8th deadly sin
And why it's just the tip of the iceberg

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Could there be …

An eighth deadly sin?

Or even more than that?

We all know the first seven well enough. Greed, envy, pride, lust, gluttony, sloth and wrath. And we all know how they are glamorized each in their own way. Greed is good. Why do today when you can put it off until tomorrow. Revenge is a dish best served cold. FOMA — fear of missing out — may well be envy’s rally cry. Gluttony is good (okay, that’s not a saying). And stubborn pride. As for the eighth? There’s actually a long list of contenders: ignorance, herd conformity (a form of ignorance), toxic insecurity, lying, turning a blind eye, the list goes on. The truth is, as society has become more complex, there are more and more sins that can trip us up, if not in the moment than in the long run. How about rudeness, impatience, and there are probably others, too. The only way to get to uncover them all is around a campfire. I’m not sure the original seven aren’t relatively benign compared to some of the new ones we can come up with.

Try not to overthink a song. Go with what pops in your head, run with it, and don’t stop until you cross the finish line.

— Bobby Angel

Buck Talks Water

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When it comes to any topic …

Buck knows a lot.

Buck goes on a water rant

Basically, AM Radio Host Buck Buckner is an expert in too many topics to count, at least in his own mind. Case in point is the subject of water. It doesn’t take Buck long to connect the dots on the vital link between Bigfoot and keeping the water clean. The reason? Bigfoot enjoys drinking his water straight from the stream. Thus, if you want to have any slim hope of catching a glimpse of Bigfoot, perhaps our only hope is keeping our waterways clean, as that’s the only place he drinks. Bucks greatest dream: To have a sit down interview with Bigfoot where at the table he’d serve him up with fresh glass of water scooped straight from the stream. Here’s the dreaming!

It’s a new dawn with Candidate Burt Silver, but only because he stayed up all night to see it

— Burt Silver

Original Gate
A short history of water management

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There was a time when the water just flowed …

Unfettered, free and without a thought.

A parable of a water manager, at night, with regrets

And then we built the original gate. And one more after that, and then another and another until there were too many to count. Granted, nothing is more complicated than water management. But let’s also face the facts: We brought it on ourselves.

And now the question: Can we still fix it to get it right? Or is it too late. In this short video, a confident water manager wavers with a moment of doubt, and a confession, in the middle of the night. The good news: The Cowboy at the Campfire was waiting.

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Quote: “When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” — Benjamin Franklin

I don’t know much, but I’m inclined to spill whatever I do out at the campfire

— Old Miner

Major Water Speech

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When is it a good time …

To talk about water?

Burt’s water speech

Answer: Probably at any point during a campaign, or after it for that matter, too. To quote a close friend, water will always be on humanity’s Top 3 priority list. Family, peace, water. Maybe not in that order. In this epic speech, in true Burt fashion the candidate lays bare his passion for the substance at the same time he isn’t going to reveal his hand as to what may or may not be in his cup when he’s playing high stakes poker in the smokey boiler room at night. Why? If Burt understands anything in life, it’s how to play a hand, be it weak or strong. In his view, him revealing whether he’s drinking water or something else is akin to the most dreaded of card table (and/or negotiation) faux paus — a tell.

So you’ll just have to trust Burt when in comes to the water, or whatever’s he drinking.

Remember the Rule of the Ninja: Never fear, never doubt, and never over think.

— Ranger Rudi

Grassroots kindling
And why the bottom is where it's at

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Too often …

Decisions are made on the top floor.

Grassroots movements start around the campfire

The result? Good ideas from the middle and the bottom floor get ignored or side stepped. Another thing about Top Floor decision-making: It’s often out of step with what’s happening on the bottom floor, down on the street. And isn’t it always the same thing. Whether it’s Big Water, Big Government, Big Tech or a Mega Corp of any kind calling the shots, it’s the little guy on the outside always looking in, or looking up, trying to figure it out yet also always the one also paying the price. Case in point is the Smart Phone. It was sold to society with little concern what the payoffs may be. Convenience at a price, or fee, with no responsible assessment of what the long-term consequences might be, or what was lost with the giant shift. Okay, good, I’m glad I got that off my chest. That’s where the grassroots Nature Folk Movement (NFM) comes in. I’m not saying we’ll ever get the upper hand. But it’s good to be having a conversation around the campfire. That’s where a lot of good things get their start.

The campfire is always crackling and visitors are always welcome at Campfire Park

— Cowboy at the Campfire

To New Beginnings
The hidden success of failure

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Have you ever heard that saying:

“You can’t be a hero in your own hometown?”

The first podcast

Well, I think the same sort of applies to initial success.

Success too early in a process, or life, may feel good at the time, but can also be the kiss of death in the long run. Why? Success breads complacency in the same way failure inspires you to overcome.

My point is this:

Rudi and I co-wrote three books which, when we were done, inspired us to do a podcast. Both the books and the podcast were utter “initial” failures by traditional metrics. The silver lining was that I never lost faith. And it made me realize: Less about selling a product, the trilogy of books was the ultimate deep dive into exploring “big canvas” ideas that required 450,000 words of space and six years of time to properly spread out, metabolize and incubate in our minds. If you think writing a book, let alone a trilogy, is hard – try co-writing it with a Rudi! The mystery of the creative chemistry of our unlikely partnership became a reoccurring theme in the books. Our brief foray into a poorly-produced podcast (to discuss the books) was a dismal failure, too. Please listen to them and I think you’ll agree.

The second podcast

But all clouds have a silver linings:

The process, and those failures, was how the Nature Folk Movement (NFM) was born.

Thank God for failure – really it’s the only way we improve.

Well howdy folks, and I’m completely freaked out. And you know why. The fringe middle. The silent majority. Why are they so quiet?

— Buck Buckner

Dear Shareholders
And steering committee

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Every year Berkshire and Hathaway …

Gather to talk about their oodles of money.

That’s great, and I don’t mean to condemn.  But where are those same stakeholders and steering committees convening when it comes to preservation of our natural resources? 

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