That's All, Folks!

While new posts will arrive occasionally, comments on a particularly worthwhile film, book, or thoughts on an interesting development, for practical purposes one can regard this as the final post in what has been a remarkably rewarding, interesting, and challenging experience.

I became a blogger in the spring of 2006, nervously submitting my first comments at Art Jacobson's The Data Port, Michael Bryan's Blog for Arizona, Stacy's Arizona Congresswatch, and at those free for all exchanges at Daily Kos. That fall, in the context of the AZ CD-8 and LD-26/30 elections, peppered with outrage at the Bush administration, I started this blog. It had nothing to do with my employment as Executive Director of a customized training institute.

Like many non-profits, the institute (SAIAT) relied on a public subsidy to allow it to offer services a for-profit school could never provide, but since we actually trained real people in real companies, we infuriated the local do nothing non-profits. Outside a cigar shop, I was warned we would be destroyed. I started taking classes towards a PhD. The warning proved accurate when another non-profit, TREO, stole SAIAT's funding. Instead of resigning at once, I chose to tie up loose ends and manage a six month “controlled burn” while researching and writing the SAIAT story. I dodged saboteur bullets, returned fire, and in May 2007, I resigned to devote full time to my dissertation. Something Else went live on 7/7/7.

For the do nothing money pits like TREO the story coined the expression "Cloth" which caught on in the local blogosphere. When TREO learned of the blog and the story, they considered hiring armed guards. I saw attorneys searching the material and wrote a post addressing them directly. The lawyers correctly surmised that the drama of legal action would reinforce my efforts, knowing that I had thorough and exhaustive documentation behind my facts.

The results exceeded my expectations. Local awareness of the Cloth, its lack of results, and the money squandered has reached targeted levels. On safe turf city council members fully acknowledge, "We know TREO stole funding," and people are now beginning to speak of substantive change regarding economic development. They have chosen to address leadership at the Chamber first, but make no mistake, with the Chamber they seek to have, the other money pits would have no place and no support.

I completed the dissertation, graduated with a PhD, and left Arizona for cloth free employment.

I would like to thank some of those who have posted comments. Their contributions have been invaluable.

Sirocco doesn't post often, but his remarks always contribute to the conversation. He's an extremely sharp software engineer with extraordinary depth and breadth. He's read shelves of books you haven't heard of. For reasons unknown he is super concerned that his anonymity remains intact. Maybe he's one of those genius cryptographer code breaker types that works for a secret acronym housed ten stories underneath DM Air Force Base.

Liza is a delightful human being with a real soul, one of those who truly understand that the one who dies with the most money may have in fact missed all that life is about. I've spoken with her, exchanged emails, and one of my regrets regarding how I left Tucson is that I did so without meeting her face to face over a cup of coffee. I will never forget Liza or the short story that she wrote and sent to me. Best Wishes, Liza.

Navigator was too frightened to meet with me personally. I think my border material spooked him. Nav has a thing for Liza and all but admits it. Some of his insights have been remarkable.

Observer always comes up with stuff I hadn't thought about, in particular good links to material on YouTube or elsewhere. I still cringe over his posting of people being interviewed outside of a Sarah Palin book signing. OMG.

Robish – Robish is a well meaning and terrific person truly committed to making a difference for the community. He probably understands Tucson as well as anyone here and definitely knows what it is to deal with the self-serving, do nothing goons of the Cloth.

Travis – Travis only very rarely submitted comments back in the days when I was fuming about Rio Neuvo and the Club/Cloth/Superclub, etc.. He has submitted some of the most insightful writing I have seen regarding the screwed up nature of the Tucson community.

Framer – Like myself, Framer started blogging in the context of the 2006 AZ CD-8 election, calling his blog Arizona Eighth. His blog gained quite a bit of momentum and has since merged with Gila Courier. He's now quite actively engaged in the Tucson tea party efforts. Framer, Liza, Sirocco, and I go way back to the TDP days.

Casey - I met Casey during the SAIAT days. He uses his real name and now lives in San Diego. He knows blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and all this stuff at a level I can barely imagine. He calls it "social media." Casey can probably Twitter to his Facebook page and blog at the same time from his cell phone.

Texpatriot – I bet Texpat, a friend of Sirocco's, is hot. She's a sharp example of what Republicans can be when they don't jettison intellect, education, and facts. She's what the GOP could be if it didn't drink the Dobson kool-aid and start kneeling before the likes of Limbaugh and Palin. We need more people like her. I would like someone like her with me, right now.

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes to All. I honestly don't know what is next, but the time has come to make it official that this place is dropping back to a far less active status. Let's face it. How do you engage someone howling about death panels and birth certificates, thinks socialism and fascism are the same thing, and wants the world to end next year?

I'd like to extend a huge "Thank you!" to all readers. Folks are most welcome to check in now and then, for I will continue to post commentary about a particularly good film or book, or a compelling development. For example, if you can stomach it, consider this documentary about PNAC and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.