Month: June 2019 | the Wakefield Doctrine

TToT -the Wakefield Doctrine-

June 23, 2019 By clarkscottroger

Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)

Hosted each week by Kristi, the TToT (‘Ten Things of Thankful’) is not only a contemplation, (and sharing) of gratitude, it is an exercise in perspective. (More on this tantalizing notion down in the list, somewhere around Item 7 or so.)

So, for my Grat List of this last week of Summer:

1) Una

Una reading the riot act to aggressively invasive garden denizen.
(Landscape Orientation)

“I got this”
(Landscape Orientation)

2) Phyllis This is her arboreal lifeforms free-cafeteria (“Why, yes, those are old mailboxes. Whatever else would you use?” lol)

3) Driveway Corn (photo to follow at end of day. Need to do some judicious grass cutting.)

4) the Wakefield Doctrine. Continues to be the basis for virtually all changes (of a positive nature) and survival of changes (of the negative sort). Such as life seems to persist in throwing in the path. I mean, seriously, at this stage of the game, we should have a clear vision of the remaining walkway. God knows, even if we don’t always pay complete attention, we surely must remember how wide and level it is at any point. Experience has (or should have) taught us that deviations, while sometimes threatening and always inconvenient, have little power over the pace we keep.

Anyway, the Wakefield Doctrine is a tool and a fun way to look at life and the people that make it up.

5) Saturday Night Call-in. still running after all these years* Every Saturday evening (I have one of those conference call apps) and wait on the line for people to call in and ask about the Wakefield Doctrine, (the invitation and the number is on the upper righthand side of the homepage). Can’t miss it. Anyway it’s fun. Cynthia calls in as does Alex & Denise. Last night we got a call from the progenitor roger (the one to the far left in the clarkscottroger photo that appears most everywhere). Enjoyable conversation. You should call in next Saturday 8:00 to 8:45 EDST (1-218-339-0422 access code: 512103#)

6) The Case of the Missing Starr. So, we know that I’m always trying to improve my writing skills. The only sure way I know of is to keep writing. As much as possible. Sometimes current projects lose some of their energy and languish in the draft folder. For reason poorly understood, I decided to create a page in the Wakefield Doctrine Facebook page and start a serialized story. If you’re in the Facebook and did not receive an invitation to ‘Like’ the page, please click on this and like (and follow and such). This is a noir detective story. Should be fun. If you’re not on the Facebook but would like to get each chapter sent to you every Saturday, let me know in comments.

7) Perspective: the foundation of the Wakefield Doctrine. There is more than one way to experience the world. There are three. And they are equally real (for the individual). ipso facto, y’all.

8) THIS SPACE AVAILABLE Stopping by and like what you read but weren’t prepared with, like a full, 10 item list? NP! Just send us one (without attribution as you prefer) and we will totally post it right here.

9) something, something

10) Secret Rule 1.3 “…the near-completion is totally something to be glad of, and, parsing that last clause (or phrase or whatever rhetorical device it represents) means one thing: Valid Item for List of Gratitude. [ibid, op. cit. whathca.no ed. 2009-2019]”

* music vid

(lol…. no, wait let me explain! Not laughing at my choice of music video. I’m laughing at my non-choice of music. Not sure I can explain, (or even understand for myself), the process behind picking a music video to accompany a TToT or Six Sentence Story post. But it remains one of the more satisfying elements of the process.

So, anyway this morning I was all set to use Paul Simon’s ‘Still Crazy After All These Years’. Very catchy melody. But the lyrics. Lets just say… Mr. Simon is so a roger. And still I almost used it but the instrumental bridge, I was ‘ok! catchy melody, sure you’re so crazy but jeez lets keep it simple.’ In any event I decided no.

…so I decided to go to our scottian side.

Filed Under: Featured, Psychology, the Wakefield Doctrine Tagged With: self-improvement, the Wakefield Doctrine

Six Sentence Story -the Wakefield Doctrine-

June 19, 2019 By clarkscottroger

Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)

Six Sentence Story

Denise is the host.

The challenge is to write a story, employing the week’s prompt word and keeping it to no more than not less than six sentences.

Note: This is from a ‘series’ of Sixes set in the infamous Parchman Farms, the state prison in Mississippi (actually the setting for the stories is more about the prison from the early 20th.) If you’re interested, here are the links: Parchman Farm ‘Shake’: https://wp.me/pRP3W-7QL Parchman Farm. ‘Polish’: https://wp.me/pRP3W-8Do. Parchman Farm. ‘Agreed’ https://wp.me/pRP3W-8TT

This week’s prompt word:

RELEASE

“You men don’t work so hard y’all can’t be awake enough at supper to give ole Elias here the sendoff he deserves,” laughing, Roscoe Williams looked down from his horse at the line of men, morning sun blazing through the mist, creating an improbable halo; not that anyone but a new inmate had enough foolish left in him to look directly at the man who ruled their days.

With the sun in the clutches of the treed-clad horizon and the final meal of the day done, Elias Teague Johnson, dressed in clothes that were new before some of the prisoners were born, stepped off the covered porch, walked through the wrought-iron gates of Camp 8 and headed towards a world that contained nothing but long-dead friends and total strangers.

Billy Tulene, release papers still four years into an uncertain future, spoke towards the old man sitting on a spindle-back chair, “I understand why Elias has a spring in his step, what I don’t get is Boss Roscoe, he’s got a look on his face like his wife burned his dinner, shot his dog and ran off with the postman.”

Arthritic knuckles adding a certain tenderness as he touched the wooden cross hanging from his neck, the man spoke from a place as foreign to the younger man as any atlas scribed in a long dead language, “That’s right, you’re new here, boy”; tipping forward to plant the front legs of the chair on the foot-polished boards of the porch, he turned his head towards the young man and away from the cageboss, pacing the tired grass lawn in front of the wide single story building.

“Boss Roscoe was a new guard, about your age, when Elias joined us, that’d be ’bout twenty-three years next August. You and me ain’t the only ones owned by Parchman Farm; that look on his sweaty face, that’s jealousy, boy, pure and simple, jealousy.”

Filed Under: Featured, Psychology, the Wakefield Doctrine Tagged With: Six Sentence Story, the Wakefield Doctrine

TToT -the Wakefield Doctrine-

June 16, 2019 By clarkscottroger

Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)

Quite the get-together last week, no?

Total Grats to Kristi for her work in bring it all together. Collective and inferred shout-outs to all in attendance, (current) regulars and past regulars to this ‘hop.

(New Readers: Kristi’s intro to the TToT at the bottom does a far better job than I will at saying: recollect and share those aspects of your life (both real and imagined) that elicit a feeling of gratitude with others and the benefits will be… multiplied. A creation of Lizzi Lewis (who was here last week!) the TToT is a good way to spend some time. The following are people, places and/or things that elicits a certain feeling of gratitude.)

1) Una

2) Phyllis

3) the Wakefield Doctrine (sine qua non, y’all)

4) Six Sentence Story So I was writing a query letter to an agent yesterday and thought, ‘Well, I’m not already published so ain’t much to bio on myself…. what about telling them where Almira came from? Sure (lol) lets tell them about that. Before Denise took over, zoe hosted the Six Sentence Story. One week, a couple or three years ago, her prompt word was…. damn, can’t remember! but, in any event, I got this image in my head of a back-from-college Dorothy Gale standing and staring at a sign in front of a clearly rebuilt high school and the sign read: ‘Almira Gulch High School’. And the rest (as I was sure to tell the agent), was writing the story to find out what happens next. (lol) Thanks, z

5) the Book of Secret Rules (aka Secret Book of Rules) the:

of blog-writing tools. The only requirement for use is the effort to cite the appropriate Rule.

6) work (sorta)

7) Hey! Val!! Saw her come into the TToT ‘party’ right there at the end…. (yesterday)… good to ‘see’ you!

8) THIS SPACE AVAILABLE. ¹Yep, for the nameless Reader (down at the music vid intro)… there is surely a difference between saxophone noir and country-folk morning-after music. (not that there isn’t a place for both… the bookshelves would be a lot less crowded if not for both)

9) Cynthia (Friend of the Doctrine Cynthia and John are out on the road again. look for pitchas in the Facebook).

10) S.R. 1.3 (from the BoSR/SBoR) “…you’re down at number 8, maybe even number 7 and you’re still typing away. Don’t look up, don’t say anything, just keep typing. A barely noticeable smile is, however, permitted as you realize that all you need to do is fill in Grat Item #9 and you are home free. Because, (quid pro quo, Latin for ‘not for nothin”. lol) you can cite completion of the 9th as something to be grateful for.” [ibid. op.cit. … who said Beethoven’s Ninth ? ok. ok. way down at the bottom, cause, well, noir and symphonic uplift don’t really go together. Sorta like Tom Waites and Miss America

Music vid Hey! Don’t look at me! I just sit and stare at the screen until I find the trail. (in this case, a rainy overcast Sunday morning. … count your blessings* I couldn’t find Kris Kristofferson’s ‘Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down’… lol

* Who said that? Ok, I will. For the nameless Reader I will put their Grat Item in Number 8 Look for superscript 1 ¹

If Harlem Nocturne don’t totally move into your cerebro-auditory centers, this 23:26 minute ditty surely will

Filed Under: Featured, Psychology, the Wakefield Doctrine Tagged With: the Wakefield Doctrine

Sixxx Sentence Story -the Wakefield Doctrine-

June 12, 2019 By clarkscottroger

Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)

This is the Six Sentence Story

Denise is the host.

The goal is to write a story of exactly six sentence in length while employing the week’s prompt word:

EXTENSION.

“Of course I have a goddamned appointment,” the man seemed to swell, the whiteness of his shirt collar shimmering from the strain, the effect was enhanced by a florid complexion, itself racing towards the darker end of the spectrum.

The beauty of the man behind the desk was almost perfect, but for the hint of a whisper between his eyes and the upper corner of his mouth; recognizing the work of his favorite Saville Row tailor, the visitor’s bushy eyebrows fell into an argument over the memory of a ‘really hot chick’ greeting him when he originally sealed the deal.

“He’s a businessman like me, I just need to explain how an extension of my contract will benefit everyone,” his notorious confidence on full display, the man took one step towards the slowly opening door, sweat appeared on his brow like lightbulbs across the midway of an abandoned carnival.

While the inner office appeared to be that of a fabulously successful executive, there was something amiss, not the individual elements of furniture and decorations, bookcases and paintings, but with the way they connected; a truly inspired decor has, at its heart, an underlying theme, a way of tying the parts together in a way relatable on a human scale.

“I want an extension to our pact, I didn’t realize how much more I could do,” the man’s words, barely out of his mouth, fell from the air and scuttled across the priceless oriental carpet, like fossilized trilobites suddenly (and temporarily) animated.

“Now why, in My name, would I want to do that?” her interrogative lilt, as sincere as a politician’s promise, grabbed at the man, the laughter from the woman behind the desk as calculated as palm fronds crisscrossed over a tiger pit.

Filed Under: Featured, Psychology, the Wakefield Doctrine Tagged With: Six Sentence Story, the Wakefield Doctrine

TToT -the Wakefield Doctrine- ‘6th Anniversary Edition*’ **some assembly required*

June 7, 2019 By clarkscottroger

Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)

Six Years.

1) Kristi for hosting

2) Josie for providing a stable declension*

3) Lizzi Lewis: 4 kree8ting this thing.¹

4) Scroll wheels***

5) Co-hostinae (see triple asteroid at bottom… the original Doctrine TToT post). It includes the list of the first hosts. Others have stepped up over the years and, to a (wo)man, all have done yeoman’s work providing an environment both nurturing and challenging, in the creative sense of the word.

6) Virtual people on Vacation. There was a seaside vacation weekend where virtual people gathered in the ‘real’ world. (I kinda gravitate towards the movie trope where, while we all believe we met in Ocean City, staying in motels, hotels and B&Bs, maybe to the rest of the people in the world, doors were mysteriously opening and closing, dogs were heard to bark in bed ‘n breakfast inns and laughter was heard at all hours from empty motel rooms.) But there we were: zoe, val, Denise, Sara, Kristi and others (hey, if I missed anyone…. trope, remember?)

7) Locked away in some achronologic closet are the early posts of Lizzi when she sported the sobriquet, ‘Considerer’. I met her through Kristi Campbell’s Finish the Sentence Friday bloghop. Given the insights afforded by everyone’s favorite personality theory, I knew Lizzi from the (her) first Comment that I read. I replied. I made friends with her guard dog.² In any event, the thing was, I was early enough in L’s blogging to see her first grat posts. She’d been convinced that it would be good for her to write a post listing the things for which she was grateful. Which she did. For weeks, into months.

By herself.

(Hard to imagine, but at the time, Lizzi’s blog would get one, maybe two comments every couple of posts. She was very much on her own.)

She continued writing her gratitude posts.

That is how you create a bloghop that has the power to last six years.

8) THIS SPACE AVAILABLE. Hey, we know you’re out there. Just stopping by for the celebration, out of curiosity etc? This thing we do here is for real. Send in your Grat Item (along with preferred attribution) and we’ll totally post it here at Number 8. We got plenty of room. (I mean, have you seen this post? It’s, like. all over the place.)

9) Phyllis and Una

10) Secret Rule 1.3

*something of a rogerian expression, a malapropism for the process of handing down a traditional activity, ‘sophomore successor’ might be more scientific, but admittedly weird. Lets stick with declension.

1. You want to know how a bloghop that can last Six Years is created? Go to Grat Item #7

2. Lizzi was already friends with Christine at the time I replied (in full-on clarklike patois) to Lizzi’s Comment at the FTSF post. I swear my index finger hadn’t cleared the return key after submitting my comment when I got a reply …from Christine. ‘Hello. You’re new around here. Lizzi and I are good friends. State your intentions.’ I smiled at my monitor. Lizzi has a scottian** friend. I continued to smile and held out my hand…slowly. She turned out to be a lot of fun and I was recognized as being non-creepy. Where was I? oh yeah! back up to #7

** the Wakefield Doctrine loves metaphors, especially those drawing on the animal world. scotts? predators: think wolf, dog… loyal to the end, fiercely protective, chases anything moving away rapidly and will interpose their bodies between anything rapidly approaching and the members of their pack.

*** so we can post, like entire posts, down there↓

From the beginning time:

Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)

…and welcome to the Inaugural Edition of the ‘Ten Things of Thankful’ blog hop.

The idea-child (to organize a blog hop with ‘Ten Things of Thankful’ as the central theme), of ‘the Considerer’. Her idea of a Saturday blog hop offers to demonstrate an aspect of the internet that is truly remarkable. To have a community created by the thoughts and ideas (shared by) people from all over the planet… coming into existence for a day…spreading outwards through the blogosphere, passed along, modified enhanced then to fading from view…only to return again, different yet the same. How cool is that?

and…and!! there are 9 co-hosts! (the afore-mentioned Considerer), and

A Fly on our (Chicken Coop) Wall

A Woman’s Place

Bringing the Sunshine

Finding Ninee

Icansaymama

Shoved to Them

Steps into Parenthood

the Wakefield Doctrine

Each week…

That’s about it for me, for this Post. While familiar of with use and value of compiling a gratitude list, creating a list is an interestingly arduous task! Not that I am ungrateful, ( non-grateful?? anti-grateful?? hypo-grateful??? lol), for the things in my life, I have not engaged in a formal exercise before this…I will, without a doubt, be sharing my thoughts and impressions as the weeks progress.
And I am also a big advocate of bloghops… especially for those of us who spend a lot of time writing a blog. The hop (like this one right here) is an opportunity to ‘get out… meet new people, read blogs that you might not otherwise come into contact with… so add your blog to the place below that says sign up here… it’ll be fun.

List of 10 things about/within/comprising my life today 06/08/2013 that I feel grateful for:

coming to know interesting people such as Considerer, simply because there is no way I would have met her, were it not for her blog

having the time available to write this post

seeing examples of Posts as written by the other co-hosts

having a family (wife and dog*)

having known the perfect dog…Ola

living in a climate that is only bi-annually of intolerable climate (lol)

the 3 or 4 years spent on fishing boats

the friends that I have

the enemies that I do not have (at least not in large numbers)

the invitation from Considerer to co-host this here bloghop here

Now the hard part! There’s supposed to appear some code for a button and an invitation to join us… all I need to do is get it right…. hold on….

Your hosts

A Fly on our (Chicken Coop) Wall, A Woman’s Place, Bringing the Sunshine, Considerings, Finding Ninee, Icansaymama, Shoved to Them, Steps into Parenthood, The Wakefield Doctrine

Loading InLinkz …

Hey, I’m sure there is some sort of counter-part over in the UK that will allow this music video appropriate . Let me know….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AZLUohDCGo

for Joy over in Germany, the country which apparently hates ‘the youTube’…we will try a workaround (hey, we grew up in the 60s….the man ain’t gonna tell us what we can or can’t do!!) we’re tryin…