What would Ben Franklin do?

Back from Texas

2006-08-08T21:21:00.000-07:00

I went to Texas, in August, on purpose. Delightful. Met with so many fine, gracious, generous and interesting people. My artist's soul was floated on winds of eager listeners. My mortal soul was very well fed in every sense:-)

Flew in on Friday afternoon. Treated to food and local sights. Joe T. Garcia's in Ft. Worth is great. Stock Yards. My host for the weekend is the perfect example of a genteel lady of the South (West). Breakfast performance Sat, then afternoon performance at Hill College in Hillsboro nearby Cleburne (where I was staying). They have a wonderful museum, beautifully put together. We had to bring in extra chairs for the audience. And it was an off weekend for them.

Sat back and dinner. Sunday performance in Cleburne, delightful audience. Met with family of Host.
Connections possible for WA DC followed. Serendipity. Music as well. Quiet conversations at end of day.

Monday, farewells and Engraving tour in Ft Worth. Flew out and Tue at Home with own family. Hope to go back soon.

Blessed am I.

Many More Things, Texas and SeaTac.

2006-06-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

Again, it's been too long since I posted. People who do this everyday need a life;-) as I have too much of one it seems.

I am booked to perform as Ben in Texas in August (5 & 6) and trying to schedule other appearences as well when I am down there. Hill College and the Layland Museum (near Dallas Fort Worth)

I am also speaking at the Library Media Convention in SeaTac Wa. in October.

Cym and I, Gary Davis and Steve Berry (sound engineer) are working on the CD for Tril Sean (our first music CD). We have many tracks done and a few more to go.

Must off already. Best, Robin

PTA Conference, Texas and onward.

2006-05-09T18:35:00.000-07:00

It's been near a month, brave explorers. Much has happened, but with the help of many friends and supporters, we are doing well.

Working on "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" I have discovered much already. 'The World is Flat' being just one (the reality of depth perception and how our brain keeps us from seeing what is really there.) The book really works to break the reader free from those misconceptions and enable the natural way to see.)

On April 21-23, Cym, Gareth and I went to Portland for recording sessions for our first album. We laid tracks for about 6-8 songs and other pieces. Cym and I are going back in a few weeks then Gareth needs to go back for further work. The folk album will (I hope) be done by August for Pennsic.

On April 22, our cat Pangur evidently passed away while we were gone. We miss him very much.

April 25 I did Benjamin Franklin at the Snohomish Library (sponsored in part by the Snohomish Friends of the Library, Hardwick's (www.eHardwicks.com) and The Interactive History Company. Cym introduced me, TheDave (a new friend arranged by Craig) was there and video taped it. We have the rough cut and it looks good enough to send to Clay. We are planning a 2nd one with 2 cameras to actually market. The presentation went well and the audience and Library seemed very pleased.

April 27, Awards Banquet for the Leukemia & Lymphoma SOciety Big Climb Fundraiser. Cym was my date and I was feeling pretty good:-) Very nice hosting done at The Columbia Club at the top of The Columbia Tower. Totals: $460,000 total raised (91% increase from last year) 3,290 participants (52% increase than last year). My totals (7th overall, #2 individual racer for money. $3,316.65 is what my friends and associates raised. We start next year's fundraiser on July 1, 2006:-) Our Team is "The 20,000 League" for that is the dollar amount we want to surpass.

May 1, Cym's an my 11th Anniversary. Spent the day gardening. It was great.

May 4, prepared for the Washington State PTA Convention.

May 5-7, we set up in a display room at the SeaTac DoubleTree Inn. We handed out hundreds of fliers, met many PTA members (I, dressed as Franklin.) We learned a lot, and most importantly, made a very good impression on lots of fundraisers and student advocates. I hope we get many bookings out of this. It was an exhausting weekend, but very rewarding. Sharon Clarke came down on Sunday and helped. The room (mostly arranged by Cym) looked great with displays showing the many classes done by IHC (The Interactive History Co.)

Must run, more anon, Best, Robin.

NorWesCon and Big Climb

2006-04-19T15:56:00.000-07:00

Well, it isn't easy to get to this as I hoped. But needs to be
attended to. It's all writing.
So, hurried and harried. Please enjoy the Blogal (Blog and Global)
Thinking Express

Finished with the Big Climb for this year. Figures seemed to be solid.
I am in #2 place by about 25$. I hope to work what I call a Franklin
Triangle for next year and bring in much more. The Awards Dinner is
on April 27. Cym will be my date!!!:--) Cool:-)
Craig and Jessica (went with me to the Whidbey Island performance) are
interested in helping with the BF performances and with the Big Climb
next year. Raised just over $3,200 this year. Next year basic goal
$20,000.00

Whidbey Island performance, thought maybe 6 would show up, had over 30
I think:-) So am happy. The Caretaker was very pleased with how we
left the hall. Have a sponsored gig at Snohomish Library on April 25,
inviting bunches of folks to it. Yayy, Friends of the Snohomish
Library. Dropping off a big poster tonight to them (thank you Cym)

Attended NorWesCon over Easter Weekend. Blast as always. Sold TWO
pieces of Art:-) One to someone I didn't even know. Bought a Matt
Cutting system from Shaughnessey. Have HUGE notes for 2007 and ways
to improve my panels. Plan on helping with Art Show on Sunday and
spend the night Sun as well. Very inspired to write more. Trying
brief Story Intros, feel good about them. Reading 3rd Edition of
"Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain" I've had access to this
book for years and it is hitting me hard with great ideas and
inspiration. I will be drawing soon more to the way I want:-) This is
incredibly cool:-)

Applied to FoolsCapCon.

Too many notes to play right now. Will attend anon, Best, Robin.

Details, never forget the details. For want of a nail...

2006-03-23T18:30:00.000-08:00

An important lesson here. In my negotiations with the Waldorf School on Whidbey Island, I assumed their willingness to sell tickets for the performance (for which they received 10 free) and concessions at the performance (all of which I appreciated) that the mention of them on the poster as helping present would be a good thing, and accurate - good free publicity as well. The administration felt uncomfortable with that, however, so I had to re-open the mails and slice off the title from the posters going out to the various media and Libraries I was mailing to...(fortunately, their name as helping was at the very top) Just does not look quite as neat - which bothers me. Also, what to do about the concessions. Perhaps I will rent them space for a donation to the LLS.
Speaking of which, I am proud to say the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has given permission for the Ben Franklin presentations to include their name on our Website and any publicity we wish to do and to collect and donate funds in their name. It helps, I hope, that my page for The Big Climb is one of the top fundraisers (near $3,000.00) so they realize how dedicated I am to their cause. And what a perfect cause it is for me, personally. How like Frankie was Joseph, the joy of all who knew him. They are sending me banners:-)
Hardwick's seems pleased with my effort in The Climb. I have hung my racing T-Shirt and the official T-Shirt at the Store (4214 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105) for the Customers to see. I today printed another 100 Fundraising fliers to hand out at street corners. I just need a BIG sign to wear so they go to people with at least some interest.
Planning has begun for Fundraising efforts for 2007. The 20,000 League. I am Captain Nemo. Any other Runners are to be designated "1st Mates". Walkers can be Lefttennants or whatever. Crew will be our 2,000 contributers at $10.00 each (that is our goal).
Must off for now. anon, Robin/Ben.

The Big Climb - 2006 Report.

2006-03-21T08:20:00.000-08:00

Hello, well, I did it. I made The Big Climb.

Below are some thoughts on the day of The Big Climb (the annual Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Fundraising Event.) Over 3,000 climbers went up the 1,311 steps of the Columbia Tower in Seattle (the tallest building in the state) on Sunday March 19, 2006. So far, donations have reached over $177.000.00.

At the bottom of this day's Weblog is a copy of the email I sent out to the many supporters who donated. You can donate for this fundraiser up to April 7th, 2006.
Go to
http://www.active.com/donate/bigclimb06/GregRobin.

On Sunday, I got up around 7:00 AM (sleeping in, really). Emily was here from College (Spring Break) and Cym made us a nutritious breakfast:-) We left and headed south to our monthly massage with good friend James at Alexius Bodyworks (a Licensed Massage Therapist). I got a sports massage to prepare my muscles. Traffic was a bit thick and we got to the Columbia Tower a little after 1:00 PM (my scheduled check-in time was 12:45). I was afraid they would deny me my Climb cause we were late. (I was getting stressed, can you tell;-). It was a bit confusing, hundreds of people milling about but Cym and Emily had parked the car, found me and we asked various helpful people who got me to all the right check-ins, got my timing chip, bib number (#1181). I would be able to climb:-)! Cym helped pin my bib # and my montage of pictures of people I was running for to my Hardwick's T-Shirt. She took pictures. Then I hurriedly tried to warm up, stretch, and focus on the Climb. I joined the 1:30 Racing line and we went up (by escalator... odd I thought) to the 4th Floor. NB, Robin was not thinking of how that would throw off the numbers of the floors to climb. He only knew there were 69 floors to climb. More on that in a moment;-)

We were led to the starting entrance of the stair case. Then, one by one, they let us start. About 30 seconds separated each of us. I was about 15 people back. I set my 30 minute countdown timer (the time I wanted to be sure to beat) and my stop watch (to get an estimate of my actual time). I was getting pumped. I put in my ear plugs (to help me concentrate) checked my fanny pack (with tokens of importance from various friends) and prepared.

I shook the hand of the gate person, flashed my timing chip over the computer pad, it beeped showing it had me as starting, then ran into the stair well.

I was determined to start of at a measured pace. That thought vanished in a second. I was feeling so pumped I flew up the first 10 flights two or more steps at a time, passing the two people who started before me. Then about floor 14 or so, oxygen debt hit (ohhh, I was so wrong to start that way). I had to stop taking multiple steps and just established a rapid pace of hitting every step. I passed by a water-cup-passer-outer, took a Dixi Cup (r) and tossed it down. I wasn't really thirsty. I wasn't really sweating. I was just painfully trying to get oxygen into my lungs. The stairwell was moist with spilled water and hundreds of previous climber's panting and sweat. They had air being blown into the stairwell (thank goodness) but I was in pain. I have been training for the last two months, taking stairs at work (up to 121 flights of stairs in one day) but that is only 7, 8 or 11 flights at a time, not sustained. Right then, on The Climb, I had gone beyond my body's ability to catch up... unless I took a break at a landing... which, of course, my focused little mind was not about to do. I slogged on up, I could only wave off other water-bearers, I was unable to speak. I passed by other more sensible people taking a break... thinking about Joseph and the other people I was running for, thinking about getting a good time, looking up at the floor count ("Wow, what happened to floor 25? Here we are, landing 40+" "The stairwell is narrow, I can grab both railings... too bad my arms won't work anymore... I wonder where the bunnies are, why there isn't more grass on this steep lawn? Who am I? Why am I here? This smells like a locker room but where is the towel boy"... did I mention oxygen debt? My brain was already in hibernation but my legs (the main thing I had been worried over: their strength and the weakness of my knees, especially the 3-times dislocated left one, were not even hurting. My lungs were what were screaming.

Finally, floor 60, only 9 more. I should start seeing banners, hear the promised music, the clapping. Floor 65, 66, 67, I put in 'The Kick", pouring out what extra energy I really didn't have... Floor 68... 69 and the door is not open... no one is there... "What's that on the wall?" A small sign. "Look it has letters on it. What is it that letters do?" Ah, yes, words. It says "Almost there". My worst ability, Arithmetic, kicks in. "You started on floor Four. 69 plus 4 is... something more than 69". "Oh" think I, "I have to go up more stairs. OK." I keep what I laughingly call "my Kick" going - something like falling, but upwards - and there I hear the promised music "The Theme from Rocky". I was hoping for "Ode to Joy" but oh, well. I pulled out my little poster of Benjamin Franklin and my quote "I have not just finished. I have only yet begun my fight" from my token laden fanny pack and held it up. There was an open door. A person clapping. Through to door, wave my timing chip over the computer mat. I hear the beep, find with amazement that floors are flat... there are not always stairs involved... round the corner and a camera man takes my picture. I hold my little poster up high (sideways, I realize later) and go into the observation lounge...

I had done it. My Stopwatch gave me the unofficial time of 13.24. I knew it was a few seconds long as I started it before my timing chip got scanned and had a few seconds effort in trying to hit the 'Stop' button when I finished. My legs were fine, but my lungs didn't seem to know I had finished and were trying to create a vacuum in the surrounding landing by taking in all the air they could. There were many folks wandering around, looking at the stunning view. I looked out to the city and promised it would be seeing me again, faster and with a larger donor base, next year.

I went down to the 40th floor (we had to take the elevator, really, rules and all.) Got an orange slice and a yogurt. Signed the dedication sheet (they had over 3,000 climbers overall, the Climb started at 8:00 AM or so and they only had one sheet. There was not much room left on it, but I scribbled in something like "For You, Joseph, and all the others. Love, Robin" and made my way downstairs to the main floor, via elevator and escalator (rules, you know). There was Cym and Emily, surprised but very happy to see me back so soon:-)

I had beaten my planned time goal (30 minutes) by over half. I was coughing, but all else was fine. Legs and knees still fine. Lungs hurt. It was about then that my 30 minute timer beeped. Up, recovered, came back down all in 30 minutes. Cool:-) We got my stuff, returned my time chip, picked up the requisite T-Shirt, left and Cym treated me to fancy Ice Cream (Stawberry Cheesecake & Baklava Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream... Mmmmmm:-). The best part, emotionally, was how proud she said she was. She is my Lady, and such means a lot to a poet-knight. She is considering joining my team next year! Other folks have expressed the same interest. Wow!

A few months ago, someone brought The Big Climb fliers into Hardwick's. I told them they could display them and read one. I got interested and signed up and started doing stairs at work. About 3 weeks ago, I organized my donor Webpage and started putting out emails and letters about the effort and was amazed at the response, the first donor was at $100.00. Many others came in as well at all levels.
The site moved up to the top individual donor page for over a week (we got passed by someone who now sits at over $10,000, but we are still, at this time, #2 with close to $3,000.00). I have plans for next year and people have already said they want to join with me in The 2007 Climb.

This is a quest, a part of my pilgrimage and a great connection with a worthy cause. I was able to re-establish contact with the Boyles - the family of Joseph (see http://holding-yet-his-sword.blogspot.com/). One of the tokens I carried was my old right spur... something they have had since Joseph's funeral 12 years ago. We stopped by their house after the race and gave it back to them and are making arrangements to have dinner(s) and work together educationally as well.

I went to work on Monday, but my lungs were still wheezing. I took Tuesday off and am now home where Cym is taking great care of me (as always). I am staying warm, drinking my healing tea and resting.
I am glad I did this. Glad, a bit humbled by it (the donations and the physical challenge) and inspired for the coming year.

Thank you for your time. I must off to other writing.. and planning, and some rest.
Best of fortunes, safest of journeys, Love, Robin.

-- copy of my Email of Thanks to my Donors --
Greetings from GregRobin,
Thank you for your incredible support for The Big Climb 2006. I did the Climb (and made it to the Top:-)!! and my stats are below. The most important 'stat' so far: You donated over $2,900.00 through the Website
http://www.active.com/donate/bigclimb06/GregRobin.

The Climb is over, but the Fundraising for this drive continues until April 7, 2006. If you know anyone who may yet be interested in donating, please send them that Webpage link with a personal note as to why you support this cause. Also, if your company has a matching donation program, please tell them of your contribution so they can match it. Write me for details or go to the main matching funds Website
http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/all_page?item_id=8024 for guidelines.

I am doing this again in 2007 and am forming a Team. If you wish to join our Team for the Climb, or work with us on other Fundraising work for the LLS, let me know at Ben@Ben-Franklin.org.

STATS: FULL Stats are at

http://results.racecenter.com/2006/bcfl06.htm
The winning time for this year was 7:51. Wow!
Mine was slightly more modest;-)

GregRobin's Stats:

Bib # 1181

Age: 50

Time: 0:13:06

Avg per Flight Time: 0:11

I was the 53rd fastest out of 138 males from 45-59.

I was 338th fastest out of 842 men overall.

I was 403rd fastest out of 1385 racers total (men and women, youth, teens, adults and masters)

I am putting the day's experience on a Weblog. For the fuller tale, go to

http://ben-franklin.blogspot.com/2006/03/big-climb-2006-report.html

Be well, and thank you for the honor of your generosity, Robin.

Fitting in appointments

2006-03-16T21:58:00.000-08:00

A typical day.
Up at 4 am, my Maca and Soy tea drink, grab the lunch my wife Cymbric has lovingly prepared the night before. Pull the bike out of the car, off I ride at 4:30 am. Catch the bus 510 to Seattle and get to Seattle around 5:35 am. Read about Ben on the way down (currently Lopez "My Life with..." BF) Ride to UW, stop in at Odegaard UL, do about 10 minutes of email, requests to friends about the fundraiser, deleting spam, washroom then to the bus. Warm up and check out of bus, then runs. At either end, do stairs. Did 70 flights before my lunch at 10:35. To Library. Call Cym on way. More applications (to John Wilson of Cornish about doing a presentation there, Jayney Wallich about recording a performance, check Climb websites, tweak wording and order of paragraphs. Tweaked Squire at War.) Back to bus, mailed a letter for the Climb to Derrick Olson. Finished lunch, listening to NPR all day. Talked to some passengers who were interested in Ben and the Climb. Off work at 3:00 PM, met Cym (unusual to happen). She finished with a Demo in W Seattle, she then saw her Mom and we met and went to U Book Store. I got transfer paper for my Climb T-Shirt. Then to Hardwick's for 90 minutes on the till. Then went to rehearse with Verne on Shakespeare and Mel and Monroe this Sat. Biked to bus, caught it home. Meditated. Kane called. Cym met me at station. Home, put some things away, washed lunch dishes, shower, this, bed ~ 10:00 PM. Late. Tomorrow starts at 4:00 am. anon, Robin.

$2,700 and Flights of Stairs

2006-03-16T11:32:00.000-08:00

I am continuing my stair training. Of course, it is not one long slog, but I did 121 flights yesterday and 70 flights so far today (from 7:15 am - 10:15, on breaks between my bus runs. I will see how well I do on Sunday.

Donations up to $2,700 so far. I am planning on standing on a street corner with a big sign "I climbed 1,311 stairs to help support Leukemia Research. All I want you to do is take a flier about it." Or some such.

I need to get out advertising about the Whidbey Island performance of Ben. Time is brief.
anon, Robin.

More Donations, Good Keynote at Chelan

2006-03-14T11:24:00.000-08:00

Greetings. This is now 03/13/06
Back from a successful weekend at Lake Chelan at the Educators (Social Studies) retreat there. I got to the Keynote talk on Saturday night. It went well (_very_ well says Cym:-)
I hope the conference gets us into lots of schools. The ability of the Franklin evening program to earn the schools enough money to pay for our daytime programs is, I hope, attractive. We will see.

The Leukemia fundraiser is going well. My friends have donated over $2,500.00 so far and I hope it will be more.

So short of time... more anon, Robin.

$750 donated for Leukemia Research

2006-03-06T15:51:00.000-08:00

Sometimes things stare at your face and you don't see them for the longest time. I have been looking for charities to tie the Ben Franklin presentation to (in addition to Schools and the like) and I signed up for the Leukemia Foundation's "Big Climb" (http://www.active.com/donate/bigclimb06/GregRobin) and it finally made sense... "The Squire at War/Holding Yet His Sword" story (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chivalry_is_yet-a-guide/message/183)
This is what it was written for, to drive awareness for the Foundation. This isn't 'Center of my Universe', but it is a gravitational well around which I orbit. People already have donated $750.00 (four $100.00 donors, wow). One person is going to climb with me, even. Humbly, I begin to sense a life purpose here beyond education reform. A defining role that the public can understand better than what I may present in various incarnations else wise.

In other news: I have been asked to be the Keynote Speaker at the Lake Chelan Conference for Social Studies (see http://www.wscss.org/chelan/default.html). I will be speaking, as Ben, Saturday night. It may connect with the educators there as a school presentation, as a Fundraiser and as a Keynote giver for other such conferences. That is my hope.

Also: Working with Jen and Emily at Rhizome (my brochure producers and branding advisers) about the new Ben page. Good thoughts on the development.

More anon, Robin.

The Big Push. The Big Climb.

2006-03-01T10:53:00.000-08:00

It's Wednesday, Mar 1, 2006. It's been several days since I last weblogged ("Blog" still is so un muse able to my ear). Not always easy, but getting into the habit.

The Big Push = getting the word out on the April 7th show on Whidbey Island. Gathering a list of local schools, fire departments, post offices, Masonic Lodges, Newspapers, the Navel Base and clubs.

Got a supportive email from one of the Parents at the Whidbey Island school to inform me they are meeting to discuss which benefit option the school will take up (10 free tickets for them to sell, sell all the tickets, get all proceeds after 50 (ie #51-70) but no money out of pocket or, option #3, buy the 70 tickets for ~half price and sell them for more.) I believe the model can work. Glad to see another school take interest.

Performed this weekend last in Tonasket (N.Central Wa State) Medieval/Renaissance style, but talked to several friends about bringing the Franklin program to their region, including Vancouver, BC.

Last Friday (Feb. 24, 2006) did a Franklin presentation for 5th and 6th graders at Norman Rockwell School (long Medieval class relationship with them there). At first, few questions, then they fired up and the 100 or so kids were popping hands up like fireworks on the 4th:-) Good questions, only two of the "aren't you dead?" kind.

Making plans to go to the Teacher retreat in Lake Chelan on the weekend of the 10-12 of Mar (Washington State Council for the Social Studies (http://www.wscss.org/). We are displaying our programs for the teachers there. Also, it's at Lake Chelan. Not a bad thing for us to go and enjoy the evenings there, in addition to advertising the program.

Signed up for the Big Climb for Leukemia (Mar 19). (www.lls.org/wa/bigclimb) I hope to raise $2,500 for the cause. Need to advertise it to my friends and co-workers.

More anon, Robin.

Good Book, connections

2006-02-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Thursday Feb 23. Today, in 1778, Baron Von Stuben arrived at Valley Forge. He was essential in training the troops Washington had left (~5,000 out of 17,000 when he took camp in the Fall).
Also, in 1848, John Quincy Adams died, in the House of Representatives where he was serving.
Re-read Gordon S. Wood's "The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin". Focused work on the transforming periods of Franklin's life and the moments of transformation of our collective national awareness of BF and of ourselves. A recommended book, although in his telling of the reactions to Franklin's death, he leaves out the attendance of some 20,000 people in Philadelphia.
- in other news - Got word that the 20+ brochures arrived at my Shoreline PTA contact's house and she will distribute to the PTA Council on Monday. Networking, a very good thing. What would Franklin do? Network.:-) More anon, Robin.

Progress and the US Post Office

2006-02-23T03:59:00.000-08:00

Sunday, Feb 19, did some training in my martial art to keep fit (Ben was a big fitness fan, he swam, rode horse, lifted weights.) We think of him as an old, fat, bald man, but remember, he was a lusty, physical man for most of his life as well. Prepared mailings of our brochure to local venues (community colleges and theatres) as ones in Albany Oregon (one of my home towns). Time to let the publicity work for its keep.

Monday, Feb 20. Met with Rhizome about the design for the Ben Franklin Website (www.ben-franklin.org). Many good thoughts. Big change in my thought when one of the team said "this is not an educational site. It's a business site". What i do is educational, but the site is to drive business. New concept. Also, had a lunch meeting with William Hardwick (my sponsor). Brought him up to date. He continues happy with the publicity and community representation. I am the most fortunate of performers. I intend for his investment to be well returned in all my works.

Tuesday, Feb 21. Mailed off 24 brochures (mine and for The interactive History Company) to our DAR and Shoreline School District contact. She is distributing them to the entire Shoreline School District for us. What a great connection. Gave a tape of my presentation at Peninsula High School to a guy at work whose Mom (in Florida) is a big fan. Seeds planted:-)

Wednesday, Feb 22 (Geo. Washington's Birthday)
Mailed off the brochures to the many community colleges I mentioned before and a set to Connie Petty, newspaper goddess from the Albany Democrat Herald. Also, CD's of music to Verne (an occasional musical partner in performances) and Robert H. (long time friend, teacher (he arranged my first Ben Franklin work for his school) and musician. Attended and worked out at a Seattle fight practice.

More anon, Robin.

Another Opportunity: Tool Show

2006-02-18T23:05:00.000-08:00

Today (02/18/06 Saturday), a guy came into the shop (my main sponsor is Hardwick & Sons, Inc. www.eHardwicks.com. I work there and they sponsor the Ben Franklin presentations as well.)
He asked who he would talk to about the store having a booth at an upcoming tool swap at one of the larger woodworking schools in the area (it's associated with Seattle Central Community College.)
I said he was talking to the bloke. I do several trade shows and faires around the area with a Hardwick's Tool display table, and this would be one more. It's in May, on the 20th. I may be out of town, but we will see what we can provide.
Other news: I am preparing for our meeting with Rhizome on Monday, laying out the design (my ideas anyway) of the web pages. I assume that, like a battle, no plan will survive longer than 40 seconds after meeting with the enemy (in this case, my creative partners... who are NOT the enemy... well, you get the idea.)
OT, watched "The Dish", a great movie about Australia's part in bringing the television pictures of the 1st Moon Walk to the world. re: Franklin? Everyone in the world, it seemed, was united in this attempt (not just the TV, but the Moon Walk). How can we do that again? Let the experiment begin.

Getting the word out.

2006-02-17T15:16:00.000-08:00

Friday, Feb 17, 2006, big weekend ahead (well, a 3 day).

Great reviews (some glowing) from my presentation at the DAR function. Sent copies to my Web team for inclusion on the new pages.

Got word from a local PTA contact that a PTA Council is interested in our fliers to give out to their members at their next meeting, but cannot fit in an actual visit by me to explain the fundraising the show can provide. Is this a way to "put it in committee" so they do not have to deal with it?
"What would Franklin do?" He would, I feel, take it for what it is, an opportunity, and make the best of it. If they really wanted to not be bothered, they could have said "just send one brochure and we will copy it for anyone who wants one." They did not. I am sending 27 and should include a very nice introductory letter. And we will contact them afterwards about doing fundraisers for their schools. I rely on the brochure (by Rhizome Design www.rhizomedesign.com, one of my Sponsors). It is very appealing. It should open a few doors.
Monday we meet with Rhizome about designing the Web Site (currently at www.Ben-Franklin.org). The current site is designed by a friend and is very serviceable, but Rhizome convinced me that it would be best if there was a consistent "look" to the brochure, business cards, Web site, etc.
Also today, confirmed a gig (as Shakespeare) with two musical fellows I sometimes perform with; Mel and Monroe. A good place to sing "Rain it Raineth Every Day" (from 12th Night.)
Re-Reading Gordon S. Wood's "The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin" today. Not a broad biography (there are lots of those) but a very focused one on certain developments of BF's Character and Thinking. Very good stuff.
More anon, be well, G.Robin.

1st day, what WOULD Ben Franklin do?

2006-02-16T19:39:00.000-08:00

What WOULD Ben Franklin do? In trying to prepare for presenting "Benjamin Franklin - Innovative American" for audiences, one question I imagine (and have not yet had) is:

Q: "Regarding modern political parties, especially Democrats and Republicans, if Benjamin Franklin was alive today, what would he be?"

A: "Disgusted"

Turning that over in my mind, I am still not sure it's more than a laugh line. Would he be disgusted? Would he be bemused, or inspired, or even interested? Interested, yes, certainly. He was interested in nearly everything and I think our current political goings-on would interest him greatly, even if it was a bit familiar. The arguing, the contention and chaos, the power grabs and the occasional golden moment of Humanity all would be too familiar. It might be frustrating in how familiar it all would be to him in that it might indicate how little we have advanced since his time. It might yet fascinate him in that Humanity continually has to deal with itself. Only the appliances change.

So, this is begun (a blog. Hmmm, Poor Richard's Blog. Lacks an enticing ring, though). "Let the experiment begin", as he said about studying electricity to see if it was the same as lightening.
This Blog is to capture some of my thoughts and discoveries as I continue to capture the Mind (or at least the perspective) of Franklin.

Your most obedient and humble servant, G.Robin Smith (presenter of Benjamin Franklin - Innovative American
www.ben-franklin.org
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"Benjamin Franklin - Innovative American"
Providing performances benefiting non-profits.
Sponsored by Hardwick & Sons, Inc.
www.eHardwicks.com