Sunday, February 28, 2010

Caveat Lectores on Economic Recovery: Smoke and Mirrors

The economic indicators seem to be saying that things are or could be getting better soon, but there are some big qualifiers to that theory. As an amateur economist with some years of academic economics study and many years of suffering at the whims of a wildly fluctuating Florida economy, I can comfortably make this claim: Neither I nor anyone else, with any credible credentials and nothing to gain from predicting further calamity or jubilant economic overheating as before, really have a clue as to where we are going in the short to mid-range term. If we live long enough, things will turn around. All of this nonsense is cyclical, but it could get worse.

That being said, I did some cursory research into real statistical indicators and now proclaim I have a headache from all the conflicting information.

The D’s and President Obama need a swift recovery to keep from suffering a midterm election debacle.

The R’s, Tea Baggers, Beck, O’Reilly and the entire Fox News Network need for the economy to slide further into the crapper or they may have to eat some crow and admit that the world has not been delivered to the Devil in a hand basket by the D’s and Obama. Never mind that the recession predated the current administration. Details are not important.

One thing is for sure, government will feel any recovery slower than the private sector. In some areas of the country where Tax Reform has caught hold like the plague that it is, the recovery will be further stunted by insane limits on government’s ability to charge for the service it provides. It is impossible to actually measure the public’s ability to screw itself when it comes to saving money.

Understand, the public wants service but does not like paying for it. Politicians want to take credit for service to the public and saving money by lowering taxes all in the same breath. Does hypocrisy mean anything to either of them? NO.

What we do know is that, as recovery comes about, governmental management will hold off on admitting things are improving until they can no longer do so. Why? That is simple. They will cry wolf as long as possible to make sure they have reduced wages and benefits to public employees far below reasonable.
It is up to the employee unions to keep management honest.

Keep the pressure on to maintain transparency of budgets and funding sources as well as expenses. Inspect the CAFIR reports carefully and consider getting professional help for the tough stuff. It may be resources well spent when it comes time to renegotiate your contracts.

And Oh yes, Have a nice day?

wjc

Caveat Lectores on the Devil’s Neck Labor/Management Kumbaya Retreat

This is the year’s first official announcement of the 2010 Devil’s Neck Labor/Management Kumbaya Retreat. Lectores Labor Consulting has been hosting the ever popular retreat at the Devil’s Neck Conference Center on the shores of Lake Tsala Apopka for who knows how long.

This season, we have an unusual program. Normally, we only allow labor advocates and leaders to attend the Devil’s Neck Conference, but this year we are opening the program up to management as well. Call us ambi-educational.

The regular price of $1595 (check or PayPal) for the workshop and materials has not changed since last year because of the economic conditions. However, Lectores Labor Consulting has decided to offer an enhanced version for those who can afford to go first class.

This year, for only $500.00 more, you can get all of the instructional literature along with T-shirt, embossed ball cap and the coveted Lectores Labor Institute Graduate Certification without attending a single workshop. All you have to do is send your tuition ($2095.00 in cash) along with a digital picture of you dressed in a blue open necked shirt. Lectores will Photoshop your image into the group picture and issue your certification, group picture and receipts for all expenses by return mail. What could be a simpler way to move ahead in your business without making any effort?

For you labor leaders who feel the need to actually attend, there will be three days of intense study set in an atmosphere created by the ambiance of the newly renovated 1940’s era Florida Cracker fishing cabin known as the House on Devil’s Neck. It is nestled under the shade of native Bald Cypress and Live Oak trees. Accommodations have been described as “primitive but unrefined.” Tents are optional. The only bed is already reserved. Mosquito repellent is included in the tuition for those who actually attend. More conventional accommodations are available at Gator Bait Lodge, Lake Tsala Apopka, Florida.

Classes begin at 6:00 am and end at noon each day leaving ample time to spend studying for the next day’s lectures or not. In the evenings, we will gather around the stone fire pit to burn trash, join hands and sing the familiar semi religious folk song of murky origins Kumbaya. This wonderful standard campfire song in scouting and the YMCA is part of the title of Devil’s Neck Labor/Management Kumbaya Retreat. Bring your acoustic guitar, mandolin or banjo and play along.

Call Jeff Carnes at 813-240-8165 for reservations or explanation of the true nature of this offer.

And Oh yes, Have a nice Day?

Monday, February 22, 2010

Caveat Lectores on Pensions for Firefighters and Other Public Employees

JFTDC, the Vigaro hit the Mixmaster (politically correct terminology for shit hit the fan) this week with the submission of the Pew Center report on public sector pensions. The Huffington Post has a good report if anything good can be said of it. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/19/state-pensions-plans-face_n_468638.html

As I read portions of the report, my heart sank. Here was a conservative but relatively nonpartisan bunch of researchers who were crying wolf with authority. That alone may spell even more trouble than we can imagine. I immediately sent out the following dispatch to a select group of labor folks hoping to finally get the attention of some who have been living in denial.

“We will have great difficulty attacking the facts. The conclusions are different. The first thing that must be changed is the use of the word "reform." Reform implies something that needs changing because it is bad. Healthcare reform is an example. This subtle nuance is poison to the status quo. To the extent that public employee unions intend to participate in the changes that WILL be made, we need to get involved very quickly. It is too late to get involved early.”

In the hours that followed, we received a fair number of responses and none were rosy. I had an extended conversation on strategy with my good friend and commiserator IAFF 12th DVP Larry Osborne. While we frequently believe that we have the answers to some if not all of the problems of the world, we had to agree that this issue will not go away and will not be solved quickly, easily or cheaply.

While discussing prior efforts to get the members interested in protecting their pensions, we lamented that the IAFF membership demurred from voting to pay for in-depth research and efforts to combat the attacks on pensions. My comment contained an archaic legal concept known as: “What a dumbass fuckupus that was.” (We lawyers know a lot of archaic Latin terms.)

The financial future of all public employees is at risk. Yes, there are problems within the current defined benefit pension system that will have to be addressed for sustainability to occur. Any changes will be financially painful for the employees. If the employees participate, they will still feel violated. If they do not, they will be raped by those who care not for their welfare.

In the weeks and months that follow, Caveat Lectores will provide further comment on how to participate in a process that hopefully will not destroy the future of public employees. For today, I want to identify some of those who are participating in the process. I will avoid devoting bandwidth to family, friends and social issues. All are stakeholders but some will benefit while others will suffer.

The sufferers list first:

1. Current Retirees who look on aghast but painfully unconcerned because they think they are safe. So long as they get their next pension check, they largely say something like, “…sorry about your luck. I am glad I got out when I did.” This is fanciful denial. If government decides to reduce pension and health care benefits, it is difficult but can be accomplished. Get your heads out of your collective asses.
2. Soon-To-Be Retirees who think they can get out before an Apocalyptic Tsunami sweeps the D/B plans out to the sea. (See above) The future pension Apocalypse is now. For those who forgot that Apocalypse is more than a movie about the Viet Nam war, there is the millennial tale of the Battle of Armageddon concerning good (Messiah) and evil (The Beast) eventfully resulting in the end of the world. Guess who will play the part of the Beast. There are people in government who actually believe in the literal version of this and are looking forward to the Rapture. If they are correct, you will not need the money. (If you feel comfortable in this belief, I need money to make up for the pension I gave up when I left the fire service. Just make the check out to Mr. Cash.)
3. Mid Career Employees who should be nearly hysterical and demanding protection from their unions, politicians and employers because they cannot count on being elevated to a level where they can pretend they are safe. ( See above) Anything less than outrage and despair is a symptom of psychotic delusional denial. This is the largest group and will be raped first.
4. Newby Employees who do not recognize the consequences of what is about to happen because they do not believe they will age; therefore, they just watch from the sidelines as they and others get raped out of their futures. Some will even encourage some of the “reforms” because they cannot fathom why they should pay for something for which they do not receive an immediate benefit. I guess they plan on an early death. Wow.
5. Future Employees who have no direct input in the matter and could be the early victims with two tiered retirement systems. They will indirectly support what will eventually make public employment the dumping ground for incompetents who cannot find work elsewhere.

Make no mistake, not everyone will suffer if you lose your pension. There are different levels of beneficiaries who will receive short-term and long-term rewards. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Tax Payers who will receive some minimal gains in the short-term. This may cause long-term problems, but the voting tax payers are not known for long term good judgment. If that were so, we would not be in the financial mess we are today. You will have a very difficult time convincing the average person who sometimes makes less than you do and has no pension that paying taxes so you can have better benefits is a good idea. Remember that one out of eight citizens does not even have a job. It is time to get real.
2. Right Wing Conservatives who want government to cease to exist except to serve their interests. Anything that frees up money to spend on things other than services and social causes is what they crave. “Starve the Beast” is the unspoken motto of the Tea Baggers and the right “Wing Nuts.” If nobody wants to work for government except those who cannot find work elsewhere, it will vindicate their hopes and dreams of a society free of government. My message to any public employee who supports someone who seeks to destroy him is…wake the fuck up dumb ass.
3. The Investment and Financial Businesses who have a lot to gain with the break up of D/B plans. All the money that is now invested and mostly managed properly will become available for consumption by individual brokers and “investment” counselors who derive commissions while they churn your money right out of existence. No, Caveat Lectores does not suggest all in the money and wealth businesses are frauds, cheats and charlatans. However, would we be in the financial mess we find ourselves today but for the banking, mortgage and investment industry that made billions while creating the bubble that burst then expected us to pay?
4. Do Not Forget the Lawyers (like me) who will prosper because of the litigation that comes from all this. The legal system will not stop this debacle unless the bad guys do something illegal. However, that fact alone will not stop people, who were asleep at the wheel, from trying to litigate their way out of doom when they find they ran off the road. We will also get work from drafting the legislation that rapes the employees and from advising on how to redraft the pension contracts. Please cheat me out of that kind of work by doing what it takes to minimize the destruction that is about to occur. I would rather earn less and feel good about helping people instead of holding their hands while they get raped.

Given the opportunity, a lot of people just like me would like to help public employees counteract what could become the downfall of public employment. This is going to take hard work from some thoughtful people using level headed judgment. But first, there must be widespread recognition of the true nature of the problem. Caveat Lectores does not see that quite yet.

And Oh yes, Have a nice day?

wjc
Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
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Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
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Caveat Lectores




Saturday, February 20, 2010

Caveat Lectores on the $100K Ceiling

Those who have been reading Caveat Lectores for the past eleven months have read my rants about budget cuts and hard times in the public sector. Frankly, I have been warning my clients, friends, labor buddies and others who would listen about the how things would become ugly in public service for over twenty years. My timing was off the mark.

When I left active fire service work in 1990, I could see that we were about to enter some good times. I also knew that things would not remain that way for long, and I suggested to my brothers and sisters that they should not count on prosperity forever.

My prediction that there would be a five to ten year run of good fortune was not correct. An overheated economy that lasted for an incredible amount of time coupled with the afterglow of the 9/11 tragedy kept public safety in the forefront. State and local tax revenues were very healthy, and politicians and municipal managers could not deny it. Even general employees prospered from 9/11 by tagging along but to a lesser degree.

I recall that a wizened fire union leader made the statement that one day soon a firefighter would be making $100k per year and all hell would break loose. He was so right. But we must remember certain facts that are not frequently part of the public media analysis.

• “Firefighter” is a generic term used to refer to nearly every fire/rescue employees from rookie trainee to a fire chief. Along the way are lots of reasons why one firefighter might make more than another. Most have to do with job responsibilities, training and certifications for which firefighters are correctly compensated.
• Overtime has become a big part of the paycheck for firefighters because the basic work week is 56 hours, equating to hourly rates that are lower than the salaries of private sector employees. They are not paid overtime until they work 53 hours instead of 40 like most other employees.
• Firefighters only work overtime because they are directed to do so. It is not a prize in the lottery. Properly staffing of departments will reduce overtime to a minimum but that costs money as well. It is cheaper to pay the overtime then blame it on the employee because he/she made too much money.
• Increased cost of living has inflated the wages of all workers to make it seem like they are making outrageous sums when they have merely been treading water trying to keep from drowning in bad economic times.

I think I recall making about $38 k as a senior fire officer with no overtime when I left active duty in 1990. Since that time, the inflation rate would require me to make about $67 k to have just maintained the same buying power.
So, who belongs to the $100K Club? The majority of high salaries go to top level management - not ordinary working folks like firefighters, police officers, nurses or teachers or other hourly workers who work very hard for their public sector employer.

And oh Yes, Have a nice Day?

wjc

Monday, February 15, 2010

Caveat Lectores On Tea Baggers II

The Lector did not check the facts close enough in the Tea Bagger Rant. The article quoted below cited the percentage of the federal budget committed to entitlements as 1%. I had a suspicion that was a faulty number, and it is incorrect. The more correct estimate is 62%. This oversight was first brought to me by my most severe and dependable critic, my brother Keith. Thanks Bro.

The rest of the Rant is correct enough for me to stand behind. Remember, it is a hastily crafted work of art not an academic text or appeal brief. Otherwise, the Tea Bagger edition of the Caveat Lectores has been exceptionally well received.

And oh yes, Have a nice day?

wjc


Sunday, February 14, 2010

Caveat Lectores on Tea Baggers

Until recently, I thought only juvenile acting guys could be “tea baggers.” In prior years, we called this childish exercise in harassment and hazing “scrotomizing.” Now I find there is a whole new meaning to the phrase.

Tea baggers are everywhere it would seem. Former Alaska Governor, failed VP candidate and famed writer Sarah Palin may be the queen tea bagger. So, I decided to do some nonscientific research about tea bagging. I wanted to educate myself so I could draft a rant worthy of pissing off some tea baggers. Wow! There is a lot on the Internet to try to absorb.

Well, someone beat me to it, and I do not have what it takes to describe tea baggers better. Somebody identified as Deepshot posted this definition on the Urban Dictionary:

A misinformed, right-wing corporate media consumer who often fails to understand that BOTH major parties represent a corrupt plutocracy that steals from the middle class by taxing labor and profiting from corporate tax subsidies.

A teabagger also often fails to acknowledge that George W. Bush and his neo-conservative minions perpetrated one of the boldest and most egregious executive power grabs in the history of the United States. Furthermore, teabaggers mistakenly continue to blame a newly elected President Obama for all that ails the United States of America, based on a grossly flawed perception of reality (including latent racial prejudice) and despite the fact the U.S. economy collapsed on the previous administration's watch.

Teabaggers are also known to base their misguided, right-wing-media-inspired beliefs about President Obama on stupid conspiracy theories about totalitarian takeovers, FEMA camps, etc., despite the fact these very same theories have been circulating around on the Internet for years, and were originally ascribed to neo-conservative cabalists at a time when Barack Obama had not even entered national politics. Teabaggers also are known to be particularly paranoid, xenophobic and intolerant, especially with regard to immigrants and anyone who isn't white.

Additionally, teabaggers generally echo stupid myths about entitlement spending (it actually only accounts for about 1% of federal budget spending), have no idea that most poor people in America are not lazy, actually do work and don't want to be on welfare, and have no idea what socialism actually means or that socialist reform in this country is actually what allowed a middle class to flourish and ultimately make the U.S. one of the most prosperous nations in human history.

Furthermore, teabaggers incorrectly equate socialism with Stalinism, think a system that rewards greed (capitalism) is the divine preference (despite Gospel evidence to the contrary), and are shameless champions of a misguided belief in American exceptionalism. Teabaggers also fail to recognize the inherently unpatriotic nature of their failed every-man-for-himself ideology that ultimately vilifies anyone who supports public policy aimed at reaching out to fellow Americans in need. They celebrate an exploitative corporatocracy (holy creator of jobs, blah blah blah) while denigrating the little guy for being "weak."

Interestingly, teabaggers uphold an immoral, morbidly obese, twice divorced, draft-dodging, college dropout and known drug addict as their de facto leader, and are even known to advocate burning books. Of course, teabaggers fail to recognize the blatant hypocrisy within the GOP and tend to oversimplify all political debate and social issues, much like their pseudo-intellectual, fat-ass leader.

Finally, incredibly, teabaggers fail to recognize the hysterical double entendre associated with their proudly adopted teabag moniker.

Every village has its idiots, of course, but it's sad when citizens of any nation allow themselves to be whipped into a frenzy en masse by a state-run propaganda machine masquerading as a legitimate, fair, balanced and independent news organization. Teabaggers are right to believe the future of the U.S.A. is in jeopardy, but sadly they have not yet correctly identified the real enemy. Perhaps when teabaggers finally grow up and mature into thinking adults, they will see the right-leaning power establishment for the oppressive and cunning beast that it is.
Teabagger: We don't care that George Bush tripled the deficit and lied us into a war. The new administration only cut taxes for 90% of the population... fascists. Let's go throw some Lipton tea bags into a fountain!

http://www.urbandictionary.com/author.php?author=deepshot

While I am not saying that I can defend everything Deepshot posted or corroborate the facts, this definition pretty much mirrors what I think I would have come up with.

Here is something else I found that might help Tea Baggers get a grip on reality.

http://crooksandliars.com/jon-perr/10-lessons-for-tea-baggers

And oh Yes, have a nice day?

wjc



Caveat Lectores on Media Attacks

Happy Valentine’s Day. Bah Humbug.

Here is what I saw first thing when I began my search for news just before 7:00 a.m. What a way to start the day.

State pensions: Bad deal for public


Mike Thomas COMMENTARY: Orlando Sentinel

If I had my life to live over, I would work for the government.

I would be a bureaucrat, a paper shuffler, a guy who stands behind the counter and gets to you on my own sweet time. Even better, I would be a firefighter. A buddy of mine who has retired from a local department had considered leaving to go to medical school. But because he was smart enough to do it, he was smart enough not to do it.

He decided to stay on, get the pension, start another career, and make just as much money as a doctor with a lot less hassle. Now he's living the dream.

Such is life on a defined pension.

Great deal for the person getting it. Horrible deal for whoever is paying it.

Pension plans helped bring down the auto makers and the airlines. They are budgetary bombs on timers, set to go off on somebody else's watch.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/os-mike-thomas-pensions-021410-20100213,0,353980.column

The editorial goes on to bash public employees seemingly endlessly. Some of what he says is factually correct, some just not true. All of it is mean spirited and designed to anger anyone who reads it. The public employees will be outraged at the falsity and the public will be outraged because they are in a pinch for money and the public employee is a good target.

Public employee bashing is not new. There is not enough time in just one morning to attack all the bad things this pitiful excuse for a writer posted in his editorial. You need to read the entire piece and react in your own way.

The message to public employees is…. Watch your back. There is a full fledged war going on to destroy your career and your future. If you do not do what it takes to protect yourself, you will be getting what you deserve.

And oh Yes, Have a nice day?

Wjc




Saturday, February 13, 2010

Caveat Lectores on Lobbying

The Lector just finished conducting a Lectores Lobbying School workshop with Florida’s Pasco County Professional Firefighters, IAFF Local 4420. I had a great time and hope they did as well. This is a young Local on nearly 400 members that has come a long way in a short time. Things are not perfect, but remember these are some hard times to get a public sector union local going and growing. I am proud of President Ralph Grant and the other union activists with Local 4420 who have worked so hard. We had just the right crowd to go through the program and interact with each other. Thanks for letting me be a part of your success. A couple of years ago we spent the day working on essential skills for stewards and grievance processing. That was a good day too.

The Lectores Lobbying School approaches successful political activism from the three indispensable parts of any good political program.

• Public Relations
• Political Activity
• Lobbying

A hat trick of all three functions is the recipe for success. Anything less is an exercise in failure.

Why do we offer a lobbying seminar? That’s easy. Your lobbying skills need punching up to passable levels, and we at Lectores know how to do it.

Here is a sampler of what we discussed:

Lobbying: The Reason and the Ritual

• Development of a credible lobbying program for the Local is the major purpose for encouraging the Local’s PR program and relentless political involvement.
• Political involvement means nothing if nothing comes from the politics.
• There is an assumption that identifying and supporting labor-oriented candidates who win elections will solve the problems of the labor movement.
• Organized labor places too little importance on developing and maintaining a credible lobbying program at the same time the political program is being developed.
• For some unexplained and immature reason we tend to take for granted that successful lobbying will be the windfall of a good day at the polls.
• We do not properly plan for what we will do when our candidate does not win. Instead, we all too often recede back into the darkness and lick our wounds in the hope we will do better next time.
• When we do this, our fortunes fade faster than a winter suntan from Florida.
• Most journeyman lobbyists have learned their craft only with experience sharpened by the pain of mistakes mixed with triumphs.
• Few lobbyists set out, as they prepare for a career, to become a lobbyist.
• People learn to lobby because of a situational need or opportunity, depending on their viewpoint.
• Frequently, the role of lobbyist is an adjunct responsibility of another position in an organization.
• Experience is a good but inefficient teacher when there are better ways to learn.
• Politicians and lobbyists do not have an excellent reputation among much of the population or your members.
• Both are as necessary to our representative/democratic form of government as the air we breathe.
• Persons seeking to influence the actions of legislators are nothing new. Although lobbying has a perpetual bad implication, it is an essential function of democratic governance.
• No matter what level of government, legislators are barraged with too much information to make informed decisions without more focused input from lobbyists.
• While the legislators may avoid participation from those who are not trusted or represent an unwelcome viewpoint, legislators seek input from those they trust.
• Why they trust some more than others is of the most interest to us.

Give us a call or email and see what we can do to get you and your Local more involved in political action and effective lobbying.

And Oh yes, have a nice day?

wjc




Thursday, February 11, 2010

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Caveat Lectores on The 48 Laws of Power

Recently this Lector came upon a book called The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers. The book shares certain elements with Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince and has been compared to Sun-Tzu's classic treatise The Art of War. I referred to all this in a previous Rant and my incomparable book on successful union leadership which is still in print and available.

Mr. Greene uses historical anecdotes from figures such as Mao Tse-Tung, Haile Selassie, Louis XIV, Charles Talleyrand, Otto von Bismarck, Catherine the Great and even con artists to illustrate the relevance. The rules as set out in the book seem a bit amoral leaving me to weigh the ethical implications of the “laws.”

Remember, I teach Management Ethics at the local university. I must be careful should I seem to endorse the tactics discussed. In the weeks and months to come, Caveat Lectores will explore the very cynical 48 Laws of Power.

Law 1: Never Outshine The Master
Law 2: Never Put Too Much Trust In Friends, Learn How To Use Enemies
Law 3: Conceal Your Intentions
Law 4: Always Say Less Than Necessary
Law 5: So Much Depends On Reputation – Guard It With Your Life
Law 6: Court Attention At All Cost
Law 7: Get Others To Do The Work For You, But Always Take The Credit
Law 8: Make Other People Come To You – Use Bait If Necessary
Law 9: Win Through Your Actions, Never Through Argument
Law 10: Infection: Avoid The Unhappy And Unlucky
Law 11: Learn To Keep People Dependent On You
Law 12: Use Selective Honesty And Generosity To Disarm Your Victim
Law 13: When Asking For Help, Appeal To People’s Self-Interest, Never To Their Mercy Or Gratitude
Law 14: Pose As A Friend, Work As A Spy
Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally
Law 16: Use Absence To Increase Respect And Honor
Law 17: Keep Others In Suspended Terror: Cultivate An Air Of Unpredictability
Law 18: Do Not Build Fortresses To Protect Yourself – Isolation Is Dangerous
Law 19: Know Who You’re Dealing With – Do Not Offend The Wrong Person
Law 20: Do Not Commit To Anyone
Law 21: Play A Sucker To Catch A Sucker – Seem Dumber Than Your Mark
Law 22: Use The Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness Into Power
Law 23: Concentrate Your Forces
Law 24: Play The Perfect Courtier
Law 25: Re-Create Yourself
Law 26: Keep Your Hands Clean
Law 27: Play On People’s Need To Believe To Create A Cultlike Following
Law 28: Enter Action With Boldness
Law 29: Plan All The Way To The End
Law 30: Make Your Accomplishments Seem Effortless
Law 31: Control The Options: Get Others To Play With The Cards You Deal
Law 32: Play To People’s Fantasies
Law 33: Discover Each Man’s Thumbscrew
Law 34: Be Royal In Your Own Fashion: Act Like A King To Be Treated Like One
Law 35: Master The Art Of Timing
Law 36: Disdain Things You Cannot Have: Ignoring Them Is The Best Revenge
Law 37: Create Compelling Spectacles
Law 38: Think As You Like But Behave Like Others
Law 39: Stir Up Waters To Catch Fish
Law 40: Despise The Free Lunch
Law 41: Avoid Stepping Into A Great Man’s Shoes
Law 42: Strike The Shepherd And The Sheep Will Scatter
Law 43: Work On The Hearts And Minds Of Others
Law 44: Disarm And Infuriate With The Mirror Effect
Law 45: Preach The Need For Change, But Never Reform Too Much At Once
Law 46: Never Appear Too Perfect
Law 47: Do Not Go Past The Mark You Aimed For; In Victory, Learn When To Stop
Law 48: Assume Formlessness

Some critics of the Caveat Lectores approach would say that you cannot study yourself to success and greatness. I say ignorance prevents potentially great people from reaching any semblance of success. We must learn so we can accomplish.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

wjc