ORDER OUT OF CHAOS - A Socio-Economic and Behavioral Commentary

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ORDER OUT OF CHAOS - A SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND BEHAVIORAL COMMENTARY

Throughout the United States and the rest of the world that surrounds us (I sound a bit paranoic, don't I?), people are frightened. The economy is in a contractionary state; many formidable and once-credible "bedrock" institutions have failed amid allegations of major misjudgments and corruption -- and the distinctions between the public and private sectors are becoming increasingly unclear. People tend to be frightened by rapid change and general uncertainty.

Panic makes for some terrible decisionmaking, while maintaining a calm and analytic state of mind while those about us are in a state of irrationality can reveal some contrarian investment bargains. While fear has locked many investors and businesses into a paralytic holding pattern, a distinct minority, virtually a special social class, is quietly buying up controlling stakes and future monopolistic positions in a variety of industries, companies and commodities. This minority, for the most part, is comprised of very wealthy, privileged families...families who have prospered through generation after generation, almost regardless of the political or economic environment. We will refer to them (for the purposes or simplicity) as dynastic families. Their blueblooded names are familiar to many of the rest of us, and they have held tremendous power for quite some time -- centuries, in fact.

I am betting that amongst the pedestrian, "common" population, fear is a far superior motivating force than the promise of an opportunity for gain. I believe that we travel long, circuitous routes in order to avoid confrontation, pain and loss, while we seldom leave the living room couch for an opportunity, which might require effort on our part. Inertia, indolence and a lack of ambition combine to work against the potential efficacy of positive reinforcement, while fear actually creates a physiological reaction (i.e., the secretion of adrenalin, cortisol, etcetera) which actually produces the means for rapid movement in a "fight or flight" response.

The endorphin "rush" produced by the mind's complex neurochemical apparatus is, in contrast, usually much slower to gain a foothold and much weaker in terms of its sway over our responses to the environment and circumstances. It is interesting to note that fear is regarded by many as a visceral reflex, while ambition, and the excitement that accompanies it, is seen to be more of a cerebral, learned action.

Is it possible that the actual physiology of the members of these dynastic families has changed, through some sort of evolutionary genetic mechanism, over the generations? Is it possible that the progenitors who spawned these imperial families started out with an anomalous physiological/ psychological makeup which permitted them to seize ever-increasing stakes of wealth and power while others panicked and fled? Is there a "contrarian gene" that makes these people different, or is it a function of a learned response which is handed down from each generation to its successor?

These few have triumphed through virtually every tragic chapter in the course of Humanity's erratic, ungainly evolution. I am fascinated by the fact that such a small group of persons can continually control the bulk of the world's resources.

These dynastic families all have one thing in common -- they are not motivated by fear.

I am equally fascinated by my almost dull, ho-hum, all-too-calm expectation, in my dual roles as a Strategic Planner and a Futurist, that these dynastic families will become even wealthier and more powerful as a result of the severe economic recession that has befallen us; and that they will emerge, as they always have, with an even greater percentage of the world's wealth when the current crisis has ended. The irony is that these families always benefit by their uncanny ability to maintain their cool in the midst of the confusion -- to make order (and money) out of chaos. This observation has made conspiracy theorists out of many of us. We are indeed, by and large, a fearful group of primitives running from the lightning, while these others are out flying their kites.
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HATRED LEAVES ITS TATTOO

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To Anyone Reading This:

There was a Holocaust. More than six million men, women and children were exterminated, their bodies carted off like so much garbage, their emaciated, mangled carcasses tossed into ditches and mass graves.

People deny that there was a Holocaust. Even today, as lesser-known, but equally reviling holocausts ("ethnic cleansing," "racial purification," "civilian massacres," "wholesale carnage," and a host of other terms are applied) take place throughout the world. As I sit here. As I write these words. Denial leads to recurrence, to a lack of vigilance, to a trivializing of the monstrous side of Human Nature. A monstrous element that remains unchanged and right beneath the surface of most smiles despite years of civilization and technological advancement. Despite all attempts at education.

Political correctness, semantics and hideous metaphors abound ("The Israelis are worse than the Nazis -- look at how they've slaughtered innocent Palestinians!") to twist the facts so far out of perspective, so inanely out of context, that the truth is trampled. One of my favorites is the now infamous declaration by the great minds of the United Nations that "Zionism is Racism." They might just as easily have declared "Survival is Sin." ...or "Questioning Authority is Terrorism." Hatred is always fashionable. Rationalization is the only thing which is even more fashionable.

It is like a children's game of "telephone"... atrocities are ignored or rationalized while self-preservation is decried as aggression.

I had an eighth-grade teacher with a number tattooed on his forearm. It was noticeable because he would roll up his sleeves when he wrote on the chalkboard. I was mesmerized by it.

He caught me staring once, at the end of class and whispered, devoid of expression, as if all emotion had been wrought from him like the last tears from a hankerchief, "Branded like cattle. They did this to me. People did this to other people. And much, much worse. Much worse." His eyes were focused on some distant point in the past, right through me. I had never seen a person travel back in time before -- I knew then, intuitively, that time travel has always existed.

Tattoos, like old stories, become distorted. But the distortion is only superficial. There are deep, permanent, but unseen burns, cuts and bruises on the inside. On the souls of so many people. They never are fully healed, and they never go away. They are incurable. These scars, like the truth, are forever.

Denial is simply dishonesty.


Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

p.s. Please forward this message to everyone you know. Keeping it to yourself is a small, but not inconsequential, act of irresponsibility and inhumanity. These can be habit-forming if permitted.
________________________x
THE NATIONAL NETWORKER








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BEING DECISIVE

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Dear Friends:

I am opposed to unnecessary violence. My primary strategy, and the strategy of all wise commanders is to utilize behavioral psychology and attempt to negotiate for the most advantageous outcome. There are times when this fails, either because the other side refuses to negotiate, or because the demands made by the other side are completely impossible or untenable. My compliments to the U.S. Navy Seals for their judgment and skills in saving an innocent hostage's life. The article which follows appears courtest of Yahoo! News. It is worth reading, not only for its value as news, but for the insights it offers in terms of being decisive and taking command.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

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US ship captain is freed when snipers kill pirates
By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY and LARA JAKES, Associated Press Writers Elizabeth A. Kennedy And Lara Jakes, Associated Press Writers 1 hr 2 mins ago

MOMBASA, Kenya – U.S. Navy snipers opened fire and killed three pirates holding an American captain at gunpoint in a lifeboat, delivering the skipper unharmed and ending a five-day high-seas hostage drama on Easter Sunday.
The pirates were pointing AK-47s at Capt. Richard Phillips and he was in "imminent danger" of being killed when the commander of the nearby USS Bainbridge made the split-second decision to order his men to shoot, Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said.
Phillips' crew, who said they had escaped the pirates after he offered himself as a hostage, erupted in cheers aboard their ship in Mombasa, Kenya. Some waved an American flag and fired flares in celebration. A lawn sign in the captain's hometown of Underhill, Vermont that read "Pray for Captain Phillips' release and safe return home" was changed to read, "Capt. Phillips rescued and safe."
The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet said Phillips, 53, was resting comfortably after a medical exam on the San Diego-based USS Boxer in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia. Gortney said the captain had been "tied up inside the lifeboat" over much of the ordeal.
"I'm just the byline. The real heroes are the Navy, the Seals, those who have brought me home," Phillips said by phone to Maersk Line Limited President and CEO John Reinhart, the company head told reporters. A photo released by the Navy showed Phillips unharmed and shaking hands with the commanding officer of the USS Bainbridge.
Gortney said a fourth pirate had been aboard the Bainbridge and negotiating with the Americans immediately before the rescue. The pirate was in military custody and U.S. officials said no decision had been made about how to charge him or where he could stand trial.
The rescue was a dramatic blow to the pirates who have preyed on international shipping and hold more than a dozen ships with about 230 sailors from a variety of nations. But it also risked provoking retaliatory attacks.
"This could escalate violence in this part of the world, no question about it," said Gortney, the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.
Jamac Habeb, a 30-year-old self-proclaimed pirate, told The Associated Press from one of Somalia's piracy hubs, Eyl, that, "our friends should have done more to kill the captain before they were killed. This will be a good lesson for us."
"From now on, if we capture foreign ships and their respective countries try to attack us, we will kill them (the hostages)," he said. France and India have both taken deadly military action against pirates in recent months and seen no significant retaliation, however.
The Defense Department twice asked President Barack Obama for permission to use military force to rescue Phillips, most recently late Friday evening, U.S. officials said. On Saturday morning, Obama signed off on the Pentagon's request, as he had a day earlier, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
"I share the country's admiration for the bravery of Capt. Phillips and his selfless concern for his crew," Obama said in his first comments on the situation. "His courage is a model for all Americans."
He added that the United States needs help from other countries to deal with the threat of piracy and to hold pirates accountable.
A spokeswoman for the Phillips family, Alison McColl, said Phillips and his wife, Andrea, spoke by phone shortly after he was freed.
"They're all just so happy and relieved," McColl said outside of the Phillips home in Underhill. "Andrea wanted me to tell the nation that all of your prayers and good wishes have paid off because Capt. Phillips is safe."
The Navy said Phillips was freed at 7:19 p.m. local time.
When Phillips' crew heard the news aboard their ship in the port of Mombasa, they placed an American flag over the rail of the top of the Maersk Alabama and whistled and pumped their fists in the air. Crew fired two bright red flares into the sky from the ship.
"We made it!" said crewman ATM Reza, pumping his fist in the air.
Crew members said their ordeal had begun Wednesday with the Somali pirates hauling themselves up from a small boat bobbing on the surface of the Indian Ocean far below.
As the pirates shot in the air, Phillips told his crew to lock themselves in a cabin and surrendered himself to safeguard his men, crew members said.
Phillips was then held hostage in an enclosed lifeboat that was closely watched by U.S. warships and a helicopter in an increasingly tense standoff.
Capt. Joseph Murphy, the father of second-in-command Shane Murphy, thanked Phillips for his bravery.
"Our prayers have been answered on this Easter Sunday," Murphy said. "If not for his incredible personal sacrifice, this kidnapping and act of terror could have turned out much worse."
Talks to free Phillips began Thursday with the captain of the Bainbridge talking to the pirates under instruction from FBI hostage negotiators on board the U.S. destroyer.
The U.S. Navy assumed the pirates would try to get their hostage to shore, where they could have hidden him on Somalia's lawless soil and been in a stronger position to negotiate a ransom. The pirates had threatened to kill Phillips if attacked.
Phillips jumped out of the lifeboat Friday and tried to swim for his freedom but was recaptured when a pirate fired an automatic weapon at or near him, according to U.S. Defense Department officials.
Elsewhere off the Somali coast Friday, the French navy freed a sailboat seized off Somalia by other pirates, but one of the five hostages was killed.
Early Saturday three U.S. warships were within easy reach of the lifeboat and the pirates holding Phillips fired a few shots at a small U.S. Navy vessel that had approached, a U.S. military official said.
The official said the U.S. sailors did not return fire, the Navy vessel turned away and no one was hurt. He said the vessel had not been attempting a rescue.
The district commissioner of Somalia's central Mudug region said talks on freeing Phillips had gone on all day Saturday, with clan elders from his area talking by satellite telephone and through a translator with Americans, but collapsed Saturday night.
About the same time, Phillips' crew of 19 American sailors reached safe harbor in Kenya's northeast port of Mombasa under guard of U.S. Navy Seals.
"The Somali government wanted the drama to end in a peaceful way, but any one who is involved in this latest case had the choice to use violence or other means," Abdulkhadir Walayo, the prime minister's spokesman, told the AP. "Any way, we see it will be a good lesson for the pirates or any one else involved in this dirty business."
Residents of Harardhere, another port and pirate stronghold, were gathering in the streets after news of the captain's release, saying they fear pirates may now retaliate against some of the 200 hostages they still hold.
"We fear more that any revenge taken by the pirates against foreign nationals could bring more attacks from the foreign navies, perhaps on our villages," Abdullahi Haji Jama, who owns a clothes store in Harardhere, told the AP by telephone.
Pirates are holding about a dozen ships with more than 200 crew members, according to the Malaysia-based piracy watchdog International Maritime Bureau. Hostages are from Bulgaria, China, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, the Philippines, Russia, Taiwan, Tuvalu and Ukraine, among other countries.
A spokesman for the German anti-piracy operation told the AP that the U.S. did not give any clue as to its plans in regard to the ship captain.
He had no details on the fate of the German freighter Hansa Stavanger, which was captured earlier this month or on the fate of its 24 crew of five Germans, three Russians, two Ukrainians, two Filipinos and 12 Tuvalu residents.
___
Jakes reported from Washington. Associated Press writers who contributed to this report include Mohamed Olad Hassan and Mohamed Sheikh Nor in Mogadishu, Somalia; Michelle Faul and Tom Maliti in Nairobi, Kenya; Matt Apuzzo in Washington, John Curran in Underhill, Vermont, Matt Moore in Berlin and Dena Potter in Norfolk, Virginia.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.

AN "UNKIND" TACTIC TO ACCELERATE PROGRESS.

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Dear Friends:

I have heard it said by many an assertive achiever that, "It is better to beg foregiveness than to ask permission." Lamentably, I must agree -- it is a tactic that invariably gets things done more rapidly.

Yesterday, I heard another twist on the same basic theme: "Never bother to beg forgiveness. It is an admission of wrongdoing, weakness and a surrender of your personal power. Again, lamentably, I must agree.

Ironically, while democracy is beloved unto so many of us, it has the inherent problems associated with a long, sluggish approval process. Stimulus Package, anyone?

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle
TAKING COMMAND!

JUDGMENT

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Dear Friends:

No matter what action you take, and regardless of its appropriateness or necessity, someone will judge you wrong. People prefer to criticize than to create -- it is far easier, and easier to gain a following. The trick is to understand that your principal job, for emotional and spiritual survival, is to please yourself. You have to live with your decisions -- your critics and detractors do not. Show strength by not 1) yielding to their judgment, and by 2) being your own judge. Even your critics will be envious of you if you go forth with your plans and your life despite them.

Never allow yourself to be held hostage by another person's opinion.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle
Reprinted from http://aboutdouglascastle.blogspot.com/
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YOUR MOST DANGEROUS ADVERSARY

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Dear Friends (...wherever you happen to be hiding):

Your most dangerous adversary can be characterized by the following traits. It is best to recognize this type of adversary (or potential adversary) as early as possible, because you will need to make preparations. There will be no negotiations, no compromises, no intimidation. Neither will there be any Rules Of Engagement. Your very life, and every thing that you value and person you care for, will be at risk. This type of adversary will not only get what he wants from you -- he will dispatch you to the afterlife as well, just in the interest of being thorough.

Beware these characteristics, each alone, but especially in combination:

1. He has no fear of death -- he views life from a distance, as if an amusement or an abstraction;

2. He has nothing to lose -- he does not fear loss at all. He lives to get whatever it is that he desires, but what he desires is only an object of the moment. His hunger cannot be satisfied;

3. He has no attachments to any persons or objects -- he is devoid of love, detached and disconnected from the mainstream of Humanity. He doesn't care about anyone's feelings or opinions. He might not even care about his own reputation. Other people are mere impediments standing between him and what he wants;

4. He is utterly focused on what he wants to accomplish at any given moment and cannot be distracted or diverted;

5. He is intelligent;

6. He is undyingly tenacious;

7. He trusts no one, and believes in nothing but what he desires at that moment;

8. He is intuitive and anticipates events -- a sociopath may not identify with typical human behavior, but he knows it very, very well;

9. He will use any means whatsoever to achieve his objective, without any constraints or restraint;

10. He knows a great deal about you.

These are the personal characteristics of your most dangerous adversary. He is a cagey animal on the hunt. Take caution. He is the sort who will hack your hand off in order to steal your ring.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

EVERY WORD IS A TOOL

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Dear Friends:

Every word that you utter is a tool. It may be a seductive encouragement, it may be an inspiration, it might be a signified agreement, it might be a threat, or it might be a command -- but in every case, every word is a tool. Choose your words carefully. And use them sparingly, depending upon your audience's level of interest and attention span.

Words do not simply get blurted into a vaccuum -- they are shaped by certain other factors. Some of these factors can mean the difference between whether the recipient of your words is complimented by your admiration, or insulted by your sarcasm.

These factors include:

• your facial expression and body language


• eye contact


• your stance


• the cadence of your words


• your tone


• your temporal spacing of the words


• the words said previous and the words said afterward


• the pitch of your voice


• the mindset and personality of the recipient

These are things worth thinking about...especially before your begin speaking.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

p.s. Please go to THE NATIONAL NETWOKER and subscribe for your free newletter today.

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LEADERSHIP - SOME THOUGHTS

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Dear Friends:

I wanted to share some of my thoughts on leadership with you, especially in a time when a very misguided, disillusioned world is crying out for true leaders, instead of campaigners, complainers and paralyzed party-line non-deciders who merely take up seats until they are replaced by other inconsequential lumps of poll-readers.

LEADERSHIP

True leadership requires great focus, occasional compromise, occasional confrontation, perpetual vigilance, and enough belief in the Mission (and those people whom need to be united and helped) that it presides over everything.

A leader educates, guides, and makes great demands of others. These demands are always reasonable because they are Mission-justified.

A leader understands that he/she must command, or suffer the consequences of being led astray by others. A leader works for his/her troops, but does not form alliances with third parties unless those third parties have more to offer him/her than he/she has to offer them. And he/she does not fear asking for the better side of a quid pro quo! Nor should we, as supporters of these leaders.

The only time a true leader takes "no" for an answer is when the Devil approaches him/her with a parchment and a quill pen, or when the Grim Reaper extends his bony hand.

If a leader has a position - he/she states it. Clearly;

If a leader requires assistance - he/she asks for it. - and asks, and asks, and asks, until enough people have heard the message enough times that they relent.

But a leader must believe in his or her Mission, and in his or her charges, in order to meet these challenges.

Be a leader -- differentiate yourself from the occupants of a world that is overripe and soft with passive observers and false prophets in search of petty profits at the expense of poor fools living in desperation.

BE A LEADER. WE NEED YOU. NOW.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle
http://www.linkedIn.com/in/douglascastle
CHILDREN'S INTERNATIONAL OBESITY FOUNDATION - HELP SAVE A CHILD'S LIFE.
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VIRAL INFILTRATION

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Dear Readers:

VIRAL INFILTRATION.

The expression is generally regarded as quite perjorative. Viruses are not adored by the public for their gentle ways and good habits. In fact, the virus (with the possible exception of certain civil service employees) is one of the most brilliantly adapted predators in the realm of nature. The virus is seen by most as the incarnation of remoreseless evil.

The virus has, however, an enviable ability to penetrate its host, set up housekeeping, and begin cannibalizing and converting the host's cellular material into its own. This process requires energy, and sadly, many of the host's cells are not transformed via DNA re-configuration...they become food, and are sacrificed. The flaw in this otherwise ingenious hostile takeover by stealth is that the virus will ultimately destroy its host, and will then have to find another one if it is to continue to propage itself.

Think about a virus that could not only penetrate and reproduce itself, but one that could actually enslave its host to continue to thrive, even if only for the purpose of sustaining the virus. Quite an extroardinary trick.

The preceding premise is a powerful metaphor for the travails of any activist or revolutionary wishing to battle the "establishment". When you have a new and different perspective, you cannot expect to be received warmly by a power-entrenched, self-serving bureacracy and its flock of frightened, defensive pre-programmed followers. A face-to-face battle all but ensures your loss.

It is wiser, by far, to learn the ways of the established group in power, and to ingratiate yourself with them by seeming to embrace their ideals. This appearance of agreement and friendship can get you through the gates and eventually into the halls of power. Once you have become an accepted and trusted member of the establishment and a part of its inner power structure, you can start initiating subtle changes, and implementing your ideas. If you are truly artful at this, the persons around you will view these changes as a product of their own thinking, and work to help propagate them.

Command Central is actually right inside your adversary's brain. And you don't even have to fight. All you need to do is some subtle re-wiring from within. This brings to mind some of the basic tenets of espionage, in its most classical sense.

By the way...how many enemy operatives do you think are embedded in powerful positions within the FBI, RCMP, British Intelligence, the CIA, and other similarly-tasked organizations designed to protect its respective country's sovereignty and secrets?

You would have no way of knowing. These professionals are hiding in plain sight...many are considered beyond reproach. Many appear unquestionably patriotic. Many are the trusted advisors and aides of national leaders.

The virus has a brilliant survival and self-perpetuation strategy; especially considering that the "lowly" virus is scarcely even considered a living creature except by some scientists.

We can learn much from the virus. While we may spend years in school studying math, the virus is born with the ability the multiply exponentially.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

KAIZEN - A life philosophy in the art of Command.

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Dear Readers:

I have borrowed a word from the Japanese which has its principal use in martial arts. I find that it is applicable in being successful in any field.

>>>Please read on:

* The Japanese word, “Kaizen” basically translates to the path of constant and never- ending improvement.

* The results are amazing when it comes to personal development and even business success once you understand it and put it into action. The true foundation of Kaizen or constant and never-ending improvement begins with precise and specific target selection. The successful warrior is very precise in words, actions and deeds. Everything matters!



* Although success begins with precise and specific goal -setting and action plans, that is just the beginning...... it is the daily ability to implement specific actions that truly separates the successful person from the others. As a beginner, it looks like an impossible task to master the skills that are required to earn the rank of black belt or create a million dollar company from a mere idea. Yet, success is achieved one step at a time as the individual tries to learn and improve. There, under the watchful eye of his mentor and fellow mastermind members, he slowly is transformed into a person deserving of the success that he desires.



* The modern warrior or businessman always knows where he is and where he is going at all times. Since we live in a rapidly changing world, our targets are constantly moving. A wise objective today may be a fool's goal tomorrow -- so it is imperative that one re-evaluates the circumstances and constraints with regard to one's objectives on an ongoing basis. Objectives can change; and the means of obtaining objectives is also subject to change. A warrior makes constant observations and constant adjustments.



* While a martial artist works at being able to generate extreme force on specific targets for maximum effect, it is the target selection process that is constantly changing as openings and opportunities presents themselves and disappear on an on-going and fluid basis. We quickly learn that perfect accuracy on the wrong target is a waste of skill and resources.
The warrior constantly updates objectives and targets based on constantly changing information.


* In business, the market is constantly changing and it is the savvy entrepreneur that is aware of those changes and moves quickly -- who invariably reaps the rewards.



* At the time of this writing, in the real estate investment world, the media is railing on about doom and gloom, how we are heading into a recession and even that the "sky is falling", if only a chunk at a time. Members of our inner circle know that now is the time to be buying; and they are using creative strategies to control as much real estate as they can while the prices are deflated. Those of us who have lived long enough understand that the economy runs in cycles. The key is to recognize this fact, and use it to one's advantage. This advantage is increased significantly because of the fact that many other people in the competitive marketplace are so immersed in the tragedy of the present that they lose their perspective of the cyclic nature of things, and panic. Panic is a tremendous negotiating and decisionmaking disadvantage. In war, my adversary's disadvantage operates to my advantage.


* Everyone knows that buying low and selling high is a very successful strategy, and yet 80% of the population listens obsessively to all of the negative information out there, never taking intelligent action until it is too late. By being innovative and seeing every challenge as an opportunity for achievement and a path for future growth, the modern warrior is “future-thinking”, and never looks back, except to recall a lesson learned.


*Living on the cutting edge of creativity, and using positive, active growth tactics bring his future to him as he has already determined it should be through proactive strategic planning and implementation.


* It is the daily improvements that are achieved by reading the right books, attending the right seminars, and listening to the right mentors which separate those who will achieve more in a short time from those countless others will ever achieve given an entire lifetime.


* Whether your goal is to achieve a black belt in the martial arts, become a black belt business owner, or a black belt real estate investor, the process is the same. Determine all the criteria you need in order to be the best in your chosen arena, and consistently keep adding the specialized knowledge and sharpening the skill sets needed in order to be in the top 10% of that group.

*****Consistently and diligently performing these daily steps toward achieving those skills, and your ultimate goal (whatever that goal may be) is what Kaizen is truly about.*****

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

http://www.ciofoundation.org/ VISIT TODAY. YOUR GIFT COULD HELP SAVE A CHILD'S LIFE.

BRAINWASHING BASICS -- PART 2

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Dear Friends:

An emotionally "broken" person is inordinately suggestible. Without any firm conviction about anything, filled with doubt and confusion, emotionally barren and distraught, sensorially-deprived, the subject of an expertly-orchestrated "breakdown" is completely adrift in the rapids, desperate for company, a sense of identity...a need for social connection and communion. Any branch offered will be viewed as salvation for a drowning, helpless and hopeless individual -- even if the branch is covered with thorns or leeches. The operator must be the first to offer to offer a branch to the subject. And the subject will view that branch as a godsend; its provider as a savior. Since all previous beliefs and long-held "truths" have been either eradicated or cast into mortal doubt, the subject feels spiritually bereft...an empty vessel. That empty vessel, like any vacuum in theory, craves fullness and purpose. Just as fascinating (and significant) is that re-programming will be unopposed by any previous morals, convictions or beliefs.

Re-programming must be done quickly, and definitively. It must be task-oriented, with a mission clearly stated as a command, or as a series of commands. Briefer statements are more powerful. Action-oriented statements, rather than more complex ideological ones, are more readily absorbed. Repetition of the command, followed by requesting the visible and proactive acknowledgement and agreement of the subject (with a vigorous nodding of the head) will embed the programming more deeply. Mission becomes mantra, and the subject becomes a willing instrument of the operator. Simple compliments, such as "Very good!"..."You've done fabulously!"... "You'll be doing a great thing!"...especially if accompanied by friendly physical contact (a clap on the shoulder, or a handshake, with a smile) will further secure the programming. The equivalent of a slave - master relationship implicitly develops.

Military recruits are broken down and re-programmed to follow orders without hesitation or moral judgment in this manner. Political prisoners are made to recant beliefs in this manner. Religious converts are sent on crusades and jihads by this approach. False confessions are obtained from "suspects" by law enforcement officials as a matter of routine, using variations on this method. Fanatical religious and sociopathic cults are built upon this methodology. Contract killers are programmed to believe that they are merely doing a job, and that their victims are not even human beings.

Sadly, the only way to re-program a subject after the insertion and embedding of a new program, if through another breakdown, and re-programming. Most subjects of brainwashing believe that they are doing what they are doing as a result of a voluntary and informed free choice. That makes them all the more difficult to contend with. Subjects are hesitant to believe or accept the information that they have, in fact, been brainwashed, and are victims of mind control. But they are. Reprogrammed persons are deadly instruments in the hands of malevolent operators.

Some common signs of a re-programmed personality include the following: a refusal to entertain objections, questions or alternative views; secretiveness; difficulty maintaining eye contact; frequent time spent alone; a fanatical dedication to certain ideas or dogma; a seeming lack of compassion or engagability in ordinary dialogue or social situations; a loss of a sense of humor; occasional (but extreme) mood swings; and an insensitivity to physical pain. Many of these subjects present apparent symptoms of psychosis, Borderline Personality Disorder; Sadism; Obessive-Compulsive Disorder; extreme sociopathy or psychopathy; an unusually passive attitude (the "zombie" syndrome), and Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome...they have been ravaged and victimized.

These persons may be dangerous to others, and to themselves.

Will will continue our discussion of this topic in Part 3.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

BRAINWASHING BASICS -- PART 1

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Dear Friends:

It is a fact: People are fascinated by the subject of brainwashing, and they love to discuss it. This is the first of a three-part series of articles on Brainwashing Basics. These techniques are used, to some extent, by every organization which requires cooperation or obedience of its employees. followers, or soldiers. Sometimes it is employed with great subtlety, and sometimes it is done brutally, depending upon the circumstances and the available time to achieve a behavior modification result. The information which I am about to provide may be used in either one of two ways -- It can be used as an instruction manual or primer to effect change in others (e.g., "subjects"), or it can be used as an early warning system to be able to alert you as to when you are being treated as a subject, and being subjected to brainwashing techniques. I will make no moral judgment here, and the information is ethically neutral...merely provided for educational and entertainment purposes. Remember The Manchurian Candidate?...Jacob's Ladder?.....The Bourne Identity? How about Little Nikita?.....Full Metal Jacket? How about every police show where a suspect is being aggressively questioned in a small room? How about the articles you've read about cults? How about the recruitment of the masses by fundamentalist preachers (whether in madrassas in Afghanistan or in revivalist tents in the U.S. countryside)? Brainwashing, with its uses, and its effects, is everywhere. It is an application of human psychology and physiology.

Brainwashing is a crude and nefarious relative of hypnosis -- the latter is quite benign and voluntary, while the former can be deadly and operates in stealth; often, on many different levels. Brainwashing is an integral component of preparing soldiers for battle, forcing a fanatical religious conversion, obtaining a false confession, of espionage, of a crazed lynch mob, and the mainstay of many abusive slave-master relationships and other unhealthy interpersonal co-dependencies.

1. STAGE 1: THE BREAKDOWN

For any brainwashing to work, the brain slate must be exposed and wiped clean while susceptible and defenseless. Implanting a new or radical idea must be done when resistance is at a minimum. A breakdown must first be initiated. Here are the common means of accomplishing this:

• Work on inciting the emotions of insecurity, fear, anger, hatred or excitement. As these emotions are inflamed, judgment is impaired and suggestibility is increased;


• Use physiological weapons, such as fasting, radical or high-sugar diets, physical discomfort (cramped quarters, extreme cold, electric shock, intense lighting, certain repetitive or frightening noises, et cetera), chanting, uncomfortable exercise postures, or through the use of drugs;


• Create a sense of timelessness and monotonony;


• Impose sensory deprivation and isolation;


• Traumatize the psyche or the body by use of shocking ("disillusioning") information in the form of a series of horrific revelations, or by inducing dizziness and vertigo though blindfolding, hooding and tossing the subject about erratically and unpredictably.

Once an individual has lost all sense of control, all sense of perception and the ability to think reasonably or rationally, he is "broken". The handler's job is to reprogram the broken subject while the subject is still freshly broken. To be continued...

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

p.s.yourparentsliedtoyouyourparentsliedtoyouyourparentsliedtoyouyourparentsliedtoyouyourparentsliedtoyouyourparentsliedtoyou...

AN EXPERIMENT -- "THE STARE"

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Dear Friends:

Life, as we live it, may be viewed as an experiment, and the world around us as a laboratory. In one of the most impressive meetings of my unusual career, a dear friend of mine (a former Delta Forces chap), and a very refined, educated and courtly person, was making a conference room presentation to a group of four or five businessmen, each of whom probably regarded himself as the intellectual and tactical superior of all of the others present (the author of this post being specifically excluded).

My friend finished making his proposal, in his very articulate, thoughtful, low-keyed way. When he had finished, one of the businessmen made the serious mistake of misjudging context and territory. He was not aware of my friend's background, and was assuming an opportunity to press his supposed advantage in negotiating a deal with terms that were, at best, belittling of my friend...and this poorly misguided fellow put forth his counteroffer in a very insulting way.

My friend listened quietly, until the "negotiator" had finished his salvo. What followed was systematic, and effective:

• My friend nodded his head in polite acknowledgement;
• My friend put his face forward, staring directly into the eyes of the negotiator;
• Ten to fifteen seconds (a long time) passed, in silence;
• My friend placed the flat of his left palm on the conference room table, and simultaneously pointed the first finger of his right hand (with his thumb pointed up, as if he were preparing to aim and fire a loaded pistol) at the torso of the negotiator, and said, sotto voce, " Do not ever mistake my kindness for weakness. " The emphasis was on the word "ever";
• Every person in the room was stunned for a brief moment;
• The negotiator apologized for his presumptuousness;
• My friend merely nodded his head in assent.
• The meeting continued smoothly, with each party on his very best behavior.

Try an experiment. Make your point (with full eye contact, and pointed finger), and be silent. Maintain eye contact (sort of like those staring contests we had when we were children), and wait for your target to respond. You are likely to see a display of humility which you will find gratifying. People are terrified of quiet intensity, and horrified by eye-riveted silence.

Have fun. Make your observations. Don't abuse the power you gain by this approach.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

CITING YOUR TARGET: BEING CLEAR.

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In entering into any endeavor, discussion, negotiation, or conflict resolution involving other parties, significant information is generally required, not the least of which will, of necessity include:

• knowing who the other parties are, in terms of weaknesses and strengths;

• knowing what the other parties' objectives are;

• knowing the other parties' true parameters for settlement acceptance (e.g., settlement points, deal killers, non-starters, and "non-negotiable" items);

• knowing the time and resource constraints of all parties;

• knowing the other parties' alternatives and recourse positions;

• knowing which of the parties is the leader, and ultimate, authoritative decisionmaker;

• knowing which party is the most likely "deal killer" or prospective adversary, as well as why this may be the case (oftimes the factors are more emotional than rational or economic);

• knowing how much the other parties know about you, and your ultimate position;

• knowing the facts about the matter or matters to be discussed;

Most important of all, however is to cite, at least within the sanctuary of your own mind, your ideal target objective, and to visualize it in no uncertain terms. You must also be able to clearly and assertively articulate precisely what your target is, even though in certain types of negotiations, your opponents should not be told...in fact, the matter may be deliberately kept a mystery to them for strategic advantage. This type of thinking (whether reaffirmed by mantra, hypnosis, NLP) will enable all of your senses to operate toward the attainment of your objective.

Remember: You can never state your case regarding any matter of importance if you do not know what your own stand is. Before going into that meeting, making that decision, starting to speak, know your target!

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle