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November 29, 2005: Report Twenty-Six </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" colspan="2" height="5"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%" valign="top"> <center>

- The Jim Report -

- The Word -

- The Old GoAs -

- The Schools -

- The Covenant Update -

- The Handbooks - </center></td> <td valign="top"> <center>

- The Sixth GJW Progress -

- The Alactiry Update -

- The Dominion -

- The Rebirth Update -

- The Jac Exam Schedule -

- The Props -

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--> <tr> <td width="100%" colspan="2" height="20"> <><li>The Jim Report</li></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1;" bordercolor="#FFFFFF" colspan="2" height="5">

Sorry for the lack of reports the past 2 weeks. I didn't have enough to write about the first week, and then Thankgiving threw me off completely.

Busy in Jacland. I have exams coming up, which means lots of studying. I have to break my back this exam period -- my grades this semester will largely determine what kind of job I get this summer. I need to do well. Luckily, all of my subjects but one are like common sense things to me. Tax, Constitutional Law, Business Associations -- that's my shiznit. I'm not sure who's shiznit is Civil Procedure Jurisdiction...but it ain't mine.

Thanksgiving was actually a lot of fun. It was spent all on the wife's side. We went up to her Aunt's place and I got to see again how I want to live some day (aka, richly). The food was good and I actually had some very good conversations with some of the folk I don't talk to regularly. We spent the rest of the weekend playing aunt and uncle with my niece and nephew. Took them to the aquarium and stuff. Helped set up their Christmas tree on Sat. It was good times.

I'm very glad this semester is close to being over. It's been long and drawn out for me. I'm very much looking forward to the break. I need it to do work here and get some decompression time. That and there are a bunch of movies I haven't seen that are out/coming out. King Kong looks sweet, and I still haven't seen Harry Potter (nor read the new book for that matter). So far behind.

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--> <tr> <td width="100%" colspan="2" height="20"> <><li>The Word</li></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1;" bordercolor="#FFFFFF" colspan="2" height="5">

So far behind...that brings us to today's word:

Emasculate

When I speak to people about what I want to see from my leaders, I always speak about initiative, efficiency, and communication (aka, do it without me telling you to, do it well and fast, and communicate often). Individually, I think a lot of the leaders of this club have all three of those traits (and then some bad traits too). Some are weaker or stronger than others (and some weaker than the weaker ones), but for the most part, it's in us all to have those essential qualities (this is true). The problem I have noticed a lot with the DB though is that we all tend to go around and emasculate other people (look it up).

Projects and discussions always get started, a little progress is made and then bam, someone comes along and castrates productivity (figuratively. Lots of dead projects and I still have my balls). A long ranting emails sends shockwaves that stifle the strength of the group (or multiple long emails by many people on random subjects that have nothing to do with the original). A petty little argument can pull the vigorous effort from everyone involved (don't hold grudges). People get annoyed, tired, burnt out at the constant production of crap that working in the DB can cause. We've all been there too -- that emasculated project that is so inefficient that we just talk in circles and circles, annoyed at each other at not making progress.

Sometimes its just a simple issue that can do this (most of the time). In the Dark Council, we tend to get stuck on a lot of small details that a few will have a problem with (aka, 1). The inability to offer constructive suggestions tends to make projects and issues go unresolved at times ("get off your ass" is not constructive). And I'm not singling out any one person -- we all do it (I'm talking to at least 20 of you). Every one of us has taken a project by the balls and then just cut them off, stifling growth (the project's balls, not mine). I've been trying to actively work opposite this, and things like the Calendar help a lot in keeping things on task. But we do need to be aware of our emasculations when we are doing them (mind the balls).

Outside of discussions, action or inaction can emasculate things as well. When I look at the situation in Plagueis I see a lot of this (damn Chi leaving). Little things that compound here and escalate there -- they burn people out and take our minds away from the real problems: initiative, efficiency and communication (I gotta connect it all somewhere). With time and effort, that can be turned around, but I think that's a good example of an emasculation that has caused a lot of trouble. The efforts to rebuild collapsed, and now we start from ground zero.

What's my point (I normally have one)? The only thing that can stop the emasculation is the awareness of it (mind the emasculation, and the balls). When we stop and consider what we do, we need to look at whether we are contributing in a positive or negative way (awww). Are we offering constructive suggestions for change, or just cutting down someone's idea without one of our own (I have you bitch. I'm awesome)? Are we writing to make a real point that is necessary to make, or are we arguing to argue (the latter)? Are we taking care of our own house, or do we have projects and things left undone (we must protect this hoouuuse)? These are questions that we all need to look to. Productivity falls when we lose sight of the goal. Negativity breeds defeat.(aah....refreshing nugget of wisdom)

I try my best to stop the emasculation when I see it -- but I need help (and a cup). We all need the courage and conviction to confront our own tendencies, our own demons. Only then will we be truly great (like me).

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--> <tr> <td width="100%" colspan="2" height="20"> <><li>The Old GoAs</li></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1;" bordercolor="#FFFFFF" colspan="2" height="5">

Quick note for all of you...your Consul should have told you, but in case you missed it:

The old GoAs have been backed up and removed from the server. Warbanners only now -- Chi won't let us continue using his old gfx. If you want a copy of your old GoA, please email me your dossier number.

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--> <tr> <td width="100%" colspan="2" height="20"> <><li>The Schools</li></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1;" bordercolor="#FFFFFF" colspan="2" height="5">

Kaiann and I finished our work on getting the school system outlined and ready to go. We have some more to do on the actual public documentation (aka, we have none yet), but the look and feel of the system is complete. I am pleased with it. It houses the Clan and Order powers nicely and leaves a lot of options for us to expand. The OLs have it now and are using it to make their schools.

Good work, Kai.

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--> <tr> <td width="100%" colspan="2" height="20"> <><li>The Covenant Update</li></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1;" bordercolor="#FFFFFF" colspan="2" height="5">

Outside of one large discussion in the Dark Council about the Star Chamber, the Covenant is finished. Once that is all settled and we have reached a even ground on things, the Covenant will be sent to the public for review and comments. Then, the DC and Consuls will vote on its ratification finally.

And the long and drawn out project finally comes toward the finish line!

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--> <tr> <td width="100%" colspan="2" height="20"> <><li>The Handbooks</li></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1;" bordercolor="#FFFFFF" colspan="2" height="5">

Donitz just sent me back the edited handbooks for the positions that are done. He's gone through and made sure they are all in good order and has made some suggestions for changes. I am going through those as well as having the handbooks all formatted in a standard way.

I am hopeful that perhaps next week the first wave of them can be released (like 7 of em).

Thanks again to Don for his help.

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--> <tr> <td width="100%" colspan="2" height="20"> <><li>The Sixth GJW Progress</li></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1;" bordercolor="#FFFFFF" colspan="2" height="5">

Quick note on this, we have finalized the scoring outline for the GJW. Kaiann has a pretty good system in place that is an improvement on the last GJW's system. Keeping the good discarding the bad.

The Clans have all been warned that there will not be a clan size compensation in the GJW -- in the past smaller clans have been given a little boost, but it's no longer really needed with the membership opportunities offered by Dark Fury.

We are now moving toward finalizing the story outline and event outline so more dev work can be done. Yay!

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--> <tr> <td width="100%" colspan="2" height="20"> <><li>The Alacrity Update</li></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1;" bordercolor="#FFFFFF" colspan="2" height="5">

I just sent Pyr back an edit of the newest Alacrity, "Unit Evaluations". He is working on fleshing out the rest of that and hopefully we'll be finished with that soon. Just fyi.

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--> <tr> <td width="100%" colspan="2" height="20"> <><li>The Dominion</li></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1;" bordercolor="#FFFFFF" colspan="2" height="5">

We are getting awfully close to releasing the final version of the DB dominion. Sithspawn (Ziggy) has spent a good deal of time entering the information into the database for me -- I am very grateful for his help.

I have some graphics to move and some formatting to do on the pages and then we should be golden. Not too much longer.

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--> <tr> <td width="100%" colspan="2" height="20"> <><li>The Rebirth Update</li></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1;" bordercolor="#FFFFFF" colspan="2" height="5">

I'm not going to say much here but I wanted to let everyone know that progress is being made. I had a good meeting with CG and Jam3z last week and we re-assigned some projects so that things would make a bit more sense and so we wouldn't be getting in each other's way as much. I'm looking to get a lot done, personally, over the exam period and over break.

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--> <tr> <td width="100%" colspan="2" height="20"> <><li>The Jac Exam Schedule</li></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1;" bordercolor="#FFFFFF" colspan="2" height="5">

Here's my schedule for the next month or so:

Friday, December 2: Exam

Monday, December 5: Exam

Thursday, December 8: Exam

Monday, December 12: Exam

Thursday, December 15: Exam, Break starts after

December 21: Jac goes home for the holidays

Jan 1?: Jac Comes back to home home

Jan 10: Spring Semester starts

So As you can see -- I have some time in there for good work. Hopefully I can use it wisely and still get good grades.

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BIG PROPS

--> <tr> <td width="100%" colspan="2" height="20"> <><li>The Props</li></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1;" bordercolor="#FFFFFF" colspan="2" height="5">

<center>- Big Props Kaiann for his work on the OPowers! -

• Props to Spears on the ED! -

• Yay! Aabsdu al'Tor got a Lightsaber! -

• Big Props to the SA staff! -

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