LOOKING INTO THE CRYSTAL BALL

Of course, I do not have an actual crystal ball to gaze into and predict the future (sorry about that). However, a crystal ball is not necessary to see what is coming if I just make a simple shift in my point of view. For example, I could be in the cargo hold of a ship and be aware, even without seeing any water that I was in a vessel moving through a body of water. But I couldn’t be aware of much else outside the solid confines of that hold. Then I could go up on deck and from that point of view be able to see far and wide across the body of water the ship was sailing in. But if I really wanted to see what was going on I could climb up the mast way up high and securely buckle myself into the crow’s nest and from there I could see things out on the ocean long before anyone on the deck of the ship could. And to the degree that I could do so, I would be technically predicting the future for those shipmates of mine working on the ship’s deck. In other words, I could perhaps tell them that an English Schooner was going to be visible off the starboard bow in fifteen minutes and in fifteen minutes so it is. And, from my seat in the crow’s nest I can also see back from where we have come that, again, is a view that, because of their physical location, is no longer available to the rest of the ship’s crew. Therefore, from this viewpoint, I can see back from where we have come (the past), I can see where we are (the present) and I can see where we will be (the future). What I see and when just depends on where I shift my attention. Once I begin to go up the pole (the mast) what I become aware of broadens as I can see more. But let me inject this little caveat here; don't confuse being able to see more with knowing more or understanding more. It doesn't necessarily work that way. It's not tit for tat. By the way, "going up the pole" is basically all a fortune-teller or psychic is doing when they give someone a reading. Only they’re up in the crow’s nest in the realm of thought outside the confines of time, matter and space and not on a ship at sea.

Now, how does this apply to the Pickens Plan? Well...I would venture to say that many more people than not who are on this site are up the pole at least high enough to be aware of what lies ahead if we don't start doing something NOW to eliminate our dependency on foriegn oil. Then there are probably less people (unfortunately) who are up the pole far enough to realize that we need to move away from fossil fuels altogether and go GREEN! This is excellent! BUT...a formidable obstacle that I see outstretched across our path that can potentially bring the whole movement to using alternative energy or ending our dependecy on foriegn oil to a snail's pace is a population (in general) that isn't anywhere even close to the pole. In fact, I think many, many folks are down in the cargo hold of the ship and, even worse,are fine with that condition. So...I consider that this is a situation of no small magnitude and one we cannot ignore.

I've worked in the construction industry for a long time. I have been inolved in numerous rennovation projects in both the residential and commercial zones of construction. It is not at all out of the ordinary that you engage in a project to fix X. But as you wade into the thing you discover that it is impossible for you to fix X without first fixing a handful of other letters from the alphabet. X was the obvious. All of those other things that you now need to fix were not. Thus the drama of remodel work.

Anyway, do you see how this applies to what we are setting out to do not only with the Pickens Plan but with all and any of our other options for energy?

The way I see it is that we have got to assess the situation, put our heads together, devise some tactics and then enact our tactics to get the general population of this country (then the world) up the freakin pole! Reality is nothing more or less than agreement. We have an existing reality (the prevailing group agrrement) in regards to energy. We, the Pickens Army want to bring a new reality into existence. Thus, our first step is to set about changing the dominant group agreement that is holding the existing reality in place. How do we go about getting people up the pole, seeing more, knowing more, understanding more and making new agreements?

I've got at least one idea about how to approach this but I want to hear from you first.

Thank You.

Tags: ball, construction, crystal, green, pickens, plan, pole

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Comment by Lou De Frog on November 29, 2009 at 11:55am: So. What is your idea Monte?

Went to the Google home page this AM and spent 4 hours watching two videos. One on the motive, assassination and subsequent cover up of the Robert Kennedy shooting and the other on the history of the Banking industry taking over the world - and what we have to do to fix the problem.

Apparently we already have a world bank- BIS - Bank of International Settlement and a world money system - SDR - Special Drawing Rights. and guess what. It looks as if the new money coming in to buy up the old is interest free.

Stop thinking about it and have a good holiday.

Send me a mail address so I can introduce you to a few of the on line businesses that have been created to redistribute the wealth in the new order. One business promising 1/2 price gas to members of a social network is driven by software produced by Boonex whoever that is.

Comment by Lou De Frog on September 28, 2008 at 2:32pm: Hi Monte

25 years ago I wondered where interest came from and who gets the interest that The Federal Reserve collects. I really should not have gone down that road because what I learned that day has disturbed me ever since.

I wasn't using a crystal ball and yet I could see so clearly what was going to happen.

Without gold to back up the $ any other substance or product becomes what the $ is compared to. Because oil sets the price for just about everything, we have created the 'petro dollar' - but that's OK because when we need more oil we print the money - $700B a year.

Then we burn the oil and the $700B is worth nothing. It is just a matter of time before the Arabs discover this and choose to be paid in Canadian Tire money or Euros.

I have simplified the balance sheet. Yes we offer other things that they might buy with US $ and most third world countries prefer US $ but that can change overnight, and the shopping catalog is getting pretty empty and overpriced.

Every time the Government prints money the value of the money goes down. That is the strongest argument for not running a deficit budget. If the interest rate was just dropped to zero people would not be losing their homes. People with money will just have to invest it in real businesses that benefit the communities where they live. Payback would be in community benefits rather than interest.

Comment by Anita Adams on September 28, 2008 at 11:43am: Hi Monte; good discussion. but where is the focus? that's the problem. we must decide what to focus on. is it solar, wind energy? cars won't be available for at least 2 years I heard on the news. It has become political, with 2 energy bills on the ballot here in CA. And there are 2 different Solar companies fighting each other. See the scope of this? To make any cultural turn, identify the problems (I think we've done that)= communication=tolerance of new ideas(whose new ideas?)=acceptance of new thinking=decide what to do=who will do what?=what new systems first=how to fund new systems=how to deal with local, state, federal buracracy. What say you all?

Comment by Russell James on September 28, 2008 at 10:00am: Enough people acting wisely can accomplish any thing.

Comment by Russell James on September 28, 2008 at 9:59am: Better Leaders - Better Planning - Better decisions - Cleaner Fuel - Better Vehicles - Work for what we need and want.

Comment by Russell James on September 28, 2008 at 9:57am: It is very difficult to keep on point even if people want the same thing. They need to feel to the bone the need to fix a problem in order to get what they want. What do people all ways no matter if they have the understanding of the big picture that includes all the elements that would promote getting it and the people who would work to keep them from adopting some thing other than what is in place now. Simply stated what do people want? Cheap fuel, good cars, maintaining and improve their life style. Our life style is breaking down our traditional culture. The family and community is falling apart in too many cases. We treat the old and young very badly. We are dependant on cars for transportation. Cars need cheap fuel because most people can not afford the high prices we are experiencing. Plus the hydrocarbons from gas omissions are damaging our home planet.
Alternativre energy will give us clean energy cut down prices improve our environment. It will mean less cash for fuel and better cleaner air to breathe. Healthier and more energetic kids. All people like better investments that will work for us. How can we get this done. One lesson history teaches us is that heads of state may have many vices and the country will survive. But the very worst vice the leaders can have is stupidity. This will bring a country down. Also most intelligent people will make the same decision if they have the same information. We must see that our leaders both get and act on the best information. and we must think in long term and not only just this quarters profit. Pickens puts his money where his mouth is. We must all do our level best to do the same and work toward the Pickens plan and every thing else that will help make our lives and our childrens lives better. Plus a clean and green environment.

Comment by DubleDeuce on September 28, 2008 at 12:07am: Lain,

The Cable Access Station is a GREAT idea. Last week I learned all about baggin' my begonias from the County Agricultural Dude. (When Palin get into the VP position, I think THIS will be the new title of American Aristocracy)

I wonder though WHAT the format should be? Should we bring up the PickenPlan? Should we ask for its support. Should we speak of energy in a generic way? Will numbers and statistics be meaningful and will they communicate the PROPER message. In fact, WHAT IS the proper message?

If there is ANYONE out there that does not know of high fuel prices by now, I am not sure ANY message will be worth their hearing it. Also, here in Atlanta, we are currently experiencing a SEVER fuel shortage (similar to my experience back in '74) due to the extended shutdown of the Gulf refineries-the refineries are fine, but electrical power is out everywhere in that area and it will take (they say) another 2-4 weeks to work through this shortage.

Meanwhile our governor (Sonny Purdue) has went into a prayer funk to help get us out of this problem. Last summer he did the same thing when our giant water reservoir, Lake Lanier went dry do to the fact that the Army Corp. of Engineers went home one night and left the spigot (Buford Dam) open unattended....for a WEEK.

They said that they didn't KNOW that the lake was DRAINING down. The lake height gauge was reading OK, they said. But did ANYONE EVER THINK to look at the ACTUAL lake height (the lake is JUST out side your window General Halftrack) .

Anyway, Sonny prayed for rain and all we got from the sky was a firestorm of Low Flow toilets. The lake is STILL low. I can't wash my truck due to water restrictions but it don't matter, ain't got no gas to get to the automatic car wash.

What the HELL were we talking about?...oh yeah, telebision.

How 'bout we put together some BASIC talking points for a model presentation on the local Cable access channel. Make sure it will pass the sniff AND smell test.

I'll throw out the first question. SHOULD the PickensPlan be the center of the presentation?

The Deuceman

Comment by Iain McLennon on September 27, 2008 at 10:19pm: Damn, you were getting me all excited about the crystal ball, then my house of tarot cards came tumbling down. . .

Monte, this is all good stuff. The key to all of it, however, is action. Great ideas without action to back them up result in nothing. We need to establish some kind of chain of accountability for the realization of proposed/planned action - right now, I see 'us' in a conference room having a really, really big meeting. Minutes are taken, action items are discussed, but nothing concrete is determined, action items aren't assigned, and no one is culpable for results or lack of same. If we can change this, get more personal in our approach to this problem, there's nothing we can't accomplish. But we have to know who is going to do what, and when, before we can expect change to occur.

I think one of the first steps is to identify and organize groups by region so they can actually get together and hammer things out - all about group formation - the form, storm, norm and perform concept. Get some people to form groups, identify leaders who can then organize functional groups. Once that happens, expand them to include groups further away until a whole state has X number of chapters with unified agendas that end up getting things done on a grander scale. But the first small group provides the working model for other groups to come. Right now, we're little more than a group of interested people discussing some really great ideas with absolutely no concept as to how to accomplish them.

One avenue of communication that people could put to good use is their local cable access station. It's free, it's extremely accessible, and the production possibilities are endless.

Now, since my crystal ball is also broken, let's hear what you have to say!

Cheers,
Iain