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ysabetwordsmithThese are the notes for "An Interest in the Affairs of Your Government."
Frank the Crank (Franklin Caruthers) -- He has tawny-fair skin, dark blue eyes, and short dark hair with a scruffy mustache and beard. He wears safety glasses so much that he often forgets to take them off when not working. His heritage includes Britannian, Scottish, and a little Hispanic. He speaks English, Esperanto, German, and Spanish. He is 25 years old in 2016.
Frank grew up in foster care, shuffled around the Bay Area of California. He struggled to form connections with often indifferent foster parents and siblings, so he quickly came to rely on his blackthumb skills to repair whatever was broken and make himself indispensable. As a teen, he crossed paths with a Kraken operative and helped repair equipment during a haywire mission, which opened the door to a whole new world for him. He took the name Frank the Crank and became a supervillain.
The Big One destroyed both his apartment and the mechanic shop where he worked. After that, Frank drifted inland until he heard good things about Mercedes and decided to settle there. He found it easier to make friends with the other supervillains there than he had with ordinary people. There was plenty of repair work to keep him busy. Then Frank started poking at local politics, and got in way over his head.
Origin: His abilities grew in gradually.
Uniform: Frank favors blue-collar menswear, mostly in shades of black, gray, and blue, occasionally white. His accents tend to be yellow or red. He likes T-shirts with sarcastic or mechanic themes.
Qualities: Expert (+4) Blackthumb, Good (+2) Arguing, Good (+2) Dexterity, Good (+2) Krakenguard, Good (+2) V'You
Poor (-2) Naturalistic Intelligence
Powers: Average (0) Mechanical Intelligence
Frank is slowly working his way toward Super-Gizmology. At present, he is a skilled mechanic, and his actual intelligence is just edging into super range. He excels at analyzing problems to devise solutions.
Motivation: To figure out how things work.
Capsule Wardrobe Tank Top Geek I'm Here Because You Broke Something
James Bither -- He has fair skin, brown eyes, and short white hair that is receding. He has a goatee. He wears glasses. His heritage is American; he speaks English. He is 68 years old in 2016.
James grew up in Atwater, California. After graduating high school, he moved to nearby Mercedes. He got into local government by joining the school board when his children were young, then got elected to the City Council. He's one of the old guard bigots who gave Mercedes a bad reputation. James likes professional menswear, usually in shades of black, gray, white, and blue. As a hobby, he collects political buttons, posters, and other memorabilia.
Qualities: Good (+2) Kinesthetic Intelligence, Good (+2) Lies Like a Carpet, Good (+2) Loud, Good (+2) Strong, Good (+2) Wheeling and Dealing
Poor (-2) Bigot
Atwater is a city in Merced County, California. It lies 8 miles northwest of Merced. It has a population of 28,168.
* * *
"If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government, then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools."
-- Plato
Merced City Council
The Mayor and Council Members work together as a team, representing all Merced constituents, in order to make Merced a city which:
• Maintains a high quality of life for its citizens;
• Demonstrates a positive attitude and approach in dealing with all segments of the community;
• Shows sensitivity and awareness of community needs and issues;
• Respects the diversity of its community;
• Develops creative and affordable solutions and alternatives to meet community needs;
• Is service-oriented, efficient, and progressive in its approach to problem resolution and use of resources;
• Offers economic development opportunities beneficial to its citizens;
• Maximizes teamwork and encourages individual involvement and personal growth, so that the community achieves its goals and contributes to society as a whole; and,
• Creates and maintains an enjoyable atmosphere in which to live and work.
[---8<---]
The Mayor serves a 2-year term and Council members serve 4-year terms. When the City Council made the decision to move City elections from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years (2015 to 2016), Council Members served a 5-year term due to the transition period.
Age of Candidacy
California
Any public office: 18
Local Elections: For local elections, like those for mayor, city council, or district attorney, consider announcing your candidacy approximately 4-5 months before Election Day. After you announce, you should begin social media engagement. This allows you to connect with voters early and start building momentum. In the final stretch, or about 2 months prior to Election Day, you’ll switch to personal strategies, such as door-to-door canvassing. This type of grassroots activity provides personal voter engagement. Voters remember candidates who take the time to personally visit them.
ass*terisk -- a dingbat that resembles a stylized anus.
How Nestlé Gets Away With Pumping California's Water for Next to Nothing
Gabions are loose dams, commonly made of rocks in a metal cage. They slow water flow and trap sediment. This reduces erosion and encourages more water to soak into the ground instead of running off, which supports more plants and animals. This video shows how gabions work.
Gully stuffing is a landscape remediation technique of filling gullies with biomass, the butt ends of brush facing upstream for maximum friction. This slows water flowing through the gully, reducing erosion, and eventually filling it with sediment and mulch. It also promotes water soaking into the soil and nourishing plants. Watch a video about gully stuffing.
Beavers build dams that slow water flow, and channels that direct water to spread out, creating ponds surrounded by wetlands. This activity can restore wetlands in deserts. Beavers also help land recover from wildfire and make it more resistant to future fires.
Engineer Problem-Solving Method
Frank the Crank (Franklin Caruthers) -- He has tawny-fair skin, dark blue eyes, and short dark hair with a scruffy mustache and beard. He wears safety glasses so much that he often forgets to take them off when not working. His heritage includes Britannian, Scottish, and a little Hispanic. He speaks English, Esperanto, German, and Spanish. He is 25 years old in 2016.
Frank grew up in foster care, shuffled around the Bay Area of California. He struggled to form connections with often indifferent foster parents and siblings, so he quickly came to rely on his blackthumb skills to repair whatever was broken and make himself indispensable. As a teen, he crossed paths with a Kraken operative and helped repair equipment during a haywire mission, which opened the door to a whole new world for him. He took the name Frank the Crank and became a supervillain.
The Big One destroyed both his apartment and the mechanic shop where he worked. After that, Frank drifted inland until he heard good things about Mercedes and decided to settle there. He found it easier to make friends with the other supervillains there than he had with ordinary people. There was plenty of repair work to keep him busy. Then Frank started poking at local politics, and got in way over his head.
Origin: His abilities grew in gradually.
Uniform: Frank favors blue-collar menswear, mostly in shades of black, gray, and blue, occasionally white. His accents tend to be yellow or red. He likes T-shirts with sarcastic or mechanic themes.
Qualities: Expert (+4) Blackthumb, Good (+2) Arguing, Good (+2) Dexterity, Good (+2) Krakenguard, Good (+2) V'You
Poor (-2) Naturalistic Intelligence
Powers: Average (0) Mechanical Intelligence
Frank is slowly working his way toward Super-Gizmology. At present, he is a skilled mechanic, and his actual intelligence is just edging into super range. He excels at analyzing problems to devise solutions.
Motivation: To figure out how things work.
Capsule Wardrobe Tank Top Geek I'm Here Because You Broke Something
James Bither -- He has fair skin, brown eyes, and short white hair that is receding. He has a goatee. He wears glasses. His heritage is American; he speaks English. He is 68 years old in 2016.
James grew up in Atwater, California. After graduating high school, he moved to nearby Mercedes. He got into local government by joining the school board when his children were young, then got elected to the City Council. He's one of the old guard bigots who gave Mercedes a bad reputation. James likes professional menswear, usually in shades of black, gray, white, and blue. As a hobby, he collects political buttons, posters, and other memorabilia.
Qualities: Good (+2) Kinesthetic Intelligence, Good (+2) Lies Like a Carpet, Good (+2) Loud, Good (+2) Strong, Good (+2) Wheeling and Dealing
Poor (-2) Bigot
Atwater is a city in Merced County, California. It lies 8 miles northwest of Merced. It has a population of 28,168.
* * *
"If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government, then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools."
-- Plato
Merced City Council
The Mayor and Council Members work together as a team, representing all Merced constituents, in order to make Merced a city which:
• Maintains a high quality of life for its citizens;
• Demonstrates a positive attitude and approach in dealing with all segments of the community;
• Shows sensitivity and awareness of community needs and issues;
• Respects the diversity of its community;
• Develops creative and affordable solutions and alternatives to meet community needs;
• Is service-oriented, efficient, and progressive in its approach to problem resolution and use of resources;
• Offers economic development opportunities beneficial to its citizens;
• Maximizes teamwork and encourages individual involvement and personal growth, so that the community achieves its goals and contributes to society as a whole; and,
• Creates and maintains an enjoyable atmosphere in which to live and work.
[---8<---]
The Mayor serves a 2-year term and Council members serve 4-year terms. When the City Council made the decision to move City elections from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years (2015 to 2016), Council Members served a 5-year term due to the transition period.
Age of Candidacy
California
Any public office: 18
Local Elections: For local elections, like those for mayor, city council, or district attorney, consider announcing your candidacy approximately 4-5 months before Election Day. After you announce, you should begin social media engagement. This allows you to connect with voters early and start building momentum. In the final stretch, or about 2 months prior to Election Day, you’ll switch to personal strategies, such as door-to-door canvassing. This type of grassroots activity provides personal voter engagement. Voters remember candidates who take the time to personally visit them.
ass*terisk -- a dingbat that resembles a stylized anus.
How Nestlé Gets Away With Pumping California's Water for Next to Nothing
Gabions are loose dams, commonly made of rocks in a metal cage. They slow water flow and trap sediment. This reduces erosion and encourages more water to soak into the ground instead of running off, which supports more plants and animals. This video shows how gabions work.
Gully stuffing is a landscape remediation technique of filling gullies with biomass, the butt ends of brush facing upstream for maximum friction. This slows water flowing through the gully, reducing erosion, and eventually filling it with sediment and mulch. It also promotes water soaking into the soil and nourishing plants. Watch a video about gully stuffing.
Beavers build dams that slow water flow, and channels that direct water to spread out, creating ponds surrounded by wetlands. This activity can restore wetlands in deserts. Beavers also help land recover from wildfire and make it more resistant to future fires.
Engineer Problem-Solving Method
