I would like to know what is going on there.
Join us for a single-day, informal workshop at our home in Bend, Oregon on Saturday September 18th from 9am to 5pm. It’s $150 per participant. Lunch will be catered; refreshments served. No handouts. Relaxed. No more than 25 people, first come/first serve. I’ll be presenting through the day but there will be lots of back-and-forth. We’ll talk about breaking free, starting and running a business, eliminating bad habits, the systems mindset and pretty much whatever else you want to talk about. It’s the first get-together this year. Net proceeds will go to Kashmir Family Aid to assist in funding the school we’re building in Azad Kashmir. Use the shopping cart to sign up, then email us at info@workthesystem.com so we can get you on the list and can contact you. Lots of great hotels here in Bend. We recommend the Phoenix Inn, The Oxford or the Riverhouse. Fly into Redmond, Oregon airport (RDM). If you’ve ever wanted to visit Bend, September is prime-time.
Linda and I bought four Burning Man tickets so we have two extra. You can buy the pair from me for $650. I’ll overnight them to you. (Note that tickets can’t be purchased via mail order through the Burning Man organization anymore.) Email me at samc@workthesystem.com if you’re interested. First come/first serve.
Landslide in Italy: A hillside system adulterated by human deforestation, it’s a middle finger from the natural world. (Thanks to my friend Dennis Hanson for sending me this link.)
My most recent essay, It’s always About Control.
Tax Hell. As of January 1st Linda and I will be sending more than half our personal income to the U.S. and state of Oregon governments. This is more than disturbing, especially considering three of our four children can’t find decent jobs.
We like the flat tax. Simple, understandable and fair.
Thank you Patrick McCrann for this: From Anthony Greenbank’s The Book of Survival. “To live through an impossible situation, you don’t need the reflexes of a Grand Prix driver, the muscles of a Hercules, the mind of an Einstein. You simply need to know what to do.”
I’m ready to unplug. Decreasing computer use by 90% feels about right. Call me a Luddite but I am not alone. See Nicholas Parr post.
I am asked how my book Work the System is selling. My response is that it didn’t make the NY Times best seller’s list but since its release in the Spring of 2009 it has stayed well within the top 1% of all book sales.
Overused word of the decade: “Absolutely.” It’s another fine word rendered impotent via overuse. Now that you’ve read this you’ll notice people use it all the time, everywhere. Sorry about that.
Just finished the Clint Eastwood biography American Rebel by Marc Elliot. Power and money in Hollywood. Worth the read.
In the spirit of the above-mentioned unplugging, I’m reading The Tyranny of E-Mail by John Freeman.
100 great things about America.
Spiders on drugs. The caffeinated spiders are particularly whacked.
“Civilization is an enormous improvement on the lack thereof.” -PJ O’Rourke
My personal government systems analysis: “Reward and punishment shape human endeavor. Encouraged, they make capitalism work while manipulation of them makes socialism fail.“
Tim Ferris on haters. I concur.
Thank you Mathew Strong for perfectly describing the systems strategy of Centratel: “On the topic of Centratel the issue is that the system exists, is followed, and takes all the blame if there is failure…people in the business know their human nature and creativity can be channeled into changing that system at any time. All they need to do is propose something better. By this, Centratel has an open system that can evolve while simultaneously controlling inputs, processes and outputs.”
Mt. St Helens 360 degrees. Use your curser to travel around….
If you liked this post, please pass it on. -sc
Photo by H. Koop-Delaney, via flickr used under a creative commons license.
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