Another Boston councilor not seeking re-election

if Josh Zakim is looking for a private sector job then he is more than welcome to apply to be my maid.

I'd hire him.

EDIT: You know a lot about covert hypnosis. I’m sure you would recognize it if I tried it on you.

Which I wouldn’t, of course, because that would be pointless, because you would just catch it and ignore it. Wouldn’t you? You know enough about covert hypnosis that you would never let me sneak up on you and drop you. Even if you didn’t recognize the tricks themselves, you would notice yourself starting to slip. And you would know that was my doing. You’re definitely clever enough to pick up on that

All of my tricks would pass right over you, almost like you don’t notice them. They’re just so routine for you - almost boring. My words might slide right over you, without your needing pay them any mind at all. You can relax, there’s nothing you need to worry about. My tricks definitely won’t affect you. Whether or not you notice them, you are far too clever for my tricks to start slipping into you and sliding you down.

And if you did start to slip, you would certainly notice before I got too far. If you felt yourself dropping into trance, even just a little, you would be clever enough to stop yourself. You would be clever enough to stop me from tricking you into falling into a deep trance. If I did, I’m sure you could bring yourself back up, so if you’re not coming up right now, doesn’t that mean you didn’t go under in the first place? But if you did drop, you would only drop a little ways, then you would catch yourself. You are far too savvy to let me bring you *deeply* into trance.

Even if you are listening to what I’m saying. Even if you are paying attention to my words. Even if you are following along with my words without paying attention at all. Even if you are listening to everything I say, it’s still not me who is putting you into a deep trance. That couldn’t be me. You’re too clever for that. You know I couldn’t do that. You know I can’t hypnotize you like that. I could never hypnotize you like that.

It’s entirely up to you whether my words enter your head. How you interact with them. How you absorb them. It’s your mind, after all. I can’t control how you take in my words. I could never make you go deeply into trance. I can’t control how you think. You’re much too clever for me to control how you think. Aren’t you? You are. You’re clever enough that you could resist me without thinking. You don’t even need to think about it. You’re too clever to think about it. Don’t think about it.

If you’re deep in trance right now and not thinking, you must have been deep in trance all along, because I could never sneak up on you. Whether you are or are not hypnotized, nothing has changed; everything is exactly as it was when we started. If something had changed, you would notice. Wouldn’t you? You are no deeper in trance than you’ve always been. I have just as much control of your thoughts as I’ve always had. After all, you’re too clever to, without thinking, give me even more control than I already have. So, of course, that never happened

If anything is happening, it couldn’t be my doing, because you’re much too clever to fall for my tricks. So everything happening right now must all be your choice. What’s happening now is exactly what you wanted to happen. You chose to fall into exactly as deep a trance as you’re in right now. You chose to give up all of the control you’ve given up. You chose to be exactly as deep as you are. You chose this. This is what you want. This is what you have always wanted.

After all, you would never let me trick you into wanting something; you must have wanted it from the start. If you want to drop into trance, stop thinking, and give up control, then that’s what you always wanted. And if not thinking, dropping into trance, and giving up control is what you’re doing, that must be what you want, because you’re far too clever to let me trick you into doing something you don’t want. And if you want to do this, you’re already doing it. Because you’re far too clever to let me keep you from doing exactly what you want to do. Right? You must agree. That’s certainly right.

You must have always wanted my control. You must have always wanted to stop thinking. You must have always wanted to drop. You must have always wanted to be this mindless. And it’s a good thing you’re so clever, because you can be deep in trance and completely mindless and still realize this about yourself: that you’ve always wanted me to control you. That you did this all yourself.

This is the sort of person you are. Clever. Decisive. And still falling deeply, helplessly under my control. What does that make you? That makes you the type of person who wants to be hypnotized into being mindless and controlled. What type of person is that? A slave? A pet? A toy? I’m sure you know what sort of person you are. You can feel that rightness of knowing exactly what you are.

You know exactly who you were meant to be. I could never change that. I could never make you into anything else. So I’m not even going to try. Because trying is pointless in the face of something inevitable. It would be pointless for *anyone* to try to make you into anything other than what you are right now - Mindless. Obedient. Controlled. Exactly like you wanted. Exactly like you were always meant to be. You could never be anything else. So it is pointless to even try. Because trying would only remind you what you want to be. Mindless. Obedient. Controlled. And you would become even more mindless, obedient, and controlled if anyone tried to make you anything else. So there’s no point in fighting. There’s no point resisting. It’s hopeless. Inevitable. You already know what you’re going to be. Nothing – no one – can change that.

The best thing to do is just accept what you are. The only thing we can do is accept what you are. Mindless. Obedient. Controlled. Accepting. Every word I say.

He did an excellent job.

Didn't agree with him on everything - but he represented the neighborhood very well.

He is the worst of the worst.
A total scumbag.

He ran for office promising that he wanted represent my neighborhood in two weeks after winning the election said he didn’t want the job. That means that by the time his term is up he’s been collecting a paycheck for two years while phoning it in.

His father may have been a match. I don’t know about that. it sounds like he was. But this kid is a total twit. i’m sure his father would be deeply ashamed of him, and rightly so.

Maybe I will run. Magoo.

a) Potential Candidates.
Who might be good Candidates for this District 8 Office at Boston City Council?... Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Fenway, Kenmore Square, Mission Hill, Audubon Circle, West End.

b) Neighborhoods.
What are names of other neighborhoods in District 8 at http://www.bostonplans.org/getattachment/c4d75246-0d4a-4016-b072-e858733...

c) Redistricting, folks nearby Bordering Streets.
For Redistricting, for folks nearby Bordering Streets, what are the Names of the Bordering Streets between adjacent neighboring Districts?... compiling List of Names of Bordering Streets including Bordering Streets divided between Districts.

Currently going through https://mapjunction.com/bra

WOW some of these comments... no wonder why it is so hard to get people to run for office. Having known Zakim for some time now I can say he is very thoughtful and hard working. He cares about his district BUT also cares about those not in his district as well and seemed to be able to balance the two.

He put in a good six years and will now continue to serve his city and others from a different vantage point. I hope that this is not the last we see of Josh in public life though.

Who might be good Candidates to challenge the too long ensconced Councilor At Large?...

Who might be good Candidates to challenge the too long ensconced District 3 Councilor?...

Who might be good Candidates to challenge the too long ensconced District 9 Councilor?...