MAN WHO LIVES IN A HOUSE OF STICKS

FOUND: MEANING AND DIGNITY IN THE HINTERLANDS.  My readers have (properly)chastened and hopefully sensitized me a bit regarding the eccentric folks I encounter.  I shall now ask how I would feel if my own story were told by someone in the harshest spin----and would I be willing to show my interviewees the story I had written about them?  So here I go---with a new resolve:

Deeper into the bushes near Yuma, Az--than I have gone before---following this track---I am prepared--with camera and a gift.

Bingo---someone lives here.  I shout out a hello.

Out comes "Mike" ---the builder of a real-life house of sticks---(you too, might have reflected: Just like the second little piggy in the fairytale)

I  give him my gift and admire his handiwork. He shows me the inner structure--bedroom--cooking area etc. but asked that I not show it.

There it is---dear readers---a house of sticks.  Can you guess why he has piled branches in this manner?  To camouflage it of course from casual observers.  From a hundred yards ---it disappears --despite being built on a slight hill. Of course I want to ask: Why--and eventually I do.

His answer touched and amazed me:  He did it 2 years ago FOR HIS 2 CATS.  He was living in the Mission, somehow caring for them on the outside---when one day (he says) one of his cats SPOKE to him telepathically---but in clear english--saying: "PLEASE TAKE US AWAY FROM HERE!" He then searched---found this spot and began to build.  But coyotes kept trying to get his cats--creeping close in the nights.  So he constructed this escape trough so they can scamper to safety.

From the house area, they run down this protective tunnel

 down this hole

Down that plank into the safety of this cage.

I engage mike at some length and learn a lot---about mission life---living in the bushes like this---LEGALLY.  Turns out for $65 a year the Quechan Indian tribe will sell you a permit to live on their land---however you wish to live.  Another surprising revelation was that his family comes to visit him here on some occasions.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  I'm delighted there is still room in the world for mavericks. I wish conventional governments would allow off the grid--in the bushes living.  He does no harm and cost us little. More significantly--to me--HERE IN A MOST UNLIKELY SPOT---MIKE IS GENERATING MEANING.  His head is on fire with purpose--he's interested--he has projects going.

He has enemies---coyotes to defend against.  Most importantly he has sentient beings to care for and who care for him--He has someone to love. I have engaged hundreds of loners and invariably, those with pets seem more approachable------and happier.

COME WALK WITH ME---LET'S SEE WHAT WE SEE

SLABS SHORT STORIES PART 2---I TAKE YOU WITH ME ON A MORNING STROLL.

75 yr old water tank--100 ft in diameter--17 ft tall--2 of them served Camp

Dunlap--this now abandoned Marine base.  Stay with me---I will have a surprise for you.

Perfect space for the graffiti artist.  Shall we go closer?

See what he has on his mind? A protest against corporate evil---He names the bad guys!

And--- he's also mad about:  Military waste---the horrors of war.

But here's the surprise:  In 70 plus years, no one had been IN these tanks---What's in there? We wondered---AND THEN---AND THEN---My friends and I........

http://lifeontheopenroad.blogspot.com/2008/12/you-want-to-go-where-and-do-what.html

click here for the full story.  (courtesy my ex who filmed the adventure)

Only one man here has a reserved parking spot.  He's 80 plus and more vigorus than any of us youngsters ---- His people (the LOW's---Loners on Wheels)  honor him in this fashion.

Continuing my walk by this camp---probably a full time Slab dweller.  The fence blocks harsh summer windstorms from the West and furnishes shade from the afternoon sun.

Ah--this interested me when I heard about it.  A subterranean dwelling---now collapsed --- another effort to beat the fierce summer heat---117 degrees regularly.  I walk on---

My timing is great here---This unimaginative squatter/builder was just exiting his Box? (Yeah--he lives in that box)--to throw his trash into the nearby bushes.  Where are the windows, I wondered.

I walk past the Library--- now languishing---but once thriving---it's keeper is losing interest after 12 years of attending it. 

A sign of the times---internet cafe---that's new.

Note that line of stones---clear proof of Desmond Morris's (author--the Naked Ape?) theory that 5 things characterize human behavior everywhere: 1. Territoriality 2. Tribalism 3. Heirarchy 4. Gender specific division of labor 5. Weapons--and war

I think he could have added---ARTISTIC EXPRESSION.

Here's a guy very serious about power.  See all those solar panels? That's enough electricity to run a fully electric household.  Note also the wind turbines---their big advantage is that they can generate power at night (if the wind is blowing) ( they cost about $500 each and when active do the work of two of those panels) 

Completing my walk--I cross paths with two friends on an interesting quest---using a high-tech treasure finder to locate a watch--buried somewhere here 25 years ago.  They reported later that they failed.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  Walking anywhere with senses alert is interesting.  Walking the Slabs is mesmerizing.

SLABS SHORT STORIES

Before I leave the Slabs for good--I Share with you a potpourri of mini Dramas I witnessed.

An elderly gentleman Lee Horning-- skilled at carving but suffering from Carpel Tunnel syndrome,  put forth heroic effort to create one last work of art---- then gave it away to be raffled off by the LOW (Loners on Wheels) organization to raise money for a needy family of 7.  Seemingly, the entire Slabs community bought chances for it.  Many hundreds of dollars were raised and the money purchased 14 pair of good shoes---36 pair of socks and 14 school shirts for the kids. 

One of our "neighbors" got mad and set this small trailer on fire.

Though he didn't call for it---the fire truck hurried in from Niland, Ca and put it out.

The fire setter unflinchingly took responsibility and was unapologetic---yelling at the firemen---"It's my trailer---I can burn it up if I want to."

Next day he's scraping away any inconvenient ash.

The incident gave me the opportunity to chat briefly with Vince----the now-famous father of those children receiving the shoes.  Two days after this meeting--he was featured on CBS nightly news as a dramatic example of a middle class family man losing his job and house---forced to retreat to this free campground.

This tiny drama touched me----a devoted believer---wishing to tell the world that he loves Jesus--lives in that tiny tent and arranges somehow to light up that cross at night. (battery power I presume)

This busy lady paints her pictures on whatever scraps of material she can scavenge---they sell for 3 to 5 dollars.  Do you weep with me? I can't exactly say why---but I do.  So many people give their heroic best to receive so little reward.  You are looking at a 99 % er.

This is sad too---but somehow--less so that the artist lady---These kids told me they had formed their own church..  They were enthusiastic and hopeful.  Born in an earlier time they might have gone on the children's crusade.

The famous RANGE night club---featured in the movie INTO THE WILD-----all solar powered---free to all comers---the vision and gift of an interesting Slab citizen called Builder Bill.

Here's where you sit to enjoy the performances.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES: I Noticed these little dramas as I walked around. I intend to NOTICE my way to------(enlightenment? maturity? A fuller humanity? ) A tiny thing to do----to notice---yet it is a real experience---as opposed to a thought.  I think a few hundred "notices" a day keeps my brain alive.

I hope to report more mini-dramas tomorrow--to finish up with the Slabs.

INVENTING A NEW TRAVEL STYLE--PART III

HOW TO ENGAGE----TO MATTER----TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
1. Become an audience;
2. Throw a party;
3. Give something away.

This morning we're marching our way to "church"

We pause briefly at the entrance to LOW road --showing signs to various organizations----LOW's (Loners on Wheels) ----Karma Kitchen and down at the bottom--(tiny red and black checkerboard thing) Our sign WINs (Wandering Individuals Network) The second lady in line is the Famous "Trish" Who leads caravans to wild and wonderful places--Alaska sometimes.  She is worth a separate entry.  

But I digress---We're on our way here.  My Co-host Joanne has arranged a group interview of the Pastor about life at the Slabs.

And here we are---It was a Wowser.  From a summer low population of about 50 to a winter high of about 500.  Most surprising revelation: He speculates that many come here to die--older--broken--men mostly who just want to die anonymously and fade from sight (on the county's nickle)--not wishing to trouble their kids or relatives.

He introduces Dave---His assistant---and a Bible Scholar. Don't be misled by his appearance--he carries himself with dignity---speaks intelligently.  The interview went so well that Joann declared on the spot that we would throw a party for all our new friends.  The date was set. 

Oh how I love to crank things up----so when I heard about a diminutive, mysterious, individual living in the bushes with a friendly mule, I resolved to find and invite them.  Maybe they will come to the party.  I find the place easily and approach warily.

And surprisingly---am received warmly--invited to photograph.  It is a tiny girl/woman?--who tells me she has lived at the Slabs for years---then drove to Montana in search of a small Mule/companion/pet.

She lets me pet APPLEJACK.  I introduce myself. She tells me she is known as "LITTLEBIT" or HALFPINT .  I tell her about our party and ask if she will make a surprise entrance to thrill everyone.

She says "OK".

The group bicycles around this unique square mile looking for other interesting folks to invite. 

The Day of the party.  We prepare a pot luck for our guest.

They come---and eat---and talk with us. Our guitarist entertain. We sit down to eat,  I have told them to expect a special guest.  They wonder who.  And Then---And then---

"She" appears out of nowhere---like the hero in a western movie.  She pauses for full effect----Cameras click---I grin---Perfect!

I welcome her invite her to come and dine.

And she does--Ambling through the silent awe her presence inspires --her chaps rustle with each step--spurs jangle--the hunting knife on her belt commands respect.  She knows she is a quiet  sensation. I sit and eat with her ---just a bit atwitter--trying not to say silly things.  was surprised at her gentleness and openness.

Then I performed.  Hard to resist a friendly audience.  Quoted my signature poem "The Magic of Motion."

Then persuaded Lois---the preacher's wife--to sing for us--a very touching moment for us all.  We learned that she has no friends in the conventional sense---her role as pastors wife isolates her.  But we gave her a golden moment---with applause and request for an encore.  She beamed with satisfaction and sang another----that she had written---about life at the slabs.  

Then Joann sprang our big surprise for the Preacher and his wife----presenting them with a few hundred dollars worth of food we purchased for them in town.  They promptly gave it away to needy families the next day.  What a great afternoon!

And to make good on my promise ---here's the famous walking cane that put really good shoes on a family of seven.  (good story---hope to tell it next time when I wrap up our Slabs experiment)

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  Goal accomplished---We abandoned the spectator role---diving (carefully but clearly) into the lives of those around us.  The experiment went eeriely well---in this most challenging environment.  So satisfying--that I may just abandon bystander journalism altogether.  I want to get personal with everyone in my orbit.  (unless my "radar" beeps)

Already it's affected my approach to the guy living in a (literal) house of sticks. (an upcoming story)

Why Web OS Really Failed, and What it Means for the Rest of Us

The New York Times has an interesting article this week explaining why HP's adventure with Palm failed.  The latest explanation is that Web OS just wasn't ready for prime time, according to Paul Mercer, who was senior director of software at Palm (link).

Paul's an extremely bright software guy.  It's unusual for someone with his seniority to go on the record with criticisms of his former product, and I applaud him for it because it helps us all learn.  If Paul says Web OS was unready, I'm sure it was.  But respectfully, I don't think that's why Web OS failed. I think the company's business strategy was fundamentally flawed, in ways that would have almost certainly doomed Web OS no matter how it was built.

The point is important because other companies planning similar products might take away the wrong lesson from Palm's demise.  (For example, Information Week concludes that it's too hard for any startup to play in the mobile device market [link]; MIT Technology Review says the lesson is that you have to retain key employees [link].)  To explain what the right lesson is, I need to give you a little background on the dynamics of creating a new operating system.


New operating systems always suck

Sorry for my language, but sometimes it's best to be blunt.  An operating system is an incredibly complex piece of software, just about the most complex software you can write.  In the first version of an OS, the list of features you want to add is always much longer than what you can implement, there are always bugs you can't find, and performance is always a problem.  What's worse, there is a built-in tension between those three problems -- the more features you add, the more bugs you create.  The more time you spend fixing bugs, the less time you have to improve performance.  And so on.  As a result, every new operating system, without exception, is an embarrassing set of compromises that frustrates its creators and does not deliver on the full promise of its vision. 

Remember these beauties?

--The original Macintosh can't create a word processing document longer than 10 pages.

--The original version of Windows can't display overlapping windows.

--The original iPhone doesn't allow third-party native apps, and lacks 3G and MMS support.

The operating systems that succeed are the ones that survive long enough for their big flaws to be fixed.  That happens if the OS's supporter has a deep, multi-version commitment to it (Windows) or if the OS does something else so compelling that customers are willing to buy it despite its flaws (graphics on the Mac).  Your chances are best if you have both patience and differentiation.


Palm's problem: Lack of a compelling advantage

The Palm Pre and HP TouchPad had neither advantage.  Palm was not rich enough and HP was not patient enough to keep investing after the first versions showed a lot of flaws.  And more importantly, there was nothing compelling enough about either product to make people buy it despite those flaws.

Think about it, what was the one special thing Web OS devices could do that absolutely compelled you to go out and buy them?  And don't say "multitasking;" I'm talking about a genuine, easily explained benefit that would appeal to normal people, not technophiles.

I wrote about this problem back in 2010 when the Palm put itself up for sale (link).  To recap: you don't run TV ads featuring a Borg hive queen if you have something compelling to say about your product (link).

Hi, I'm here because the ad agency couldn't figure out anything concrete to say

Contrast those ads to Apple's current iPhone ads in the US, which are basically a 30-second demo of Siri (link).


The original Palm OS succeeded because it made a great appliance for managing your calendar and address book.  That jump-started the market, and all the additional stuff empowered by the OS came later.

iPhone succeeded, in my opinion, because it was the first device to make PC-style browsing work well on a smartphone.  That killer feature bought Apple the time and market credibility it needed to enable native apps, fix the phone's problems, and add a raft of additional features that fleshed out the product vision.

Android succeeded (in part) because Apple stupidly left a void in the marketplace that Google could fill.  In the wake of Steve Jobs' death, there has been a lot of well-deserved praise online for the brilliant decisions he made.  But I think one of Steve's biggest mistakes ever was the decision to wed Apple exclusively to AT&T in the US for multiple years.  That forced Verizon to find an iPhone competitor and market it aggressively.  Verizon's choices were Windows Mobile (unpopular with customers, and a vendor with a history of shafting its partners), Nokia/Symbian (unpopular in the US, and a vendor with a history of shafting operators), or Google (sexy web brand, believed at the time to be open and non-controlling).  People outside the US don't realize this, but in the US Verizon was the main marketing muscle behind the success of Android.  It forced the product into the market and kept pushing for a long time, giving Google the time it needed to improve Android and get it past the crucial first release.

The Pre and TouchPad had no patient sugar daddy.  And they had no breakthrough feature that would compel people to buy the first versions despite their inevitable flaws.  I think Palm's product strategy was broken, and so Web OS was probably doomed no matter how well it was implemented.


The lesson: Who's your daddy, and what's your killer feature?

Two companies are working on new mobile platforms scheduled to ship in 2012:  Nokia's next-generation Windows phones, and RIM's BlackBerry 10.  In both cases, the press has been focusing on their development schedules.  The schedules are very important, of course.  But the real questions to ask are:

1. Do they have the financial backing to complete versions 2 and 3, which will be needed to fix the inevitable flaws in version 1? and

2. Will the products do anything unique and compelling that will cause at least some customers to prefer them even if they have other drawbacks?

I think Nokia can probably say yes to question 1; RIM is in doubt.  And as far as I can tell, neither vendor has even started to address question 2.  If they don't, in a year or two we'll probably be doing more post-mortems.