Caught in PNB Web

Fifteen human months are thought to have passed since the designation, appointment, and delegation of relevant responsibilities to the Pacifica National Board’s Programming Committee. In that time no actions appear to have been taken. Nor to have taken place. Indeed, until very recently no meetings took place.

The most recent meeting appears to have consisted of various bits and pieces of nothing much and something-even-less-than-that, viz:

A passing thought appeared to float by to the effect that an Executive Director had been selected but that this ‘selection’ would not be ‘official’ until completion of a background check – it would seem that Pacifica prefers to make its selections and decisions absent such information with respect to the ‘final pool’ of candidates. The spider-observer colloquy is unable to fathom any rational explanation for this Pacifica ‘procedure’.

The hope was expressed that this ‘official’ selection might be completed within days.

A survey seems to be continued to be pondered, contemplated, and lazily discussed from time to time, such survey to be presented to station program directors (in those cases where program directors exist) and enquire, basically, as to whatsup and howyadoin and whaddayathink – from which survey results the Programming Committee appears to feel it can better inform itself and further consider possible mandated changes to be discussed at an undetermined date (though it should be noted that ‘mandated’ changes very nearly nevernevernever actually happen, Pacifica seemingly having an organizationally-defined definition of the word ‘mandate’, which appears to translate as ‘unenforceable suggestion or non-mandate’ or something of that sort, so far as any outside observers are able to determine).

As to these and other Pacifica ‘procedures’, one of the members observed ‘This is Democracy!’ The spider colloquy believes that this is some sort of sacred secular term largely absent actual definition.

The earnest hope was expressed that by proceeding with great speed and maximum effort it might be possible to hold meaningful discussion and debate as to suggested ‘mandates’ some time before the end of the human calendar year or early in the next calendar year. Some doubted this rapid a rate of development, but it appeared to be an earnest hope.

Indeed, hope, earnest and otherwise, seemed to be something of a leitmotif if not in fact a dominant theme.

This, in turn, with intermittent outbursts of pointless dysfunctional strife, appears to be a common pattern in all things Pacifica.

There followed discussion and debate as to hoped-for Pacifica National American National Midterm Elections Coverage. This would, it was hoped, present publicity and fund-raising opportunities. It was felt to be important to specifically mandate semi-quotas for ‘minority’ human representation in the presentation of Pacifica’s Coverage.

It was unclear as to how Pacifica hoped to compete with innumerable more capable organizations in providing this coverage, but it appeared to be deemed important by members of the Programming Committee.

There then followed a lengthy discussion-debate as to the question of Underwriting. So far as the spider-observer colloquy was able to determine, this constituted a discussion-debate which had been carried out since at least the mid-seventh decade of the human nineteen hundreds larger-scale time-rendering notation.

There appears to have been no evolution of progress with respect to this discussion-debate, the usual pro-forma heartfelt arguments being presented, eg, We’re progressives! Not capitalists! We need the money! It’s not so bad! We can have Committees & Rule to Approve Things! We’re progressives! Not capitalists! We won’t be corrupted! We won’t be corrupted!

etc ad tedium ad absurdum

The colloquy is largely unable to parse these arguments.

The Constellation of Arachnid Spies therefore presents this information as best derived to the estimable inestimable Indigo Pirate, Spider Friend,

Sincerely,

Wolf Spider

ps: You owe us one.