Some News on Dr. Ralph Sawyer's "Latest" Book: Lever of Power

An associate sent me the covers of Dr. Sawyer's latest book. 

Those who are interested in implementing a higher grade of deception strategies should be interested in this book.

Identifying Deception in the Global Economy

The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry, which can on no account be neglected.

All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when we are far away, we must make him believe we are near.

- Lionel Giles translation of the Sunzi's Art of War


At this moment, anywhere in our world, there is a "sucker" game that is occurring.

One of those games is the army shell game where a street hustler would be on the street with a pellet and three plastic cups. He would take out the pea, shuffle the cups and take wagers on which cup that the pea was under.

At the end of the day,  he would return home with hundreds of dollars in his pocket.

I noticed that none of the suckers were able to choose which cup had the pea under it because the hustler  made such a show of shuffling the cups around that they never notice that the pea is hidden in his palm.”

Conclusion
Do not get deceived by large press  conferences or celebrity attended events.  .... Do not get hacked by smoke, mirrors, and bright, shiny objects (bso).  ... Do not get sucked by fake news or alternative news.  

Always mindfully assess the situation strategically from a third party perspective.


 

Reviewing The Fallacy Behind the World Taiji and Qi Gong Day

Today is World Taichi (or Taiji) and Qi Gong Day.  It is one of those "kumbaya" scenarios where everyone wanted to feel good because they are all following a certain practice.

They usually assemble together, hoping that they could change the state of the globe with one hot exhale of carbon dioxide.  Do you think they could be the cause of global warming?  ... One wonders if they think that their act could decrease world hunger and diminish the threat of global warming.  . . . Hmmmm!? 

This group reminded us of the Art of War cult.  (That is another long post.) 


Ruminations and Afterthoughts 

So, how many Taiji players do you really know, who could comprehend the technicalities on how this martial art system really works!? 

From our observation, the majority of the "Taiji" masses are always concentrating on a few "big picture" technicalities and the final outcome without understanding the true connection between the grand fundamental points.

There are some knowledgeable people who could explain to the newbies on how the fundamentals worked from a ground up perspective. 

Then there are the numerous messengers who usually dominate their entire group as the authority and delineate the newbies on how it all works from a top down view in terms of the "imaginary results."  . . . 

Interestingly, a few of them could barely transform their Taiji experience into their daily life on a 24/7 basis. Humorously, they are the salespeople of the group.

The commonality of the novices is that some of them are studying it for the purpose of finding some level of self-enlightenment. Once the fundamentals are learned (not mastered), they dashed to their favorite social media channels and boost to the world about their neophyte achievement.

Some might get lucky in receiving the benefits from practicing it correctly. The rest of them are just declaring that it does help them without personally specifying the long-term benefits. 


The rarity during one's learning of Taiji or any other internal martial arts is to discover the skilled person who could patiently explain to the novices- the connecting "balancing point" between the general perspective and the wide array of specific points with real examples. 

The challenge for the "skilled person" is determining whether it is worth his/her time to explain that "balancing point" to them. ... In summary, that skilled person would rather spend time honing their skills in their own private terrain.


The Assessment Points 
In any niche, the ratio between the group of messengers-pseudo specialists are greater than the experts. To filter the competent instructors from the masses of amateurs, assess their skills carefully.  

Use their advanced students as the measuring gauge. Study if they are able to integrate the attributes of breathing, balancing and rhythm into their practice. Examine if they can stay "relaxed, grounded, centered, calm and whole" in each and all of their movements.  Those two grand perspective are what most "current and future" students have always missed.

Following are other assessment points:

• Are the advanced students able to mindful about the principles before ever employing a move? 
• Are the advanced students able to stay focused on their movement without being distracted?
• Are the advanced students able to practice in isolation?
• Are the advanced students able to utilize their Taiji skills outside of their practice?
• Are the advanced students able to multi-process within their surroundings ?

# Click here for a good listing of errors that most novice Taiji players usually displayed in their practice.

The knowledge of identifying what are the relevant factors is what the serious Taiji players are focused on.  


The Chief Benefit of Taiji 
Building and augmenting the skill of one's mindfulness is the name of the game.   The state of mindfulness could enable the desktop strategists to understand certain Chinese strategic classics in a different light. 

One could build this unique skill through the practice of integrating the state of relaxation, the state of grounded, the state of centered, the state of calm and the state of being whole through the control of the breath. Regardless of the difficulty, it could be done 

The other options to building the skill of mindfulness are: Six Harmonies and Eight Methods System; Aikido; Baguazhang; Xingyiquan, and Yiquan.

Suggestion to the Serious Taiij Players
It is difficult to learn "real" Taiji in a group setting unless the group is quite serious about it.  In most cases, most group setting focuses on the social aspect of the activity.   . . . Those who are seriously interested in learning Taiji, should seek a competent instructor who is patiently experienced in teaching them on an one on one basis before ever seeking an expert.  

Final Points

So, what is the fallacy?  ... The day and the time for Taiji practice does not matter to some serious players. They could practice in isolation or with a group of technical equals who understand the Big Tangible Picture (BTP) behind their practice and will practice with a purpose.  One of the most significant traditions that counts is the daily practice of their personal exercises.

The importance of timely practice only concerns the serious Taiij players who have studied traditional Chinese medicine.   

Side Note
The ultra class experts are usually staying away from the ranked amateurs who have publicized themselves as the true specialists.  They isolated themselves from the masses for the purpose of staying focused to their practice to the nth degree.   ... In some rare instances, some of these experts usually privately trained their most dedicated students behind the closed doors for the purpose of preserving the essence of the system.  ... 

You could learn more about this topic by visiting the following sites

• Cook Ding Kitchen  (Possesses an outstanding listing of quality Taiji sites)
• The WuShu Centre
• Energy Arts
• Wing Lam Enterprises
• Be not Defeated by the Rain 
• Smiling Tiger Martial Arts

# # #

The Fallacy Behind the World Taiji and Qi Gong Day

(updated at 11:10 hr)

Today is World Taichi (or Taiji) and Qi Gong Day.  It is one of those "kumbaya" scenarios where everyone wants to feel good because they are all following a certain practice.

They all assemble together, hoping that they could change the state of the globe.  One wonders if it could decrease world hunger and diminish the threat of global warming.  . . . Hmmmm!? 

Ruminations and Afterthoughts 
How many Taiji players do you know, really comprehend the technicalities on how it really works!? 

From our observation, the majority of the "Taiji" masses  are always concentrating on a few "big picture" technicalities and the final outcome without understanding the true connection between the grand fundamental points.

There are some knowledgeable people who could explain to you on how the fundamentals worked from a ground up perspective. The numerous messengers usually dominate this entire group and delineate the newbies on how it all works from a top down view in terms of the "imaginary results."  . . . 
Interestingly, a few of them could barely transform their Taiji experience into their daily life on a 24/7 basis. Humorously, they are the salespeople of the group.

The rarity during one's learning of Taiji or any other internal martial arts is to discover the skilled person who could patiently explain to the novices- the connecting "balancing point" between the general perspective and the wide array of specific points with real examples. 

The challenge is that the "skilled person" must determine whether it is worth his/her time to explain that "balancing point" to them. 

The commonality of the novices is that some of them are studying it for the purpose of finding some level of self-enlightenment. 

Some might get lucky in receiving the benefits from practicing it correctly. The rest of them are just saying that it does help them without personally specifying the long-term benefits. 

The Assessment Points 
In any niche, the ratio between the group of messengers-pseudo specialists are greater than the experts. To filter the competent instructors from the masses of amateurs, assess their skills carefully.  

Use their advanced students as the measuring gauge. Study if they are able to integrate the attributes of breathing, balancing and rhythm into their practice. Examine if they can stay "relaxed, grounded, centered, calm and whole" in each and all of their movements.  Those two grand perspective are what most "current and future" students have always missed.

Following are other assessment points:

• Are the advanced students able to stay focused on their movement without being distracted?
• Are the advanced students able to practice in isolation?
• Are the advanced students able to utilize their Taiji skills outside of their practice?

# Click here for a good list of errors that most novice Taiji players usually displayed in their practice.

The knowledge of knowing what factors to look for, is what the serious Taiji players are focused on.  

# The Chief Benefit of Taiji 
Building and augmenting the skill of one's mindfulness is the name of the game.   The state of mindfulness could enable the desktop strategists to understand certain Chinese strategic classics in a different light. 

One could build this unique skill through the practice of integrating the state of relaxation, the state of grounded, the state of centered, the state of calm and the state of being whole through the control of the breath. Regardless of the difficulty, it could be done 

The other options to building the skill of mindfulness are: Six Harmonies and Eight Methods System; Aikido; Baguazhang; Xingyiquan, and Yiquan.

Suggestion to the Serious Taiij Players
It is difficult to learn "real" Taiji in a group setting unless one is interested in the social aspect of the activity.   . . . Those who are seriously interested in learning Taiji, should seek a competent instructor who is patiently experienced in teaching them on an one on one basis before ever seeking an expert.  

Final Points

So, what is the fallacy?  ... The day and the time for practice does not matter to the serious Taiji players. They could practice in isolation or with a group of technical equals who understand the Big Tangible Picture behind their practice and will practice with a purpose.  One of the most significant tradition that counts is the daily practice of their personal exercises.

Side Note
The ultra class experts are usually staying away from the ranked amateurs who have publicized themselves as the true specialists.  They isolated themselves from the masses for the purpose of staying focused to their practice to the nth degree.   ... In some rare instances, some of these experts usually privately trained their most dedicated students behind the closed doors for the purpose of preserving the essence of the system.  ... 

You could learn more about this topic by visiting the following sites

• Cook Ding Kitchen  (Possesses an outstanding listing of quality Taiji sites)
• The WuShu Centre
• Energy Arts
• Wing Lam Enterprises
• Be not Defeated by the Rain 
• Smiling Tiger Martial Arts

# 

Succeeding in the Info. Economy by Understanding the Sixth Chapter of Sunzi's Art of War (Adjusting to the Situation of Possible Illusion and Reality)

The Objective: Achieving the  State of "Know"
Thus if one knows the field of battle and knows the day of battle, he can traverse a thousand li and assemble to engage in combat. If he does not know the field of battle nor know the day for battle, then the left flank cannot aid the right nor the right flank aid the left; the front cannot aid the rear nor the rear aid the front. How much more so when the distant are some tens of li away and the near several li apart? As I analyze it, even though Yueh's army is numerous, of what great advantage is it to them for attaining victory? Thus I say victory can be achieved. Even though the enemy is more numerous, they can be forced not to fight. ...

The Process: Assess, Position and Influence
Thus critically analyze them to know the estimations for gain and loss. Stimulate them to know the patterns of their movement and stopping. Determine their disposition of force (hsing) to know the tenable and fatal terrain. Probe them to know where they have an excess, where an insufficiency.
Thus the pinnacle of military deployment approaches the formless. If it is formless, then even the deepest spy cannot discern it or the wise plans against it.

The Essence of Maneuverable Army 
Now the army's disposition of force (hsing) is like water. Water's configuration (hsing) avoids heights and races downward. The army's disposition of force (hsing) avoids the substantial and strikes the vacuous. Water configures (hsing) its flow in accord with the terrain; the army controls its victory in accord with the enemy. Thus the army does not maintain any constant strategic configuration of power (shih), water has no constant shape (hsing). One who is able to change and transform in accord with the enemy and wrest victory is termed spiritual. Thus [none of] the five phases constantly dominates; the four seasons do not have constant positions; the sun shines for longer and shorter periods; and the moon wanes and waxes.
- Sawyer's translation

Analysis
Chapter Four to Six about building the field strategy by emphasizing on the integrated qualities of formation, momentum  and preparedness

Chapter Four teaches the importance of controlling the situation before the conflict begins while Chapter Five focuses on utilizing the attributes of momentum and timing and/or the elements of orthodox and unorthodox tactics to defeat the competition

The tactical objective of Chapter Six is about determining the best match-up by matching one's strengths to the weaknesses of the competition.

Filtering the reality from the illusion is the first step. Having the skill to adjust (change and adapt) according to the threats and opportunities is rare for most people. The successful strategists are either briefly lucky or have the skill to see the Big Tangible Picture.  

Succeeding in Chess By Implementing Underhanded Tactics (1)

Source: Flicker 

updated at 18:18 hrs

Some of us are gamers.  We enjoyed the intellectual intensity of a table game or a field game. We believed in following the rule of playing the game within the letter of the rules and regulations.  If there is a gray spot in its content, we expected the extreme-minded competitor to exploit it to their advantage.  

During our venturing, we have seen many categories of underhanded tactics. 

Following is an abridged set of those tactics that we have seen in various chess matches or have read about: 

The "Sunlight in the Eye" Tactic
Ruy Lopez,  a Spanish priest  was famous for utilizing sunlight to blind his opponent during a game. This tactic is similar to the tactic that Miyamoto Musashi have used to defeat Suzuki in a sword duel. 

The "Food on Table" Tactic
One associate's favorite tactic was eating a heavy pastrami sandwich and drinking carbonated water during the game. The scent of the pastrami and the burping could moderately disrupt the concentration of the opponent.

The "Tapping on the Table with a Metal Mechanical Pencil" Tactic
Another of favorite tactic of an associate  was the tapping on the game table with a metal mechanical pencil.  . . .  He would start the game by tapping it quite softly and slowly. As the game progressed on, the sound and the rate of tapping increases.  Once the superior position is achieved, the tapping decreases to one soft tap per minute.  It usually disrupts the concentration of the opponent.  (There are other special variations to this tactic.)

The "Humiliating the Winner" Tactic
Whenever losing a game, one would repeatedly yell the following message, "Why did I lose to this lucky moron?" through out the game room.  A certain famous chess player would implement this tactic whenever he loses to a weaker player.  . . .  Some "amateur" tennis players have also employed some variations of this tactic.  . . .  I personally find that tactic to be quite amateurish.  In a strategic game like chess, a focused player who wins, rarely relies on the "chance" factor.  It is better to lose with one's dignity in tact than to win as a classless idiot.

The "Late to The Game or Losing the game by Forfeit" Tactic
The great Robert James Fisher implemented this tactic against Spassky in the second game of the 1972 World Chess Championship.  This move unnerved Spassky so much that he lost the next game.   and did not recover until  the 11th game. ... 

This tactic has also been used in professional labor negotiation.   (We will discussed more on this tactic in a future post.)

Source

Comments From The Compass Desk
Regardless of the quantity of these unique tactics,  some of these tactics are quite crude and uncivil.  

Some desperate people do whatever it takes to win in spite of one's position in the game. They just do not know how to read the greater gameboard.

"According to Fan Li's book, 'If you're last use yin tactics, if you're first then use yang tactics. When you have exhausted the enemy's yang tactics. When you have exhausted the enemy's tactics. When you have exhausted the enemy measures, then expand your yin to the full and seize them.' This then is the subtle mysteriousness of yin and yang according to the strategists."  - Questions and Replies between T'ang T'ai-tsung and Li Wei-kung

One of our preferred set of "counter point" tactical strategies is to wear a pair of shades, a noise filtering head set, a heavy cotton baseball cap,  standing over the game table and drinking warm green tea during the game while pretended that English is not the preferred  language of personal communication.  It works quite well in critical game situations. ... 

From Sunzi's Art of War essay, these underhanded tactics are always organized under the category of "Unorthodox."    . . .  We recommended the reading of Dr. Sawyer's 100 Unorthodox Strategies and 36 Stratagems for unique ideas.  . . .  If you could transpose some of these concepts to the competitive side of chess, please contact us.  We would like to compare notes.  . . .   In our case, some of us have successfully utilized those concepts in the game of Poker and the game of Go (weiqi).   . . . We will discuss more on this topic in a future post.

Side Notes
Chess is a subset of life and life is an grander extension of chess.  The key to succeeding in one's existence is to be a winner in one's life not just on the chessboard.  ...  There is more to life than a game of chess.    ... Comparing go (weiqi) to chess is like comparing theoretical physics to accounting.  Most of us preferred the myriad of quality lessons that could be learned from the former.

"Win if you could.  Lose if you must.  Never get caught in the utilization of underhanded tactics.   ..."  
-  An Anonymous Strategist

# # # 

The Analysis of the Game Behind the "Rules Changing" Game: Mike Leach vs Nick Saban and Other Interesting Notes

Source: Masterdefense.com

updated at 16:16 hr

In any competitive terrain, the successful innovative strategists are not victorious especially in the macro political game. The non-innovative political-driven strategist who cannot innovates, will occasionally change the rules and regulations for the purpose of securing an advantageous gain.  ... I have seen this category of strategic maneuvering implemented in certain businesses.  (That is a future post.)

View the above video for one approach to slowing the quick tempo spread offense approach by having a player "acted" that he is hurt.  

The great Nick Saban, football coach of Alabama and his comrades in the SEC conference, were not successful against teams that ran the quick tempo, no huddle offense (especially against Auburn). So they decided to implement an end around play by changing the rules.

The NCAA football rules committee is proposing changes for the 2014 season that would loosen the reins on defensive substitutions and lessen the penalties for targeting fouls called on the field.

The committee's proposal would allow defensive players to substitute within the first 10 seconds of the 40-second play clock, except for the final two minutes of each half.

The rules committee says they hope to enhance safety by guaranteeing a small window for both teams to substitute. UCF receiver Breshad Perriman is shown in November after a play for which Houston's Zach McMillian was called for targeting.  ...  Offenses that snap the ball before 29 seconds remain on the play clock would receive a 5-yard delay-of-game penalty.

Current rules state that defensive players aren't guaranteed the opportunity to substitute unless the offense first substitutes. Under the proposal, this policy would remain when the play clock starts at 25 seconds.  ... The proposal would strike a major blow to up-tempo spread offenses that often run plays before the opposing defense is set. Coaches like Alabama's Nick Saban and Arkansas' Bret Bielema last summer said that up-tempo offenses are likelier to cause injuries for defensive players who can't get off of the field in time.
Source: ESPN  SI.com and Yahoo Sports.com.  .

Using the excuse of player's safety is quite deceptive.  If the committee and the coaches were quite concerned about the safety of the players, why don't they "illegalize" the act of pass rushing (five to eight man blitzing) and any type of body tackle?  Playing touch football by using Google glasses while playing "Madden Football" would be more safer. ... What do you think?  ... Would you watched any more college football games with these rule changes?

Do you think that the majority of college fans wanted to see that?  ... What were the NCAA's football committee thinking about? ... 


The Projected Outcome 
This current set of rules favored the offense. If this new set of changes are implemented, the offensive side loses the surprise element. 

Teams who emphasize on recruiting ultra athletic, moderately intelligent players, usually are focused on the mastery of fundamentals. They often centered on a high baseline of strategic efficiency, rarely ever innovate.  ... This is the gold standard of their process.

Mike Leach's Comment to the Possible Rules Change
" ... It's always been a game of creativity and strategy. So anytime someone doesn't want to go back to the drawing board or re-work their solutions to problems, then what they do is to beg for a rule. I think it's disgusting.  ...   My suggestion is rather than spending a bunch of time coming up with a bunch of really stupid rules, spend that time coaching harder,  ....   Worry about your own team and try to make your product better rather than trying to change the game so you don’t have to do anything.  ..."
Source: ESPN 

The Football Concept of Offense and Defense
While the grand tactical objective of any ideal offense model is about knowing the primary target, the optional targets and the starting timeline of the execution for each play,  the grand tactical objective for the ideal defense model is about anticipating where the offense is targeting and then being there with the right number of players to crush the offensive play.

By removing the "surprise element" on both sides of the game (no hurry up tactics and no blitzing tactics), what type of game would one have? ... Would the college fans still watch it anymore?  

Notes From The Compass Desk
Competitors who rarely innovate, regularly played the "maintaining status quo" game. They regularly stay efficient by centering their attention on recruiting the best talent that fits their system.

If those particular rules are changed, Saban could be able to continue with his process of recruiting his type of players and secure his legacy of winning college football championships.

As mentioned before, this type of "rule changing" game playing has been done in other competitive venues especially in politics and businesses. We will discuss that matter in a future post.

Side Notes 
To compete effectively against the slow and  non-creative dinosaurs in the information economy, the up-tempo offense is the new model. If one could move faster (with organizational order) and recover from the errors quicker than the competitor. One would be ahead of the curve.  (It is being indirectly used in information technology's project management  There is a minor flaw to that model. But that is another topic  that we will talk about it later.   ...) The "no huddle, hurry up model works as long there is the proper personnel who could master its concepts. scheme and plays. 

Compass Rule

Players --->>> Concepts/Scheme --->>> Formations --->>> Plays

Fwiw, it originated from Sam Wyche's "Sugar" offensive approach with the 1988 Cincinnati's Bengals Super Bowl run.  .... Psychologically it requires a deep sense of aggressiveness and the understanding of the specifics on when to "take what the defense offers to you.  ... "  (That is also another topic.)

Think of what positive growth could be gained when running a no-huddle offense in a capitalist's endeavor.

Many months ago, we posted an note on how the Russian military  implemented their synchronized version of up tempo offense approach against the country of Georgia. With the right leadership, tactics, resources, technology/infrastructure and strategy, this model could be used for certain business situations. 

###

Assessing Minor League Deception in Asia (low)

Storm brews over TWG Tea logo in HK court

By K.C. Vijayan Senior Law Correspondent

A Hong Kong tea company founded in 1932 saw red when a Singapore competitor opened an outlet in the territory using the same abbreviation, TWG.

Tsit Wing (Hong Kong), which is listed in Singapore, and its subsidiary Tsit Wing International took TWG Tea Company to court, arguing a breach of its trademark.

Last week, a Hong Kong judge agreed with Tsit Wing, holding the Singapore-based firm liable for the breach and the additional claim of "passing off" its business as Tsit Wing's by using a sign containing the abbreviation in its restaurant.

Both parties will return to court tomorrow to hear TWG Tea's submissions regarding Tsit Wing's demands and Deputy High Court judge John Saunders' decision on the damages and other remedies Tsit Wing is seeking.

BACKGROUND STORY

'MISLEADING SIGN'

Judge John Saunders had harsh words for TWG Tea for using the date 1837 in its sign, when in fact the company started in 2008.

Company officials explained that 1837 referred to the year when the Chamber of Commerce was founded in Singapore, which was then an important tea trading hub. Its inclusion was meant to celebrate that year, they said.

But Judge Saunders found this was not the "real intention". He said: "There is no doubt that the existence of the date 1837 in TWG Tea's sign has led people to believe that the company was established at that time."

He noted, among other things, that Bloomberg Businessweek had published an online report in October 2011 saying the Singapore-based company was founded in 1837.

http://www.straitstimes.com/the-big-story/asia-report/hong-kong/story/storm-brews-over-twg-tea-logo-hk-
court-20130728

Profiting Through Deception in the Cyber Economy (updated) [Interesting Article from the Wall Street Journal]

(The earlier version of this post was accidentally activated. 

It has been correctly updated at 17:18 hrs)

Assessing for deception is the secondary aim of a web surfer in the information economy. The general goals of most web surfers is to shop for bargains or to secure general information while wasting time.

Many days ago, Wall Street Journal published a interesting article on how some retailers were "gaming" their ever obsessive compulsive customer base. 

/// Some of us who have worked in retail (during our college days), always knew how retailers shaped a "legal" deception to create interest. ///

To understand the tangibility behind the over-hyped retail economy, the retailers have been using "big data" tools to understand the supply of certain products and the demand of the targeted consumers. Then they would create the "hype" that manipulates the emotional need of their targeted clientele.

The results from this manipulation should be obvious.

As it gets closer to the Christmas, the prices frequently drop.  By being willing to play the "waiting game", the shoppers would have received the gratification of saved money.

Immediate emotional gratification of purchasing overpaid items or delayed emotional gratification of saved money. ... Which is better for you? 

The Compass Approach
Successful strategists usually utilize the cyclical approach to examine the "deceptive" state of the situation.  Regardless of the item, they usually play the "cycle" game and wait until the hype dissipates and the prices drop. 

Remember, no hype stays forever.  Sooner or later, the tangibility of the situation would always appeared to the mindful observers.  ... Successful strategists are always focused on their objectives while being constantly mindful of the Big Tangible Picture of their situation and beyond.  (The unmindful ones are just lucky. Sooner or later, the curve will win.)

"The Sage observes signs from the movements of Heaven and Earth and knows its principles. He observes the movement of the sun and the moon and understand their seasonal activity. He follows the cycles of day and night, taken them as his constant. All things have life and death in accord with the principles of Heaven and Earth. Thus it is said that if one fights before understanding the situation, even if he is more numerous, he will certainly be defeated."  - Six Secret Teachings

The first step of our approach is to assess the seasonal configuration of the Big Tangible Picture for that situation. Then, examine the driving factors that created the state of the current situation before determining when is the next seasonal change. You do know how to do that.  Do you?

Side Notes on Other Deceptive Means
Beside the mentioned point of deceiving, there are other cyber means to mislead the non-attentive. Click here,  here,  here and here for some other examples.  ... 

Even some Yelp reviews and some aspects of Twitter are questionable.

When surfing the web, you should be aware of the other "relevant" news links that would divert you from your goal.

Also, be aware of the web sites that you are visiting and what web link that you are going to click on. Be mindful of the patterns of consistency and inconsistency. 

To detect the technological-driven deception, the cyclical approach might not be always effective.  ... Staying centered and be quietly observant of the current situation is step one. Then, ask yourself, "does the configuration of the situation technically connect to the Big Picture?  ... "

Based on that answer, you should be able to determine what is the tangibility of the situation. 

Final Thoughts
To avoid being a victim of any category of deception, you must be critical in your assessment.  ...  Whether you are surfing the web or walking the streets of your city or town, carefully observe your terrain. Focus on the integrity of the situation by examining the components behind it. ... After a quiet session of mindful observation, you might realized that all that glitter is not gold.

Think about it.

# # #

Red Auerbach's 57 Strategies ( A Note for the Basketball Fanatics {Especially the Boston Celtics Fans} )

Many years ago, an associate who is a Boston Celtics basketball fanatic, gave us  this interesting book from the great Arnold "Red" Auerbach.  It is titled "Basketball for the Player, the Fan and the Coach." 

On page 189,  the book lists  "57 Strategic Moves," which Auerbach prefaces with this disclaimer: "How many of these you consider ethical or unethical depends entirely on your organization. I am merely listing them as things that can happen." Among the possible moves are:

• When a player notices an official's indecision as to an out-of-bounds ball, he should run over and pick it up with the full confidence that it is his.
• If the opposing team has a high scorer, keep reminding the other players of their uselessness because the scorer takes all the shots.
• Grabbing or pulling the pants or shirt of the opponent can be very aggravating.
• When the other team is given possession of the ball from an official's decision, don't throw the ball directly to an opponent. The ball should be thrown rather slowly to the official. This will give your men time to get set on defense.
• Place the scorer's and timer's table near your bench.
• Wait until the other team has started warming up and then request their basket. This request must be honored away from home.
• Faking injuries is used for many reasons . . . 
• Some players may agitate their opponents by incessant chatter, refusing to talk to them at all, or even ridicule

From our experience, gaining the subtle advantage of creating strategic momentum is the essence of these tactics.. Maintaining the strategic momentum throughout the game is the tangible key to a imtegral victory.

Scripting this category of plays in your gameplan is easy. Preparing the principals to implement it, is the challenge.

 "Whenever there is pressure to win on any coach or team you will find men deviating from what is considered the way of good sportsmanship. It is up to the player himself to decide what is 'dirty' and what is 'tricky.' " - Red Auerbach

Comments From The Compass Desk

Some of our associates who have coached competitive basketball and other sports, explained to us on the variations of these deceits and tricks of one-upmanship and how they are implemented in certain situations.  It is up to the coach and the enlightened referees to prevent these tactics from being a distraction

Becoming prepared and being  aware of these possibilities from the practice  session to the end of the game are the keys to preventing your competitor from implementing this unethical approach..

Click here for other unique strategic rules that you could use for certain competitive situations.. 

In summary, the grand objective of the mentioned tactics is to gain any tactical advantage from the "warming up" session of the game to the final seconds of the game by misdirecting the competitor's attention from the actual game.   ...  Conceptually, successful strategists have always try to prevail over their competition with the least amount of effort while flying under the competition's radar. ... Realistically, someone usually have suffered some level of abrasion.  ... Achieving this plateau of minimum effort, means that one must learn how to assess their competition strategically. 

Win if you can, lose if you must, but never let your competition prevail over you through unethical subversion.

Compass Rule

Where the attention goes, the energy flows.   Always protect your energy.

Side note 

This book sold over 600,000 copies, not counting the Russian, Polish and Italian editions.

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