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Post by papaof2 on Jan 17, 2020 10:24:57 GMT -6
I had a scholarship to a local college when I graduated high school (back just after the Dark Ages) but college wasn't my place then and liberal arts weren't my "thing". I dropped out, went to electronics school, enjoyed learning and building and eventually landed a tech job with AT&T (30+ years). After I retired (the first time) I got my Information Systems degree (what I'd been doing for some years) from a local university just to have the degree for my personal satisfaction. It was where I wanted to be and what I was interested in so I graduated with honors. However, I hadn't started the first semester before I got a call from another division of AT&T offering me nice $$ as a contractor so I was working and going to school for a while. One job led to another so I've retired three (or is it four?) more times since then and now my only paid job is my writing.
A good electrician or plumber or <your choice here> can make very good $$$ but, like any other job that pays well, you must be very knowledgeable about a broad area and you must do good work. We owned one house that was built by construction-illiterate people - those who didn't understand square, plumb, level or how much slope drain pipes should have.
Of course, there are the jokes that their kids have to put up with. Electrician's kid: I hear his/her kisses are electrifying. Plumber's kid: You know she's a plumber's daughter because every time a boy kisses her, her cheeks flush.
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Post by pbbrown0 on Jan 17, 2020 16:29:21 GMT -6
Thanks my dear hubby! Great chapter yet sounds familiar for some reason. Be careful how you word your comments, my beloved wife. The readers might misinterpret what you are implying.
This is a work of fiction. All dialogs by all characters, fictional or real, included in this story are completely fictitious. Only the world in which they are fictionally acting is real.
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Post by papaof2 on Jan 17, 2020 16:33:49 GMT -6
You need the shirt: I'm a writer. Anything you say or do may end up in a story.
I wore that shirt a couple of times around Christmas and everyone was on their best behavior as I didn't see or hear anything I could use ;-)
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Post by kaijafon on Jan 17, 2020 17:15:21 GMT -6
Thanks my dear hubby! Great chapter yet sounds familiar for some reason. Be careful how you word your comments, my beloved wife. The readers might misinterpret what you are implying. This is a work of fiction. All dialogs by all characters, fictional or real, included in this story are completely fictitious. Only the world in which they are fictionally acting is real. Awe! You called me beloved
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Post by texican on Jan 17, 2020 21:04:21 GMT -6
Be careful how you word your comments, my beloved wife. The readers might misinterpret what you are implying. This is a work of fiction. All dialogs by all characters, fictional or real, included in this story are completely fictitious. Only the world in which they are fictionally acting is real. Awe! You called me beloved K and ppb, Newly weds.... How nice.... Texican....
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Post by 9idrr on Jan 17, 2020 21:55:34 GMT -6
Always happy to see a happy couple. Besides, it probably helps his writin' to have a sweet young thang around. Just kinda surprised he finds time to get anything on paper (so to speak) with such an attractive nuisance there. I'm sure it'd be difficult for me.
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Post by papaof2 on Jan 17, 2020 22:43:37 GMT -6
Always happy to see a happy couple. Besides, it probably helps his writin' to have a sweet young thang around. Just kinda surprised he finds time to get anything on paper (so to speak) with such an attractive nuisance there. I'm sure it'd be difficult for me. I saw his Amex bill - he bought "Dragon Naturally Speaking" speech recognition software for all their computers and phones. He can dictate another chapter almost anywhere but the small number of chapters probably indicate his lips aren't talking and his hands aren't caressing the keyboard ;-)
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Post by texican on Jan 18, 2020 15:47:18 GMT -6
Always happy to see a happy couple. Besides, it probably helps his writin' to have a sweet young thang around. Just kinda surprised he finds time to get anything on paper (so to speak) with such an attractive nuisance there. I'm sure it'd be difficult for me. I saw his Amex bill - he bought "Dragon Naturally Speaking" speech recognition software for all their computers and phones. He can dictate another chapter almost anywhere but the small number of chapters probably indicate his lips aren't talking and his hands aren't caressing the keyboard ;-) pp2, Even I am not brave enough to enter what I am thinking.... Texican....
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Post by kaijafon on Jan 19, 2020 8:11:10 GMT -6
Oops! Did I say that out loud? Hahahaha!
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Post by pbbrown0 on Jan 19, 2020 8:18:59 GMT -6
Oops! Did I say that out loud? Hahahaha! Yes, my darlin', you are prone to think out loud 'most all the time. One of the b'zillion things I love about you.
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Post by texican on Jan 19, 2020 14:23:45 GMT -6
Oops! Did I say that out loud? Hahahaha! Yes, my darlin', you are prone to think out loud 'most all the time. One of the b'zillion things I love about you. ppb, You have to love K speaking out loud for it keeps you out of no telling how much trouble since you know what K is thinking.... As all guys know, especially married guys, guys just can not control themselves 100% of the time for it is just not in our genes.... If us married guys didn't screw up occasionally, we would not have any thing to apologize for and be forgiven for by our better halves.... Texican....
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Post by kiwibutterfly on Feb 26, 2020 16:49:24 GMT -6
Love this story - anymore to add ......
Thanks
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Post by pbbrown0 on Mar 14, 2020 17:12:47 GMT -6
Post #10
The Best Laid Plans?
Pete was managing to get some work done on both the garden and the coop by working after he got off work and when he had a day off. He occasionally mused about the way most stores were only open five and a half days a week, way back when he was a kid, and almost all of them closed at five or five-thirty in the afternoon on week days. He had already planted or sown about a third of the garden. He had checked with Joann and they had agreed on what to plant early. Their plan was to do the planting gradually through the spring and summer so the crops would not need to be harvested all at once. They also planned to wait until late summer before some of the planting so they could have a fall harvest for the more cold tolerant vegetables. The climate here had relatively mild winters with only periodic freezing spells, so they were hoping to stretch their growing season, at least for some vegetables. Joann had some small cages for the hand full of chicks she had bought. She said she would keep them indoors until the weather was milder and they were stronger, since there were no mother hens to keep them warm. Pete was gradually getting around to working on some nesting boxes for the coop and planning how to control the ventilation during the hot summer as well as the colder winter weather that would come eventually. Pete was also spending some time on the internet at the library looking for land. The land for sale adds and listings were not very promising, but Ruben's suggestion was looking very interesting. At first it looked to Pete like it might be a big challenge to sift through all the properties listed for pending tax foreclosures. Eventually, with practice, he became more adept at deciphering the abbreviated listings and spotting more quickly which properties he could quickly eliminate from consideration. As his working list was shortened he also was able to eliminate whole counties as he learned more about how the county boundaries aligned with the the topography of this state. The real learning curve was learning how the Township, Range, and Section abbreviations in the legal descriptions of the rural lands translated to the actual location and boundaries of the land parcels. Then he had to narrow down his list to properties that looked interesting based on satellite maps, topo maps, and tax information. For the next several months Pete was very busy trying to arrange some days off work, going to find and investigate sites, and checking at courthouses to look for any red flags about the properties that were interesting to him. Eventually he narrowed his list down to about half a dozen possibilities. Then he had to arrange more days off so he could attend the auctions where those properties were being processed. He was amazed at the minimum opening bids that were listed for most of the properties. There were some rural properties of twenty acres or more that were listed with opening bids of only a few hundred dollars. Apparently the state was only interested in getting the back taxes due, and any excess money received from the auction of a property would be given to the former landowner as compensation for taking the land from them. His natural curiosity drew his attention to other properties as well. Most were residential lots. Many of these residential lots were clustered close together with the same owner. Apparently some overly ambitious developers had out run themselves on financing their get-rich-quick schemes. - - - - - Christine was the nominal chairwoman of the group, but she was under no delusions that her position afforded her any more power or influence over the group. Her position was a mere practicality to facilitate civil interactions among the participants. “Gentlemen, I have been sensing a growing impatience among all of us regarding the speed at which our strategy is progressing. Perhaps we should consider and discuss some new options to accelerate our goals.” The room was quiet for a moment as everyone considered the possible multi-dimensional chess moves that Christine's opening remark had just opened to them. Each of them had to consider the options in their portfolios and the likely effect of those options toward meeting the group's goals. They also had to consider the effect each option might have on their own personal future standing within this group. “I appreciate your courage in raising this issue for consideration, Christine.” Zhao was careful in choosing his words. He wanted to seem complimentary, but he chose to use her personal, informal name rather than her title to somewhat deflate the power he was attributing to her at this point in the discussion. “I have had people working diligently on an option for several years in preparation for this juncture. While it may seem simple enough when I describe it, do not underestimate the effort that has been applied to assuring its effectiveness. Do you remember a few years ago when the western news organizations flooded their broadcasts with pictures of my people all wearing masks as health precautions? The media were broadcasting common, but ineffective scripts about the infectious disease that was presented as crippling to my country? Remember that the internet was still young then. You should consider how that campaign to spread fear was an amateurish, bumbling, premature failure. We have learned many lessons from that … failed experiment. We are now ready to implement a more effective and successful venture in this arena.” Now Zhao had everyone's attention. Vlad, however was uneasy letting him take control of this conclave too easily. “Please don't tell us you have developed a biological weapon and are planning to attack the States. That would be fool hardy. They will see it for what it is, and you can count on their retaliation. Their current leaders will seize the opportunity to rally public support and solidify the populace behind their personal leadership! That would result in the opposite effect from what we are wanting to accomplish!” “Of course, Vlad. A biological attack would be a fool's errand. Any delivery system for a bio-hazard or germ warfare would be rooted out and discovered by their forensics. What we must do is to take a lesson from your chess masters, Vlad. It must look, once again, as if it were a natural evolution of a disease that appeared spontaneously in our massively populated region. Their experts must buy into that concept well before the disease appears to be a threat to the western hemisphere. However, with the fully developed internet that we have today the numbers that will be produced in our part of the world can be readily misinterpreted and promoted rapidly. For example a disease with a mortality rate of only one in one hundred thousand can generate a number of deaths within our massive population that can be made to sound quite alarming to someone in the western hemisphere; especially if their critical thinking skills have been muddled by their dependence on talking heads and memes presenting inane thoughts as if they are insightful pronouncements.” Vlad's eyes suddenly came alive. “Of course. As much as I hate to admit it, Zhao, that is a very astute tactic.” “We have also worked out the tactics for assuring that it will be widely dispersed so that no region is spared. The key however is not in the potency of the disease. The key is in managing the information and the reaction of leaders and government entities to the perceived threat. Their government leaders must choose to impose measures that will disrupt their economy as well as the independent mode in which their people live. We must use this opportunity to undermine their confidence and sense of invincibility. Make no mistake. This is not biological warfare. It is to be a psychological attack on their alpha mindset.” “Pardonne moi, Zhao. You spoke of assuring this contagion would reach all regions. How do you propose to distribute it, and how then may it be contained once the cat is out of the bag. Have you already developed a cure or perhaps an inoculation?” Jean-Claude was interested, yet very matter of fact in his questions. “We have considered both those questions carefully, my friend. There is no need for you to be concerned about the risks. It is only slightly more potent than the “strong flu” that went through the States a few months ago. Of course it must be in order to create sufficient fear. However, a person with a strong constitution will shake it off and perhaps even avoid developing noticeable symptoms. That in turn will actually aid the spread of the virus. In our secure experiments we saw that virtually all casualties are among those who are elderly or already weak. Those who are strong may or may not exhibit symptoms yet they may still be contagious for about two weeks. As for the delivery system, it is merely the world wide air travel system. Once the outbreak is well established in our region, we will implement special precautions to demonstrate our efforts to contain the disease. Our measures will in fact assure its spread rather than prevent the spread of the disease. Once again the slow incubation period and limited virility will help mask our true intentions.” Jaime suddenly became enthused about the idea. “Oh, yes. This could make our strategy work well. Our assets can be working to assure that many measures are implemented to address the dangers. It will make the focus of the people remain on the common threat. Our advisors can see to it that those measures are fundamentally flawed for containment purposes. The beauty of this is that we can use the crises to train people's acceptance of more rules from their government without a democratic process. The emergency will make any measures more acceptable to the people, as long as they are not draconian. If some protest at first, that will be even better. Those who voice resistance will be labeled as unreasonable and foolish!” “Ah, yes. The opportunities are excellent. We could have them implement school closings to prevent spread of the disease. Parents who are working will be challenged to care for their children who would normally be in school. They will struggle to find facilities for their children while fearing loss of their jobs if they do not find caregivers for an undetermined time frame. So the government will need to provide special care facilities where, ironically, the virus can be spread even more effectively. The government can be persuaded to step in with special measures due to the emergency, and then continue those measures even after the crises is past. If we can get them to see contrived supply chain shortages as being related to the threat of pestilence, the government can implement all manner of assistance and make even more of the populace dependent on the government for basic needs. ” “But, of course. Everything can be manipulated to make people more compliant and dependent while the changes seem to be a natural and necessary response to the crises. There are so many opportunities with this. This is perfect, Zhao.” - - - - - Rob was grilling hamburgers in the back yard with Bruce hanging out there too. Their wives and youngsters were all inside the house. Bruce was normally talking about work, sports, politics, and weather all at the same time, but not tonight. “Bruce you've been pretty quiet. Is this stuff about the Bogo virus getting to you?” It seemed a long time before Bruce answered. “Rob, the virus is not what scares me. Something is getting to me, and I don't know quite what to make of it.”
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Post by misterjimbo on Mar 14, 2020 20:39:34 GMT -6
Great story. Are you mis-numbering or did I miss Chap 10 somewhere?
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Post by 9idrr on Mar 14, 2020 20:53:16 GMT -6
I think these guys are almost as devious as an author who would leave his readers hangin' on the edge of a cliff...
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Post by sniper69 on Mar 15, 2020 7:03:28 GMT -6
Thanks for the new chapter. It definitely makes for an interesting angle in fiction that mirrors things happening in reality.
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Post by texican on Mar 15, 2020 20:30:15 GMT -6
It seemed a long time before Bruce answered. “Rob, the virus is not what scares me. Something is getting to me, and I don't know quite what to make of it.”pp2, Just how many have had this same though line about Covid-19? Thanks for the chapter.... Texican....
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Post by kiwibutterfly on Mar 15, 2020 21:44:40 GMT -6
Thank you, that made my day seeing a new chapter...
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Post by pbbrown0 on Mar 16, 2020 0:00:25 GMT -6
On March 9 I read an article explaining that there were several states in the U.S. with no cases of Covid-19, and that while the morbidity rate for it is higher than the common flu, it is not as contagious. Furthermore, there are several thousand people in the US who die every year of flu, because so many people get the flu, so there is no need to panic. On Wednesday, March 11, Arkansas announced its first confirmed case of Covid-19. The next day, Thursday, the CDC announces that nursing homes across the U.S. may not allow any visitors, and that only staff can come and go from those facilities until further notice (That means no family visitors and my father at the age of ninety-five is living in one of those facilities). The next morning (Friday) I get a call from a Clerk of the Court, where I have a civil suite hearing scheduled for the following week, who tells me that they are rescheduling all case hearings to dates at least 10 weeks later. Later that day the President announced that international travel restrictions are going to be broadly heightened due to the national health emergency. The very next day it is announced that those restrictions have been expanded to constrain travel from two countries that the President had excluded from the restrictions less than 24 hours earlier. On Sunday morning at the regular meeting of my congregation it was announced that the local elders decided to follow the recommendations of the national governing body and temporarily suspend door to door evangelizing work. At 6 pm on Sunday, the Governor of Arkansas announced that ALL schools in the State would not open the next morning and they would stay closed for two weeks (at least). Then I read on CNN website that the reason for all the precautions is that Covid-19 is so exceptionally contagious. Wait, I thought they said a week ago that is is not as contagious as the common flu...
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Post by texican on Mar 17, 2020 11:29:22 GMT -6
ppb,
Your writing is definitely following what is happening in America....
Being a little prophetic....
Thanks for the chapter....
Texican....
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Post by solo on Mar 23, 2020 9:19:58 GMT -6
ppb, Your writing is definitely following what is happening in America.... Being a little prophetic.... Thanks for the chapter.... Texican.... I just got back from a weeklong sojourn into the backcountry with limited contact to any media. How do I wish I was back in the zone. This does mirror what is going on. Why else would toilet paper exit the stores first? And not the Three B's? Now the Three B's have caught up and there it is. The internet, can't live with it, can't live without it. - Solo
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Post by pbbrown0 on Mar 25, 2020 13:00:28 GMT -6
Post #11
Of Mice and Men...
“Talk to me, Bruce. What are you thinking?” Pete had heard the news about the Bogo virus sweeping through Africa and the reports in the news about it's apparent virility. It seemed to him that it was the latest hot button being shouted out by the news media. It was one more point of focus pricking at people's emotions. This topic was being spun to push people's buttons and generate nagging worries about future uncertainties. “Rob, like I said, I am not worried about this Bogo Virus, at least not yet. The WHO is giving a lot of attention to it, but it is too isolated. There are some odd things about the way it is being discussed that are nagging at me. It sounds like it is spreading rapidly and they are generating fear about the number of deaths, but there is little being said about how or where it started. I always thought that they tried to focus in on the origin when there was an outbreak of a new significant virus. Another thing bothers me; It popped up out of no where; it has been going on for months, but in spite of all the concerns announced about it's spread, it is still limited to two or three isolated countries. The details about it are very vague other than “it is a new and deadly virus that has authorities worried.” It's as if they picked a place with natural isolation to test ways to control it and see how it spreads. Looking at how much attention is being given to it, even though it is obviously geographically contained, I have to also wonder if someone is testing our reactions to the way they are feeding us news.” “Bruce, you are beginning to sound like my old man. That's not a criticism; just an observation.” Rob said with a slight smirk. “I know, and that's really scary.” Bruce threw his head back and laughed. “I've always been the one to mock the conspiracy theorists. Now I am starting to think that way. How crazy is that? This is probably just one more virus mutation that epidemiologist get all excited about because it is their area of focus. The media are probably jumping on it just to gain readership and attract advertising dollars. In a couple of months it will fade from memory, just like every other news story.” “Eh, No worries, Brucie. Have another bier.” Rob made a weak attempt to use an Aussie accent. “Come on buddy. Let it go. The burgers are about done, and everyone is hungry.” - - - - - Pete was both excited and anxious. He was going to his first tax auction after a careful examination of nine properties. He had bought a small truck with high mileage just a month ago and driven to check out several of the most promising ones. There would be more properties announced in additional counties later in the summer, but there seemed to be only a handful of parcels so far worth serious consideration. Only one piece of land in this county was on his bid list, but it was just barely on it. There were a number of negatives, but that meant he might be able to get it cheap. The bidding started at $300 and within two minutes it was over $20,000. Pete was shocked. It was completely undeveloped and in a sparsely populated area. A number of people had apparently used it for dumping irreparable equipment. The trees were all too young to harvest for lumber, and it was just barely large enough to consider for a homestead, in Pete's way of thinking. Making a working farm for profit out of it was ludicrous. Why would anyone pay that much? The next day in a neighboring county the story was almost the same. This time the property Pete liked went for $45,000. He was keeping track of each property in the auctions, even the parcels he that did not interest him, and how much was bid on them. About ten percent of the parcels for sale were sold for the minimum opening bid. Another a tenth of the properties were no-bid. Most of those no-bids actually had houses on them. On his drive back home he was mulling over what he had observed trying to make sense of it. After getting home he looked more carefully at his notes and the information posted online, but he still could not make sense of the bidding patterns. After the two days he had taken off work to go to the auctions, Pete got back into his work routines at his two jobs, his Bible study with Ruben, attending congregation meetings, and working the garden and chickens on Joann's lot. His Bible study was getting much more intriguing as Ruben was reading with him in the book of Daniel and the Revelation of John. Of course Ruben was familiar with many passages in the prophets and all through the New Testament that reiterated in snippets what was contained in these two books that focused on the course of history yet to come. As they studied together Pete was amazed at how clear it was becoming in his mind that the description of the events prophesy said would happen “in the last days” sounded just like current times. Pete was no longer following the current news broadcasts as closely as he had in years past. He was beginning to see current events from a broader perspective now. Through the summer months Pete was continuing to periodically check out new properties scattered around the state that were being confiscated for long delinquent taxes. Each auction he attended seemed to be the same yet different. Some were large with a couple of hundred bidders, while some only had barely over a dozen attending. No matter how many attended or how many properties were up for bid, the results always followed similar patterns. It was in one of the small auctions where he finally gained some insights into the process. It was mid-August near the end of the schedule of auctions for the year and this event was being held in an old courthouse basement. This county was sparsely populated and there were fewer properties listed for auction. Rather than the customary sections of chairs arranged in rows facing the podium in a large meeting room, this auction had about six folding tables arranged in a rectangle in a basement conference room. This allowed the bidders to see each others faces instead of seeing only the backs of each other's heads. This arrangement in a much smaller room with a low ceiling made it possible to overhear conversations that were going on while the few people present were waiting for the official process to begin. This was the last auction of the season that Pete planned to attend. The counties with later auction times simply did not have any properties that would work for his purposes. Pete was not very hopeful about his prospects for success today, but he was still thinking this process held the best possibilities for affording the kind of property he would need. He was mulling over the old adage about nothing ventured—nothing gained, when he recognized the local Tax Assessor-Collector from her picture on the county website. She sat down, with a man whose face seemed vaguely familiar, just around the corner of the table from Pete. The body language of these two was 'very loud' communicating their their familiarity with each other. Pete made a point of not staring at them with his eyes, but his ears were very focused. That is when he discovered the distinctions that set the land speculator/developers apart from those wanting to flip houses or an individual wanting to find an inexpensive home. As he drove home this time he did not feel discouraged at having spent so much time and effort this year without success. At the same time, he knew he needed to rethink his approach to buying some land. He was still a long way from being able to buy a patch of land with any reasonable acreage with so little money yet saved. Even with his frugal lifestyle, it would be several more years before he could buy enough acres in the current market. 'Maybe I need to rethink how I am going to reach my goal,' he thought. His thoughts wandered to the Bible study he had been doing with Ruben. During his studies he had felt a growing sense that he might have less time than he once thought to get himself set up in the right place. Then he remembered some other things Ruben had been saying about “the right place to be”. Pete took a deep breath and started praying; not pleading, just praying. Soon he found himself, once again, thoroughly enjoying the beauty of the earth around him as he drove down the narrow country roads. By the time he reached home some ideas had come to him about how he could use the information that would be published next spring. Perhaps he could obtain some land without following the prescribed auction process. In the mean time there was much more that should be getting his diligent attention. He also decided to scan the news on a couple of news websites twice a week, but with a critical eye. He also wanted to discuss some ideas about the chickens and the garden project with Joann. It was late when Pete got home. He double checked that the chickens were in. Joann was already back to commuting to her teaching job since it was well into August. He knew she would be leaving by daybreak the next morning so he left a note on her door thanking her for tending to them and assuring her he would tend to them the next day. He tried to get to bed early since he too was scheduled to work a shift and a half the next day. On Saturday afternoon, Pete crossed paths with Joann out in the garden and started talking about some things he wanted to try with gathering seeds, and he wanted her thoughts about increasing the number of chickens they were raising. Pete's limited prior experiences with gardening in Texas had taught him that without constant watering vegetable gardens were spent and drying up by late August. Whether it was the slightly cooler climate, the higher rainfall, the staggered planting, the mulching with straw, the controlled access they were allowing to the chickens, or the bunching of crops rather than planting in rows, Pete could not say. For what ever the reason, the garden Pete was sharing with Joann was thriving and still producing more than Pete ever imagined it would. Joann agreed to the idea of increasing the number of chickens they were raising. None of their chickens were broody, so she suggested that she could make a biology project out of it for her students and incubate a collection of eggs in her classroom at her school. At the Sunday meeting of the congregation, Pete had a discussion with Ruben about having a Bible study together more than once a week. Ruben was a little surprised at first. After talking with Pete for a minute or two, He understood that Pete was eager to learn more and was willing to study more on his own, but He also wanted to benefit from the perspective and insight of someone else who wanted was also enthused about studying what the Bible really says. Ruben suggested that Pete might join him in a weekly study Ruben was having with a farmer just outside of town, who was also showing a growing interest in the connections of Bible warnings and current events. - - - - - Rob's and Bruce's families seemed to be getting together even more frequently than they had in previous years. The school year was in full swing now, but neither Colleen nor Carl were as tied down by their extra curricular obligations. Carl was not in the football program, but was now working in a vocational program. He took classes half a day and worked at a construction company the rest of the day. That meant no more football practices before and after school. Colleen was no longer in band, which meant her school day was two hours shorter, and she had an extra hour for an elective course at school. It also meant Friday nights were free and there would not be any weekends committed to marching band contests this fall. Another development was that both Jenny's and Linda's employers had been gradually cutting back on employee hours to save on payroll expenses. With more time on their hands these two friends were putting their heads together on ways to save on expenses. One big way was that they were cooking at home more and their families were spending more time together entertaining each other and less time, and money, on entertainment away from home. “Rob, I have to hand it to your son, Carl. I am convinced his decision about sports last spring was the key for Colleen's decision to get out of the extracurricular competition obsession. She is so much more relaxed this year. I didn't realize how much she was affected by the pressure in the band program at school. It wasn't just the extra hours. Apparently the obsession with 'be perfect or be replaced' was unrelenting. It wasn't just the practice for the half-time shows. Those kids really had a lot of pressure put on them to carry on the tradition of the school to have a perfect, spectacular show at the inter-school competitions. They even competed for invitations to interstate competitions. I should have been paying more attention, but I wasn't. She already seems so much happier this year.” “Yeah, I was concerned at first, but Carl's decision makes a lot of sense now. Jenny doesn't worry anymore about Carl getting injured 'just playing a game'. He gets home from work earlier and he actually talks to us more now about how his day went. I really think this was a good decision for him.” “Speaking of getting home early – How are y'all doing with Jenny's shorter hours? You doing okay with the cutback in income?” “We're okay, Bruce. I'm sure you are a lot like us. It wasn't just the smaller paycheck. We took a hit on the health insurance for Jenny, too.” “Well, that part wasn't so bad for us. Jenny's employer had a lousy insurance plan for their employees, and we had been biting the bullet already carrying her on my company's plan. We've adjusted okay, though. My company is doing pretty well, so I'm still getting decent pay. As long as stores are still needing products to stock the shelves, we'll be okay.” “Sometimes I wonder, Bruce, about where our economy is going and how can we predict what industries are going to thrive and which ones are going to fade away. Dad use to talk about how Sears-Roebuck and A&P Foods after a hundred years in business were totally dominating the retail market. Kodak and Polaroid were so pervasive that they even shaped our language. Now, where are they? Remember when Nixon opened up the trade market to China. The talk was all about how it was opening the way for us to sell American made goods to two billion people. It's hard to find anything with a Made in America label, and most of those are just with the final assembly here from parts made over there. Right now I don't know of any American company that is selling to China except Apple and McDonald's, and I'd bet that most of what they sell there is actually made over there, not here. We never hear anything in the news about the balance in trade anymore, not even in the financial programs on cable.” “Speaking of political promises that are hollow, have you seen what is going on in Washington? All this impeachment posturing is disturbing. The congress is so divided and rigid along party lines; Even the bureaucrats inside government departments seem to be more loyal to one party or the other rather than to their department's mission. It looks to me like they should know already they won't be able to get the votes to see an impeachment through both the House and the Senate. What is the point?” “Bruce, you remember what you were saying about your feelings when the Bogo virus was in the news?” “Yeah, another big nothing. I do remember your accusing me of sounding like your Dad, too, musing about hidden agendas.” Rob chuckled. “Okay, so here is something my Dad taught me long ago. The primary tool of a magician is distraction and misdirection. Make sure that even those who are expecting the misdirection will still be looking for the wrong cues in the wrong direction. This impeachment thing is going to be a circus with the ring masters directing our attention away from preparations for an even bigger event. The wizards behind the curtain will be pulling on levers we can't even see while the smoke, steam, light show, and booming voice is mesmerizing all of us. I don't know what is up, but the impeachment will get more and more attention. Then it will be quickly forgotten as something even bigger which is being set up in the background. It's unveiling will be totally unexpected.” “Oh, come on, Rob. What could be bigger than impeaching the President to create political unrest !?” “I know it is hard to imagine, but I guess time will tell. For now, I think it's time we get these burgers in to the family.”
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Post by kaijafon on Mar 26, 2020 10:40:03 GMT -6
Thank you dear husband for the moar! I know you've been working hard on it and the things we are getting caught up on during this lock down
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Post by texican on Mar 26, 2020 17:39:59 GMT -6
Thank you dear husband for the moar! I know you've been working hard on it and the things we are getting caught up on during this lock down ppb, You know you are doing it correctly when the dear wife says thank and asks for moar.... I agree.... Thanks for the chapter and moar would be appreciated.... Be careful out there.... Texican....
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Post by pbbrown0 on Apr 2, 2020 9:28:53 GMT -6
Post # 12
Gang Aft Agley
“I am not sure which of you will carry this message, which is as it should be, but would someone convey through your channels our appreciation to Francis for the exceptional job they have done of guiding the distraction of the populace in the States over the past few months. I know he is a mere pawn, but he has proven to be a most effective pawn. Let us hope he will be equally effective in furthering our goals as the new pandemic is propagated as planned.” “Are you are ready so soon, Zhao?” Zhao looked to his colleague shaking his head. “You see what I mean about the effectiveness of Francis' influence. The numbers are already sufficient to start spinning the propaganda, and even you have been watching the distractions.” Jami cringed at the way Zhao was talking down to such a long time key member of this group. “My friend, remember that each of us here has their own sphere of influence and that power often requires focus on details that are complex and tedious to manage. David has been focused on preparations to take advantage of the effects your scheme may have on our network of power and control. You may have prepared this pale horse for it's stampede of terror, but others have responsibilities to prevent it's trampling on the things this group values.” Christie stepped in to redirect their focus away from a confrontation within the group. “In order for all of us to make full use of this opportunity why don't you provide all of us a clear understanding of how this contagion will and will not spread and the particulars of it's epidemiological characteristics, Zhao. Then we can all discuss any special issues or opportunities it may present within our various areas of influence.” Zhao waited for a time before he spoke. Some of the group suspected he was deliberately playing power games by making them wait. Others had become so accustomed to his cautious deliberative mannerisms that they thought this delay was normal for him. “This request would seem basic and fundamental regarding most contagious diseases, but in this case it is not so simple. We have found the spectrum of its effects within a population to be quite broad. Some portion of the populations we have tested are essentially immune to its effects. Others while showing little or no symptoms contract the disease and are undetected carriers on the order of the legendary Typhoid Mary. There are a few who become very ill with relatively common place influenza like symptoms, but eventually recover. Finally there is a percentage of the population that will succumb to its effects. The spectrum of ways it affects individuals, while surprising, is highly suited to our purposes. It allows the information, or lack of it, concerning its presence to be managed in many ways. It also allows us to exercise a measure of less than obvious control over the spread of this instrument in the early stages.” “Just how deadly is this disease, Zhao?” “How deadly would you like it to be, Jean-Claude?” Jean-Claude was suddenly confused and Zhao for the first time any of the group could remember appeared to be smirking. “Please explain. I seem to need enlightenment.” “As I said, we have identified some who remain without symptoms yet still able to carry and spread the disease. This is not a common disease, yet. No one is alert to the need to test or isolate a person who seems perfectly healthy. These carriers are free to travel where we want them to travel. In truth this disease may be fatal or near fatal at a higher rate than most flu viruses, but the test to distinguish it from more common viruses are not widely available. A physician or health worker at this time is unlikely to suspect this disease and test for it until the symptoms have progressed to a severe state. Of those having already reached that point of progress in the disease, the morbidity rate is quite high. That fact can be used to present frightening statistics, where we desire. Where we do not wish to raise the level of fear we can report a much reduced mortality rate by attributing most deaths to ordinary flu striking those whose health was already at risk from various infirmities.” Jami was well aware of the differences in healthcare system services in various countries. He was concerned as to how this would support their goals of weakening the alpha dog relative to the rest of the world. “So what is the strategy for controlling the real effects? If it gets everywhere, we will all suffer as much as those in the States. How can we target them without it being an obvious attack?” “We control the information they receive from other countries on which they will base their decisions. We turn their pride in their own strength into their weakness. First we spread the carriers among them. Next we leak information to the public that raises their fears and distorts their expectations. Then we provide their experts with more 'evidence' that plays to their expert understanding of the more common models of epidemic outbreaks. Their president and other elected officials will not want to be seen as weak and helpless in an election year. The advice that will be offered by their own experts will be based of inaccurate assumptions. Their own efforts to show strength against an enemy that they misunderstand and that cannot be cowed will serve our purposes quite well.” - - - - -
“Carl, I have to admit this is turning out to be a pretty good year. I don't have a job like you do, but I feel like I am having more fun this year. Not party fun or fun hanging out with friends at school, but... I feel like I am learning more about interesting things I want to know about. Does that make any sense to you?” “I'm not sure, Colleen. Like what interesting things?” “Believe it or not, like the things Mom and Dad are having to deal with since the cut backs at her job. I was always so busy with my activities schedule that I never noticed all the things adults had to consider and work through just to take care of the family, which includes you and me. While I am spending more time at home, I overhear a lot more of their discussions about budgets and plans for the future, and how much they think about having the money to get me through college, and even their wondering about what career I'm going to pursue.” “Wait. So you're telling me you are having more fun eaves dropping on your parents?” Carl gave her a mock shocked look. “Very funny. No, I'm having more fun NOT being totally wrapped up in minute details that are not going to matter at all the minute I get out of High School. It just feels better knowing that I am using more brain cells considering the choices I have that are going to matter in the long term. It feels like, well, like I am starting to grow up a little, maybe.” “Okay, I might have described it in different terms, but yeah, I can relate to that. Like with my working at a job while still in school, I am thinking a lot more about where I might go with this after I get out of school rather than not seeing past the end of the season and whether or not we get to the play offs. So where do you think you might go with a career?” “I don't know yet, this is still a bit new to me. A lot of stuff is spinning through my head. I just hope I figure out something that will last. Something I can still feel good about doing after years of sticking with it.” - - - - -
“Jenny, what is with the so called leaders of our country? All we heard about for months and months endless arguing about did he or did he not do something that is impeachable, then suddenly it is simply dropped. Just dropped. They can't seem to agree on anything that is the least bit useful for anyone. Why do they spend so much effort trying to get elected if they can't do anything useful once they get elected?” “Well if you ask me, Linda, they are all deluded into thinking they can make a difference if they do get elected. I think there are forces greater than they realize that are influencing even the rich and powerful without their even realizing it.” “What do you mean, Jenny?” “Well, sometimes Rob and I get to talking about his Dad. His Dad has some interesting ideas about history and societies. Some of the things he has to say make you stop and rethink what you learned in school about why countries interact the way they do and what is really going on in politics.” “Are you talking about the so called 'shadow government'?” “Well, sort of, but not exactly. There are all kinds of perceptions and agendas at work. The rich and powerful have various views and preferences for how things should progress to make things better in their not so humble opinions. They have influence, sometimes more and sometimes less, on politicians. This is not a conspiracy theory. It is just the way things work in all societies. Of course from time to time a group of people get their heads together behind a common agenda.” “So, it is kind of like social cliques among the powerful, and the in-crowd has more influence than us peons, right?” “You got it At least that's what he use to think. Rob has been talking with me about some of his letters since he moved, and now his Dad looks at it from a … much higher perspective.” “You mean he thinks there are cliques at an international level?” “No, Linda; much higher. Rob says since he moved away he's been involved in some serious Bible study and thinks, well that there are higher powers influencing those cliques and leaders without their even knowing it.” “Okay, I can see that doing a lot of Bible study he would start to see it from the perspective that god controls everything.” “That is the strange part, Linda. Rob says his Dad is now thinking he had been mistaken about some things he had always assumed. You know the story in the Bible about Adam and Eve and the Serpent? How he tricked Eve and Adam into turning away from god's warning. So now, according to Rob's Dad, God is watching carefully while the Liar is misleading men in to following their own wisdom or foolishness without listening to god. The Bible apparently predicts that things will get really bad, until god finally has to step in 'big time' to set things straight again.” “Wait a minute, Jenny. I was always taught in Sunday School, that we need to be nice to each other and tell others to be nice, too. That way eventually everyone would be nice and the world would be like god meant it to be.” “Me too, Linda. But then I started thinking about what I have seen happening around me. It reminded me of the quip used by that T.V psychologist who likes to prod people with, 'So, how's that workin' for ya?' Think about it, Linda. In the places where you have worked has it been the helpful and caring people who get promoted to the top positions, or is it the aggressive ones looking out for their own advancement in the power structure? ” Linda's response was almost a whisper as if she were in a daze, “Good guys finish last. That's not how it's supposed to be.” She and Jenny looked at each other and the strain was suddenly showing in their eyes.
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