The two little birdfeeders in the backyard attract avian friends from all across the suburban landscape.

While I was verbally sketching out what the Book of the Future planned for our Martian expedition, a Committee member interrupted.

“Look, I understand the importance of longterm planning but we have a crisis on our hands.  While we look ahead decades from now, we have an uprising of people protesting against financial elites.  What’s to prevent them from declaring our Martian exploration project elitist?”

What can I say?  I’m both an adherent and opponent of technology dependence, like everyone else on the Committee.

“Well, [name removed], do you have a proposal or are you just whining to hear yourself heard?”

“Good point.  Actually, I do have an alternative.  Why don’t we show sympathy for the protesters, instead of arresting them, and offer them jobs they can’t refuse?  It always works in my line of business.”

“Ha ha.  Folks, what do you think?  Does [name removed] have a valid idea?”

A mix of grunts, nods, shakes and blank stares served as responses, depending on which Committee members were paying attention, tapping on their communication devices, using enhanced brain wave technology to converse with members of their subcommittees, or catching a quick nap.

= = =

In 2005, after a lot of “encouragement,” I formed a group we jokingly called Black Ops Network Services.  We have an official name I can’t share with you unless you have a serious death wish (and those who have a death wish, let me know – we want to channel your feelings/thoughts for a special experiment currently in progress).

In order to protect the group, we use the acronym of the joke name and go by BONS, which has a special meaning to our entrepreneur members.

And yes, we get plenty of ribbing, hearing jokes about our similarity to a fictional spy, such that a catchphrase has caught on, “BONS, not Bond.”  Also, “BONS, just BONS,” “‘Bond?’ ‘No, BONS,'” and some I won’t repeat hear here because of international censorship issues we’re negotiating to eliminate.

Members of BONS are found in all walks of life, most especially in such innocent places as nursing homes, retirement villages and independent/assisting living communities.

Take yesterday, for example.

I took my mother in-law to an Oktoberfest celebration at a local independent/assisting living community.  While a three-man polka band played popular music familiar to anyone who enjoyed the Lawrence Welk Show through the years, community members ate bratwurst, sauerkraut, boiled potatoes and apple strudel.  Some drank bier.  Some drank Pepsi.  Some drank wasser…err, I mean water.

I found a convenient place to sit against the wall next to my mother in-law and enjoy the scene.  A couple of the workers wore dirndl-like clothing and danced with those who were able and willing to attempt the polka or a facsimile thereof.

Most importantly, I was there to make contact with some retired professionals, a few who worked for the precursor to BONS.

You see, one never really retires from the business.

We may look retired or act retired but we’re always working our network connections to ensure the greater good is being served up to the end of our days.

= = =

In this morning’s Committee meeting, I reminded the members, after getting their full attention, that we have the means to influence the protesters, using their parents and peers who are connected to BONS or its predecessors.

The member who was involved in starting the worldwide riots asked us to give the member’s subcommittee an opportunity to recruit some more people before changing the direction of the protests radically.

We’ll reconvene tomorrow.

In the meantime, I’ve got to find out from my BONS team how many mentally active former members of BONS’ ancestors want to influence global affairs again, even if they don’t [know how to] use all the modern technological means that BONS has at its disposal.

= = =

A nod to the family, friends and coworkers of Steve Jobs, a prime example of a positive influence on others, if there ever was one.  Sometimes, the best way to change the flow of mainstream thinking is to build a viable alternative path using resources available to both mainstream and alternative thinkers.