Laying the groundwork

One of the things I did this week, to start to lay the groundwork for an IBOL3D, was to actually reach out to the media. Well, sort of.

I contacted my alma mater, specifically the alumni folks who publish the nice, polished, glossy magazine. It’s very nice, very slick. I sent them a short note, told them that there may be an IBOL3D in the works, and that if they take a look, they might find that the project reflects a lot of the things that the school holds in high regards. Their initial feedback from both positive and enthusiastic.

I also reached out to the national office of my fraternity. Same deal — alumni, polished magazine, etc. I said that IBOL3D might actually happen, but I also pointed out links between the Army values and the fraternity values (yes, the fraternity as well-defined values). They were positive and enthusiastic, and have asked questions, asked for photos, etc. I am confident that they’ll publish something in the next couple of months.

But that’s it so far. I think these are good things — laying the groundwork now for an effort in the spring or summer. Should I draft something generic, for people to use in their guild newsletters? Should there be a deliberate once-a-month type update thing about IBOL3D, where it stands, what’s coming up, so that people can blatantly copy and paste it and send it around?

01 October — ish

I’ve learned some interesting life lessons from my time in the Army, things that come from who we are and what we do but that apply to normal every day life.  I should probably make some time later, to write a book about them — some are worth both sharing and explaining.  For example:

• When it’s pointed at you, assume it’s loaded;
• Being old doesn’t mean they don’t have ammunition for it;
• You may be in a free fall, but by definition, at some point, you will hit something and stop;
• Gunfights are not a good place for a knife fighter;
• In a tank engagement, Infantry should probably just get the h*ll out of the way;
• Close often counts.

I tell you this, as tomorrow is 01 October.  It’s the dreaded deadline, the day on which I asked you to try and get those last boxes into the mail.  That point in time when new things stop going into the mail, and the effort shifts to Iraq and the distribution of the bundles.

But really — no one is going to arrest you if the box goes in the mail on Monday.  I am not some powerful man, someone with a private Army or my own militia.  There’d be no visit from the secret police, no cease-and-desist letter in the mail, no wanted posted at the Post Office.  No, you’d just have a bundle or two getting into the mail a little bit after the goal date of 01 October.

Close often counts.

Now, if you email me on the 2nd, well, I’m probably going to tell you to hold on while I try to put together another iteration of IBOL for later this year.  But really, if I don’t know that you’re a day late, no one knows that you’re a day late.  01 October is a control measure to keep bundles from going into the mail long after IBOL II has closed up shop and ended.

So, do what you have to do. I’m going to go stand over here with the Infantry.

Oh, and did I mention that Nahed email to me some photos?  Yep, she sure did.  From the recent distribution with the Organization of Iraqi Family, in Salah ad Din.  More after the break.

Honolulu Advertiser, Part II

The local hometown newspaper, the Honolulu Advertiser, has another piece in on IBOL today, here. Very nice article, and excellent use of the IBOL Guy shirt photos, too. Pretty cool.

Oh, and as promised, jam photos.

I went with the Black & Blue jam — which sounds much more violent and war-like than, say, peach. I’m still hoping a jar of Rocker Preserve or Angry Ferret Jam shows up — that would be ideal.

Hmmm. Angry Ferret. Angry Ferret Pale Ale. That has a nice ring to it, too.

I am sooooooo busted

There’s a small little write up on IBOL in the Honolulu Advertiser.

Which, apparently, you all read.

And which, apparently, my Commanding General reads.

We’ll see how Saturday goes, huh? I wonder how many times I will have to explain, from start to end, what IBOL is all about. If it gets me one step closer to having access to aviation assets, so be it!

Best line from the article? “…he explains on his Web site, which manages to be reverent, inspirational and really funny all at the same time.” It’s probably good that the general sees someone say that I’m reverent. I think he’s already figured out the funny part.

And remember — IBOL Sundae, and then boxes into the mail not later than Tuesday.

A quiet day

No new mail today. And that’s OK — I’m trying to catch my breath.

I think IBOL would be a full time job, if I had the full time to give it. I don’t. On a good day, I get maybe an hour before or after sleep, and sprinkles here and there sometimes. I’ve got a full time gig that has me working day and night. If I had more, I’d give me, but that seems to be the theme of this whole IBOL thing, doesn’t it?

I met today with my press guy. He’s back, after being gone a few days. He did not know about super secret project #1 — 150 boxes via Sew Mama Sew. I thought he was going to have to take a knee and catch his breath, when I told him. I had warmed him — never underestimate you all.

I also told him about SSP #2, and the warehouse. He’s starting to sense that IBOL is a really, really good idea that is really, really catching on. He said he’d get back to me tomorrow. He has ideas, but needs a little bit to think about it — really, it’s likely he needs to absorb it all, since I did sort of ambush him with all this (he could not have seen this coming).

I guess it would be hard to anticipate this type of public response. On the day I set up this site, 10 people found it — and I bet most of them share the same family name. 30 posts and ~900 comments later, the site has had over 31,000 visits. The busiest day was Monday — when Sew Mama Sew went live with their online bundles (there were over 3800 visits that day). Oh, and Sew Mama Sew “sold” their 150 bundles in about 48 hours, apparently to people from all over the world.

I have not been able to even come close to tracking the # of people who are sending bundles, for a couple of reasons:

1. You’re sharing the address amongst yourselves via email.

2. People are sending 2, 3, — up to 12 boxes.

I’d like to think that one comment left on the website would more or less equal one box enroute here. But no, that’s not even close to being true – one visit to the website, one comment left, does not equal 1 box headed this way.

So, yeah. Press Guy (can I just call him PG?) is trying to wrap his head around all this. The outpouring is wild enough, without looking at the sheer volume of stuff headed this way or the very amazing way this is all being done quickly and via the web (blogs, twitter, Flickr, Facebook, etc). When SSP2 hits, we’ll all gasp. If mainstream American media catches on to what we’re secretly doing here, we’ll all gasp, I’m sure.

IBOL — yep, it’s pretty darn tootin’ neat. Keep it up, world. You’re doin’ good.

IBOL

Well, here’s something I never thought I would have to say:

If you’re from the press or media, click here.

Folks, I had been dreaming of tens. You convinced me that hundreds are possible. And you’re showing me that there could in fact be thousands of bundles by the time this thing is over.

Want to know how I feel about all that? You’ve already made that, too.

Thank you, world. You rule.