Log
Board Meeting
February 28, 2004

Session Start: Sat Feb 28 11:54:53 2004
(Roger) I call this meeting to order!
(Roger) First order of business is the Minutes of the last meeting. Any comments?
(Gerard) no comments
(Nancy) None here
(Roger) Then the minutes are approved!
(Roger) Next would be the Treasurer's final 2003 report.
(Nancy) I listed out all the expenses for the last two quarters of 2003, in the Agenda.
(Nancy) We have few expenses, the focus on the booklet and CDs, and these are covered separately.
(Nancy) We have enough funds to see us to the Fall, administratively, when the big nut of $175 for The Company Corporation, our Delaware rep, is due.
(Nancy) So, I think if we continue to collect $4.10 for the CD set, etc, a hair over actual cost, we will generate any additional $100-$200 needed for the entire year!
(Nancy) Certainly, 'at cost' includes the cost of keeping the nonprofit valid in Delaware fees, Wisco fees (place of business), and Delaware Rep fees.
(Nancy) End of report.
(Roger) The only comment to the information on the agenda that I have is that as of the end of 2003, the PayPal account only had $57.68.
(Nancy) Oops! There was a different amount in the first Agenda and a later email from you, so I should correct. Got confused.
(Roger) The number posted on the agenda includes transactions in January :)
(Nancy) Then we should also show a different amount (end of 2003) for the postage account too, as I changed them both.
(Nancy) One went up, the other down.
(Roger) No problem, just an oversight!
(Nancy) I don't think I have that email from you anymore, Roger, re the postage account amount, end of 2003.
(Roger) The postage account was $183.52.
(Nancy) I will include this adjustment to the Agenda in the Minutes.
(Roger) Excellent.
(Roger) Any other discussion concerning the Treasurer's report?
(Gerard) not from my side
(Nancy) None here.
(Roger) Moving to the next item...
(Roger) The CD project is moving right along. We've had 20 sales this month alone and the majority of those have been for the booklet and CD bundled set!
(Roger) Since inception, we have distributed 35 CDs.
(Roger) Since I assumed the booklet responsibilities, 727 booklets have been distributed.
(Nancy) This is great news :-)
(Nancy) What is the Booklet inventory?
(Roger) One moment...
(Roger) I haven't completed an accurate count recently. I have 8 boxed that contain either 50 or 100 booklets. Do we want an accurate count for the next meeting?
(Nancy) No, just wanted to be sure we were not about to run out :-)
(Nancy) Seems OK, and the PayPal account is accumulating for a reprint.
(Nancy) I gather that we would be, at this rate, printing more booklets than burning more CD's correct?
(Roger) It looks like we would likely exhaust our supplies of both at roughly the same time, if the current sales trend holds.
(Nancy) Thanks
(Roger) Any other questions, comments (end of my report)?
(Nancy) None here
(Roger) Gerard?
(Gerard) none
(Roger) The next project concerns the errors reported in the booklet. An addendum has been drafted and is currently being inserted in the booklet for current orders.
(Nancy) My comment here is that they are not all ERRORS, except for the typo where bees wax is reported as 35% protein, when it is 3.5%.
(Roger) Some discussion has taken place regarding rather we should send this addendum to past booklet recipients. Mary's comments are linked to the agenda. Steve's comments were posted to the TT-inc mailing list.
(Nancy) The content of the booklet comes from the TT web pages, and this content underwent a review by many before the booklet was considered reviewed.
(Roger) As most booklets of this nature undergo.
(Nancy) The content of every TT web page likewise underwent a review process, being posted on the tt-forum and going thru the gauntlet, so to speak.
(Roger) I agree that the errors are minor and the issue of the addendum is best handled as it is in the industry in that the addendum is included with current orders.
(Nancy) The person who submitted these changes, as they are except for that one issue, changes, has NEVER been a supporter of getting the word out about earth changes, but a debunker, often rather savage.
(Nancy) So I question the motive, frankly, of his submission, and his method.
(Nancy) 1. any changes should be posted on the tt-forum for the whole forum to review.
(Nancy) 2. then and only then should they be considered for inclusion into the booklet.
(Roger) Officially, then, should this board make policy regarding this issue, or have we satisfied our responsibility?
(Nancy) Frankly, my take on this demand that ALL receivers of the booket (and I gather this is about 1,000 in printed form) receive his 'corrections'.
(Nancy) This is a time effort, and expense, and really not necessary in the scheme of things.
(Roger) The existence of the addendum was announced on the various mailing lists.
(Nancy) The points he wants changed are theoretical, trivial, and except for the 35% thing, not 'wrong'.
(Roger) If we link it from the booklet webpage, I think we have made it available.
(Nancy) If we have misled someone on protein in bees wax, they are certainly NOT planning to support their protein needs on bees wax, so it is moot.
(Nancy) If they are LUCKY enough to keep bees, for fertilizing and honey, they will be doing so for those reasons alone.
(Roger) Most textbooks and informational circulars only receive corrections in subsequent editions.
(Nancy) Thus, my take, quite honestly, is to ignore the list, certainly ignore the demand.
(Roger) Gerard, what is your opinion?
(Nancy) Yes, I agree that going forward ONLY is appropriate, but I question that too, for all but the 35% issue.
(Gerard) well i think it's important that people read the right information, especialy if it's about survival
(Nancy) Please note that JJ, the submitter, is bypassing ALL review procedures for getting HIS comments into the booklet, in essence.
(Nancy) I feel this is wrong. What is to stop yet another person from doing likewise, taking issue with this or that, and suggesting otherwise.
(Nancy) We would be setting a precedence here, and you'd be issuing pages of 'corrections' some of which might contradict each other!
(Roger) Gerard, would placing a link to the addendum on the booklet page be enough in getting the correct information "out there"?
(Nancy) I would suggest that an obvious error should be included as a addendum, with a note that the booklet is not attempting to be precise in every statement made, but is a general guide, and on those matter where opinons differ (such as colesterol in eggs) opinions may change over time!
(Nancy) A disclaimer, if you will, rather than anyone's statements who wishes to demand that we honor them.
(Roger) It is already obvious that the errors discovered by Mr. Jones are minor in nature and are NOT significant health risks.
(Gerard) Right, well each time new things are discovered there are enough books on the market with information that is rather old and yet they are still on the market
(Gerard) Roger: right
(Roger) This is my point.
(Nancy) Right, and they certainly do not go out and mail each person buying the book a page saying so, either!
(Nancy) Nor do I think JJ's comments should be considered an Addendum! He is, in the main, stating his opinion.
(Roger) I think our moral/ethical responsibility is satisfied with the drafting and posting of this addendum.
(Nancy) I think we should, except for OUTRIGHT ERRORS like the 35% thing, ignore differences of opinion. Perhaps include a note that the egg industry found less colesterol in eggs than formerly believed, would be OK.
(Roger) I drafted the addendum and I carefully researched Mr. Jones comments and based the addendum on MY results, not his suggestions.
(Nancy) But if it is not a scientific study, or a typo like the 35%, then it is an OPINION.
(Nancy) Roger, OK :-)
(Nancy) Looks like we have a solution then. Roger's Addendum as a link from the web page, and he is already including a note, etc.
(Nancy) End Nancy's Rant.
(Roger) So, do we need to "make policy" or is this discussion sufficient? In my opinion, this discussion is enough.
(Nancy) Does not seem large enough to be 'policy', I agree.
(Roger) We have listed all current board member's opinions on this and I see no reason to vote on it so...moving on to the next report...
(Roger) The acreage and seed project is still in hibernation for winter. I am beginning to consider what to plant, and I have also been offered an alternate location for planting.
(Nancy) Wow!
(Roger) This alternate location is nearer to my family's location so I would find it easier to maintain a plot there.
(Nancy) My plans, since the garden did not really produce seed beyond what I planeted, except for squash, is to do little.
(Nancy) I will harvest herb seeds.
(Nancy) Roger, what luck!
(Roger) I'm envisioning free standing plots of buckwheat and oats that will be allowed to self-seed and require little maintenance.
(Nancy) My plan also, I have put in Chinese Cabbage and Buckwheat and am allowing this.
(Roger) End of my report, any other comments, questions?
(Nancy) None here, sounds like an excellent plan!
(Gerard) none here either
(Nancy) I have put in those stands so that all else failing, seed stock stollen, I will have something going to seed from what is in the garden.
(Roger) The next two reports are linked from the agenda, do we have any comments to add?
(Gerard) let's see
(Roger) Shirley is making good progress and Brent is making good contacts. Eventually Brent will find the right person, hopefully soon!
(Nancy) Sounds like nothing new, but potential on both sides.
(Nancy) Shirley stands to be a player in short wave / Morse Code in the future, but not that at present to any degree.
(Nancy) Brent I also have faith will get that server working to good purpose.
(Roger) Do you have anything to add Gerard?
(Gerard) let's hope so that the server will work in the near future ..
(Gerard) i don't have any comments on the Ham radio point
(Roger) Btw, I received an email from Toni. She is doing better and is still a member of the lists. Her first email was to warn me about a virus that originated from the TroubledTimes.org domain. It had been sent by email. As far as I knew, that email server was not functioning. Do either of you know for sure about this?
(Nancy) First I've heard! Now, since that domain has not been online for almost a year, this must have been old!
(Nancy) I suspect she may be wrong. Virus are known to spoof, telling you the sender is other than the person intended.
(Nancy) TT.org never SENT out any email, but did have web pages.
(Roger) That's what I thought. I told Toni as much as well. It was likely one of these worms that replicate domain names from infected computers' address books.
(Nancy) How does she know it ORIGINATED from the server hosting tt.org?
(Roger) She said the email came from Roger@Troubledtimes.org
(Gerard) mmm
(Gerard) but that doesn't mean a thing
(Roger) At one time, we had email addresses set up by Jurian that were similar to that.
(Gerard) Roger: that is right
(Nancy) I get virus laden stuff from MY own email addresses all the time, seriously!
(Gerard) but if the server that it's send trough is open then it doesn;t mind ... then it would get trough that smtp server
(Gerard) i get spam from my own emailadress too
(Roger) Well, it wasn't a big thing, Toni's virus protection shielded her and it gave her reason to write to me again. We've had a few good exchanges since. She still looks to the sky and is maintaining...
(Nancy) Seems if we had a virus on that server, where Brent and Roger and everyone collected email, Mary for booklets, that MORE complaints would have emerged. They didn't
(Roger) Most folks are aware that these virus' exist and they don't blame the alleged sender. Toni was just warning me, in case that address was still active.
(Roger) If there is no other business, I would entertain a motion to adjourn...
(Nancy) Dead for a year now :-)
(Nancy) I move to adjourn.
(Roger) Cool with you Gerard?
(Gerard) yes yes
(Roger) Great, just under an hour! This meeting is adjourned!
Session Close: Sat Feb 28 12:52:19 2004