Leadership passes into empire;
Empire begets insolence;
Insolence bring ruin.
/William Carlos Williams

I would like to comment on two aspect of recent postings by board member Sam
Sloan. During the election his supporters hoped he would bring some glasnöst
to the boardroom which would air our futures in a healthy way. But I note
that there has been a certain concentration over past events, and of certain
personages in particular, which prompt me to point out that the future is
180 degrees in the other direction, and that Mr. Sloan's motives for 'just
noticing' some materials are possibly confusable by naive persons with
settling personal accounts from the past.

But as to glasnöst: What is remarkable about little empires is that they
want to act in secret, often proclaiming this is for the benefit of members,
and strongly rationalised reasons for what must be kept secret which alas
inexohorably seems to combine with what /needs/' light and air to function
at all. As Williams notices above, this has an unhealthy result, especially
in a membership organisation purporting to administer national chess by
'representatives' who are puzzled how to answer who exactly they represent..

In some previous discussions on the National Championship here [in
association with the Olympiad] I was amazed to learn that some USCF
delegates thought it was the USCF's championship, whereas I thought it was
the US championship. There was also an insolent opinion that the Olympiad
team represented USCF, rather than their country and their flag, as is
usually understood by other nations, and by players pleased to do so.

During the most recent Olympiad I gained the understanding that the team
represented the sponsor, and the selection process a ruin of real chances of
defending the Silver medal.

------

What I would like such people as Mr. Sloan to do, is look forward, write
openly about the current basis of selection, and establish what basis it
has: to wit, is this the strongest team the country can send? is the goal to
win? or the goal to participate and be a good sport? [which is so often a
euphemism, no?], or is the goal whatever the sponsor wants?

What, in fact, are the current mix of determining factors, and by whom, with
what goal in mind, and what process?

Whatever the resolution of factors contributing to the team, this subject is
//still// maintained in the dark, while attention is directed backwards some
3 years or so, to a poorly conceived previous plan, by way of selected
anecdotes of people's writing at the time.

I think the Olympiad spirit is not diminished by wanting to win, and indeed,
much chess art comes from nothing other than the high tension of striving
for the goal. In this way, win or lose, participants gain true respect for
each other's skill, and can use the Russian word for 'opponent' which is
fittingly 'partner' in the creation of the game and of real rather than
ersatz camaraderie.

^^In these public newsgroups I would like to ask non-Americans how they see
the selection process for Olympiads operating in their own country. Is it
transparent so the process is visible, and does it produce the best team?^^

Phil Innes Vermont.

Chess One napisal(a):


^^In these public newsgroups I would like to ask non-Americans how they see
the selection process for Olympiads operating in their own country. Is it
transparent so the process is visible, and does it produce the best team?^^

Phil Innes Vermont.

Nope, in Poland it`s an obscure process ruled by old bureaucrats from
Polish Chess Federation and strongest players don`t go into Olympiad ;-)

"Jerzy" wrote in message
oups.com...
Chess One napisal(a):


^^In these public newsgroups I would like to ask non-Americans how they
see
the selection process for Olympiads operating in their own country. Is it
transparent so the process is visible, and does it produce the best
team?^^

Phil Innes Vermont.

Nope, in Poland it`s an obscure process ruled by old bureaucrats from
Polish Chess Federation and strongest players don`t go into Olympiad ;-)

) What a surprise! Okay, that's two countries counted, Poland and USA.
Should we make wild assumptions about the others? If any country is stuck
with good players but wanted to send a poorer team, presumably they could
hire PCF and USCF politicos as advisors as long as they provide enough
bath-chairs.

Certainly the average age of politician in this country is too old, more
than twice the age of the players, and 3X in some cases, and of course, they
never meet.

"When is the last time you went to ChessHut in NewToxin, Tennessee?"
"Where?'

Phil

Chess One wrote:

"When is the last time you went to ChessHut in NewToxin, Tennessee?"
"Where?'

Phil

I never get your jokes, Phil.

"Matt Nemmers" wrote in message
oups.com...
Chess One wrote:

"When is the last time you went to ChessHut in NewToxin, Tennessee?"
"Where?'

Phil

I never get your jokes, Phil.

Kül, my father was in the navy and he didn't get my jokes either, Matt, on
the other hand I don't know what its like to get sunk 3 times from
kamikazies.

Important Joke Test for Naval Persons: One marine I met said to always
remind you squabs that the marines are the senior service, if only by one
day by act of Congress. So... Is that funny? )

Meanwhile it is pretty well known that USCf moved to the metamphetamine
capital of the South, land is cheap in town, &c.

Phil

Chess One wrote:
"Matt Nemmers" wrote in message
oups.com...
Chess One wrote:

"When is the last time you went to ChessHut in NewToxin, Tennessee?"
"Where?'

Phil

I never get your jokes, Phil.

Kül, my father was in the navy and he didn't get my jokes either, Matt, on
the other hand I don't know what its like to get sunk 3 times from
kamikazies.

Important Joke Test for Naval Persons: One marine I met said to always
remind you squabs that the marines are the senior service, if only by one
day by act of Congress. So... Is that funny? )

Not "funny;" they earned it. Can't remember which battle, but the
Jarheads earned their seniority. Gotta give 'em props.

Sailors like to remind Marines that they're still Department of the
Navy. To which a quick Marine will reply, "Yeah...the MEN'S
department."

One joke you've probably heard:

A sailor and a Marine are just finishing their business in the head.
As the sailor turns from the stall and starts to walk out the door the
Marine says sarcastically, "Hey squid...don't the Navy teach you to
wash your hands after you take a ****?"

To which the sailor replies, "No, in the Navy they teach us not to ****
on our hands."

Meanwhile it is pretty well known that USCf moved to the metamphetamine
capital of the South, land is cheap in town, &c.

Phil

I think you meant to type "methamphetamine." But I didn't know
Crossville was the crank capital of the South. But I guess it makes
sense -- they'd have to be on SOMETHING to elect Sloan to the EB...

Matt Nemmers wrote:
Chess One wrote:
"Matt Nemmers" wrote in message
oups.com...
Chess One wrote:

"When is the last time you went to ChessHut in NewToxin, Tennessee?"
"Where?'

Phil

I never get your jokes, Phil.

Kül, my father was in the navy and he didn't get my jokes either, Matt, on
the other hand I don't know what its like to get sunk 3 times from
kamikazies.

Important Joke Test for Naval Persons: One marine I met said to always
remind you squabs that the marines are the senior service, if only by one
day by act of Congress. So... Is that funny? )

Not "funny;" they earned it. Can't remember which battle, but the
Jarheads earned their seniority. Gotta give 'em props.

Sailors like to remind Marines that they're still Department of the
Navy. To which a quick Marine will reply, "Yeah...the MEN'S
department."

One joke you've probably heard:

A sailor and a Marine are just finishing their business in the head.
As the sailor turns from the stall and starts to walk out the door the
Marine says sarcastically, "Hey squid...don't the Navy teach you to
wash your hands after you take a ****?"

To which the sailor replies, "No, in the Navy they teach us not to ****
on our hands."

Meanwhile it is pretty well known that USCf moved to the metamphetamine
capital of the South, land is cheap in town, &c.

Phil

I think you meant to type "methamphetamine."

He could have been typing anything.

But I didn't know
Crossville was the crank capital of the South.

Brattleboro, VT, is the crank capital of the North. Whereever Marcus
Roberts is posting from is the crank capital of the South.

But I guess it makes
sense -- they'd have to be on SOMETHING to elect Sloan to the EB...

What was Dubeck "on" when he endorsed Sloan?

"Matt Nemmers" wrote in message
oups.com...

Important Joke Test for Naval Persons: One marine I met said to always
remind you squabs that the marines are the senior service, if only by one
day by act of Congress. So... Is that funny? )

Not "funny;" they earned it. Can't remember which battle, but the
Jarheads earned their seniority. Gotta give 'em props.

**But they can't do that in the British navy - ps, last night on PBS there
was one and a half hours of wooden boats saga - set 1814, en route
England-Australia, and written after some notes by William Golding [author
Lord of Flies, etc]. Drama a bit buggery, but good atmosphere.


Sailors like to remind Marines that they're still Department of the
Navy. To which a quick Marine will reply, "Yeah...the MEN'S
department."

One joke you've probably heard:

A sailor and a Marine are just finishing their business in the head.
As the sailor turns from the stall and starts to walk out the door the
Marine says sarcastically, "Hey squid...don't the Navy teach you to
wash your hands after you take a ****?"

To which the sailor replies, "No, in the Navy they teach us not to ****
on our hands."
---------

LOL - well here's one for you. My daughter aged 16 volunteered for crew on a
wooden ship up on the lakes, she was youngest female ever and pretty
powerful, already an an Olympic rating for crew, and it was a lake boat,
built behind a sand bar out of reach of the British guns, then swam around
on Erie. About 25% crew were female, lots of Candians. The barky eventually
became Piery's flag in some daft engagement when it was virtually the only
thing left floating after the smoke cleared. man - tween decks it was no
more than 5'.

So there were 2 VIPs coming abroad, one was the governor of PA, and the
other a 'movie star' who she didn't recognise. Anyway, all visitors on board
had to wear life jackets, so the governor and all the security guys got
their's on, but the movie star was all thumbs, so my daughter was pushed
forward to set him straight. He tried to 'help' her do it, so she said,
"keep your damn hands still man!" to Jack Palance. And he did.

It was interesting experience - at first the guys deferred to the women, and
suggested lighter work and different than traditional titles, but the ladies
set them straight, and in fact several were on the 'heavy' crew. My daughter
worked up there along the arm, 100 feet over the water, plus pitch and roll.

Do you ever get any wooden boat training these days? Even something small is
useful to a shipwreck, no?

Whereas my father although sunk so many times, said that in 6 years of WWII
[first artic convoys, then Pacific] he never actually saw an enemy combatant
until the surrender, and on the mainland of Japan in '46. There were lots of
guys in the sea, but, you know, no one survived.

Phil

Matt Nemmers wrote:
One joke you've probably heard:

A sailor and a Marine are just finishing their business in the head.
As the sailor turns from the stall and starts to walk out the door
the Marine says sarcastically, "Hey squid...don't the Navy teach you
to wash your hands after you take a ****?"

To which the sailor replies, "No, in the Navy they teach us not to
**** on our hands."

Heard it a million times, told about almost any two groups that have a
rivalry...


Dave.

--
David Richerby Mouldy Microsoft Postman (TM): it's
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ like a man who delivers the mail
that's really hard to use but it's
starting to grow mushrooms!

Chess One wrote:
Leadership passes into empire;
Empire begets insolence;
Insolence bring ruin.
/William Carlos Williams

I would like to comment on two aspect of recent postings by board member Sam
Sloan. During the election his supporters hoped he would bring some glasnöst
to the boardroom which would air our futures in a healthy way. But I note
that there has been a certain concentration over past events, and of certain
personages in particular, which prompt me to point out that the future is
180 degrees in the other direction, and that Mr. Sloan's motives for 'just
noticing' some materials are possibly confusable by naive persons with
settling personal accounts from the past.

I know that many think that I have sold out and you seem to think that
I am using my position on the board to gain revenge for past misdeeds.
Neither is the case.

Ever since the day that I won the election, efforts have been made by
those who opposed my candidacy to either stop me from taking office or
to neutralize or remove me once I got in office.

Thousands of dollars in USCF membership dues money have been spent on
attorneys fees in an effort to sop me from attending to my duties as a
board member.

The private confidential BINFOS which the outside world is not allowed
to read have been filled with vicious personal attacks and even threats
against me.

The president ordered the editor of Chess Life to remove my name from
an article to be published in Chess Life which had casually mentioned
my name and a chess game I had played.

Meanwhile, I have tried hard to be a "good boy". For example, the
president asked me to stop posting here and so I did. This is the
reason you have rarely heard me for the past two months.

The president asked me to take the picture of me with a prominent chess
personality off the home page of my website, and so I did.

The president asked me to do a lot of other things and I did so.

I was not given any committee assignments, and yet I did not complain.

So, I have gone far out of my way to accommodate the president and
other board members who have been attacking me.

I did this hoping that the attacks would stop and we could attend to
the serious problems facing the USCF, such as the mounting financial
losses.

My hopes have proven unfounded. The president and certain other board
members continue to attack me. They seem to be obsessed with me, as
though I am in some way responsible for the problems they created even
before I was even elected.

I have not done everything the president asked me to do. For example,
he demanded that I delete my entire website. This is not a reasonable
demand and I refused to comply, especially since it was my website that
got me elected in the first place.

The end result is that the board is on the verge of a total breakdown.
Almost all meaningful discussions have stopped. There is silence on the
lines. Board members, other than myself, have almost completely stopped
sending emails to the other board members.

I am just letting you know that the honeymoon is about to end. Unless
there is immediate improvement in the situation, the next step will be
war.

Sam Sloan