porchpuppy.... R Idiot. g. he waits.....and waits.....and waits......for the pressure to build. and then he just can't stand it anymore. he KNOWS that he's shooting himself in the ass yet again......but he just can't help it. we like that. :) BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I had "under an hour" in the pot - PAY THE **** UP!!! SNICKER, R |
How Things Get Done
On Sep 23, 11:02*pm, wrote:
On Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:58:05 -0700 (PDT), Giles wrote: On Sep 23, 10:38*pm, wrote: Okay, guys, so I've read it. Well. Gosh. We're impressed. And from what I read, Wolfgang didn't do jack **** except peel back the sheets in someone's (not their real name) condo and eat. *I did notice that he didn't simply "get things done" and pitch a tent, however - he hit the sheets. Yeah. *That's what I said you cracker moron. And in fact, apparently nothing got done, except someone (not their real name) talked to someone else (again, not their real name) and was told that whatever the alleged plan (not its real name) was isn't important enough, or those folks (yet again, not their real name(s)) involved didn't have the stroke to "get things done" and it will have to wait until later. Absolutely wrong, not only in the large picture, but also in every detail. Imbecile. Here's how things get done: 1. *You have a plan that stands on its own, or, 2. *You have the stroke to get whatever the **** you want done, _done_, and on your timetable, which leads to... 3 * In the former case, merit is rewarded and gets it done right then and there, or, 3a.In the latter case, your stroke is such that you have the ability to say, "This is what _will_ get done, and it _will_ get done _now_..." Waiting around for this or that or someone else to act isn't "getting things done"...getting things _done_ is how things get _done_. Profound. Geez, what a porchpuppy.... R Idiot. g. he waits.....and waits.....and waits......for the pressure to build. and then he just can't stand it anymore. *he KNOWS that he's shooting himself in the ass yet again......but he just can't help it. *we like that. * * * :) BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I had "under an hour" in the pot - PAY THE **** UP!!! SNICKER, R- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Moron. Infant. Cracker. g. let's see what astonishing swordplay THAT dredges up in another two weeks or so. |
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