Grandmaster Rose 04/2000 Spring Address

C&S Self Defense Association


Dear Students and Friends,

First of all, I wish to thank Sandan Daniel Wilkewitz for his years of outstanding dedication to the production of this newsletter. Unfortunately, this issue will be his last as other commitments demand his expertise and time. We will certainly all miss not only his contribution, but the support and encouragement that he has received from throughout the entire Dusenbery Tiger line of our Association.

So what now? Well, I have taken on the task of producing an internet online version. Indications are that almost all of our membership either has a computer with an internet connection, or has access to one that does. As you can well imagine, the cost of production for our printed newsletter and its mailing was significant. By going to this medium, not only can we reach everyone, but our savings will translate into no increases in membership fees for our Black Belts and Programs.

I would certainly appreciate any thoughts from you on this- particularly if an online version will not work for you. As you know from visiting either our Association web site at

http://www.zzrose.com/index.html or to my own web site at
http://www.zzrose.com

I am no graphics designer. I design very utilitarian pages that are more informational than they are geared for jazzy marketing hype with all the new fancy web oriented animated gifs, streaming video, cascading style sheets, DHTML, ASP, CGI, etc. acronyms. I will not pretend to be able to duplicate the wonderful look and feel that Sandan Wilkewitz achieved. He is an expert and I am not, but as I- with all due humility, of course- pointed out to him regarding this issue: "I might not be much of a web graphics designer, but I sure can punch and kick…".

Speaking of online issues, I would like to make our Association site more active. I would be happy to post happenings at the different programs, notices of important events, etc. But I need participation to warrant the work that such an endevor takes. And more importantly, I'd have to see that the site was getting traffic; I really don't need to be producing a web site that only I visit… Let me know your thoughts. And if you have anything going on in your program, just send me the information in an email and I will post it.

My own job situation has recently changed. After 4 and a half years with NECX in Peabody, MA I left my position as a Senior Technical Business Analyst to become Head of Technical Operations at Profit Tools, Inc. in Newmarket, NH (http://www.profittools.net). Profit Tools develops vertical applications software applications dealing with dispatch and operations for the trucking industry. My commute was cut from 50 minutes to 15, a company with 300 employees, and an IT department of 55 to my being employee number 9 with an IT staff of 5. I can always be reached through my zzrose@yahoo.com email account, but my work number has changed to 603-659-3822.

Speaking of technology- those who have been with us for at least several years will recall not only myself but all of our senior black belts speaking about the coming revolution of computer technology to the kitchen table. What we meant was that computer technology would become so widespread that a person's computer experience would be assumed to be as common as the ability to use a toaster or microwave. The day for this has come. It is here now. If you or your kids do not know about computers you are (no longer "will be") at a significant disadvantage in not only the job market, but in just everyday communications.

My brother is 70 years old. For years I berrated him about becoming familiar with computers. He has a PhD and is in his 2nd career as a deacon in the church doing hospice work after a 40 year career teaching English at the Annapolis military academy and as head of the English department at Frostberg State Collage. This is a pretty smart guy, but it took me (and many others) quite a few years to convince him to just get an email account. Now, he can't imagine life without this communication ability, and in fact is now becoming somewhat of a joke distribution hub!

I mention this because many people are still "unplugged". Perhaps it is because they do not see what immediate value computers or the internet have for them; it's just "…$20 bucks a month for a toy…" is what I hear a lot of. But these are not toys. This is the future of our very life. And it is being decided for us right now by very smart people working 80 hour weeks with one hand on the keyboard and the other holding a Twinkie or Surge. Their job is to put the vision of the future into our hands in a format as simple to use as a toaster or microwave.

Well, the technology is getting there, but the ease of use has some work to be done on it. For example, my wife Pat has a laptop and needs more storage. She is reading technical journals about Zip Drives and USB D-Link hubs and port connectors and configuration software and all sorts of foolishness. But her ability to make all this work increases her productivity far above the other people in her office who think all their computers are for is to type real estate contracts on. In fact, with little more than her cell phone, laptop, and an eFax account, she put a house under contract last night at 6pm from her car with a client who was flying out to Florida this morning. The whole remainder of the deal will need to be negotiated and finalized though email, eFax, scanned documents, etc. Pretty amazing stuff.

My point in all of this is to once again encourage those of you who still have not begun to participate in "life on the net" to do so as soon as you can. Our Association is filled with technically savvy people who would be eager to help get you started, to be your guide. And if you are already somewhat experienced, use our Association resources to help take you to the next level. Your very ability to get or hold onto your job may be dependent on your familiarity with these types of technology.

In our art,
Grandmaster Peter M. Rose


Back to C&S Self Defense Association Home Page