Fruit from a poisoned tree; a look at employee turnover and how leadership contributes.

"There are seven things that will destroy us: Wealth without work; Pleasure without conscience; Knowledge without character; Religion without sacrifice; Politics without principle; Science without humanity; Business without ethics." - Gandhi

Once thing that I have learned is that what is bad at one company is good at another. By the same token once you get to the new company you find out that they have issues that were worse than the previous company just in different areas. This is often found out after the fact. Business technology companies often have tremendous turnover, I can attest that I have seen many heads come through the doors to do nothing but turn around and go home. A sales team of 5 will see 3 new faces by the end of the year and those may change out every 8 to 18 months. There is no loyalty from either employers or employees; what we have is an ever intensifying battle to pressure people to produce more for less or be replaced.

When I was at Minolta I felt like I was part of a local team and that team was part of the greater group that was part of the greater good. We were shunned to own anything but a Minolta camera, and at events no one would ever dare be seen with a Canon or Nikon. We were loyal to the products that our company produced even if they were in different divisions than we personally worked in. I worked in the office equipment division, and was part of the equipment sales group. This feeling of belonging allowed us to bare the intense pressure and competitiveness that is found in office equipment sales. When Konica and Minolta merged there was still this feeling albeit not as strong. The leader at the time Jun Haraguchi was very dynamic and was a leader among the men. After the merge he went to each branch office and made himself available. This type of exposure brought a lot of loyalty in tough times.

In contrast I have been at IKON for almost 2 years now and very few leaders inside the organization know me other than the ones that I have been bold enough to force myself on. I have watched top leaders show up, walk across the sales pit to the corner office, stay 45 minutes and leave just as quickly as they came. Most never knew that one of their greatest leaders had come and gone. In fact what you find in many organizations this size is a fear to reach up or to open up communication to those that we report to. In fear we do not want anyone with a relationship with anyone higher than ourselves. And when new information is presented we want to be the one to present it. One of the sad things that I have seen over the last 6 years is the great talent that has come and gone due to the lack of care from management.

Everyone is replaceable. That is the code by which we all live by. And from what I have seen this is a fallacy. This is what desperate leadership says when they have no other way to issue control to an unruly crowd. The fact is that not everyone is replaceable and in fact you do not want to have to replace people they are the lifeblood or currency of the business. People own the relationships that bring the business; what IKON has proven is that companies buy from people not brands. What IKON doesn't understand is that it is much more costly to pay someone to recreate the relationship than it is to just treat people with dignity and respect the first time. I guess they figure to do that might be taken as weakness rather than as strength. The cost to hire someone can be amazing both from a hard cost; ads, recruiters etc and from soft costs; personnel time during interviews and the on boarding process, not the mention the loss of productivity during the vacancy and during the ramp up period. So why does the leadership of companies not take a closer look at their turn over and seek to find out why employees leave their company? Do they just figure if you left then they didn't want you anyway?

10 Ways to Send Them Off!

1. Salespeople don't leave companies they leave their management – The pressure on top salespeople is tremendous and they must feel that they are in a stable environment. Sales people leave companies when they cannot trust their leadership. Salespeople must be able to identify with the vision of the company and the cadence of the leadership that is in front of them. Good local leadership determines the longevity of the employee.
   
2. Work/Life balance is nonexistent – When people are out of balance they burn out and become overloaded. People do not stick with a job that constantly pressures them over the edge.
   
3. Compensation / Assignments Change frequently – 2 cardinal sins for any employer is to make changes to compensation or territory assignments. No one wants to feel like they will not get the benefit of their hard work. Long term people work harder if they feel that they will be in the assigned areas and that they will be compensated as they were expecting. There is nothing worse than having to fight for your commissions. Companies should avoid the pitfalls of saving a few dollars by creating complicated compensation plans and focus on what will it take to be successful by helping employees "sell through tough times."
   
4. No emotional connection points – People do not work for a "concept." People work for people and work harder if they have a connection or feeling of commitment or obligation. Emotional ties can get top sales people through tough times. Without a solid connection salespeople will look for "greener pastures."
   
5. Lack of development – No one wants to feel like they have nowhere to go. And we all want to feel like we are progressing and will "get to the promised land" eventually.
   
6. The feeling of insignificance – Lack of recognition for a "deal well done" is another sure fire way to run off your best employees. Recognition is very important in the world of sales, and typically sales people love to be recognized by their superiors and peers.
   
7. Being unable to get along with co-workers – Having someone that is unbearable or that doesn't fit into the team's culture is a deal killer for sure. No one is so good that they should be allowed to take down their peers.
   
8. Being unable to get along with their boss – This is an age old problem and speaks to poor leadership. A good leadership should set a positive culture and maintain the office integrity.
   
9. Politics overtakes the office – Especially during the increasing pressure of our economic times we find that everyone feels insecure. Offices start allowing "self propaganda," either to stave off would be job takers or to ensure our position within the organization. Most people do want to have to perfect being "fake," so providing a "politick free zone" will help your employees focus on what is important!
   
10. Lack of respect and integrity – Everyone wants to be respected both for their individuality and for their contribution to the organization. An individual, office or organization cannot prosper long term without a strong sense of integrity.
    

Executive sales positions are very demanding and the local leadership of an organization has a responsibility to make their employees feel secure. Security comes from having ones needs met. Abraham Maslow was one of the first to look at these phenomena. "Maslow was an American psychologist; he has been most recognized for his concept of a hierarchy of human needs. He was really the leader of humanistic psychology, he was one of the first to look at what constituted positive mental health. Most of his predecessors were focused on the abnormal or ill." ¹

Within the layers of the pyramid we find areas of need. A person's job can touch many of these areas and can be a part of someone's life that brings great rewards or can be what brings you to your destruction. The leadership team of an organization is what sets the pace for a great work environment or a total disaster. A great leader with only marginally talented people can always greatly out perform a poor leader with great talent. A good leadership team is what makes a group, whether it is a local sales team, an area branch or an entire group. Each level has leaders that are responsible for the culture and the success of the group is dependent on them. Far too often companies allow leadership to just "push out" employees thinking that "if we had the right people" instead of identifying what the root causes are for the group's lack of performance. Very rarely do leaders look at themselves as the reason for their group's failures. And from an organizational standpoint executive leadership all too often allows managers and local leaders to "blur the lines" between what is good business and what is bad.

This blurring is the death of any group. Especially in sales; the short term successes from this blurring does nothing but make salespeople lose respect for their managers, teammates and company. The deals that are won by this short changing of the process and the "blurring of lines" are what make companies appear sleazy and what earns the public's distrust. Mid level and executive managers and leadership sometimes fall into the trap of not promoting the altruistic vision of an organization and enforcing the rules so that the employees can feel secure that they are not going to get caught in this blurring. Sales people know that if they will blur the lines to win a deal they have no problem doing the same to dislodge you. You are only valuable when you are producing and any deviation could cause your loss of employment. Managers offer up their wins and star performers to leadership as proof of their success when really all they are offering is fruit from a poisoned tree.

This poison if left unaided is what can kill the team, branch or organization. The problem is all too often a leader will offer up these false offerings of success to move forward knowing that what he/she is leaving will be a mess for the next leader that replaces him/her. Many have tried to disprove Maslow's theory but only because it was presented as an absolute, no one would disagree that there is a hierarchy of needs and that we all share many of those needs although it would also be true that our needs may vary from person to person and that one level may be higher on one person's list than another. I would propose that there is also a hierarchy of needs within a sales organization by salespeople and that those needs are all very similar.

Fruit of the poisonous tree is a legal metaphor and I think it is fair to use in reference to a company's leadership. If the leaders are poisonous then any of the fruit of their work should be considered poisoned as well. What seems to be accepted in today's troubled times is that companies are willing to compromise themselves by hiring "snake oil salesman" in an attempt to attain short term success. I do not believe that anything good can come from a company that is willing to compromise their integrity just to gain some sales in the short term. Customers gathered from the orders of such poisonous leaders cannot be maintained long term nor can the salespeople that are brought up under such leadership be successful long term.

Companies that ignore the salesperson's hierarchy of needs are going to not see stability in their workforce because ultimately what you compromise to keep you lose! Just some opinions from a pirate that is getting older and wiser…

Pirate Mike…

¹http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bhmasl.html

Trusted Advisor, the highest level that a salesperson can achieve…

In sales we are always looking for the ultimate sale. For our ship to come in, the mother load of all orders! I would question that supposition with another idea. I think that there are levels or depths that we can achieve in our relationship status that can better serve us long term. These levels or "bridges" if you will (yes I read "how to win friends and influence people" lol about 20+ years ago) bring us to places in our relationship with a client that ultimately will earn us not only the right to do business, but also the right to take the order of all times. There are quite a few levels that a sales person can go through and many exits to the hierarchy. If you progress up the ladder you eventually end up in a new place as the trusted advisor. This cannot be bought you can give all of the good deals you want. You can lose money on their business but until you start speaking the truth and performing your word you will never be in the position to take the "great order."

Here are the levels as I understand them to be:

Of no consequence – This is the first time you walk in; no one pays you any attention as they never believe that they will see you again.

Scum bag – This is the next level as they identify you as the dreaded "salesman"

Nuisance – this is the one that causes most salespeople the most trouble. This is where they recognize you when you call or walk in and do not want to talk to you as they have told you a hundred times, "we are not in the market." Or "we don't need anything." This is where call reluctance really sets in as you know who they are and you really don't want to be confronted.

Opportunist – This is your break. This is where they say anything that sounds like a buying signal no matter how remote.

Deal Maker – This is the level where you make all kinds of promises, get on your knees and beg for the order. You strip out any GP you had in the deal and promise that you can move the moon if they just will sign the order today!

Deliverer of the Promise – This is the second place most reps fall down. They fall for your persistence and now they believe all of your lies, I mean promises. This is where the rubber meets the road for most people. Do you do the work and become believable or do you just give up cash the check and walk on down the road to the next sucker.

Consultant – Ok you have passed the initial test now they call you for what tie to wear but you still haven't signed the "ultimate deal."

Trusted Advisor – At this level you are called in for every major decision. Now you just have to live long enough to see the big deal come through. If you walk through these levels with everyone you increase your change on standing next to the next big winner.

Personal Friend – This is the fringe benefit of being accountable for your words and living by the "code."

Most of our time is spent in the first 3 to 4 levels. Then only about 20% of our time is at deal maker to deliverer. It is the 1% that stay in the "Trusted Advisor" stage or ever get there. These are the relationships that we all fight over. These are the ones that you call and call and call just hoping that they read your email or return your call.

Remember everyone has someone at all of these levels. Every day that you do NOT call someone is getting closer to being the new "Trusted Advisor." This is a hard position to be de-thrown from so stay the course and make good on everything you say. I was once told: "It is better to over deliver than to over promise." Set the expectations properly and mean and do what you say!

Happy Hunting,

Pirate Mike…

A disturbance in the force; reconciling our philosophical and business agendas during these difficult times.

Like all companies our leadership has business objectives that we are held accountable to. We are graded at every interval imaginable; daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly. Over our career we are graded on how well we over achieve the objectives that are handed to us. No one cares about the economic climate, the stability of the environment how strong the credit market is or how much or little corporate leadership is going to invest into their infrastructure over a given time period. Really all they care about is did you meet your objectives and overachieve! Life is about revolving and ever growing budgets and making and meeting commitments.

At the end of the day I personally do not believe that anyone really cares if the “Solution” you provided company XYZ really worked or benefited them if all of the corporate objectives have been met appropriately. Now I may be wrong and I’m sure somewhere somebody will write to me and correct me. “Pirate, we are going to give you amnesty for your budget because you create the most successful business strategies and help so many people.” Well your right I probably won’t ever hear that from anyone above me. What I probably will hear is something like this, “Michael, the company is suffering along with everyone else in this tremulous time and we would like you to accept our offer of a 15% salary decrease and a 25% budget increase. You know that we are all being asked to do more with less.” This is probably a lot closer to the truth then the other.

So within the same organization we have different business groups or units and with them come different and varied objectives. One group may be focused on maximizing our return on Service and Maintenance. Another group may be focused on generating revenue in a particular area of competency like facilities management, production equipment, office equipment, printer fleet management, software solutions etc. So the question then becomes how do we “all just get along.” Well that is the question, how do managed services coexist with equipment sales division? Does the equipment sales division exist to provide hardware based solutions to the “solution wizards” in managed services? Surely the people in equipment sales are incapable of seeing the bigger picture and what is important in the overall solution. Or is it? If you are owned by a manufacturer what is more important, to keep assembly lines moving, keep their cost of manufacturing as low as possible by placing as much gear as possible or do they go with a more altruistic approach and maximize their profitability by increasing the wallet share of a particular client regardless of how little equipment is placed?

So what came first the Printer or Managed Print Services Rep?

And in every opportunity who should sacrifice their business objectives? What are the organizational goals as they are related to individual objectives? Is it greedy to want to stay off of the unemployment line? Is it rude to want to meet our individual budgets? Should we always sacrifice for the greater good of someone else’s success? When does a “good solution” become a “great solution” and when does a tomāto turn into a tomäto? And who is to say that there is not more than one path to the Promised Land? Retooling the departments in an organization and centralizing certain functions can be just as effective as outsourcing a handful of key functions to a third party!

The problem exists as we do not work independently. Managed business services many times may not have the technical background to truly create complex hardware based solutions. In fact it is not ever in my experience even desirable to have a business services rep know all of the bits and bytes of the hardware. They are the “big thinkers.” They leave that to us lowly hardware reps to push the buttons that make “their” brilliant solution work. As we see companies migrate to greater levels of automation their need for highly sophisticated solutions goes beyond what a typical manufacturer’s business services salesperson wants to memorize. As applications drive these complex solutions because of a companies need to “do more with less” we find that hardware reps are being positioned as “technicians or analysts with personalities.” I constantly am faced with the perception that I know nothing but facts. I have to convince my area leadership on a regular basis that I can create a compelling argument and win others over to that argument on a mutually acceptable time frame.

Every day I go to work and curse the day that I picked up the manual and learned how to network a copier or setup scan to email instead of just leave it for the technician that surely was going to show up when my client needed him to. Now I am the great “nerd with a smile.” I am used as an encyclopedia of all things printing. If I really wanted to live on 80 to 120 grand a year I would have graduated college and became an engineer. Instead I moved myself toward strategic sales only to find out that eventually I would be pigeon holed to be the guy to someone else’s “bad solution work.” In my humble experience “managed services” comes from the perspective that with their own “trained operators” they can do more with less so they are notoriously under equipped with the technology piece of their mantra “people, processes and technology.” “Big Thinkers” are also paid on the services that they sell not the hardware and software that go along with the overall solution. Because at the end of the day the technology piece is what costs the most and ruins the gross margin component of the puzzle it is also the first to be compromised. It is also the part that decision makers can quantify and everyone wants to see you “do more with less.” And because more and more companies are asking their vendors to take the hardware risk; manufacturers do not want to invest in placing new gear when it is not really sales treatable. No one wants to create “used gear” when they know they are going to have to carry it on the books and sell it later when all the useable life has been squeezed out of it.

What they do instead is use “off lease” gear which has a zero cost on the books, and assign a cost to keep margins inline with paying managed services reps and as part of the justification to the business owners on why the cost of their solution is what it is. Can you really save someone so much money that you can use the greatest that technology has to offer and still save them 30% on their current spend? Sure if there processes are so broken that they need to trash them and start over. Now does this happen, yes unfortunately many companies grow so fast or stick to their competency so closely that they do not take time to look at their business processes and keep them streamlined. For example a research firm may invent great chemicals but have a poor process of piling their documents in a corner in boxes. But for the most part today’s companies are hiring professional buyers and using ISO standards for typical business processes.

So what suffers? From what I have seen when you bring the entire elephant into the room typically most companies can not afford to eat it all at once. The overall picture becomes menacing. Sure we can implement a complex solution in stages but it still becomes overwhelming even too many “C” level executives when they now are facing large layoffs, financial cutbacks, compensation freezes, import/export restrictions, legislation, environmental initiatives, hostile takeovers, and technological obsolescence. With so much “noise” in the air it is many times hard to hear the important conversations that are directed to us.

These obstacles along with huge egos that the “big thinkers” carry with them can make such undertakings miserable for a hardware specialist. We diligently work to please the “big thinkers” but in the end tight budgets and anorexic timelines along with the normal pushback and reservation of key information from a client will allow something to happen and surely something will not work due to lack of discovery and it will fall on our heads.

Plus they would love us to be their “eyes and ears” but what is good for the “big thinker” is not necessarily good for a hardware specialist. Especially when their ultimate solution doesn’t involve hardware! In hardware we talk about efficiency, automation and cip4/jdf compliancy; we do not talk about “adding headcount,” and creating more hand work. In the “Big Thinkers” mind putting someone in the place of equipment that can fail is a good solution, where we feel that hardware is more reliable and less prone to “human error.” In hardware we trust, for each machine we place we save companies from under performance, workman’s comp, and manpower gaps over vacations, and sick leave. 

We look at having your own hardware as a solution to sending the work out and buying it back at 30% uplift, we feel the same way about people. Why send them out when all you are going to do is pay someone else a 30% uplift to not have to deal with them. Strengthen your process, put the right people in place and rely on hardware automation and technology refreshes to empower your people with the tools to accomplish more with less for less! 

Now that is a bit of an exaggeration but it underlies the foundational problem that I see with “team selling,” when each member has different objectives or when the meeting of one members objectives becomes a liability for another’s on the team. I am constantly asked to work with people that have different motivations and when one wins the other loses. What kind of “team” is that? The only way a “Team Sell” can work is when the objectives of the team are common. You can not ask someone to work on a project that will eventually turn out to be a non commissionable event. Why would I waste my time doing a study to hand over my findings and relationships over to someone else just to be pushed out of the deal?

Everyone must profit from a group project! Solutions must be designed to achieve corporate objectives and satisfy the client’s short term and long term needs. Anytime key players are pitted against others in the team to compete for compensation the entire project is compromised and the client suffers as no one can give their best when they have lost the financial incentive to keep focused. Sure there are many reasons to outsource and I believe in keeping to your core competencies, but handing off a department or important key function is not something to take lightly. It is dangerous at best and even worse if the consultants brought aboard are not in sync.

A long time ago I was simply a street walker and answered to myself. A day’s work brought a days pay, and I didn’t have any competitive forces to worry about but the enemy outside the organization. Now all too often I overtake the enemy outside only to be beaten by someone on my own team. Now the dance is more delicate and dangerous. Not only am I competing for larger projects and bigger cash prizes but I am also striving to maintain my competitive advantage and edge both inside and outside the organization. What ever happen to the days of walking down the street asking people, “want to buy a copier?”

Pirate Mike…

I have decided to add some of my blogs from the "Digital Printing and the Pirates that it" Blog since most of the viewers seem to like both the personal and professional blogs that are on this site.

Our Master’s Prayer

Our Father which art in Tokyo,

Ricoh be thy name,

Thy kingdom come,Thy will be done in the US, as it is in Japan.

Give us this day our pulverized toner.

And forgive us for our lack of prospecting; as we forgive our slave drivers, I mean sales managers for their whippings.

And lead us not into whoreishness,but deliver us from our competitors!

For thine is the C900,and the tight registration, and the true rated speed,forever and ever or at least to the midpoint in the lease.

Amen
Pirate Mike

Obviously just for fun, so don't get bent out of shape over it...

Scary Times – Ricoh the one world leader succumbs to bad economy and is vulnerable like everyone else…

Now this is just hearsay, but I was just told that Ricoh is making employees take a week furlough without pay and has started lying off employees. This is a very similar situation that I am seeing across the boat I mean board with companies in our industry. From Konica Minolta's huge layoffs right after Xerox and Kodak cut roughly 20% of their global workforce. I'm sure it is not a shock to see HP step back and act cautious in new hires and expansion. Now with Canon in complete desperation to see them partner up with HP is almost funny. These types of partnerships are not uncommon in our industry, good bedfellows they make as they both struggle to assert their once top tier status. With Oce bleeding profusely to now even Ricoh showing their humanity we see salary's decreasing, employee benefits being cut or disappearing all together to sheer headcount reductions in almost every company.

IKON has even make changes and cutbacks in our company 401K matching program. The one thing I will say is that we are still expanding headcount and retooling our demo facilities and go to market strategy. We have not given up that we can be successful in such trying economic times. "Be Bullish In Production" our RVP says religiously. IKON is very bullish in times when even the greats are cowering. In fact we seem to have put on the war paint and run into the streets to meet our enemy head on. We continue the fight regardless of the naysayers.

I am getting nervous to see our "big brother" have such 'noise' coming from their employees. I knew many that went from Konica Minolta and others to over to RBS when they were the best looking for longevity; now what were long term stable employees they too are making the great pilgrimage to look for "gainful employment."

With everyone having such a knee jerk reaction it makes me wonder what is coming next. From everything I am seeing it appears that IKON is coming out on top and in a strong position to negotiate with the Ricoh first born. It would not surprise me to find that IKON becomes the "chosen one" and the pony picked to win this next horse race. I look forward to hearing the stories from my readers as I'm sure that many will find even uttering such a thing blasphemous.

If you have a Ricoh layoff story or more "inside information" I would love to hear. As for Pirate Mike I think we will see the true colors of Ricoh's intentions by April 1^st 2010! Maybe I'm wrong but hide and watch as Ricoh retools their organization to come out fighting strong in the next fiscal.

Also be looking for the new Ricoh Pro C901 ( or whatever they will call it ) This new machine of destruction will be a great advancement of the C900 of today with no fuser oil, basing its strengths on a newly formulated polymerized toner? that will bring digital quality to new heights. If I had to guess with the speed at which they are developing products I would guess mid spring or early summer. With all of the great advancements of the Aegis product you can be sure that Ricoh is looking to show the world that "Ricoh knows production." Or at least the new horse they ride IKON>

What Ricoh knows is how to buy the best technology and engineers and then follow that up with a great distribution model which they did too buy. The IKON acquisition will show that their multibillion dollar purchase was not in vain but truly put them on the map in a way that they never could have done before the acquisition.

Ricoh is slowly learning the power of the weapon that she bought. But being able to wield this new weapon of destruction is yet another story. IKON is not an easy horse to ride, and this ride is surely to get very edgy in the short term as things build and the economy continues to falter. This is an "E" Ticket for sure!

As we get into 2010 I'm sure there are more cuts, layoffs, and changes to come. All we can ask is in the end that we are paid to the champions of the day. I for one cannot complain too bad as I have had record months and a record year! I am sitting somewhere around 120% of my budget with almost 400% of my yearly units. The Ricoh Pro 550EX, 700EX and the infamous C900 have taken me to the Promised Land!

Even in bad times the pirate of Lewisville Lake is showing that it can be done with no food or water and just on new business acquisition alone!

Happy Hunting,

Put the battle axe down one more time…

There are days that we wake up and just feel good. I love that total feeling of satisfaction. It is funny when you realize that it doesn't come from a particular act or outcome. It is from being at peace with yourself and right with the world. We can be satisfied on many levels, but it is rare to just be at peace with everything. There is usually some area of our life that we are "at war" with.

I work in outside sales in an industry that is hyper competitive and even at times a bit ruthless. I find that many days I am at war with myself, my manager, my reps, my competition, my clients and my prospects. At any given moment I can go from calm to battle ready. Whether fighting to resolve a customer issue or battle an internal fight protecting my turf. Over the last 5-6 years I have seen a lot of events that many times make me shake my head. I think that is where the anxiety came from. I never used to be anxious. This business has brought me to a place that really I would have rather avoided. The anxiety has shown me how frail we really are. It has also shown me how powerful our mind is. My job has made me acutely aware of how important it is to have strong emotional control.

In all of this "warring" we find ourselves in brief moments where everyone seems to put down their weapons and paused for a fleeting second. In those times when we are not wielding the battle axe we realize how precious these times are and how we would like to "stay in the moment." In Dallas it seems like the moments when the world just stops are far and few between. They are very powerful though, many times fueling us for months on end. Just like wood for a fire or gasoline to a car, they are the substance that gets us to our next destination. This contentment is spoken of in every religion and in every tongue and even spelled out in the nature clearly for everyone to witness.

Nature is the silent revealer of the truth. Just like a jury makes a declaration of guilt, nature convicts us of the truth which has been set before us. All one has to do is stop even if for a moment and really listen. Our senses reveal the truth that we already know in our hearts. It is interesting how each faith puts emphasis on being content and describes the process. What I do know is that when it happens; when the world stops even for a second you will know.

It is like the rush that an addict chases, we are all seeing satisfaction. We seek it on every level in each area of our lives. Once experienced you will never forget it; peace the solitary thought that resides with no other. When the mind is cleared of everything, when the battle axe is put down only then can you experience peace. Contentment is place that you can physically visit. Once you are there the only thought left is to stay there and the only goal becomes not drifting back. To be content is to be free of needs, wants or anxiety; contentment is the fuel for the engine of peace. Within peace we find the truths explained about the things that we experience in nature. Nature is a reflection of the creator, a mirror of his spirit and the product of his own hands. As we a molded creature of clay, formed by the work on the great potter's wheel. From dust we began and to dust we shall return.

Life moves so fast that we many times lose sight of anything important. As we get older we give up on learning, we do not impart our virtues that we believe in to others. I try to experience something new every day; feel a strong emotion every day; give of myself every day; believe something every day; use all of my senses to explain my surroundings. I hope that my battles in Dallas will eventually allow me to fall back from the front lines and become a observer of the insanity that is now our global community.

Today I will put the battle axe down just for a moment… and exhale…

Pirate Mike.

"As the sun rises from the depths of the water so to our hopes, dreams and aspirations are renewed; as the sun heads back to its watery grave so do our fears subside as we know with a new day comes new beginnings. Our failures have not chained us to our weaknesses but revealed them to ourselves so that can be overcome. Our strengths have been magnified to carry us through our failures to new heights."

Lake Idiots; just add alcohol…

When I think about the lake I think of fond memories that remind me of some of the greatest times with my friends. So what is it about the water that looks so easy to let people let go of their minds? When you drive a car you know that there are rules of the road. When you walk across the street you know to look both ways. When you enter someone else's home you know to wipe your feet. But the minute you step foot on a boat you lose your mind?

People have water dumbness. I am not blaming the alcohol either I drink plenty on the water, but my 35+ years of water memories all bring up visions of being careful, attentive, courteous, and polite. First of all I am a strong supporter of a "boating license." I myself am working on a 100 ton Master Captain's license, (of which I probably will never use commercially) so I believe in education and preparedness. I also think that law enforcement focuses on the wrong things. When you drive in a manner that could get someone hurt they have Negligent Driving, Reckless Driving, and Reckless Endangerment they have all kinds of fines to choose from to help modify stupid behavior. It seems like on the water they do not have anything to choose from but BWI (Boating While Intoxicated) or that is all they are educated on.

They do not seem to ever watch the traffic ways that are the busiest. They never just stop someone over to educate them, but just to harass them and see if they are drunk. I think that we really do ourselves a disservice by not putting the cops on the lakes in North Texas through more marine education. I have witnessed them put the people they are pulling over in danger and the boats that are anchored and the skippers that own them that are drunk in danger. The law enforcement on the water needs to be the best of the best, and need to be held to a higher standard than regular police. These officers are working with a 3 dimensional mode of transportation and you can not simply "pull over" and take everyone out of danger.

I do not see this as self evident, year after year I see the same officers doing the same things. Why is there not a better 'eye in the sky' to help them? Why do we live on the most dangerous lake in the state and with the most accidents and have the least amount of support and concern? Why does the Army Corp of Engineers not take more pride to mark the lake and keep it safe for navigation? There are little to no markings on the lake and they are done by private individuals. We need more money and better support from the Corp and from local law enforcement. They say that recreation is 3^rd or 4^th on their list. We are the ones that gave them that list 30-40 years ago. We are the ones that tell them what is important; we need to remind them that we are the reason for their existence and that our priorities on this lake have changed.

I wish that the large contingent of the population that receives enjoyment from safe and sane boating on Lake Lewisville and the many other Corp. lakes in the North Texas area would unite and let them know that we care about our families safety and make the simple changes that are needed so that everyone could enjoy the lake without worrying about becoming a fatality!

I do not know why we are 20 years behind the needs of the people but with the hundreds of thousands of people that enjoy our local lakes I think that safe recreation should be a paramount importance for local law enforcement, or they should close the lakes to everyone. There should not be a acceptable death rate on local lakes. It is not acceptable the way they are being secured, maintained and monitored. We would pay for a better recreational system and there are many ways to fund it so that we can all enjoy the lakes without fear or harassment (which is the alternative that is being employed). Make it miserable to party on the lake and you will run them off. (poor management of our resources)

I think we need to turn to better information/charts/markings and navigation buoys, better education for the lake goers and supporting cast (marina operators, law enforcement, coast guard auxiliary) and more support from the Corp on those that want to do business on or near the lake to attract the type of recreation that allows for lake goers to have a good time without sacrificing the other needs of the lake (water shed, erosion control etc)

Just thoughts from a crazy old pirate,

To Live and Love...

Life is like an ocean, it changes direction many times over its course. The ocean is a living and breathing body and the water is it's blood and the land masses it's arteries and veins. Love is like the current of the ocean it is not life but it is what pushes and drives us to get to our destination. The currents of the ocean take the water that brings life to every area of the planet. So to love brings to us all the nourishment that we need to be sustained. Without the currents the coral and reefs would die, and so the chain of life would wither with it. Without love as the driving passion of our being we too would die just as a baby without human touch.

The wind works with and sometimes against the currents to help with the spreading of the water over the planet. So to are our actions as they spread the truth of our heart to those that watch us. Our actions just like the wind sometimes go against what we profess. In the end we are known for our actions not our words, and just like the winds that cross the oceans they too are named for the direction that they go. Just as the wind stirs up the sea, so to our actions stir up the imaginings of the hearts around us. The winds do not carry the burden of responsibility on their own, nor do our actions as the responsibility lies in our hearts and minds.

The continents of the world create the road map for the oceans to follow like a mountain guide in a state park. The land masses create the environment that the water flows to and from. Just as our mind sets the stage that will allow our love to either leave or be locked up within our body and our soul. Bays, Channels and Seas all different formations of land that give each area of the world a distinct pathway for the current to push the water to each creature bringing life and life more abundantly. Just as the circumstances and events that mold our lives and give us the uniqueness of character to impact others and bring to them what they need.

Great sailing ships that brave the open oceans alone without fear, are much like the vessel of our heart that carries our love to the ends of the Earth. Just as the sailing ships can go against the wind, currents and tide, so to can our heart take us to places that we never dreamed. Even as the ships brave the weather and elements so to our hearts the fear of rejection and betrayal. Even as pirates are a feared encounter on the water so to is the event of true love feared by all those that have traveled those waters before.

For as we travel and give of ourselves, just as pirates someone we have loved has taken from us. But in the midst of the battle, swords drawn as the sound of steel pierces the distance, we must rejoice as our soul cries for freedom. Just as our heart has 2 sides that beat as one, so too is another soul that searches even as we speak. They too are a wandering spirit seeking a destiny that may not be apparent. And if ever you dare allow your ship to carry you across the currents of life, you will encounter that one that makes you whole. The one wanderer that brings nourishment to your spirit and sustenance to your soul is just around the bend.

Therefore strike out and fear not, as your heart speaks. Allow the current of your mind to take you away. Allow the body of your ship to take to the winds and allow yourself time to search far and near. Never allow the distance to bother you. Let the power of your love take you away from the tragedies that you have endured, and allow the newness of the day to take you to new places in your soul. Hide in those new places and you sail across the ocean. For one day you will come across another that completes you.

"The seas never stop, they come and go bringing to their inhabitants the substance of life, so is the tide of our life, people come and go and with them they bring the substance of life… don't ever give up on people, as you will have given up on your yourself…" – Pirate Mike (personal quote)

2009 Texoma Lakefest Regatta

(2009 Second Star Racing team consisted of: JD Hill, Susan Hill, Ben Gray, John Kleineberg, Michael (Pirate Mike) Brooks, Angela Haar, Harald TenWolde, Scott Spurlin)

Well I haven't been home for 24 hours and I am writing the chronicles of another great adventure. Texoma Lakefest (website) a long standing tradition in North Texas has been recognized as the largest inland charity sailing regatta in the nation. 2009 was no different and a tremendous amount of effort was put in by the races sponsoring yachtclub the Texoma Sailing Club (website)! 47 boats and close to 300+ competitors came to battle it out on one of Texas' biggest lakes. Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th largest Corps of Engineers (USACE) Lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District. ¹

4 days of fund raising for a great charity; the Make A Wish Foundation (website). Thursday is the Chaos Cup where the corporate sponsors get to try their hand at sailboat racing! Teams are sent out to have a great time and get a chance to meet the sailors that will for the next 3 days battle it out with the famous North Texas weather and the top rated competitors that come from around the nation to try their hand at getting their name engraved on the ever sought after silver cup. Thursday had overcast but fair weather as we saw great sailing from the cast of competitors. Almost event free Thursday did bring about one casualty when 2008 3^rd place competitor Nelda Ray snapped their mast to end their campaign for the silver cup.

From first time newbie's to Amercia's Cup sailors Texoma Lakefest brings them all together in the spirit of competition and love of the sport. Friday is the first day of competition and typically is full of emotion and excitement as the boats get launched and the competitors look over the scratch sheets to see whom they will be battling it out with. This year Friday brought lightning storms and while we all went out to the battle ground not one race was started. After the high winds and lightning got within masts reach the races were postponed and we were sent in to wait out the weather. By the time the weather was past us night had fallen. Over the Eastern sky one could see thermal lightning giving everyone a great fireworks display. Dinner was a great Texan tradition barbeque catered in from a great Fort Worth practitioner. (Riscky's Barbeque)
The night wouldn't have been complete without some great dancing to a live band and Captain J.D.'s Lavaritas! Saturday started off well as the dangerous weather had passed us and we were hoping to get out on the proving grounds and play hard! Rain started to fall as the winds had given way to glassy seas. With light to nonexistent winds we got off one race that became extremely tactical as we raced for what seemed like an eternity. The multi-hulls and the spinnaker boats got off the course in reasonable time but the working sail classes extended the race for about 3 hours till there was no more wind or light to race. Coming back to the marina everyone was joyous and in one piece all wanting more wind and a chance to compete. Saturday night Riscky's came up with a great meal of fajitas while the headliner band broke out with some winner tunes. Lavaritas (margaritas that come from a ten foot volcano) were flowing again as the mountain starting erupting as soon as the competitors landed. In sailor style competitors bid silently for all kinds of trinkets of all kinds and values from a nice massage to a Donzi boat. Dancing went on till everyone was satisfied. Everyone went to sleep early as they knew that the race starting times had been pushed up an hour early so we could get in enough races to satisfy the regatta.

Sunday was the day, sunny cold and windy. Wind started off easy 8-10 knots as everyone got suited up for the insanity. When we got out to the proving ground out in the exposed main body of the lake the winds quickly bumped up to 20 knots. Everyone suited up in full armor as we awaited the starting sequence. 3 races convened that opened everyone eyes to the dangers of sailboat racing. From the many near misses and close calls to gear breaks and collisions Sunday was full of "Lakefest" spirit. Lakefest is always a serious competitors concern as the weather is always a big factor; proved again Lake Texoma brought forth serious conditions for the competitors to overcome.

From Terra Nova getting hung up on the judge's boat to God Speed having a serious collision and boom breakage to fishing sailors out of the lake to the sad personal injury on Predator. It was a busy day indeed, and the weather came back to revel her serious side to us. To the family & crew of the injured sailor we send our best wishes. We await the verdict on the injured sailor but from some reports someone fell and possibly broke ribs and collapsed a lung. We pray that he heals fast and comes back to win more races. As the sailor lay on the deck in serious condition some of the last reported words from his mouth were, "Finish the race!" Predator did manage even with a DNC to finish in 2nd place for class #2. Congratulations to all the sailors that made that win possible! (Consequently Predator was in OUR fleet!)

All in all it was a typical Lakefest averaging about 15 knots from days at zero to days with gusts over 30. The official results will be posted on the Lakefest website
and on the Texoma Sailing Club's website.

I learned a lot and am grateful that we only had a few mishaps and no serious injuries. I am blessed to have met Scott and Harald two passing experienced sailors that graced us with their skill for this special journey. I look forward to our new J122 and learning how to use it as the weapon that it is. To everyone out there, fast sailing…

Pirate Mike.

"Sailing doesn't make a man but it reveals him to himself. His strengths, his weaknesses, his fears and his accomplishments. Sailing is a culmination of everything he knows, thinks, and feels. It brings all the senses together and like the rest of nature shows us how small we really are. Sailing puts things into perspective but yet allows us to be supernatural if even just for a moment." – Pirate Mike…

1 Reference pulled from Wikipedia at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Texoma

Sitting on the back of my boat...

Sitting on the back of my sailboat, watching the seagulls fight over scraps that have been thrown over by wayward sailors I sit and think about what am I going to do today. I look off the starboard bow and see 2 red eared slider turtles floating hoping lunch is served soon. A grey Haran stands by the edge of the bank waiting a baby perch to get a bit closer so that his belly can be full. I realize that I too am hungry.

Going down below I remove the companionway boards that have been fashioned out of acrylic. These boards are fashioned very similar to the way sailors have been making their boats for hundreds of years. The main difference is that these boards are not out of Teak, but an acrylic. My main complain with them is that they are cumbersome and see through. When down below visitor that pass by the transom of the boat can peer in and see what is going on inside of the cabin.

When I get the boards out of the way and I make my way down the 3 steps skipping the last 2. This little sailor skip I developed to not have to spend so much time getting down below. I'm sure I save at least a second or two and definitely risk my neck if I land wrong, but it seems so nautical or "boat like." When I land I reach into the cupboards and get out lunch. Bread, lots of it and a jar of peanut butter, and a spoon is all I need. Arriving topsides, I sit back down behind the helm and get my spoon. The great thing about a spoon is it can be used to spread the peanut butter and used to just scoop some out for quick consumption. After making my sandwich, I salute several passersby with a jovial ahoy, and go back to my sandwich.

Dock life is very formal in the most informal way. There is just a certain "code" that dock mates follow one of which is to always greet everyone, even if you do not like them. This code makes everyone appear extremely friendly. The root of this is that you want to be kind to everyone, as in an emergency all are your saviors. The code definitely follows you onto the water, and whenever someone is in need of assistance all grudges are off.

Behind me I hear the all too familiar swoosh of carp coming to the surface. Sometimes 3 maybe even 4 feet long these scavengers will eat anything. From dog food, to algae growing on the bottom of your sailboat, they will crunch or scrape it off with their bony tooth. They must have done a lot of crack as they only have a tooth. They will drag this tooth across the bottom of your boat and wake you up at all hours, day and night. Don't let a few of them get wind that your boat has not had its bottom job done in six months or you will find that they will all come to dine.

I finish my sandwich and realize that I haven't moved very far since breakfast. Being that it is a Saturday I really should follow my normal routine and clean, scrub and do boat maintenance so that I can head out. Today is different, no party cove, no scrub the boat till I'm worn out. Today is a different day. Today I am going to pretend is Sunday, and I think I will just sit here and watch the world turn. The sun has already made his pilgrimage out of the depths of the lake, and it is at "high noon." The clouds have taken the day off and are nowhere in sight. Summer is quickly approaching and so are the 100 degree days. Today is different it is a mean 75 degrees. No wind so don't bother thinking about going sailing, besides that is more of a Saturday activity and today is Sunday remember?

My boat rocks gently from side to side, as a fisherman pays no attention to my home as he heads off to find his hidden treasure beneath the dark and wrinkled folds of the lake. I excuse him as he is just a guest into my world and does not know how he is intruding. Most have no idea that the peace of the lake and my life on it, is intruded when a rouge wake comes to meet my hull. The hull pushes back, but eventually gives in to the power of the wake of water, and gives to the side gently. With nothing to fight back but a peanut butter spoon, I give up. I would raise the white flag but that would require me to dig into my locker and find the flag, and would require me to give up at lease one mouthful of peanut butter. This is a sacrifice that I cannot make. So without further ado I go back to my spoon.

I see more sailors coming toward me. "Permission to come aboard," I hear. "Permission granted," I exclaim. This is part of that formal informality that I was referring to. The couple boarding my boat have been aboard hundreds of times, and we are close friends, but the formality of requesting permission never ends.

They take perch in the cockpit in the same fashion as I. Laying back like they have nothing to do, but watch the turtles that are still hovering over their lunch. I inquire as to what they have on their list for the day. "Nothing," they exclaim proudly. "We are taking the day off, to just relax." "Ah this is the life," I think to myself, this is the epitome of dock life. "Well, would you like a sandwich?" I ask. "No, we just ate before we came over." "Well whatever should we do?" I asked inquisitively. "Let's drop the tender, and go over to the island and see if anything has washed up from the weekend." They replied.

Now there are a few islands on the lake, they have shores that face main channels of water that the "weekend power boaters" travel. One thing that sail boaters know is that when half naked and drunk power boaters cruise by is that they drop things into the water. Many of those things are quite valuable to real boaters. Life vests, (who would think those are important until the game warden comes by), fenders, coolers, and many other useful objects wash up and land upon the littered shores of the sandbanks and island shores. Now we could leave those items to waste or we could as good stewards of resources go and harvest them, as it were.

We idle over to a much larger boat that has a tender on davits. After lowering the 10" dinghy into the water and starting the little gas motor, we all board and head toward the islands as the fisherman did earlier looking for hidden or sometimes no so hidden treasure. Upon arrival we notice that people have been camping on the islands and left some useful items for us to harvest. After collecting 2 good ski vests, a cooler and 2 fenders we sit back and look at our bounty. Pleased with ourselves we break into the cooler and notice some still cold cans of our favorite beverage. Well 2pm it must be time for a beer I think to myself.

After wandering around I gather my things and we all get together and head back to the docks with our treasure. Upon arriving we look for those in need of the new items. I know that I already have too many life vests and fenders, but there is always someone that can use these items. This time I do not head back to my boat but grab a chair alongside the dock and start another luxurious conversation about nothing with some of my other dock mates that have appeared form the belly of their boat. They too are enjoying a sandwich and are just letting their eyes wander at the nature around them as I had earlier.

This is home... Someday I will do the same thing on the ocean. This is community this is my life, welcome to it....

Pirate Mike..

The seas never stop, they come and go bringing to their inhabitants the substance of life, so is the tide of our life's, people come and go and with them they bring the substance of life… don't ever give up on people, as you will have given up on your yourself… - Another original from Pirate Mike…

Leading Pirate style...

Leaders are created and not born just like salesman. Some have more of a propensity for greatness than others. Good leaders have many traits that we can admire and adopt for ourselves. I have had some awesome examples of leaders. I feel like I am very fortunate to have had and still have some great mentors at many different levels.

I believe that leadership can come in many forms, and can be very personal. I take leadership very seriously. I have a tendency to exhibit my individuality in my leadership style. I like to let others know that I am unique and enjoy sharing my passion. I like others to see this through my lifestyle and by the way that I act and react.

I like to extend my hand to those around me to identify myself as one that embraces their humanity. I like to celebrate people’s diversity and be a guiding factor to their success in the endeavors we engage in. I like to lead in little ways. I enjoy being the odd duck and am not afraid to be counted when there is a confrontation. I encourage disagreement and discussion. I do not want anyone to give me a pat answer, when I ask for their opinion I want it as honestly as they can deliver it.

I try to play devil’s advocate in most of my thought processes so allow myself to see both sides of an issue. I am very opinionated, but open minded enough to change my opinion when new facts are evident. I try to participate in the lives of those around me; I do not want to be seen lying around and failing to act. I make decisions quickly and react to my environment as thoughtfully as I can.

I lead by doing; when those that see me respect my thoughts and actions they have given me the greatest gift. I thrive on excellence and cannot stand it when I allow myself to settle. I make plans, plot my actions, hold myself accountable, measure my progress and reassess the situation as often as I can when in a project.

I will do what others will not. This is the key to my success. I will do want YOU will not, this is my advice to you. Look around and see what the masses are doing, then turn about face and go the other direction. As a pirate I tend to be a bit aggressive in my actions at times. Sometimes I do not ask permission. There are many days that I would rather draw a sword than a pen. Not that I forsake the pen, as that would be grossly inaccurate as well. But rather I am not shy to embrace the rule of the sword and understand and comfortable with the eventuality of my fate.

I put the war pain on every day and am grateful for my time that I have to sail and fight. I work in an environment where only the strong survive and where many a want a be warrior gets sacrificed. Over the last 4-5 years I have seen many a college graduate fail do to lack of leadership and lack of passion. You must live with passion and let it fill every area of your life.

Struggle as I may, I enjoy the fight and the feeling of victory. I am no stranger to tragedy and can cope with an emergency with the best of them. I am strong when I need to be and soft as I really am. I do not see the benefit to living as a rogue with no emotions. But yet I love to hold a lady bug as she forages along my hand. I like to watch the sun rise and fall into the water. I am not a stranger to the darkness as it shields my progress toward a common goal of overtaking my enemy.

I never let my goals or enemies out of sight or mind. I keep them close to my heart. I love a good battle and encourage competition from a formidable foe. I will take my steps without looking and draw my arm with passion. I love to put a face with my battles and a name to my failures.

I allow passion to carry me like the winds of the ocean as they sweep me off to my destination. I let emotion riddle me with fleeting thoughts. I like to sit on the bank and think great thoughts. I love to discus great mysteries and allow my mind to discover new avenues of contemplation. A great debate is a treasure. To live with passion is to be an addict to the one of the most powerful drugs of all. To let adrenaline set in is to feed the monster like a junkie.

I am quick to draw a sword and just as quick to lay it aside to embrace friend or foe. I do not take advantage but yet do not allow for mistakes from my competitors. I celebrate a victory and morn a great defeat. I allow myself to make mistakes and support others in their endeavors. I believe in the team concept and am not unfamiliar with taking the bull by the horns and wrestling him to the ground.

I have starred a tiger down and out struck a viper. I have out run a lion and rode an ostrich. I have walked and talked with the animals, and have waited quietly for their responses. I commune with nature and love to teach another my secrets. I do not cast my pearls before swine but am not stingy with the truths that have been revealed to me. My mouth carries my voice loudly but my heart quietly waits the responses of others. I listen as intently as my emotions show my intensity.

I like to lead in the small things and let the large things take care of themselves. I like to be first, and charge the door of uncertainty with the vigor of a dea agent. I believe in others and only seek their respect in return. I like to be the first into battle, and will stay until it is over. I go out in the face of a storm and take off the raingear to be one with my fears. I love to lay by the shore and watch the clouds drift by in mindless shapes.

I love to lead pirate style.

Something wicked this way comes!

Everyone is waiting for their ship to come in and this week it looks like my ship is arriving! I live aboard a Beneteau 331 which is a 34 foot coastal cruiser like the type of boat you would charter in the Virgin Islands or along the coast of Europe. There are many classes of sailboats that fit certain applications. For example there are truly lake boats that are very light weight and fun to sail but should never be on open water. There are coastal cruisers that are about as light but are equipped to stand up to tides/currents and are safe for open water navigation. There are blue water boats that are heavy and full of tankage for long ocean voyages and then there are race boats.

Now race boats also break down into classes from one design where everyone has the exact boat to PHRF (pronounced perf) racers. PHRF is a handicapping system used in yacht racing, so that boats that are not alike can race with each other and still have a chance to win. Yacht racing in many cases really isn't about the boat is it about the crew. The idea is to see who has the best crew so the boats are handicapped to give everyone a fair shot. Now there are several different systems and they all work in a common way of trying to take into account how a boat should perform but none of them work all the time and under all conditions.

The PHRF system is the system that most lakes and costal organzations use. Boats are given a number of seconds that they are given as an advantage based off of the baseline boat "a boat with a 0 rating" so a boat with a 150 rating gets a hundred and fifty second "head start" on the boat that rates a zero. So for example if the first boat crosses the line in 10 minutes (600 seconds) and the next boat finishes in 20 minutes (1200 seconds) but the first boat rates a zero and the second boat rates 120 and it was a 5 mile race then the second boat gets to subtract 120X5=600 seconds from their finish time so that both boats actually finish in a tie! Talk about shocking to find out you finished first eat lunch and still lost to the next boat or a boat that finished twentieth!

Well our teams race boat Second Star was a Beneteau First Series 33.7 and rated 123/126 depending on the event which is ok for cruising boats but very slow for serious race boats. Other elements come into play as well. As the boats get longer the theoretical hull speed also increases along with the sail area that they can carry. The math is pretty simple when you have a full displacement hull the boat can only go a limited speed as the boat will never get on top of the bow wake and plane. The formula is pretty simple even thought there are things it doesn't take into account it is relatively accurate; the square root of the waterline length multiplied by 1.35 is the basic equation. These aspects are all taken into account into your PHRF.

So what racers do is they lighten their boats and make them out of very strong but light weight materials like epoxy and carbon fiber! They also take great pains in engineering everything for a well oiled crew (that becomes movable ballast) to ensure that they boat can keep herself upright under the increased pressures. Everything in the boat is designed to go fast; hulls are not always built for the greatest stability race boats have semi displacement or even planing hulls. So one thing that happens is as boat get bigger (longer water lines) their PHRF typically goes down and as they rip everything including the seats and the microwave out the rating goes down even more. In the end we would not be complete without overloading these "shell" of a boat with incredibly large sails to bring the boats to life.

Now that I face my 4^th race season I will get to graduate to a new level of racing! Originally starting in the cruiser fleet or the "working class sails" group then to graduate to the "spinnaker" class group but be one of the slower "boats" in that class to now racing a brand new one design sport boat in the spinnaker class. We have been diligent and it has paid off for our team. We have seen a good amount of sailors come and go but the core team is still intact. When I started there was the skipper and his wife and whomever else he could con with food and drink to show up! Typically that meant 2 other people. Between the drinks, food and strong winds we would surely finish the race in the same day that we started, but that was not good enough. That first year we pushed very hard (at a pirates request) to raise the standards for crewmanship. Before having a way to get to the lake and a pulse was all that was required. By the end of the year we actually asked people if they had sailed before! By the end of 2006 we were ready to compete. Averaging a crew of 4-6 we started making our mark in the working sails division. By Spring of 2008 we were full time Spinnaker Class racers and as of Lakefest we will begin a new chapter in our racing careers! Now Second Star has new meaning as we will not have anyone in front of us to show us the way we will have to look for the "second star" As you may remember from your childhood:

"The second star to the right
Shines in the night for you
To tell you that the dreams you plan
Really can come true"

Except from "Second star to the right" song from Peter Pan

2005
Who is Second Star?
2006
Icebreaker Series Regatta 8th Place
Lakefest Regatta (I am not 100% sure on this one)
Leukemia Cup Regatta 1st Place (crewing for Sealake Yacht Sales)
Solstice Series Regatta 5th Place
Texoma Classic Regatta 5th Place Wunderlick Regatta 7th Place
Sundowner Regatta Did not compete
2007
Icebreaker Series Regatta 2nd Place
Lakefest Regatta 2nd Place
Leukemia Cup Regatta 1st Place (crewing for Sealake Yacht Sales)
Solstice Series Regatta 1st Place
Asbury Smith Memorial Cup 1st Place
Texoma Classic Regatta 9th Place
Wunderlick Regatta 1st Place
Sundowner Regatta 1st Place
2008
Icebreaker Series Regatta 1st Place
Cedar Mills Yacht Club 1st Place (Spinnaker) Beer Can Race Series
Lakefest Regatta 1st Place (Spinnaker)
Leukemia Cup Regatta 1st Place (crewing for Sealake Yacht Sales)
Solstice Series Regatta 4th Place (Spinnaker)
Asbury Smith Memorial Cup 4th Place (Spinnaker)
Texoma Classic Regatta 2nd Place (Spinnaker)
Wunderlick Regatta 2nd Place (Bob Sittle & J124) Spinnaker
Cedar Mills Regatta 2nd Place (Spinnaker)
Sundowner Regatta 6th Place (Spinnaker)
2009
Icebreaker Series Did not compete
Lakefest Regatta 5th Place (Spinnaker 1st Fleet)

Something wicked this way comes… Second Star Racing the saga continues…

From a PHRF of 123/126 to a renewed opportunity and a rebirth at 33 Second Star Racing is taking it to the next level. Almost a half a million dollars later and what do you get?

Perfection… See you on the water…

Pirate Mike

The Shimmering Darkness…

The day was finally over, the sun had settled down within the depths of the lake.

The sun had put up quite a fight and left the land bleached and dry.

The lake goers had been drained as they filled the lake with the sentiment of their desires.

As the rebels quieted down, and the crowd parted a new set of sounds took over the area.

The moon arose quickly and settled in about a third of the way into the sky.

Only a sliver its presence was quite diluted as the clouds rolled into place and the stage was being set.

It was the day after the great and terrible day and vengeance was about to take its toll.

The temperatures subsided and the winds once again found the body of water that they call home.

The emergency vehicles had gone home no saving was to be done tonight.

Damage already done the mind wanders, tensions are running high.

Mind drunk with emotion, body full of pain, the potential for quite an evening is building.

As I lay aside the cockpit I looked up and realized that my destiny had called me.

The winds calling my name I could hear them saying, "follow me to the next place."

Obedient and methodical I woke up from my emotional stupor, and took on the responsibility to prepare the vessel.

At the strike of 1:00 am I set sail. Pulling the sun drenched and warmed sails I spoke to them commanding; "take me to the place that the winds are calling from."

With that I leave the cockpit and go down below into the dungeon that I call home.

Frantically digging into the darkness, feeling for a remote audio cd that still brandished its wrapper and label I hope for my release.

As I open the unique promise, I place it into my player and emerge to survey my situation.

Black as night, both lovely and unlovely I find myself echo locating the shoreline.

The winds have taken their position on the lake and made themselves prominent across the lakescape.

Then out of the blackness I see a shimmering darkness.

Heading to weather the wind positioning itself to whisper in my left ear I hold still.

As the wind picked up, the water responded in kind with a motion that took it across the lake.

Rollers they were building from the South as I headed to find the source of the wind.

Just a glimpse of their size as the moon varnished their topsides with a glow that could be seen for miles.

As the motion of the lake took a hold of me, the sound of a distant land came to the forefront.

Sharp and pleasant sounds of a simple land on the continent of Africa filled my head as I squinted to keep track of the shore.

I transported myself as the music took my soul from this ragged body and the emotions that once filled it left.

Waves crashing into the bow and it planted itself firmly into its belly. Spray fills the air as the sounds of the life that is such the beginning of all.

As the tribesmen chant their stories of family and survival, I find myself on the roller coaster of life deep within my heart as it sets happily in my chest, far from the sleeve that it once found a perch.

Whispering in my ear I can hear the wind calling me deeper into an almost trance like state.

Into the shimmering darkness I see the water and land dancing before me, leaving a path that only I can feel.

Song after song, I feel my body coming alive. My senses are overwhelmed and the thoughts of the day are far from me. Now the music takes hold and my hand holds the destiny of the vessel.

Between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand I steer this 6 ton beast. Waves crashing and spraying mist into the air, my mind races ahead in anticipation of what lies next.

Sitting in the port side stern perch, head cocked gently to the side, I try to make out the dam and the source of the wind.

Never admitting but gently remembering that it has called for me before.

An elusive friend the wind befriends the water and makes a pact with my vessel.

Completely in sync with nature as the music recharges my soul.

Now the age of completeness comes as I turn the corner to see the light of my home port.

In the shimmering darkness there I find my peace again.

For in the heat of the day, emotions ran free and the damage of their energy has taken its toll.

But now in the perfectness of the moment my soul is again whole, my mind is at ease and my body is free from pain.

Just arriving to my place, I reposition my home and engage the moon to hide me from the shimmering darkness.

July 5^th – 6^th 2008, on Lewisville Lake, listening to the original Mbube music of Africa while participating in the dance of a lifetime, after an event of emotional magnitude.

"Fair weather does not a skilled sailor make. Even the brightest of skippers must navigate through the storms of life to emerge on the other side, sometimes with nothing to guide them but the shimmering darkness of their soul." – Pirate Mike…

The Pirate Connection…

The Pirate Connection…

You know I think I get more questions about the whole pirate thing and yet even with all that I have written I think that people truly do not make the connection. People still think pirates are folklore and are left to the stories of people walking the plank and funny characters talking strange and hobbling around on a wooden leg with a hook for a hand wearing the proverbial eye patch. What they do not understand is that piracy on the high seas is common, even in the true definition piracy occurs over 250 times a year and is one of the most common dangers faced by our merchant marines. Much more common than hurricanes or other weather related dangers it is a seaman's reality. We find it also on land, and in some of the areas that we claim are the safest like our market system.

And all the while I am living in the midst of a typical corporate merger created from the pressures from Wall Street in a very simple commodity type business and I am witnessing what I write about first hand. I mean toothpaste, toilet paper, fax machines These are all common goods that we use pretty regularly right? Well as it turns out the last year that I was working at IKON I was going to witness on a grand scale what privateering and piracy is all about at the multibillion dollar level. When I talk about sovereignty, territory and exercising power and control in the definition in the privateering of old I could as well have been talking about hostile takeovers and corporate mergers of the 21^st century. Nothing has changed our actions that we take still have lasting effects on the way we live and the security of others.

What is amazing is that we call ourselves a civilized society, well in some areas we may be, but in reality we are pretty savage and hypocritical. We are a greedy and bloodthirsty lot. The rest of the world talks about us in disdain and we the great capitalists of the west have exercised our sovereignty to line the pockets of the high and mighty. We like to talk about helping the needy and being a good big brother to the nations so that we can sit at home and sleep well at night. When the reality is that we have sent teams out into the nations to spy and steal with commission. "For the good of all" right? Well just to provide National security to protect the innocent right? "To preserve our freedom" right? Ya that is what is it all about; sure…

I am not a conspiracist nor am I a conspirator, but what I am is a realist. I am also a consumer, I live a decent life and earn a decent (6 figure) income in which 40% of it is disposable. In which I have the luxury to take time being a buyer, and not always a seller of goods and services. I have on many occasions after great study, research and consideration still been screwed by a savvy and well thought out salesperson. I myself have worked for manufacturers where I had several products all good for a purpose but when questioned by a prospect had to give them what the "best" solution that I had none of which was the best for their purpose. I have made purchases that luckily came out ok, due to the fact that a poor purchase could have been catastrophic. Like in the case of a bad purchase of insurance, or of a home or lemon vehicle which could ruin your finances or worse.

Since I am in the midst of some ruthless privateering and an employee of said sovereign body whom grants me commission to plunder I will hold my comments for a time. But there will be a day come to pass when I will talk of what many already know. Corporate America is savage and full of privateers and pirates. None of which can be trusted or believed, it is intrinsically interesting though how often they deceive even themselves. And what is even more funny is that they believe each other; listening intently to each other's stories of conquest with anticipation and belief. If you wake up and think you are innocent you are but just part of the great deception. If you wake up and think you are a great deceiver you have bought into the lies of those that are in ultimate control. If you wake up and are just not sure of what is happening you may very well still have a chance to save your soul.

What is of concern is that I have on occasion thought that I was outside of the boarders of those that would influence control over me, but in reality I live in the heartland of the controlled. I am but a mere pawn in this chess game of marauders. Corporate America, land of the free, home of the brave. What do you think it took to be brave in a new frontier? How do you think those brave men stayed free from the chains that would have liked to have bound them? Laissez-faire capitalists would have you believe that "hands off" government is the way to go, just let the fair market system prevail. What people forget is that the markets are driven by people and that people are in many cases driven by greed. If you leave markets and corporations to be "ruled" by themselves what you end up with are warlords and chieftains. They will fight over their territory and sphere of influence till they choke out the others. This is called a monopoly and in many rights a dictatorship.

Power corrupts and complete power corrupts completely. Without checks and balances what we see is that corporations like people become an enemy of the state. What we find is that groups are corporations; they are embodied to further a cause sometimes economic sometimes it is purely ideological like in the case of a political or spiritual group or organization. These groups can if left to themselves and being unchecked can rise up to power and cause great destruction. Look at the debacle going on with our financial institutions which have been highly regulated and monitored by the state and federal government. Look at the men that have plundered great fortunes just to leave the companies that they ruled ravaged by their greed and great incompetence. Look at the cost of their failures to our lifestyle and the real debt that we will have to pay for their debauchery.

So "hands off" doesn't work and neither does "hands on" so what does work? Market competition? Look at my industry? Well I would love to tell you about it, but this is a public blog and I am still under commission and still privateering.

Maybe when I retire J Or maybe if you come close I can whisper these great secrets into your ear, just before I cut that necklace off of your body! Don't forget I am a pirate… One that has made it through many campaigns and survived many sieges, and I will survive this one too. This old pirate is looking for calmer seas, maybe an inland cove to rest. Watching the sirens call to the passing ships has become a pastime and steering clear of the reefs has become old hat. I would much rather sit around the helm and tell stories while drinking rum then actually boarding a ship and taking no prisoners.

Taking the crew to land and plundering a city has lost its charm. I would much rather watch a sunset or the clothes fall off a beautiful silhouette. There is more to come, keep watch I am sure to tell more stories as the time passes.