Ricochet Member @Arahant sat down with Dave to discuss just a few of his numerous areas of expertise. Want to talk management theories, consultant approaches and learn from an expert what a great many managers are up to? How about a conversation on the Trump administration’s first year? Want to learn how to cope with writer’s block and make it work for you? Or perhaps you’d like to explore the world of poetry, or learn the benefits of a few moments of silence? Interested in Ricochet’s Writer’s Group, or even the 90 Day Challenge? It’s all here — a one-stop shopping podcast which led Dave to write, “The trick was keeping the conversation down to an hour!” So make yourself comfortable and listen in. We think you’ll be glad you did.

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  1. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    I charged right over to iTunes to leave a review only to find I have already. Excellent show.

    • #1
  2. George Townsend Inactive
    George Townsend
    @GeorgeTownsend

    Hi, Charlie!

    Gee, I hadn’t known that I was jousting on Ricochet with such a renaissance man. I really enjoyed the chat with Dave. He and I have had a few go-rounds, because we do so fundamentally disagree about the President. But he is a fine man, and, if I am not being too immodest, I think he feels the same way about me.

    By the way, you know, I just assumed that Arahant was your name. But, after hearing Dave call you “Charlie”, I looked Arahant up, and found it means “one who is worthy”. I agree that you are worthy, and, after perhaps a somewhat rocky start, I think we’ve enjoyed catching up with each other.

    By the way, also, I consider myself to be, if not a hermit, at least to lean very much to the introverted side. It becomes a little complicated, as there are times I want to scream that there is no one to really engage with. And I never did get around to getting married, which is a long story, and which I will get into if I can ever get the book I am trying to work on published. Incidentally, I know your suggestion for writing is correct. I just have to discipline myself enough to do it.

    Well, take care. As I say, it was nice getting to know you a little more.

    • #2
  3. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    • #3
  4. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Dave, your editing was incredible. You made me sound halfway intelligent. Too bad you left in the process part, though. I probably bored most of your audience to death before we got to the interesting parts.

    • #4
  5. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    George Townsend (View Comment):
    I looked Arahant up, and found it means “one who is worthy”.

    In my case, the penname was based on a character from a very good book called The Shadow of the Ship by Robert Wilfred Franson. I reviewed it here. There is a character who is an intelligent felinoid, who just happens to have a Sanskrit name. The author is supposed to be coming out with a prequel soon. He really is one of the best writers I know of who is writing today.

    • #5
  6. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    George Townsend (View Comment):
    …which I will get into if I can ever get the book I am trying to work on published.

    I know the feeling, George. I have two volumes already out there, but so many more I’m working on.

    • #6
  7. George Townsend Inactive
    George Townsend
    @GeorgeTownsend

    Arahant (View Comment):

    George Townsend (View Comment):
    …which I will get into if I can ever get the book I am trying to work on published.

    I know the feeling, George. I have two volumes already out there, but so many more I’m working on.

    I admire your productivity.

    • #7
  8. J.D. Snapp, Possum Aficionado Coolidge
    J.D. Snapp, Possum Aficionado
    @JulieSnapp

    I’ve always pronounced it “air-ah-HAUNT”.

    • #8
  9. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    J.D. Snapp, Possum Aficionado (View Comment):
    I’ve always pronounced it “air-ah-HAUNT”.

    There is something spectral about your way.

    • #9
  10. Dave Carter Podcaster
    Dave Carter
    @DaveCarter

    J.D. Snapp, Possum Aficionado (View Comment):
    I’ve always pronounced it “air-ah-HAUNT”.

    I pronounce it “Char-ley.”  Just seems easier, and Arahant was gracious enough to let me get away with it.

    • #10
  11. Dave Carter Podcaster
    Dave Carter
    @DaveCarter

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Dave, your editing was incredible. You made me sound halfway intelligent. Too bad you left in the process part, though. I probably bored most of your audience to death before we got to the interesting parts.

    Not difficult at all, sir, and thanks for a wonderful conversation. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope we can do it again sometime. You’re welcome in the podcast anytime.

    • #11
  12. Mim526 Inactive
    Mim526
    @Mim526

    Very much enjoyed the podcast.  I’ll take y’all’s word about being hermits…but you’re awfully helpful and communicative to those of us on Ricochet :-)  Thanks for all you contribute.

    • #12
  13. J.D. Snapp, Possum Aficionado Coolidge
    J.D. Snapp, Possum Aficionado
    @JulieSnapp

    Dave Carter (View Comment):

    J.D. Snapp, Possum Aficionado (View Comment):
    I’ve always pronounced it “air-ah-HAUNT”.

    I pronounce it “Char-ley.” Just seems easier, and Arahant was gracious enough to let me get away with it.

    Oh, I don’t blame you. My version would’ve come out horribly drawled and mispronounced.

    • #13
  14. Dave Carter Podcaster
    Dave Carter
    @DaveCarter

    Percival (View Comment):
    I charged right over to iTunes to leave a review only to find I have already. Excellent show.

    Well thanks much for the earlier kind review!  Of course encores are always appreciated too. ;)

    • #14
  15. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Dave Carter (View Comment):

    Percival (View Comment):
    I charged right over to iTunes to leave a review only to find I have already. Excellent show.

    Well thanks much for the earlier kind review! Of course encores are always appreciated too. ;)

    Can you do an encore? It prompted me with my earlier review (which was how I knew I’d done it already). I had the idea that I’d be replacing rather than repeating.

    • #15
  16. Dave Carter Podcaster
    Dave Carter
    @DaveCarter

    Percival (View Comment):

    Dave Carter (View Comment):

    Percival (View Comment):
    I charged right over to iTunes to leave a review only to find I have already. Excellent show.

    Well thanks much for the earlier kind review! Of course encores are always appreciated too. ;)

    Can you do an encore? It prompted me with my earlier review (which was how I knew I’d done it already). I had the idea that I’d be replacing rather than repeating.

    I think so. I can’t find any info on prohibitions, at any rate.

    • #16
  17. Vectorman Inactive
    Vectorman
    @Vectorman

    Charley,

    Your forgot to mentioned that Joliet includes the Illinois State Prison*. So what were you really doing when you escaped at 26?

    *technically at Stateville IL. My college class visited there in 1974.

    • #17
  18. Dave Carter Podcaster
    Dave Carter
    @DaveCarter

    Vectorman (View Comment):
    Charley,

    Your forgot to mentioned that Joliet includes the Illinois State Prison*. So what were you really doing when you escaped at 26?

    *technically at Stateville IL. My college class visited there in 1974.

    I should have researched that one a little better…

    • #18
  19. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Vectorman (View Comment):

    Charley,

    Your forgot to mentioned that Joliet includes the Illinois State Prison*. So what were you really doing when you escaped at 26?

    *technically at Stateville IL. My college class visited there in 1974.

    When I was growing up, there was Stateville, which was “the farm,” or minimum-security prison. Then there was the maximum-security prison at Collins Street, which was known as “Joliet Correctional Center.”

    Third, and closest to where I lived, was the youth “reformatory,” which was no more than a mile or two from my home.

    Interesting place to grow up. Illinois law has since changed, but it used to be that when a prisoner was released from the prison, they would just open the doors, and out they would go. If they had someone to pick them up, as the fictional “Joliet” Jake Blues did, great. If not, they would often get what accommodation and jobs they could on the East Side of Joliet near the Collins Street facility. This meant that the East Side was kind of a tough place. My first job out of college was with a finance company on the East Side of Joliet. Yes, I did do collections and repos. Any questions?

    • #19
  20. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    The Fraternal Order of Police, the union for police officers, had a system of being able to hire officers for side security jobs. Most of the jobs would be things like keeping the kids moving in and out of the fast food parking lots instead of loitering there or having a presence at the Mexican community’s dances in case a fight broke out. But every once in a while, there would be something more interesting, like a movie’s being filmed in town. As such, my father the policeman worked security for The Blues Brothers movie.

    • #20
  21. Jim Wright Inactive
    Jim Wright
    @JimW

    Excellent show! It went straight to a short list of podcasts I immediately queue up to listen to again.

    • #21
  22. Front Seat Cat Member
    Front Seat Cat
    @FrontSeatCat

    What a delightful Ricochet Podcast – thank you @davecarter  Thoughts:

    Trump gets a solid B – thanks for that Arahant.

    I used to work for PRTM, a high-tech consulting firm – I was an admin in Boston, promoted to Executive status (ugh! – nightmare), and had flashbacks……I didn’t know squat about what I was told to do, I just did it. We consulted to (It was a while ago so it’s ok to say) everyone from Merck, to Harley Davidson to the World Bank – reducing headcount?  Sometimes…but I like to think our company did some good for the best companies across 5 sectors.

    I didn’t understand what the hell I was transcribing, but somebody did. We even had a spy consultant who only had his first name on his business card – he looked like a young Robert Redford – I also had flashbacks to a movie I love, The Office – so funny!

    What happened to Ricochet member 10 Cents??

    “Poets for War if It’s Against Terror” – a new Ricochet group??  Love it.

    What is up with the hard rock/with a dusting of Metal intro about?  Good grief – these Introverts are not really Introverts…they’re out there – I would categorize my husband as an Introvert who re-created our lovely guest room back into a man-cave/music room where he is recording original music with his brother – they do it all, guitar, bass, drums – hard rock – …… if it warms up soon, I can at least get to the back porch to read CS Lewis un-distracted!!

    Poets – so many are depressed today and their poetry is sad, sad and did I mention…sad? today yet they are winning awards and prizes? ) ……@trink help me!  Thank you Dave for helping me get to know our gifted Rico member, @Arahant better!

    PS I want a fruit basket!!

    • #22
  23. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Front Seat Cat (View Comment):
    Sometimes…but I like to think our company did some good for the best companies across 5 sectors.

    There is the problem. Consultants do good for the best companies, because those companies already have it together. They have good CEOs who brook no nonsense. It also depends where one is “coming in.” Is the consultant hired by the board? Hired by the CEO? Or hired down the line by a CIO or some smaller department or division. If the hiring individual has limited scope and vision, one’s efforts will have limited applicability and leverage. I started targeting much smaller companies. The language has to change. The jargon has to all be tossed out. But I was generally working with the boss(es), and could make a real difference.

    I will always remember one incident early on where the President of an organization wanted Business Process Reengineering and seemed to have some idea what she was talking about. But we were being run through the office of the VP of finance and administration, and he didn’t understand it. I finally managed to explain it to him. He looked at me in horror and said, “We don’t want none of that around here!” All he wanted was a new and more-comprehensive enterprise software solution and a newer computer to run it on. From that point forward, I had no direct access to the president of the company. At least, until my final presentation of the solution. The president started quizzing the vice presidents involved as to how the processes were being improved. That was fun to watch.

    • #23
  24. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Front Seat Cat (View Comment):
    What happened to Ricochet member 10 Cents??

    He went to another site for awhile and then seems to have started his own.

    • #24
  25. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Front Seat Cat (View Comment):
    What is up with the hard rock/with a dusting of Metal intro about?

    Don’t blame me, I would prefer something like…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJhzYw_nTKU

    • #25
  26. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Front Seat Cat (View Comment):
    Poets – so many are depressed today and their poetry is sad, sad and did I mention…sad?

    It comes from having no structure , discipline, or art.

    • #26
  27. Dave Carter Podcaster
    Dave Carter
    @DaveCarter

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Front Seat Cat (View Comment):
    What is up with the hard rock/with a dusting of Metal intro about?

    Don’t blame me, I would prefer something like…

    Oh that’s beautiful music!!  This is the kind of thing I write to. Well,…it depends on the type of writing. More emotive writing requires Mozart or something similar, where debate and analysis cries out for Baroque.  Odd, no?

    • #27
  28. Dave Carter Podcaster
    Dave Carter
    @DaveCarter

    Front Seat Cat (View Comment):
    What a delightful Ricochet Podcast – thank you @davecarter Thoughts:

    Trump gets a solid B – thanks for that Arahant.

    I used to work for PRTM, a high-tech consulting firm – I was an admin in Boston, promoted to Executive status (ugh! – nightmare), and had flashbacks……I didn’t know squat about what I was told to do, I just did it. We consulted to (It was a while ago so it’s ok to say) everyone from Merck, to Harley Davidson to the World Bank – reducing headcount? Sometimes…but I like to think our company did some good for the best companies across 5 sectors.

    I didn’t understand what the hell I was transcribing, but somebody did. We even had a spy consultant who only had his first name on his business card – he looked like a young Robert Redford – I also had flashbacks to a movie I love, The Office – so funny!

    What happened to Ricochet member 10 Cents??

    “Poets for War if It’s Against Terror” – a new Ricochet group?? Love it.

    What is up with the hard rock/with a dusting of Metal intro about? Good grief – these Introverts are not really Introverts…they’re out there – I would categorize my husband as an Introvert who re-created our lovely guest room back into a man-cave/music room where he is recording original music with his brother – they do it all, guitar, bass, drums – hard rock – …… if it warms up soon, I can at least get to the back porch to read CS Lewis un-distracted!!

    Poets – so many are depressed today and their poetry is sad, sad and did I mention…sad? today yet they are winning awards and prizes? ) ……@trink help me! Thank you Dave for helping me get to know our gifted Rico member, @Arahant better!

    PS I want a fruit basket!!

    Thank you so very much!!  Taking things in reverse order:

    Fruit Basket: I’ll be happy to send one, but only in the event of war.

    Hard Rock: I always liked the electricity in the air at the beginning of a rock concert (raw, rebellious, brash….deplorable?), which is how I always feel at the outset of a podcast. So I decided to encapsulate that feeling as best I could. Back story here — back when I was the base historian at several Air Force bases in the states and overseas, I always had music playing in the office. Guest and passers by never knew what they would hear throughout the day; perhaps jazz in the morning, classical mid morning and into the afternoon, maybe finishing out the day with rib-cracking metal.  It varied. What they never heard was opera or country,..but everything else was within limits.

    Poets For War Against Terrorists:  I’m in.

    10 Cents:  I dunno,..but I miss him.  Fun and thoughtful guy.

    Management Consulting: I’ll let Arahant’s response, above, do the talking since he’s the expert. It was a bit disappointing as he explained the approach too many managers take,…partially because it echoed some of the experiences I had with the very senior ranks while on active duty.

    I agree with Arahant’s grade of the Trump Administration’s first year.

    Thanks so much for taking the time to pass along your thoughts!!  I’ll take all the help I can get!

     

    • #28
  29. George Townsend Inactive
    George Townsend
    @GeorgeTownsend

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Front Seat Cat (View Comment):
    Poets – so many are depressed today and their poetry is sad, sad and did I mention…sad?

    It comes from having no structure , discipline, or art.

    I was just wondering, Charlie: I really enjoyed your poetry. I just can’t get into free form…… or whatever you call it. I am sure you are much more proficient at it than I am. I don’t know anything about meters and all that. I am just able to write rhyming poetry. I’ve been told that people are not into that nowadays, and that it will never sell.

    I like your observation above. Perhaps it is unfair of me, but I get e-mails on some poetry, and I look at it, and think to myself, these are just random thoughts. Am I wrong?

    • #29
  30. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Dave Carter (View Comment):
    Oh that’s beautiful music!! This is the kind of thing I write to. Well,…it depends on the type of writing. More emotive writing requires Mozart or something similar, where debate and analysis cries out for Baroque. Odd, no?

    Not really. Bach, Vivaldi, Pachelbel, and the like for code design. Banging out code is usually a rock and roll activity. Debugging is whatever — rock or jazz, maybe back to classical if I’m stuck. Dvořák, Holst … I ought to keep a log sometime.

    • #30
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