Member Call — Schedule Season
NOTE: This post edited 30-Mar-2019 to update the Block #1 call time, which has been moved forward from 10pm New York to 8pm New York.
Shortly before Christmas last year I outlined my vision for the Member Calls for 2019 (and also gave an overview of what the ‘digital nomad’ dream is all about).
About six weeks ago I created a post asking for suggestions for the next round of Member Calls. I also explained why I personally hope that those with topics they want to discuss will be happy to lead the relevant week’s Call as well. You can see all of the suggestions (and volunteers to lead the Calls) here.
Last week I announced that the Member Calls were finally returning and that I would be at my computer ready to go for two separate Call blocks: one in my morning, and one in my evening, in order to accommodate Members who live in time-zones which are not suited to the single, regular Call time.
Block 1
Block 2
Last weekend’s Calls went well, except for the fact that I was rather late to the first one, which I quickly apologised for when I finally managed to drag myself out of bed. That kind of tardiness won’t happen again any time soon. You see, what happened the night before… well, I might tell the stories one day.
Or maybe I will take those stories to the grave. Either way, what is done is done.
Call Block 1 remains more popular than Call Block 2
Anyhow we still had a good turnout for Call 1 but saw a much smaller crowd for Call 2. This is what happened last time I trialed a two-Call system: when the Americans are either sleeping in or only just waking up, and the Australians are either already asleep or just about to nod off, it is usually only myself and maybe one or two Europeans who show up to the second call.
You know what? I’m okay with this. Call 2 was still an enjoyable discussion, one which led me to a realisation about so-called ‘diamonds’ which I look forward to posting new material about shortly.
We begin proper recording again this weekend
I didn’t record either of last weekend’s Calls but from this weekend and going forward, I’ll be recording the Calls and things will basically return to how they were through most of 2018, with the exception that there will now be two Call blocks for people to attend rather than just one long Call. It might sometimes be the case that I am all alone for Call 2 but in the event that this happens, I will either press ahead with my own material for that Call and go solo, or simply get an early night’s rest and revisit the topic at a later time.
Time to decide the schedule
Here’s what we need to do from here: those of you who have volunteered to lead a Call and still wish to do so, choose a week and a time which suits you, and I will set that date and time aside for you and your topic. I will then fill in the remaining Blocks with Film Analysis and Sync topics. This means that I (we) will be doing one Film Analysis and one Sync topic per fortnight, regardless of whatever other topics are covered in the same period of time.
Flexibility for you, flexibility for me
You guys can turn up to any Calls you like, whereas I will be there for every single one, and the editing of these Calls should keep me busy for a couple days per week. It might even get to the stage where I am banking some of the Calls for edit/release — that is, building up a backlog of calls to be edited so that I can keep working and releasing material even if I am unable to record any Calls for an extended period (as has been the case over the past month or two).
I will still release at least one Call per week, and perhaps two per week, but one of the beauties of recording two Calls each weekend is that it gives me room to move in the edit/release structure. A backlog of a few shows in the editing list would probably be ideal because it would ensure that I have the material there to release at least one Member Call per week even if I lose access to a good recording space for a month or so.
First in, best dressed
There are two Call blocks to choose from, and this season will continue for as many weeks as we need to make sure everybody who wants to do so can lead a Call. At present there me anywhere from six to ten brave volunteers (or pairs of volunteers) who have put their hand up to lead a call. All you need to do now is to nominate both the weekend and Call block which suits you best, and I will pencil you in for that Call. I will then allocate a Film Analysis or Sync topic to the alternate block for that weekend.
For example
Here’s how it will work. Suppose Salzburg Gold is still able and willing to lead a Call about lifting and training. Suppose he knows he will be free on March 30. He simply nominates either Call block 1 or Call block 2 as his preferred time to pencil in that Call. Given that he is in the Dakota region, I would imagine that SG would prefer block 1. Suppose he nominates block 1, then I shall assign a Sync or Film Analysis topic to Block 2.
If instead SG prefers to run his Call in block 2, then the Film Analysis/Sync topic will be set for block 1. Either way, once a weekend is chosen by the relevant topic leader, then both blocks from that weekend will be off the table.
It will take us a few days to get the schedule filled up but once the process is complete, then everybody will know exactly when to make sure they are on Discord in order to either participate in the Call or, if they prefer, simply listen live (and on mute).
Schedule so far (will be updated progressively)
March 16/17 – Call 1 SYNC ‘Revisiting the Sync Books’ | Call 2 Take No Gnosis to lead ‘Breaking Reality‘
March 23/24 – Call 1 & 2 open
March 30/31 – Call 1 SYNC ‘Joe Alexander’ | Call 2 Take No Gnosis to lead ‘Creating Reality‘
April 6/7 – Call 1 ShadowTiger to lead ‘Georgia Guidestones‘ | Call 2 FA Donnie Darko (2001)
April 13/14 – Call 1 & 2 open
April 20/21 – Call 1 & 2 open
April 27/28 – Call 1 & 2 open
May 4/5 – Call 1 & 2 open
May 11/12 – Call 1 & 2 open
More details (will be updated progressively)
March 16/17
Call 1: It was June 2018 when the Member Skype Series first dedicated an episode to The Sync Books. Time to revisit them. Even if you have only read a few chapters from one or both books, if you have thoughts to share, come along and share them. Favourite chapter? Most surprising syncs pointed out by the authors? General observations about the kinds of people involved in either Book?
Call 2: Take No Gnosis has volunteered to lead a call with a working title of ‘Breaking Reality: The History Hoax and Science Hoax’. I’ll let TNG fill us in with more information about his intended discussion points in the comment section below, but I personally will be hoping to discuss some research I have been doing in regards to the Diamond Hoax (Science) and the Calendar Hoax (History).
March 23/24 [Open]
March 30/31
Call 1: Joe Alexander’s ‘Back to the Future Predicts 9/11’ changed my life. But that is only one of Alexander’s magnificent videos. See also ‘Lloyd Our Christbearer‘ for more sheer brilliance. In this call I would like to discuss Alexander’s videos and his chapter in Sync Book 2, ‘The Blur’.
Call 2: Take No Gnosis has volunteered to lead a call with a working title of ‘Creating Reality: Sync and the Law of Attraction’. I’ll let TNG fill us in with more information about his intended discussion points in the comment section below, but I personally will be hoping to discuss how the ‘law of attraction’ was a key plank of how the entire management system operated at the sales job I used to work in. It is real: winners keep winning and losers keep losing.
Some days a usual winner will be on a bad run, and the management will send him home. He will come back the next day, have an early win, and back into the winners circle he will go. Sale after sale after sale. Mind over matter? Subconscious indicators in voice and expression? All to do with confidence, and if so, where does confidence come from? Can it be learned?
April 6/7
Call 1: ShadowTiger has volunteered to lead a call about the Georgia Guidestones. This seems like a fairly straightforward topic: what the hell are these things and how much should we read into their writings?
Call 2: Time for some film analysis. I have decided to assign this week’s call to Donnie Darko. I could do two hours about this film all by myself, but hopefully a few Aussies stay up late, or some Americans set their alarms for an early start, or some Europeans make their way to Discord for the late morning / early afternoon.
But what if I can’t make it to a topic?
There will inevitably be instances when some people who want to be at a Call simply cannot make it (due to sleep or other commitments). There is absolutely no way around this. What we can do, however, is always come back and revisit a topic in the future if there is enough demand. It goes without saying that any topics which are revisited will be placed on the alternate Block when they come back around.
So suppose, for example, that on March 30 the block 1 topic is indeed ‘Lifting and Training’, as nominated by SG. This would mean that block 2 would be a topic on either Sync or Film Analysis. I might set that weekend’s Block 2 topic as ‘The Matrix’ (Film Analysis). But wait, a lot of people want to be there to discuss The Matrix but can’t be there for Block 2. No problems, we can always come back and look at The Matrix during a Block 1 session a few months later.
Topics which are popular enough will basically become like ongoing series in and of themselves. Imagine a ‘The Matrix – Call #5’ which recaps what was discussed in the previous four Calls on the same topic and then picks up wherever the previous Call left off. Or instead goes on its own tangent altogether. Or both.
‘On the last Call about The Matrix a few months ago, Mezzie, you mentioned the sync involving Keanu Reeves and telephone box teleportation. I hadn’t thought of that at the time, but since then I have checked Bill and Ted, you are right about the phone botth, and it turns out that it goes even further, because Keanu also starred in…’
Do you see what I mean? If this plan/schedule even half as well I expect, it will be epic. All it will require is a little bit of patience from those who can’t make it to the first Call of the topic(s) they are interested in discussing.
In conclusion
So now it is over to you, my friends. If you are willing to lead a topic discussion (see here for more information about this) then choose your weekend, choose your block, and I’ll update the schedule as soon as I see your comment.
Please be sure to only nominate calls/times which are committed to. We live in an age where it is apparently normal for people to RSVP to events on facebook and so forth without any real intention of following through. Please don’t do that here. Only put your hand up if you are genuine and enthusiastic about leading your call at your time.
If you are one of those guys who has a ‘girlfriend’ who ‘gets shitty’ when you make plans to do things without her (or a girl who has a similar problem with your ‘boyfriend’), probably best to give this season a miss in terms of nominating to lead a call. If you get what I mean. Same with if you have shift work: if there is a chance you might not be able to make it to your scheduled Call due to last-minute shift schedules at work, then the best thing for all parties concerned is for you to not over-commit yourself with a Member Call.
There will be plenty of opportunities at a later time. And those who are not leading the Calls can still turn up and participate as per usual. All going well, this format/structure will be in place for a long time to come. If my first two weeks in Thailand didn’t get me killed or deported, then my guardian angel is still looking out for me.
Speaking of which, if nobody nominates for this weekend’s Call(s), it will revert to being me who leads the Call, and my topic is likely to be: ‘guardian angels’. Sometimes I look at the nonsense I have gotten involved in over the past 31 years and wonder how the hell I have survived in one piece. I have met other guys who, if even half of their stories are true, are just as ‘lucky’ to still be here as I feel like am. Then there are other people who cross the wrong road at the wrong time and it is all over. How do we explain things like this?
‘Chance’? That’s what I would have said in the past. And I remain open to it as a possibility, in a way. Bad things do happen to good people for apparently no reason. Are good things happening for no reason as well? Or is there more to it?
Speak soon!
Post #46. Published publicly 14-Mar-2019. 1,500 words.