Hello Everyone,

Yesterday, I tried to share this story with you, but I had that posting problem, which the cure for seems not to be the government at all, but something to do with a name spelling that Canie's computer reads as something unpleasant. The persons name who appears in this story, has to have his name spelled incorrectly in order for me to write it, so know, I do know how to spell it, I just can't. This is a true story about what happened to me inside the halls of science last year.

In January of last year I began writing a seismologist who is almost legendary in his accomplishments in seismology and his interests in earthquake prediction. I wanted to interview him for my book on earthquake prediction, but he wouldn't say yes. So as the months marched on, every now and then I would pick a bone with him. So after I read the Nature Debates, where he said there was a problem with funding, I came up with an idea that was suitable and sent him this idea. Well, amazingly, he liked it.

The idea was to set up a non-profit foundation to house a fully scientific earthquake prediction project led by him with 20 seismologists working on the project. It would have been based here in Petaluma as it's close to UC Berkeley, Menlo and Stanford University. My job was to raise the funds necessary by a volunteer based group that has had success previously, obtain corporate sponsorships and did ask Bill Gates if he was interested in funding part of it.

In time we developed the project well, defined better what was going to be needed, the space required and so forth. From doing my research I learned that Senator Harrison Schmiddleof (sp) was the person who had the original idea of a prototype earthquake prediction plan, which in the end resulted in the Parkfield Experiment being formed. So I decided to go out and find him and ask him if he would be my personal advisor for this project. Quite amazingly, he agreed and I was so thrilled. The person I'm referencing was a geologist, became a scientist, was on the last manned mission to the Moon, walked on it and became a Senator after he finished is astronaut duties. He's really something. Some kind of wonderful, truly.

However, I wanted one last piece of this puzzle and needed one more seismologist and found him in Southern, CA. I asked him to head up the Lightwaves Project. This one was to study unproven theories, and look at natural elements, animals and people for precursors to earthquakes. I felt in time, somewhere along the way, #1 & #2 would share in an unusally successful combination.

It was so incredible, that at that moment, I could see everything was possible, a brand new project with the most notables was about to be launched and the event of the century was possibly at hand. The seismologist from Southern, CA wanted the four of us to get together for dinner and discuss the various aspects and then it was a matter of which of the four cities we should meet.

After about four months in the planning stages, the lead seismologist and I began to have serious problems getting along. We were about to sign a mutual contract, which we both agreed upon and suddenly another argument ensued and he quit. I aplogized like I usually do, but being the tremendously stubborn person he is, he refused to continue. It was like Hepburn and Tracy between us. A fight a week at least. Mind you, I still like him very much and though lately we haven't been communicating, some day we will again, I'm certain. Now upon reflection, I have to say, I'm almost positive he got cold feet, as there really isn't any other explanation.

When he quit, the project ended. I felt like the light of the world had gone out. I could see so many possiblities for success, beyond anything we know now, but I guess it was an idea ahead of its time. So there you go, a true story and one I lived and loved every minute of it.

Pat in Petaluma